Leading The Way

Guest (Male): Christian leader, Middle East expert, and bestselling author Dr. Michael Youssef to begin today's episode of Leading the Way.

Dr. Michael Youssef: D.L. Moody, the great preacher of yesteryear, said these words. He said, "If I were going to dwell in any place in this country, if I were going to make it my home, I would want to inquire about the place. And I would want to inquire about everything, anything about it. I want to know all about it."

And yet the greatest trick of the devil is saying to you, "Not now. Not now. You're too young. You wait. You've got plenty of time. You've got plenty of time."

Guest (Male): Welcome to Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Think about your vacation. How much time ahead of time do you spend researching the destination, looking at all the activities available and where everybody can eat and what the family might enjoy?

Okay, now consider this. How much time do you spend preparing for your eternal home, the one after this life is complete? Today on Leading the Way, encouragement to set your heart and your mind toward heaven, the ultimate city. Here now is Dr. Michael Youssef to begin.

Dr. Michael Youssef: There is a Norwegian catechism that goes something like this: "God our Father called us aside one day in the home palace of heaven and he sent us out to live in the island earth, the island colony. And after he described what life is like in this island colony, he ends up by saying these words: 'The greatest danger is that you may fall in love with the island so that you will not care to return to the home kingdom. Love the island because it is my possession, but don't love it because it is your home. It is not your home. Your home is here in the palace with me.'"

If you turn your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 10, you find that the Holy Spirit is saying to us in this word that from Abraham on, all the men and women of faith have looked forward and have seen by faith the city that has an eternal foundation whose builder and maker and architect and designer is God. The city with the foundations whose architect and builder is God. We have seen first of all that the earthly cities were a design of man in order to escape from God. Cain went out and built a city. He was running away from the face of God.

We saw that the city is built upon the basic premise of self-centeredness. It is built upon the basic premise of self-serving. It is man's ingenuity to design the garden without the presence of God, and that is why it's failed. Indeed, we all have recently in recent history seen how when cities that are determined to rule God out, God is patient and he may wait for 70-some years, but it can't survive forever. We've seen openly how these cities that legally and openly eliminated God, they have now fallen like a deck of cards.

But the scripture said that we are seeking a city that is not built with hand, that we are seeking after the city whose builder is God. It is built by love because it is built with the supreme lover of souls. No wonder Abraham saw this city by faith. Hebrews tells us he saw it and he anticipated it by faith, and therefore he became patiently waiting for it. It is worth waiting for. It is a magnificent city. A city so beautiful, so magnificent, unspeakably wonderful, and nothing was going to come between Abraham and the seeking after that city. Nothing. Not all the land in the world, not all the cattle on the face of the earth, not all the silver, not all the gold. Nothing is going to come between him and that great city that is not built with hand that is awaiting all the believers as we get to it.

And the Bible tells us that this heavenly city is being prepared for us in heaven. So what is heaven like? Now, I want you to listen carefully. If you forget everything else, I want you to remember what does the Bible teach about heaven. You see, the word Shamayim in Hebrew, the word—the plural word—heavens. It means literally the things that are heaved up, the things that are lifted up high up. That's literally what it means. Like the sky being lifted from the earth, there just is a space. Now the English word came from the Anglo-Saxon word for haven, which doesn't really imply—it gives the idea that it's a place of rest, but it doesn't explain exactly what heaven is like or what it is like to us today.

The Hebrew language, however, expresses this much better. It means everything that is high and lifted up. A far higher level of purity than you find on the earth. The far—it is far higher level of nobility, far higher level of eminence. And that is why God is often referred to in the scripture as the Most High God. It is not necessarily how many miles he's up there, but he's high above while we're in the lowest. Isaiah's vision, you remember, he saw God high and lifted up. The Bible said that ours is a higher calling. The angels said, "Glory to God in the highest." He who comes from heaven is above all.

And it is from that heaven, from that height of purity, it is from that height of goodness, it is from that height of holiness, it is from that height of splendor that Jesus came down to the lower earth. And he came down to a morally lower planet. Jesus taught us the height of perfection, the height of purity, the height of holiness, and the height of love. And that is why in the day of Jesus' baptism, you read in the scripture that the Spirit descended from above from the very presence of Holy God and said, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."

Never once since the fall of Adam and Eve had the Maker of mankind been able to say these words until he said them to Jesus in the river Jordan. Here at last, man among men, yet God of very God. Here at last, a second Adam with whom God is pleased. So when the Bible said that Jesus, after the resurrection, ascended into heaven, it doesn't necessarily mean how many miles did he go. But it meant that he had transcended space. He had transcended the limitation of space, that he had arrived in the orbit of purity and holiness and majesty and splendor from where he came from.

