November 23

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

​Memorize this Verse: (Cover the verse text and using just the first letters of each word try to recite the entire passage.)
1. L N Y H B T Y B I G B A I M
2. I M F S H A M M I I W N S I W H T Y I G T P A P F Y
​3. A I I G A P A P F Y I W C A A R Y U M T W I A T Y M B A

Notes on verses:

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

“Let not your heart be troubled” refers to Peter, Jesus having just told him of his imminent denial of his Lord (13:38). But the larger reference is to all the apostles, through whom Jesus is going to lay the foundation of the church. His comfort also includes instruction about His departure, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the promise of spiritual power, of answered prayer and of peace, but especially the promise of His return.

(Verse 1 above), is the most used Scripture in the Bible as text for a funeral. When Jesus spoke this to the disciples, they had great sorrow in their hearts, because they had just been told that Jesus would soon leave them. Notice the very first word says “let”. That word means that these disciples and we as well, have power to let.

When Jesus tells them “let not”, He is telling these disciples, you have it in your power to not be troubled, now don’t do it. Jesus specifically mentions the heart. What we are, issues from our heart. It appears from the very first verse, that we have the power to not be troubled in our heart.

Faith is the opposite of fear. If we trust God, we know that everything that happens to us is for our good, if we are a Christian. Jesus knows these men believe in God. His only concern at the moment, is that their faith in Him being Messiah will be shaken when He is crucified.

Jesus is saying to them; remember I am God the Word, and God the Son. He is saying; don’t let this apparent defeat cause you to doubt Who I Am.

John 14:2 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

This is a beautiful statement here, to all believers in Christ. All the believers in Christ, both male and female, are the bride of Christ. When I read verse 2 above, it brings to mind what happens when a Jewish man and woman are betrothed. The groom goes away to build a home for his bride.

When the Father examines the home, and says it is ready, the groom comes back to the edge of the city, blows a trumpet on the side of the mountain and the bride goes out to the groom. Isn’t that a beautiful example of how it will be when Jesus comes back and blows the trumpet in the sky and we go to meet Him?

He will come back when the Father says it is time. Jesus is away now preparing mansions for His bride (the Christians). He is preparing a place for us and when His Father says the time is right, He will come back for us and take us home with Him.

Heaven is a place and the eternal hope of the saved. Scripture describes it as a beautiful city where the redeemed will live for eternity. The activities in heaven include singing (Rev. 15:3); worship (Rev. 5:9); serving (Rev. 22:3); ruling (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 22:5); fellowship with others (Matt. 17:3) and eating (Rev. 2:17).

The quality of existence in heaven is a life of fellowship with God (Rev. 22:4); a life of rest (Rev. 14:13); a life of service (Rev. 22:3); a life of growth (Rev. 22:2); and a life of worship (Rev. 19:1).

The glories of heaven belong only to those who have personally trusted Christ for their salvation. Christians who work to win souls are gathering friends who will spend eternity with them in heaven.

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

His departure would be for their advantage since He was going away to prepare a heavenly home for them and will return to take them so that they may be with Him. This is one of the passages that refer to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns.

The features in this description do not describe Christ coming to earth with His saints to establish His kingdom (Rev. 19:11-15), but taking believers from earth to live in heaven. Since no judgment on the unsaved is described here, this is not the event of His return in glory and power to destroy the wicked (Matt. 13:36-43 and 47-50).

Rather, this describes His coming to gather His own who are alive and raise the bodies of those who have died to take them all to heaven. This rapture event is also described in (1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). After being raptured, the church will celebrate the marriage supper (Rev. 19:7-10), be rewarded (1 Cor. 3:10-15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10), and later return to earth with Christ when He comes again to set up His kingdom (Rev. 19:11-20:6).

Christians all over the world are eagerly waiting the time when we can go and be with Jesus. Jesus is preparing a place for us right now, and when God the Father says the time is right, Jesus will be coming back to get us so that where He is, there we may be also.

People like Stephen, who have been martyred for the name of Jesus, are already there. In Revelation, we read of this. They are saying “how long?”

TODAY'S BIBLE READING

November 23

Today's Bible Reading Plan selections can be found below. If you don't have a Bible with you, just click the references to read each passage online:

​Old Testament
Daniel 7-8  —  8.0 minutes
Job 21:1-21  —  3.5 minutes

New Testament
John 13:12-17  —  1.5 minutes
Jude 1:1-7  —  2.5 minutes

Total Average Read Time — 15.5 minutes