VICTORY HILL

I shout “Victory!” on the highest hill.
I call “Joy!” where the valleys fill.
Jesus is no longer dead!
 
Will you cry “Savior!” to the meadow’s end?
Will you sing “Friend!” where the willows bend?
Jesus fulfilled what was said!
 
Come, yell “Freedom!” to the birch trees far.
Holler “Sure hope!” to the furthest star.
Jesus was raised from the dead!
 
I proclaim “Mercy!” to the babbling brook.
I whistle “Life!” to the woodland nook.
Jesus has done all He said!
 
Then, I will kneel where the grass is deep,
and give to the Lord my soul to keep.
Jesus is no longer dead!

 

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:8-11

 

VICTORY HILL

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:9-10

The Bible outlines the gift of salvation in Romans 10:9-10. The entrance into Heaven is found for the person with a believing heart and a confessing mouth. Do you have a believing heart and spoken words to confess that Jesus is Lord? I hope you do. And, as we also read in the Bible, Jesus hopes you do, too.

The Word of God contains truths about Heaven, or, the kingdom of God. We read about how the Heavenly Father lives in Heaven, how angels are sent from Heaven, how Jesus came from Heaven, and how, after His resurrection, He ascended into Heaven, His Father's kingdom. The disciples watched him go up into the sky until He was out of sight.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Acts 1:9

When we read the Bible, which is God-breathed, we learn that Jesus spoke about Heaven often. And He spoke about Hell. As Heaven is a real place, so is Hell— an evil place far away from God's eternal love and grace. Our Creator God does not want anyone to end up there, but people go, nonetheless, due to their lack of faith.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

2 Peter 3:9-10

The day of the Lord will come quickly, when it does.

As recorded in Luke, Jesus told a parable (or story) to paint a horrible picture of how awful Hell is. He would not want anyone to spiritually perish but, because He is full of love and grace, He won't force anyone to believe in Him. He desires that people come to Him of their own free will, like Lazarus, the beggar.

"So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'"

Luke 16:22-26

Heed the parable of warning told by Jesus. This whole account in the Bible starts in verse 19 and ends in verse 31 of the 16th chapter of Luke. We learn of the tormented soul of the rich man who chose not to believe in Christ and that he sees Lazarus comforted and not in torment on the other side of the great gulf. He knows his mistake but it's too late. He asks if Lazarus could go back and warn his brothers. He was sure they would believe and repent if they saw a risen-from-the-dead person. But Abraham assured the rich man they would not. The take-away is: A hardened heart will cost too much for the owner of it.

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Matthew 16:26

The book of Ecclesiastes teaches that life is meaningless without the proper reverence for God. Without Jesus, everything is meaningless. The rich man in the parable found out too late and couldn't do anything about his predicament.

After you die (which we are all appointed once to do), I hope you will be celebrating on Victory Hill in Heaven.

FOR THE JOY: Christian Poems about Good Friday and Easter

While cleaning, I found a ditto of a poem one of my kids had in their notebook from when they were in school. It was a poem about the horror of war, written by Wilfred Owen, and it impressed on me a format to follow about the horror of Hell. I am considering adding it to my For the Joy collection.

אנא את ידתחיא נהו ון ל והן ודמם

דית ינר הא ו לוהן

(I Have Come That They May Have Life

and That They May Have It More Abundantly)

Bewildered, reeling, as if just hit by a car,

He stretched his hand for never-to-have relief,

And cried, “Abraham! I see your rest afar!”

His mind spun wild the folly of sure belief

In ‘Never. A. Savior’, a state too mad to bear. “End,”

He screamed, “these embers somewhere stoked!

Fire! Fire! Unquenchable flames ascend!

Do you see? Are those dense shadows or surging smoke?

Water! A drop on the tip of Lazarus’ finger!”

He fell, prostrated. “O now, my doom!

Quick warn my brothers this death-place where I linger!

A risen person could free them of this gloom …

But would repentance follow?” The answer he knows,

As horrid wraiths emerged from pits of Hell.

If, by the Spirit, you see what the rich man knows,

And sense the chasm span, too wide to tell,

And feel the searing, tormenting, rising flames,

And hear the shrieking cries, wailing and weeping,

And gnashing teeth, as demons hiss their claims,

My friend, you would profess sweet grace for keeping,

Inheritance from a mountain, and eternal life—

The words Jesus declared lovingly:

אנא את ידתחיא נהו ון ל והן ודמם דית ינר הא ו לוהן

FOCUS ON PRAYER

Please pray for Biblical understanding. We may know God better if we spend time in His Word. Believe in prayer. Pray that the non-praying loved one would pray.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

Jeremiah 33:3

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

John 10:10

IN CLOSING

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Acts 1:10-11

We learn from reading the Bible that Jesus' ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He rose from the ground gradually and was observed by many onlookers who watched Him until they could see Him no more. Then, two men in white, angels, appeared and spoke to them about how Jesus will return. Jesus is alive today, making intercession for believers as High Priest and Mediator of the New Covenant. The work of forgiveness was completed in the words He spoke before dying on the cross: 'It is finished'. Now, He is preparing a beautiful place for the forgiven (the ones who are saved, as in Romans 10:9-10), far from the flames of Hell, on the other side of the great gulf fixed, in the Kingdom that shall not fall, and has no end— Heaven.