And that's exactly what's going to happen to those who love Jesus, those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. One day, they're going to reach the height of purity, the height of holiness, and the height of perfection when we see him face to face. He might come today. He might come back today. Or he might call some of us to be with him in heaven. I think we often think that only older people are getting closer to heaven. Oh, God can call an eight-year-old or a 21-year-old or 39. God can call of us, any of us, today.

The question is, are you prepared? How much time have you spent finding out about heaven? D.L. Moody, the great preacher of yesteryear, said these words: "If I were going to dwell in any place in this country, if I were going to make it my home, I would want to inquire about the place. And I would want to inquire about everything, anything about it. I want to know all about it." And yet the greatest trick of the devil is saying to you, "Not now. Not now. You're too young. You wait. You've got plenty of time. You've got plenty of time." Have you spent time thinking about where you're going to spend eternity?

Well, what about this city? What about this city that is being prepared for us in which you and I are going to be spending eternity? That city of—that Abraham looked forward to and he was seeking, that by faith he saw it. That city that Hebrews 11:22 refers to as the City of the Living God. That city that Revelation 3:12 refers to as the New Jerusalem. You see, earthly Jerusalem was a holy city, but now it is blood-stained with the blood of the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord whom God sent. The earthly Jerusalem once was a holy city when God was worshipped, but it rejected and crucified the anointed one of God.

I've got news for you. I can't be excited looking forward to an earthly Jerusalem. I don't believe that Jesus came to redeem us so we can end up in an earthly Jerusalem, a piece of real estate in the Middle East. No, it's going to be a new Jerusalem. It's going to be a heavenly Jerusalem. And while normally I'm not detail-minded person and I don't get involved so much in the details when the scripture gives us details about a matter, but I got so excited studying about this with great amazement. It beats anything that you've ever heard of. John tells us that each wall of that city measures about 12,000 furlongs. Now in English, that means it's a square city. A city of many tiers. And each tier is going to be 2,250,000 square miles. That is the city that's the new city that the Lord Jesus is preparing for us.

The only city that I know that is four-square is a city in South Australia, Adelaide. The city of Adelaide, it's one mile on each of the four sides. A square city. But this square city is something to behold. One of the commentators said it's going to accommodate 53 billion people very comfortably. Dr. Henry Morris has made the following calculation: he said the total number of people since Adam to the present about 40 billion. Then he adds another 20 billion for those who died soon after birth or before birth. And then he said in the millennium there's going to be another 40 billion, and he calculates 100 billion people.

He said figuring that 20% of these are saved, 20% of the world population that ever since that time looked forward to that city that have surrendered their life to the lordship of Jesus Christ, that they have made him to be Lord of their life. Figuring that 20% will be the inhabitants of this New Jerusalem and assuming that only 25% of the city that is described in the scripture going to be inhabited, each resident—listen to this—will have a block, cubic block of 75 acres. Each person.

Now I got thinking about this, and I thought what the best part—and I'm going to upset you mortgagees—is that I don't get up in the first day of the month write the check for the mortgage company. Jesus just gave it to me free. That's part of ruling with him in heaven forever. But that's not all. According to Revelation 21:4, there will be no tears there. According to 1 Corinthians 15:26, there will be no death there. And according to Isaiah 35:10, there will be no sorrow there. And according to Revelation 21:4, there will be no pain in that city. And according to Revelation 22:5, there will be no light in that city because Jesus is going to be there and he's going to outshine the light. According to Revelation 22:3, there will be no curse in that city. God will tabernacle with us. It is a city of glory, and there we're going to behold his face.

No wonder the Apostle Paul, when he was privileged to be caught up and see that city, that he could say in—and he's a man who suffered more than anybody you'll ever know—he can say that suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us and to us. They just not worthy to be compared. There is no comparison. It will be revealed in us by all the changes and above all our heavenly bodies that we will receive. It will be revealed to us in the beauty of the surroundings of the New Jerusalem. What a glorious day. Are you looking forward to it?

Sometime ago, I read to you from part of a letter that was sent by an elderly man from California sometime ago to Charles—evangelist Charles E. Fuller, a man after whom the—my alma mater in California, Fuller Seminary, was named. A great man of God. He announced on his radio program that he was going to preach on heaven, and here's what this elderly man wrote in his letter. He said, "Dr. Fuller, I am interested in heaven because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for the past 50 years. I didn't buy it. It was given to me without money and without price, but the donor purchased it for me at a tremendous sacrifice.

I'm not holding it for speculation since the title is not transferable. It is not vacant, but for over half a century I have been sending material out from which the Great Architect of the Builder of the universe has been building a home for me which will never need to be remodeled or repaired. It will suit me perfectly. Termites can never undermine its foundations, for they rest on the Rock of Ages. Fire can't destroy it and floods can't wash it away. No locks or bolts will ever be placed upon its doors, for no vicious person can enter into that land where my dwelling stands. Now almost completed and almost ready to enter in and abide in peace eternally without fear of being rejected."

Yes, I'm ready to go. My ticket to heaven has no date marked for the journey and no return coupon, praise God. All there is a permit for luggage. Won't take any of yours with you. What's going to be waiting for you on the other end is what you already sent now. Now the question, are you ready for the journey? Are you ready for the journey? Does your ticket have the stamp of the blood of Christ on it? Have you come at a point of your life and said, "Lord Jesus, I know I can't save myself. Without your grace and without the shed blood of Christ on the cross, I can't go anywhere, I can't do anything. I surrender to you." Have you done that? Well, if you haven't, I pray that you will do that today.

And you who have made that decision, are you been thinking about heaven? Have you been filling your container with oil? You know, I hear people often say that they're angry with God. I hear people sometimes say that they need to forgive God. I must confess to you that I cringe when I hear that. You forgive someone when he does something wrong, but how can a perfect God do anything wrong? All his acts are perfect and holy, even the ones that I don't understand, even the ones that I don't like, even the ones that I can't comprehend.

But the question is, is it possibly that God is angry with you? I know it's not fashionable these days to preach about the anger of God. It is impolite to talk about the anger of God, but I'm not here to give God the house seal of approval. I'm not here to give him a face-lift. I'm not trying to protect his image. Read your scripture. Read about the anger of God. I think our society, our generation, has confused God with Santa Claus. We think of God like Santa. You want to know the character of God, read his word.

Could be, just could be that God is angry at your disobedience. Just could be that God is angry at your insubordination to his will. Just could be that God is angry with you for taking all his blessings for granted. Just could be. You know the scripture said God is slow to anger. And you can, by your confession and by repentance, turn that anger. You can answer that question. You alone, in a privacy of your heart, you alone can answer that question.

And if your answer is yes, you're the one who need to ask God for forgiveness. And listen, he's a God of his word, he does not lie. And he said when you ask for it, you'll get it. He is more ready to forgive than we are to pray. I hope that the Holy Spirit has been working in your heart, has been tugging in your heart, has been speaking to you. In your heart and your spirit you've been wandering like a lost sheep, and the Father has been saying, "Please come home. I love you. I'm ready to forgive you. I'm ready to restore you. I'm ready to make you a new creature. Will you respond and say, 'Yes, Lord'?"

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining Dr. Michael Youssef for Leading the Way. You can reach out to the ministry call center and stand alongside Dr. Youssef in support or call to order available products or leave a prayer request. Give us a call, 866-626-4356. And online we're at LTW.org.

We all appreciate the teaching of Dr. Michael Youssef, but did you know that you can also enjoy his teaching in book form? That's right, he is a prolific author and one of my personal favorites, Empowered by Prayer. Dr. Youssef, why did you write Empowered by Prayer?

Dr. Michael Youssef: Well, initially, I had written the first edition more than 20 years ago after an experience of very painful and very frightening experience that came into our home. And I was really saying to the Lord, "What am I going to do now? Where do I go now?" And the Lord said, "I want you to learn to praise me in the midst of your dark hour." And in the beginning that was not easy, I must confess that to you, it wasn't easy at all.

But then step-by-step, as the Lord began to teach me how to praise him in the midst of the difficult circumstances and the uncertainty of the future, that I learned to really look up and praise the Lord. And at that moment, I received unbelievable—it is believable because it's in Christ—but it's indescribable really ability to be strengthened from within by the power of the Holy Spirit. I think we are so indebted to the Lord for everything. We're indebted to him for our salvation. We're indebted to him for our redemption. We're indebted to him for all the blessings of life. But we are truly indebted to him as well for the ability to praise him and to bless his name and to discover that it is within that blessing and it's within that praising of God that we are blessed and empowered to live a life, not just survive, but to thrive.

Guest (Male): You can call us and get your own copy of Empowered by Prayer on the way to your mailbox. Our phone number: 866-626-4356. That's 866-626-4356. You can also visit the website, LTW.org. All of the ordering details are right there for you at LTW.org.

And we love to hear from you through the mail as well. You can write to us, send us your prayer request, send a gift to the ministry. Tell us how this ministry has impacted your walk with Jesus. Write to Leading the Way, Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30325. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth.