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00:00Be inspired to walk as Jesus walked in the coming year with Turning Point's 2026 calendar,
00:06Following in His Footsteps.
00:08Each month, enjoy breathtaking vistas from nature through 12 beautiful, frameable images.
00:13And focus on a different aspect of Christ's character with a monthly theme and encouraging thought,
00:18plus a daily Bible reading plan.
00:21Follow in Christ's footsteps each day of the coming year.
00:24Request your calendar or a five-pack to give as gifts when you support Turning Point today.
00:31There's a home that calls to every human heart.
00:34A promise of something better waiting on the other side of this life.
00:39Some call it a great light, others the great beyond.
00:43But for God's children, it's heaven and our forever home.
00:48A place to put down eternal roots, where you'll find life that never fades,
00:54and your every need fulfilled.
00:56Where every tear is wiped away, no more sorrow, no more pain, no more goodbyes.
01:04In their place, peace that flows like the river of life,
01:08and joy running deeper than any earthly current.
01:11All things will be renewed, including your body and strength,
01:16and every one of your steps taking you further into eternity,
01:20to the throne of the one who knows you completely,
01:25and who welcomes you home.
01:27In his presence, you'll be reminded,
01:30this is where you belong.
01:32This is the promise of heaven.
01:39Coming up on Turning Point.
01:41People want to know, what is my new body going to be like?
01:45And there's no passage in the scripture that says,
01:47here's what the new body of a Christian will look like.
01:51But we have almost the same thing,
01:53because if we're going to have bodies like the Lord Jesus,
01:57if we study the Lord Jesus after his resurrection,
02:00we'll discover what kind of bodies we're going to have,
02:02because we're going to have bodies just like him.
02:04Coming this fall, in Dr. David Jeremiah's new book,
02:09The Promise of Heaven,
02:11he uncovers the biblical answers
02:12to your biggest questions about your eternal home.
02:15These short, powerful chapters
02:17will not only change the way you think about heaven,
02:19but also transform how you live today.
02:22The Promise of Heaven by Dr. Jeremiah
02:24releases worldwide October 7th,
02:26but you can pre-order your copy today
02:28for a gift of any amount.
02:30Or, for your gift of $75 or more,
02:32pre-order The Promise of Heaven set,
02:35which contains Dr. Jeremiah's new book,
02:37his complete teaching series on CD or DVD,
02:40a correlating study guide,
02:41a special interview with Sheila Walsh on DVD,
02:44and the 10 things you may not know about heaven bookmark.
02:47Plus, when you pre-order from Turning Point,
02:49you'll instantly receive these exclusive digital bonuses,
02:52early access to The Promise of Heaven teaching series
02:55and study guide,
02:56and two extra chapters written by Dr. Jeremiah,
02:58not included in his new book.
03:00Pre-order The Promise of Heaven book or set,
03:02when you contact Turning Point today.
03:07And now, here is Dr. Jeremiah with his message,
03:11A Body for Heaven.
03:14There aren't many normal days on the site of Camp 3
03:17near the summit of Mount Everest.
03:20The camp is usually set up at an elevation
03:22of around 24,500 feet,
03:25which is within the death zone
03:27caused by frigid temperatures,
03:29and significantly reduced oxygen.
03:32So, every person there is literally
03:33taking their life in their hands.
03:37On a particular day, back in 2007,
03:40everyone stood in slack-jawed amazement
03:43as a singular climber entered the camp.
03:45That climber's name was Wim Hof,
03:49and in many ways, he was similar
03:51to the other adventure seekers
03:53looking to summit the world's highest mountain,
03:56bold, courageous, open to the risks
03:58others preferred to avoid.
04:01But there was one key difference about Wim,
04:04his clothing.
04:07While every other climber
04:08and every other member of the sports staff
04:10was decked out in the latest cold-weather gear,
04:13including performance jackets, gloves,
04:15and latest boots, and many other layers,
04:18Mr. Hof wore a pair of shorts,
04:21open-toed sandals, had no shirt, no hat, no socks,
04:24nothing to stand between his body
04:26and the merciless cold.
04:29Known throughout the world as the Iceman,
04:33Hof has become a legend for his ability
04:35to thrive in severe cold.
04:38Scientists are baffled by his ability
04:40to endure extremes that would mean
04:41certain death for any other person.
04:45The Iceman attributes his extraordinary feats
04:47to what he calls the Wim Hof method,
04:50which seems to be a combination
04:51of breathing techniques, exposure,
04:54meditation, and shutzpah.
04:56I have no idea whether Mr. Hof
04:58is a once-in-a-lifetime physical specimen.
05:02He may be just a motivational genius,
05:04a charlatan, or something completely different,
05:06but I do know that his ideas remind me of a truth
05:10I have been pondering for a long time.
05:13Human beings are destined for more
05:16than we currently experience.
05:18The limitations on our body are temporary limitations
05:23if we're Christians.
05:24I'm talking about the physical transformation
05:28of all followers of Jesus,
05:30and we're going to experience that moment
05:33at the resurrection,
05:36at the time of the rapture.
05:38The resurrection is more than resuscitation, friends.
05:41It's transformation.
05:42We're going to be changed.
05:45Three people rose from the dead in the Old Testament,
05:48and Jesus raised three people from death
05:51during his ministry, a boy in the town of Nain,
05:55a girl in Capernaum, and his friend Lazarus.
05:57Both Peter and Paul brought back some people from death,
06:00but each of those examples were temporary resurrections.
06:04And I always felt bad for Lazarus.
06:07He had to die twice.
06:09They became sick or suffered, had an accident.
06:13Once again, they passed away.
06:15Christ arose in a different way.
06:18The essence of his physical body was changed.
06:22It was glorified.
06:23It was rendered everlasting, imperishable,
06:25and improved with various skills and abilities
06:28to enjoy forever.
06:30After his transformational resurrection,
06:33he would not and could not ever die again.
06:37The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
06:39provides the proof and the pattern
06:42for what's ahead for all of his children.
06:44In Philippians 3.21, we're told that Christ
06:47will transform our lowly bodies
06:50so that they will be conformed to his glorious body.
06:56In 1 John 3.2, we read,
06:59it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
07:01but we know that when he is revealed,
07:04we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
07:08Now, let's explore what that means.
07:10People want to know, what is my new body going to be like?
07:13And there's no passage in the Scripture that says,
07:16here's what the new body of a Christian will look like.
07:19But we have almost the same thing
07:22because if we're going to have bodies like the Lord Jesus,
07:25if we study the Lord Jesus after his resurrection,
07:28we'll discover what kind of bodies we're going to have
07:31because we're going to have bodies just like him.
07:33First of all, our new bodies will be incarnate.
07:37And the word incarnate means in the flesh,
07:40a real, physical, bodily existence.
07:43We're not going to have spirit bodies,
07:45as some people teach.
07:47I don't even know if there is such a thing.
07:48I think that's an oxymoron, isn't it?
07:50A spirit body?
07:52That's why we say our new bodies will be incarnate.
07:55We won't be floating spirits.
07:56We'll have real, physical bodies
07:58just like the resurrected Lord.
08:01And if we're going to have a glorious body
08:03like the body of the resurrected Lord,
08:05then what does that mean?
08:08While we can't know all that it means,
08:10we can get some ideas by watching the Lord
08:13as he walked on earth in his resurrection body.
08:17He was on earth in his resurrection body for 40 days.
08:21And in those 40 days, he showed us some examples
08:25of how our resurrection bodies will function in heaven.
08:29First of all, Jesus said his body was real.
08:34Behold my hands and my feet, Luke 24, 39,
08:38that it is I myself.
08:40Handle me and see.
08:43For a spirit does not have flesh and bones,
08:45as you see that I have.
08:46Jesus, he hit that one right in the head, didn't he?
08:49He said, you know, spirits don't have flesh and bones
08:52like I have.
08:53I'm not a spirit body.
08:54I'm a real body.
08:55Jesus wanted his disciples to know
08:58that this wasn't a dream or a vision.
09:01He had really and physically risen from the dead,
09:04and his resurrection wasn't just spiritual.
09:06It was flesh and bones real.
09:10Here's something that'll make all of you really happy
09:13and some of you happier than others.
09:15Jesus ate on at least two occasions
09:20after he came back from the dead.
09:24Luke 24 says,
09:26They gave Jesus a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb,
09:30and he took it and ate it in their presence.
09:34John 21 says,
09:35Jesus said to them,
09:36Come and eat breakfast.
09:37And none of the disciples dared ask him,
09:39Who are you?
09:40Knowing that it was the Lord.
09:42And Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them
09:44and likewise the fish.
09:47More than a few people have suggested
09:49that in heaven we will be able to eat
09:52without any of the negative effects.
09:54Can I get a witness?
09:58We will eat without gaining weight.
10:01We will eat and taste food like never before.
10:05Chocolate will have no greater effect
10:07on your waistline than vegetables.
10:09How about that?
10:12So, Jesus said his body was real.
10:16On two occasions he ate.
10:18So, in our resurrection bodies,
10:20we can assume that we'll be able to do that as well.
10:23And then he also told Thomas to touch his body.
10:27Remember that?
10:28He said to Thomas,
10:29Reach your finger here and look at my hands
10:31and reach your hand here and put it in my side.
10:34Don't be unbelieving, but believing.
10:36Jesus had real scars on a real body.
10:41His body was glorified,
10:42but it was still recognizable and touchable.
10:45He retained the scars in his resurrection body
10:48to prove his identity
10:49and to remind all of us throughout eternity
10:52of the cost of our salvation.
10:54Did you know that Jesus is going to be in heaven
10:56in his body?
10:58He didn't go back to a spirit being
11:01after his incarnation.
11:02He went back to heaven in his body,
11:04and we're going to see him in his body
11:06with the wounds in his hands,
11:08in his side, and in his feet
11:10throughout all eternity.
11:11And every time we see that,
11:13we're going to be reminded
11:14that's how we got there.
11:16That's why we're there.
11:19It is possible that Jesus might be
11:21the only one whose scars remain
11:23because they tell a story
11:24that no one else can tell.
11:27And then one other thought
11:30about his resurrection body.
11:31Do you remember when Jesus told Mary
11:34not to hold on to him?
11:36John 20, 17, Jesus said to her,
11:38Do not cling to me,
11:40for I have not ascended to my Father.
11:42This shows us that Jesus had a real body
11:44you could touch.
11:45He was getting ready to go back to heaven,
11:47and one day we'll have new bodies like his,
11:50and we won't need to cling to him
11:51because we'll be with him forever and ever.
11:54And he won't leave us.
11:57So, the first thing about our new bodies
12:00is they will be incarnate,
12:02flesh and bones bodies,
12:04and they will also be identifiable.
12:07A lot of people worry about that.
12:09You will still be you,
12:10and everyone will recognize you.
12:13You'll instantly know your loved ones.
12:16On two occasions after his resurrection,
12:18people were confused about the Lord's identity.
12:21The first was at the tomb
12:22when Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was the gardener.
12:25Remember that?
12:25But her eyes were filled with tears,
12:28and she quickly recognized him.
12:30The other was on the Emmaus Road
12:32when two travelers thought he was a stranger,
12:34but that's because the Bible says
12:36their eyes were restrained
12:38so that they would not know him.
12:40On every other occasion,
12:41people identified Jesus and called him by name,
12:45and they will call you by name too.
12:47The apostle Paul said of that day,
12:49Now I know in part,
12:52but then I shall know just as I also am known.
12:56In describing the moment of our resurrection
12:58in 1 Thessalonians 4,
13:01Paul told the people not to grieve beyond measure
13:04over those who had passed away.
13:06He said,
13:07For we will see them again
13:08and be caught up into the heavens with them.
13:111 Thessalonians 4, 17,
13:12And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
13:17Three men in Jesus' story about the afterlife,
13:20Abraham, the beggar Lazarus,
13:22and the rich man in Hades
13:23all recognized each other.
13:27At the transfiguration of Christ in Matthew 17,
13:30Peter, James, and John recognized Elijah, Moses,
13:34and the brilliantly illuminated Jesus.
13:37Here we have three men whose earthly lives
13:40were separated by 1,400 years,
13:44and yet they all knew each other.
13:47They were standing there physically
13:49fellowshipping with and talking together.
13:52Can you imagine having a discussion
13:54with Abraham or Isaac or Daniel?
13:57And it's like yesterday talking to your friend downtown.
14:00Moses and Elijah were known by their same names,
14:04but they were glorified.
14:05They were energized.
14:06They were wrapped in light.
14:09Perhaps the best answer is the one I heard years ago.
14:11An old lady approached her pastor and said,
14:14Dr. Jones, well, I know my daughter when I get to heaven.
14:17She's there waiting on me.
14:20Dr. Jones said,
14:21My dear, did you recognize her on earth?
14:24Yes.
14:25Well, we aren't going to be less aware in heaven
14:27than we are on earth, are we?
14:28We'll actually be smarter,
14:30and our memories will be keener.
14:32Yes, you will instantly recognize your sweet daughter.
14:36Missionary Amy Carmichael wrote these words.
14:39She said,
14:40Shall we know each other in heaven?
14:42Shall we love and remember?
14:44I don't think anyone need wonder about this
14:46or doubt for a single moment.
14:48For if we think for a moment, we know.
14:50Would you be yourself if you did not remember?
14:54We are told that we shall be like our Lord Jesus,
14:56and does he not know and love and remember?
15:00He would not be himself if he did not,
15:02and we should not be ourselves if we did not.
15:06We're going to be like Jesus.
15:08Our new bodies will be incarnate in the flesh.
15:11You'll be able to identify them,
15:13and they will be, here you go, indestructible.
15:171 Corinthians, Paul wrote,
15:19The body is sown in corruption,
15:20but it is raised in incorruption.
15:25The word sown refers to the argument Paul made earlier
15:28in the chapter about being afraid of death,
15:31and he said,
15:32Foolish one, what you sow
15:33is not made alive unless it dies.
15:37And the pictures of a seed being planted in the soil,
15:40then germinating and then sprouting into something new,
15:43the same path we follow when we die.
15:46We are sown in corruption,
15:48and then we are raised in incorruption.
15:51What is corruption?
15:52It is what happens to our old bodies
15:54that suffer strokes, heart attacks,
15:57cancer, diabetes, arthritis, asthma,
15:59migraines, and all of the rest.
16:01And the Bible says,
16:03Our outward man is perishing.
16:06Anybody here doubt that?
16:08Well, just wait a couple years,
16:10and you'll get there.
16:10From the instant of our resurrection,
16:14our new bodies will never wear out
16:17or never grow old.
16:19They will be totally resistant
16:21to deterioration or decay.
16:23Your new body will be designed for eternity.
16:26It will not be subject to accidents,
16:28diseases, aging, or death.
16:31It will be pain-free and disease-free.
16:33It will never wear out.
16:35It will never die.
16:37And the exclamation point to this truth
16:39is found in Romans 6, 8, and 9,
16:42which describes the resurrection body of Jesus.
16:45Now, if we died with Christ,
16:47we believe that we will also live with him.
16:50For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,
16:53he cannot die again.
16:55Death no longer has mastery over him.
16:57And that will be true of all of us, too.
17:00Death has no mastery over us in our resurrection bodies.
17:03These words about our Savior,
17:05he cannot die again.
17:06His glorified body is imperishable.
17:09It's indestructible.
17:11And this is the model for the bodies
17:13we're going to have when we go to heaven.
17:16So, our bodies will be incarnate in the flesh.
17:19They will be identifiable.
17:21We'll know each other.
17:22They'll be indestructible.
17:23Nothing could ever happen to them.
17:25Here's one that I was surprised to find out
17:27when I studied this.
17:29Our new bodies will be illuminated.
17:31You know, everybody wants to have that glow about them.
17:37You're going to get that glow one of these days.
17:411 Corinthians 15, 43 says,
17:44Our body is sown in dishonor,
17:46and it is raised in glory.
17:49And the word glory here is a word which means brilliance.
17:53And it's not really surprising
17:55if you go back and study the Bible,
17:57because, remember, something unusual happened to Moses
18:00when he spent time with the Lord.
18:02Remember that?
18:03His face was radiant and began to shine.
18:06Same thing happened to Jesus
18:07on the Mount of Transfiguration.
18:10And in Revelation 21, we're told,
18:12The entire city of New Jerusalem
18:13will be luminescent,
18:15illumined by the light that radiates
18:17from the resurrected Christ.
18:18There won't be sun or moon or anything.
18:20All the light will come from Christ.
18:22And we're going to be reflectors of that light.
18:24We're going to have a little shine around us
18:28as we move about.
18:31Our bodies will shine with light
18:33like Moses' face did after being with God
18:36and like Jesus did on the mountain.
18:38Psalm 34, verse 5 says,
18:40They looked at him, and they were radiant.
18:43By the way, shouldn't our faces exhibit
18:45a foretaste of that now?
18:47I mean, shouldn't we have a little bit of that glow even now?
18:49The Scripture says,
18:51And we all who with unveiled faces
18:53contemplate the Lord's glory
18:55are being transformed into His image
18:58with ever-increasing glory
19:00which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
19:02Now, I don't know if that gets through to you,
19:04but what that says is
19:05we have a little bit of that glory now,
19:07but when we go to heaven,
19:08we're going to go from glory to glory.
19:10And I want to tell you,
19:11some of us are going to have farther to go than others.
19:16I know Christian people,
19:18some older Christian people
19:19who just always seem to have a special...
19:23I don't know if it was a glow,
19:24just a sense about them that was different.
19:27So, your face will reflect your anticipation for heaven.
19:31Did you know that?
19:33When people look at you,
19:34do they see the glow of God's goodness
19:35and mercy and love?
19:37Somebody said,
19:38How are you doing?
19:39I'm doing fine.
19:39You need to tell your face.
19:40Because your face is your identification.
19:46Amen?
19:49So, our resurrection bodies
19:51will be indestructible,
19:53identifiable, incarnate, illuminated,
19:55but they will also be incredible.
19:57What do I mean by that?
19:58Well, listen to Paul's words once again
20:01from 1 Corinthians 15.
20:02He says,
20:03Most of my life,
20:11I've made it a point
20:12to try to get to the gym.
20:14I've got a couple of machines in my garage,
20:16and I've switched the types of exercises
20:19I do in a given week.
20:21But you know what?
20:22No matter how hard I try
20:24at maintaining my physical health,
20:27I can't deny that my body today
20:29is weaker than when I was
20:30in my 20s and 30s.
20:32I'm older.
20:33I'm more fragile.
20:34I'm a little worn down.
20:37You know what comes to mind
20:39when I ponder the reality
20:40of my resurrection body?
20:42Thank God I won't have to drag
20:44this current frame into eternity.
20:48I'm ready for something new,
20:54something powerful,
20:55something incredible,
20:56something that doesn't fall down
20:58indiscriminately
20:59when you least expect it to.
21:01Our resurrection bodies
21:03will be astonishing.
21:04They'll be full of energy,
21:06bursting with enthusiastic power
21:08and perhaps capable
21:09of extraordinary functions.
21:12If the glorified body of Christ
21:14could pass through walls
21:16and travel by impulses of thought,
21:18maybe we'll be able
21:20to do the same thing.
21:22Finally, our new bodies
21:24will be infinite.
21:25The Bible says,
21:27it is sown a natural body.
21:29It is raised a spiritual body.
21:32There is a natural body
21:34and there's a spiritual body.
21:35And so it is written,
21:37the first man, Adam,
21:38became a living being.
21:39The last, Adam,
21:40became a life-giving spirit.
21:42And, you know,
21:43you have to ask this question.
21:44What did Paul mean
21:45by a spiritual body?
21:46That almost sounds
21:47like a contradiction.
21:48We've already said
21:49our bodies aren't immaterial,
21:51but the word spiritual implies
21:54that our bodies
21:55will be existing
21:57on a higher plane.
21:59The basic difference
22:00between a natural body
22:02and a spiritual body
22:03is that the formal body
22:05is suited for life
22:06on our current earth,
22:07but our spiritual bodies
22:09will be suited for life
22:10in heaven
22:10for eternity with God.
22:13Including the new heavens
22:14and the new earth
22:15in our current bodies,
22:17we could never function
22:18in the new heaven
22:19and the new earth.
22:20We couldn't function
22:21in a multi-leveled heaven
22:23like called
22:24the city of Jerusalem,
22:25but God's going to give us
22:27new bodies
22:27that will be like
22:28the ones we have now,
22:30but completely made over,
22:32transformed,
22:32and capable of living
22:33in both the seen
22:35and the unseen realms.
22:37In Hollywood,
22:39actors often try
22:40to create a new body
22:41for themselves
22:41to get a role.
22:43Kumail Nanjiani
22:45wanted to star
22:46in a superhero movie
22:47called The Eternals.
22:49He worked every day
22:51for a solid year.
22:53He avoided every bit
22:54of pizza, donuts,
22:55and refined sugar.
22:57He ate very few carbs.
22:58In the end,
22:59he became ripped
23:00with killer muscles,
23:01a rock-solid body,
23:02and the physique
23:03of a superhero.
23:05But according to Nanjiani,
23:07the moment filming ended,
23:08he started eating
23:09all kinds of unhealthy food again.
23:11There's a better way
23:13to get a new body,
23:15my guys,
23:15and it's a body
23:17that will be there for you
23:18from now on,
23:19forever and ever.
23:20You don't get it
23:21until you really need it,
23:22so you're going to have to deal
23:23with what you got right now.
23:25Keep trying to make it
23:26a little stronger,
23:27a little better,
23:28a little more resilient.
23:30But wherever you are
23:31on the body cycle,
23:33just remember,
23:34God's got something special
23:36waiting for all of us
23:37when we go to heaven.
23:38So, what have we learned today?
23:44We've seen that
23:45the resurrection body of Jesus
23:47is the pattern for our bodies.
23:49It was physical and real.
23:52He could be touched.
23:53He ate with his disciples.
23:55He spoke to them.
23:56But his body was also glorified,
23:58no longer subject to pain,
24:00weakness, or death.
24:01He could appear in distant places
24:03and pass through locked doors.
24:05His body was transformed,
24:07and one day, ours will be too.
24:10But perhaps the most remarkable truth
24:12is this.
24:13Jesus was recognized
24:14not only by his face,
24:17but he was also recognized
24:19by his personality.
24:21And men and women,
24:22that will be true for us.
24:24We won't lose our identity.
24:27We'll finally be fully ourselves
24:29as God designed us to be.
24:31And that brings us
24:32to an important reality.
24:34The Bible teaches
24:36that all will be raised,
24:37believers to eternal life,
24:40unbelievers to judgment.
24:43Just as heaven is real and physical,
24:46so is hell.
24:48That's why the gospel is so important.
24:50The question is not
24:51whether you will live forever,
24:52because everybody in this room
24:54is going to live forever.
24:55The real question is,
24:56where are you going to live forever?
24:58Not whether you'll have a body after death,
25:01but where that body will dwell.
25:02Will you be with Christ in joy
25:05or apart from him in judgment?
25:08Heaven is about putting your trust
25:10in Jesus Christ and in him alone.
25:15When you do that,
25:17you don't have to guess
25:18about heaven anymore.
25:20When you put your trust
25:21in Jesus Christ,
25:22you can know right now
25:23that you're going to spend
25:24eternity in heaven with him.
25:26I told everybody
25:28when I started to do
25:29this study on heaven,
25:30it's not my goal
25:31to make everybody smarter
25:33about heaven.
25:35It's my goal
25:35to take as many people
25:36to heaven as I can.
25:38I want you to know...
25:39I want you to know
25:42how wonderful heaven is
25:44because I want you to be there
25:45and enjoy the blessings
25:47that God has prepared
25:49for those who love him.
25:50And you know what the Bible says?
25:51The Bible says,
25:52eye has not seen
25:54nor ear heard
25:55the things which God has prepared.
25:57So I've just touched
25:59the hem of the garment here,
26:00just a little bit
26:01of some of the cool things
26:02about going to heaven
26:03in your super body.
26:05It's going to be
26:06way better than that,
26:07way better than I can describe.
26:08And I don't even know
26:09the nuances to go there
26:10except to tell you
26:11this is what God's word says.
26:13And I'm excited one day
26:15I'm going to get a new body.
26:18Dr. Jeremiah will return
26:20with one more inspirational word
26:21to close today's program
26:23right after this.
26:26Thank you for watching
26:27Turning Point.
26:28In appreciation of your gift
26:30of any amount
26:30in support of this program,
26:32Dr. Jeremiah will send you
26:33his new book,
26:34The Promise of Heaven,
26:35upon its release
26:36on October 7th.
26:37Or for a gift of $75 or more,
26:39pre-order
26:40The Promise of Heaven set
26:41containing Dr. Jeremiah's
26:43new book,
26:43teaching series,
26:44study guide,
26:45special interview DVD,
26:46and the 10 things
26:47you may not know
26:48about heaven bookmark.
26:49Plus, when you pre-order
26:50from Turning Point,
26:51you'll instantly receive
26:52these exclusive
26:53digital bonuses,
26:54early access to
26:55The Promise of Heaven
26:56teaching series
26:57and study guide,
26:58and two extra chapters
26:59written by Dr. Jeremiah
27:00not included
27:01in his new book.
27:03Thank you for your support
27:04of this program.
27:05Pre-order The Promise of Heaven
27:06resources from
27:07Turning Point today.
27:10And now,
27:12here is Dr. David Jeremiah.
27:14The Promise of Heaven
27:15is a great comfort to us
27:17as we go through this life.
27:19But the fact is,
27:21there is only one way
27:23to gain entrance.
27:24We can't get to heaven
27:25by being nice people.
27:27We can't get there
27:28by doing more good
27:30than bad.
27:31We can't get there
27:32by rites or rituals.
27:35You see,
27:35the only way to heaven
27:36is through Jesus Christ
27:38and accepting Him
27:39as Lord and Savior
27:40of your life.
27:42If you have made
27:43the decision
27:44to follow Jesus Christ today,
27:45or you would like to know
27:47how to take
27:47your first steps of faith,
27:49please allow me
27:50to send you
27:51two free resources.
27:53One is a booklet
27:54called
27:54Your Greatest Turning Point,
27:56which will help you
27:57begin your faith journey
27:58with Christ.
27:59And the second
28:00is our monthly
28:01devotional magazine,
28:02Turning Points,
28:03to encourage you
28:04with daily devotions
28:06and encouraging readings.
28:08We will gladly
28:09send these resources
28:10to you completely free
28:12if you'll just contact us
28:14here at Turning Point today.
28:17If you enjoyed
28:20today's message,
28:21watch the entire
28:22The Promise of Heaven series
28:23on Turning Point Plus.
28:25Start streaming
28:26this series today
28:27along with more than
28:281,200 messages
28:29from Dr. Jeremiah's
28:30four decades
28:31of broadcast ministry.
28:32On Turning Point Plus,
28:34you'll find Dr. Jeremiah's
28:35Bible Strong teaching,
28:36original programming,
28:38plus special collections
28:39and playlists,
28:40all on demand
28:41and on any screen.
28:42Visit turningpointplus.org
28:44to get started today.
28:45Coming up
28:48on Turning Point.
28:50The character of God
28:52lays the foundation
28:53for the realization
28:54that children
28:54who cannot understand
28:56the gospel
28:57are enveloped
28:58within the grace
28:59and mercy of the Lord.
29:01And on them,
29:02God has a tender heart.
29:03On them,
29:05His compassion reigns.
29:07Stay tuned
29:08for another message
29:09from Dr. Jeremiah's
29:10series,
29:10The Promise of Heaven.
29:12Coming up right now
29:13here on Turning Point.
29:15There's a home
29:19that calls
29:20to every human heart.
29:22A promise
29:22of something better
29:24waiting on the other side
29:25of this life.
29:26Some call it
29:27a great light,
29:28others the great beyond.
29:30But for God's children,
29:32it's heaven
29:33and our forever home.
29:35A place to put down
29:37eternal roots,
29:38where you'll find life
29:40that never fades
29:41and your every need
29:43fulfilled.
29:44Where every tear
29:46is wiped away,
29:47no more sorrow,
29:48no more pain,
29:50no more goodbyes.
29:51In their place,
29:53peace that flows
29:54like the river of life
29:55and joy running deeper
29:57than any earthly current.
29:59all things will be renewed,
30:01including your body
30:02and strength,
30:04and every one of your steps
30:05taking you further
30:06into eternity
30:07to the throne
30:09of the one
30:09who knows you completely
30:11and who welcomes you home.
30:14In His presence,
30:16you'll be reminded,
30:18this is where you belong.
30:21This is the promise
30:22of heaven.
30:23And now,
30:28here is Dr. Jeremiah
30:29with his message.
30:31What about the children?
30:34On the morning
30:34of November 10, 2013,
30:38a youth pastor
30:39named Cameron Cole
30:40stumbled into
30:41what he later called
30:41the most magical
30:42conversation of my life.
30:46A lost Lego
30:46propelled Cameron
30:47and his three-year-old son,
30:49Cam,
30:49into a discussion
30:50that changed
30:52both of their lives
30:53forever.
30:54During that conversation,
30:56little Cam,
30:56a bright-eyed,
30:57curly-haired boy,
30:58told his father
30:59to get in the car
31:00so they could go see Jesus.
31:03His father explained
31:04that he wouldn't see Jesus
31:05until they were in heaven,
31:06and naturally,
31:07the little guy
31:08started asking questions
31:09about heaven,
31:10and the conversation
31:11ended with Cam
31:12professing his faith
31:14in Christ
31:14with childlike simplicity.
31:17That night,
31:18Cam mysteriously died.
31:21No medical reason
31:22was apparent
31:23for his death.
31:24The doctors listed it
31:25as sudden,
31:26unexplained death
31:26in childhood.
31:28For Cam's parents,
31:30Cameron and Lauren,
31:31this was the start
31:32of a journey
31:33into their worst nightmare,
31:36their descent
31:37into a dark,
31:39sad valley.
31:42Cameron later wrote
31:43in the book
31:44that he wrote
31:44called Heavenward,
31:46he said,
31:47amidst the sorrow
31:48and grief
31:48of my child's death,
31:50something radically new
31:51happened in my daily mindset.
31:54Heaven became
31:55an almost present part
31:56of my perspective.
31:58This transformation
31:59made sense.
32:00This is where
32:01my firstborn child
32:02now lived.
32:04As the sorrow
32:04of grief subsided,
32:06he continued,
32:06heavenwardness provided
32:08richer fellowship
32:09with Jesus.
32:10I had more perspective
32:12and hope.
32:13I had more comfort
32:14and more patience.
32:16Though I was suffering
32:17deeply from the loss
32:18of my son,
32:20God was blessing
32:21my inner life
32:23in a unique way.
32:25One of the most
32:26frequent asked questions
32:28that I get about heaven
32:30is also one of the hardest.
32:32What happens to children
32:34who pass away?
32:35It's not a new issue.
32:38Both the nation of Israel
32:40in the Old Testament
32:41and the gospel story
32:42in the New Testament
32:43open on that particular note.
32:46The story of the Exodus
32:48begins when Pharaoh
32:49orders the deaths
32:50of all baby boys
32:51among Hebrew slaves
32:52in Egypt.
32:54And the gospel of Matthew
32:55begins with King Herod
32:57sending his soldiers
32:58to kill the baby boys
32:59in Bethlehem
33:00in an attempt
33:01to destroy the little one
33:02whom the Magi
33:03called the king
33:04of the Jews.
33:05The death of children
33:07has been one of the world's
33:09greatest sorrows
33:10throughout history,
33:12both biblical and secular
33:14and in the personal histories
33:15of millions,
33:16including probably
33:17some of you here today.
33:19Others have grieved
33:21miscarriages
33:22or stillbirths.
33:24Untold millions
33:25of preborn children
33:26have been lost
33:27through abortion.
33:28Some children
33:29have been slain
33:30in wars
33:31or horrendous acts
33:32of violence.
33:34As a lifelong pastor,
33:35I've stood beside
33:37small caskets
33:38trying to comfort others
33:40when my own heart
33:41was broken
33:41over the scene
33:42before me.
33:44But I praise the Lord
33:45because through the tears
33:46there's a sunbeam
33:47of hope.
33:49Scripture gives us
33:50reasons to trust
33:51that infants
33:52and young children
33:53are not lost forever.
33:55Instead,
33:56they are given
33:57the gift of bypassing
33:58the sorrows
33:58of this world
33:59and are instantly
34:01transported to heaven
34:02where we'll meet them
34:03and enjoy their fellowship
34:04throughout eternity.
34:06So, what exactly
34:07does the Bible say
34:08about this incredible hope?
34:11I'm going to give you
34:11several truths
34:13that I think will help.
34:14First of all,
34:15let's talk for a moment
34:16about the compassion
34:17of Jesus.
34:19When you read
34:19the stories of Jesus
34:20in the Gospels,
34:22we discovered
34:23that our Lord
34:23had an incredible love
34:24for children
34:25and he demonstrated
34:27that love
34:28on many occasions.
34:29One example
34:29is so important
34:30that it is recorded
34:31by three of the
34:33Gospel writers,
34:34Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
34:35Here's Matthew's account.
34:37Then little children
34:38were brought to him
34:39that he might put
34:39his hands on them
34:41and pray.
34:42But the disciples
34:43rebuked them.
34:44But Jesus said,
34:45Let the little children
34:46come to me
34:47and do not forbid them
34:48for of such
34:49is the kingdom of heaven.
34:52We also have
34:53a wonderful passage
34:54in Matthew's Gospel
34:55that is as definitive
34:57as any verse
34:58in the Bible
34:58on the eternal love
34:59that Jesus has
35:00for children.
35:01Here it is.
35:02Matthew 18, 14.
35:05Even so,
35:05it is not the will
35:06of your Father
35:07who is in heaven
35:08that one of these
35:10little ones
35:11should perish.
35:12Have you ever
35:12read that verse?
35:14There you have
35:15the strong,
35:16unambiguous statement
35:17of the Savior.
35:19He's not willing
35:20that one of these
35:21little ones
35:22should perish.
35:23If that's all I had,
35:24if I didn't have
35:25anything else
35:25to tell you to do,
35:26that would be enough.
35:27And I could build
35:28my hope on all of this
35:29just on that one verse.
35:31The Lord Jesus
35:32has compassion
35:33for little children
35:34and infants,
35:35and he is not willing
35:36that even one of them
35:38should perish.
35:39What about babies
35:41that are never born
35:42because of miscarriages
35:43or abortions?
35:45Here we must be
35:46very clear.
35:47I believe,
35:48as do all who accept
35:49the authority
35:50of God's Word,
35:51that a child
35:52is a person
35:53from the moment
35:54of conception.
35:56Since that is true,
35:57all preborn babies
35:59who perish,
35:59whether through miscarriage,
36:01abortion,
36:01or tragic accidents,
36:03go straight to heaven.
36:05If you had an abortion,
36:07I want to tell you
36:07that God knows
36:08how to pour
36:09his forgiveness
36:09and healing
36:10into your life
36:11through the merits
36:12of Christ.
36:13Abortion is not
36:15the unpardonable sin.
36:17God not only forgives you,
36:18he goes far beyond that.
36:20Because of his mercy,
36:21that little one,
36:22now lost,
36:23will be waiting
36:24for you in heaven
36:24and you will enjoy
36:25an eternity
36:26of loving fellowship
36:27with that precious child.
36:29Jesus loves you
36:31and he loves every child
36:32from conception.
36:33In fact,
36:34he loves us,
36:35the Bible says,
36:36from before time
36:37ever began.
36:40So that's the compassion
36:41of Jesus.
36:42Let me talk to you
36:43for a moment
36:43about the character
36:44of the Father.
36:45The Bible is full
36:46of information
36:47about the nature
36:48of God,
36:49his personality,
36:50and his attributes.
36:52Scripture calls him
36:53Father.
36:54Isn't that how
36:54to tell you something?
36:56I always love
36:56to remind people
36:57of that on Father's Day
36:58and I like to repeat
37:00what Jesus heard
37:01from his Father
37:02when the Father said,
37:03this is my beloved Son
37:04in whom I am well pleased.
37:06We should repeat that
37:07as often as we can
37:08to our children
37:09any way we know how.
37:11He isn't simply
37:12a distant force
37:13in the universe.
37:14He is,
37:15as Jesus put it,
37:17our Father in heaven.
37:18There's a passage
37:20describing God's
37:22fathering love
37:22in the book
37:23of Deuteronomy.
37:25Deuteronomy 1,
37:2629 to 31.
37:27Do not be terrified
37:28or afraid of them.
37:30The Lord your God
37:31who goes before you,
37:32he will fight for you
37:34according to all
37:35he did for you
37:36in Egypt
37:36before your eyes
37:37and in the wilderness
37:39where you saw
37:39how the Lord your God
37:41carried you
37:42as a man carries
37:44his son
37:44in all the way
37:46that you went
37:46until you came
37:47to this place.
37:48Isn't that a great picture?
37:50The Lord God
37:51carries us
37:51like a father
37:52carries his son
37:53because God
37:54is full of compassion.
37:56He's full of tenderness
37:57and mercy
37:57and he just carries us
37:59through the tough patches
38:00like a father
38:01carrying his son.
38:02This is a consistent theme
38:04especially in the Psalms.
38:07Psalm 86, 15
38:08for instance says,
38:09But you, O Lord,
38:10are a God
38:11full of compassion
38:12and gracious,
38:14long-suffering
38:14and abundant
38:15in mercy and truth.
38:17Psalm 145, verse 9
38:19says,
38:19The Lord is good to all
38:21and his tender mercies
38:22are over all his works.
38:25So let me say this
38:26out loud today
38:27in front of all of you
38:28and all who are watching
38:29and listening.
38:29God is a good God.
38:34He is good.
38:35He is good to all
38:36and he certainly
38:38is good to children.
38:39He knows that little children
38:41cannot comprehend
38:42the truth of the gospel
38:43yet God loves them deeply.
38:46He loves the preborn
38:47and the newborn.
38:48He loves the infant
38:49and the toddler.
38:50There are some incidents
38:52in the Old Testament
38:52that help us wrap our minds
38:54around all of this.
38:56For instance,
38:57when the children of Israel
38:59were denied entrance
39:00into the promised land
39:01because of the unbelief
39:02of the people,
39:03the children were not
39:05held responsible
39:06and God allowed them
39:07to enter.
39:08Here you see
39:09the principle of God
39:10applying his grace
39:11to those who cannot believe.
39:13Here you see God
39:14treating children
39:15in a unique manner.
39:17Deuteronomy 139,
39:18Moreover,
39:19your little ones
39:20and your children
39:21who you say
39:22will be victims
39:23who today have
39:24no knowledge
39:25of good and evil,
39:26they shall go in there.
39:28To them I will give it
39:29and they shall possess it.
39:32One of the reasons
39:33God gave to Jonah
39:34for having pity on Nineveh
39:35was the huge number
39:36of children
39:37who lived in the city
39:38who couldn't discern
39:40between right and left.
39:42That whole story of Jonah
39:43rests upon the understanding
39:44of that particular section
39:46of the Scripture.
39:47Jonah 411 says,
39:49And should I not pity Nineveh,
39:51that great city
39:51in which there are
39:52more than 120,000 persons
39:55who cannot discern
39:57between their right hand
39:58and their left,
39:59and much livestock?
40:00The word children
40:02appears nearly 100 times
40:04just in the Gospels alone.
40:07The Bible teaches
40:08that God knows children,
40:09He loves children
40:10with special tender care.
40:12Our Heavenly Father
40:13in His justice
40:14provides for children
40:16who are not old enough
40:17to comprehend the Gospel.
40:18In fact,
40:19Ezekiel tells us
40:20that Almighty God
40:21considers all children
40:23His children.
40:25Moreover,
40:25you took your sons
40:26and your daughters
40:27whom you bore to me,
40:28and these you sacrificed
40:30to them to be devoured.
40:32No, my friends,
40:33the character of God
40:34provides a special grace
40:35for those who cannot believe.
40:38On a number of occasions,
40:39God refers to these little ones
40:41as innocents.
40:43I-N-N-O-C-E-N-T-S,
40:46innocents.
40:47Jeremiah 234,
40:49Also on your skirts
40:50is found the blood
40:52of the lives
40:52of the poor innocents.
40:55Jeremiah 19, 4,
40:56and have filled this place
40:58with the blood
40:59of the innocents.
41:01Although they are sinful creatures
41:04just like all of us,
41:05they are not responsible
41:07in the same way
41:08as those sins
41:09which are committed
41:10in a willful
41:11and premeditated way
41:13because God understands
41:14the difference.
41:16The character of God
41:17lays the foundation
41:18for the realization
41:19that children
41:19who cannot understand
41:21the Gospel
41:22are enveloped
41:23within the grace
41:24and mercy of the Lord.
41:25And on them,
41:27God has a tender heart.
41:28On them,
41:29His compassion reigns.
41:32So, reason number one
41:34is the compassion of Jesus.
41:36And reason number two
41:37is the character
41:38of the Father.
41:40And reason number three
41:41is the condition of death.
41:43There's another observation
41:44we can make
41:45based on the story
41:46of a 12-year-old child
41:47mentioned in the Gospels.
41:50She's known as
41:51the daughter of Jairus.
41:52This little girl
41:54had died
41:54and her family
41:55and friends
41:56were inconsolable.
41:58So, Jesus visited the home
41:59and heard mourners
42:00wailing loudly
42:01and He told them,
42:03Do not weep.
42:04She is not dead,
42:05but she is sleeping.
42:07They jeered Him,
42:09but He took the parents
42:10to the room
42:10where the girl's body
42:11was residing.
42:13He took her hand
42:14and He said,
42:14Little girl, arise.
42:17Her spirit returned.
42:18She rose at once
42:19and Jesus told them
42:20to give her something to eat.
42:22Those words of Jesus,
42:24She is not dead.
42:25She is sleeping.
42:26They weren't just
42:27spoken to Jairus.
42:28They are for every mom
42:30and dad or grandparent
42:31who has ever lost
42:33a little one.
42:34The miscarried child,
42:36the stillborn baby,
42:38the aborted infant,
42:39the child who dies of SIDS
42:40or perished in a car accident
42:43or in a natural disaster,
42:44they're not dead.
42:45They're just sleeping.
42:46This is biblical terminology.
42:50When we die in Christ,
42:52our spirits go at once
42:53to be with the Lord
42:54and our bodies go to sleep
42:56until awakened
42:57and glorified at the rapture.
43:00The daughter of Jairus
43:01is a prototype
43:02of every child who dies,
43:04who falls asleep in Jesus
43:06and whom the Lord
43:07will raise up
43:08with resurrection glory.
43:11Pastor Richard Hipps
43:12and his wife Patricia
43:13faced the serious illness
43:14and death
43:15of their little girl, Alex.
43:17Their dear friend,
43:18John H. Hewitt,
43:19walked through the sorrow
43:20with them
43:21and he later applied
43:22the words of Jesus
43:23a bit differently
43:24but meaningfully.
43:26He said,
43:27I live in the confidence
43:28that shortly after five
43:30that winter morning,
43:31Alex heard the Jesus
43:34she had already spied
43:35in her hospital room say,
43:38little girl, arise.
43:40What a welcome
43:41that must have been.
43:42Heavenly hosts
43:43flocking to greet
43:44a new saint of God
43:45with a white robe
43:46and a lot of laughter.
43:49So you have
43:50the compassion of Jesus,
43:51the character of the Father,
43:53the condition of death.
43:55But my favorite reason
43:56because I think
43:56it's the most powerful
43:57is what I have called
43:59the confidence of David.
44:02There is a story
44:03in the life of King David
44:04that is fundamental
44:06to the question
44:07we're answering today.
44:09If you had your Bibles,
44:10I'd have you turn
44:11to 2 Samuel chapter 12.
44:13This section of Scripture
44:14records the events
44:16that happened
44:17in the life of David
44:18immediately after
44:19he was confronted
44:20by the prophet Nathan.
44:22As you will remember,
44:23Nathan was appointed
44:24by God
44:25to go and confront David
44:26because of his adultery
44:28with Bathsheba
44:28and the murder
44:30of her husband,
44:31Uriah the Hittite.
44:32Among other things,
44:34Nathan told David
44:35that the child
44:36that he and Bathsheba
44:38had brought into the world
44:39would be taken away in death.
44:42So, we pick up this story
44:43from 2 Samuel chapter 12,
44:46verse 14,
44:47and I'm going to read it
44:48right from the Bible.
44:49Here we go.
44:50However, because by this deed
44:52you have given great occasion
44:54to the enemies of the Lord
44:55to blaspheme,
44:56the child also who is born to you
44:59will surely die.
45:02And Nathan departed to his house.
45:04And the Lord struck the child
45:06that Uriah's wife bore to David,
45:08and it became ill.
45:09And David therefore pleaded
45:11with God for the child.
45:13And he fasted,
45:14and he went in
45:14and lay all night on the ground.
45:17So, the elders of his house
45:18arose and went to him
45:19to raise him up from the ground,
45:21but he would not,
45:22nor did he eat food with them.
45:24And on the seventh day
45:25it came to pass
45:25that the child died.
45:28And the servants of David
45:29were afraid to tell him
45:30that the child was dead,
45:31for they said,
45:32while the child was alive,
45:34we spoke to him.
45:34He wouldn't even heed our voice.
45:36How can we tell him
45:37that the child is dead?
45:38He may do some harm.
45:41When David saw
45:42that his servants were whispering,
45:43he perceived
45:44that the child was dead.
45:45Therefore he said to his servants,
45:48Is the child dead?
45:50And they said,
45:51He is dead.
45:52So David rose from the ground,
45:55washed and anointed himself,
45:56and changed his clothes,
45:58and he went into the house
46:00of the Lord and worshipped.
46:01Then he went to his own house,
46:04and when he requested,
46:06they set food before him,
46:08and he ate.
46:10And I want to put in here
46:11my own translation,
46:12and it freaked his servants out.
46:15I mean,
46:16Then his servants said to him,
46:17What is this that you have done?
46:20You fasted and wept for the child
46:22while he was alive,
46:23and when the child died,
46:24you arose and he ate food.
46:26And he said,
46:29While the child was alive,
46:31I fasted and wept,
46:32for I said,
46:33Who can tell
46:33whether the Lord
46:34will be gracious to me
46:35that the child may live?
46:38But now he is dead.
46:40Why should I fast?
46:42Here's the key phrase.
46:44Can I bring him back again?
46:46I shall go to him,
46:49but he shall not return to me.
46:51That last sentence
46:53in that passage
46:54in 2 Samuel 12, 23,
46:56is arguably
46:57the greatest sentence
46:58in the Bible
46:59on the subject
47:00of what happens
47:01to a child
47:02when they die
47:03or when the rapture happens.
47:06It was this thought
47:08of a reunion
47:08with his dead child
47:10which cheered David.
47:11But where did he think
47:12the reunion would be?
47:13In the grave?
47:15In hell?
47:15In heaven?
47:17He believed
47:17that he himself
47:18would go to heaven
47:19after death
47:20and consequently
47:21meant to express
47:22the belief
47:23that his child
47:24had but gone on
47:25before him
47:26to that blessed place.
47:28The idea of meeting
47:29his child
47:30in the unconscious grave
47:32could not have rationally
47:33comforted him at all.
47:35Nor could the thought
47:36of meeting him
47:37in hell
47:37have cheered his spirit.
47:39but the thought
47:40of meeting his child
47:41in heaven
47:42had in itself
47:43the power
47:44of turning his weeping
47:45into joy.
47:47David knew
47:48what I've been trying
47:49to tell you
47:49throughout this message.
47:51When little ones die
47:52or the rapture happens
47:54before they understand
47:55the gospel
47:55they go straight
47:58to heaven.
47:59Now
48:00I know
48:01I haven't answered
48:02all the questions
48:02in fact
48:03I am pretty sure
48:04I've created
48:04some new ones
48:05you never had
48:06before you came
48:06to this session.
48:08So let me grab hold
48:09of a couple of them
48:10that have come to me
48:11as I have preached
48:12this message.
48:14One of them is
48:15what about the age
48:16of accountability?
48:18Are little children
48:19innocent until they
48:20reach a certain age?
48:22In our attempt
48:23to bring comfort
48:23to those who mourn
48:24we must not deny
48:25the truth of God's word.
48:26No one is truly innocent.
48:29Jesus' statements
48:30about children
48:31being innocent
48:32does not mean
48:33they are without sin.
48:34It means that
48:35they were not responsible
48:36for their sin.
48:37The Bible teaches
48:38that all of us
48:39are sinners.
48:40And from the very beginning
48:42Psalm 51 5
48:43Behold I was brought forth
48:45in iniquity
48:45and in sin
48:47my mother conceived me.
48:49Or Psalm 58 3
48:50The wicked are estranged
48:51from the womb
48:52they go astray
48:53as soon as they are born
48:55speaking lies.
48:57No, innocence
48:59doesn't mean sinless.
49:01There are no sinless people.
49:05All of us are born
49:06with a sin nature
49:07even though we have
49:08not yet done anything wrong.
49:10Our nature is sinful.
49:12Every baby needs a Savior
49:13just like every adult does.
49:16But at what age
49:17does a child become responsible
49:19for his relationship with God?
49:21Is there an age
49:22of accountability?
49:24Isaiah refers to such a time
49:26in the life of a child.
49:28He says,
49:28For before the child
49:29shall know to refuse the evil
49:31and choose the good.
49:33The important thing
49:34to remember here
49:35is that the Bible
49:35does not make any reference
49:37to a particular age
49:39of accountability.
49:40But there is a time
49:42in the life of every child
49:43when they are able
49:44to understand God's love
49:46and when they comprehend
49:47what it means
49:48to be a sinner.
49:49For some children
49:51that knowledge comes
49:52at a very early age.
49:53For others
49:54it may take more time
49:55because the age
49:56of accountability
49:57is not a chronological measurement.
50:00It's a reckoning
50:01of spiritual understanding.
50:03How old is this child
50:04when he comprehends
50:06the gospel?
50:06And that would be different
50:07perhaps for every child.
50:10So someone answered
50:11that question
50:12and then somebody says,
50:13Okay, Jeremiah,
50:14how old are children
50:15going to be in heaven?
50:16Well, there are differing views
50:20about that question
50:21and there's no absolute answer
50:22in Scripture.
50:24Some people believe
50:25that when we are in heaven
50:26we will all be mature
50:27in body, mind, and spirit.
50:29The thought is this,
50:30if babies cannot fully enjoy
50:32this life,
50:33how could we expect them
50:34to fully enjoy
50:35eternal life with God?
50:37One proponent of this view
50:39argues that the book
50:40of Revelation
50:40describes worship in heaven
50:42as involving
50:43every single person.
50:44Therefore,
50:45whoever is in heaven
50:46will have to be
50:47of such an age
50:48as to be able
50:48to participate
50:49in the eternal worship
50:50of Almighty God.
50:52Alistair McGrath
50:53supports this view.
50:54He says,
50:55As each person reaches
50:56their peak of perfection
50:57around the age of 30,
50:59they will be resurrected
51:00as they would have appeared
51:01at that time
51:02even if they had never lived
51:04to reach that age.
51:06The New Jerusalem
51:06will thus be populated
51:08by men and women
51:09as they would appear
51:09at the age of 30
51:11but with every blemish removed.
51:13Now, that's one idea.
51:15Some have increased
51:16the age to 33
51:17because that's how low
51:19Christ was
51:19when he was crucified.
51:22Others hold that children
51:23will be allowed
51:23to grow up in heaven.
51:25In support of this view
51:26is the reference
51:27to the condition
51:28in the millennium.
51:30If the millennium
51:30is the prelude to heaven,
51:33then there must be
51:34children in heaven
51:34for Isaiah describes
51:36this period
51:36of the millennium
51:37like this.
51:38and a little child
51:40shall lead them
51:40and the nursing child
51:42shall play
51:43by the cobra's hole
51:44and the weaned child
51:46shall put his hand
51:47in the viper's den.
51:50You know,
51:50if I have to
51:51put my emphasis
51:53on one or another,
51:54I believe there'll be
51:55children in heaven.
51:57I don't know
51:57all the answers
51:58to how that works out.
51:59There will not be
52:00any procreation in heaven.
52:02Children won't be born
52:03in heaven,
52:03but children in heaven
52:05will mature.
52:06J. Vernon McGee,
52:07who's one of my
52:08old friends
52:09who's in heaven now,
52:10he said,
52:11I believe with all my heart
52:13that God will raise
52:14the little ones
52:15such that the mother's arms
52:17who have ached for them
52:18will have the opportunity
52:20of holding them.
52:22The father's hand,
52:23which never held
52:23the little hand,
52:24will be given the privilege.
52:26I believe that little ones
52:27will grow up in heaven
52:28in the care of their
52:29earthly parents
52:30if they are saved.
52:31On the basis
52:33of the compassion
52:34of Jesus,
52:36the character of God,
52:38the condition of death,
52:40and the confidence
52:40of David,
52:42I can say with authority
52:43that the unborn
52:45and little children
52:46when they die
52:47go straight
52:48into the arms
52:49of Jesus in heaven.
52:52There was a family
52:53whose baby boy
52:54had died.
52:56The little girl
52:57came to the mother
52:58and asked
52:58where her brother was.
53:02And her mother said,
53:03he's gone to be with Jesus.
53:05Which, by the way,
53:06is the best answer
53:07you can ever give
53:08to that question.
53:09A few days later,
53:11the mother was visiting
53:12a friend and said,
53:13I am so grieved
53:14to have lost my baby.
53:17And the little girl,
53:19overhearing that remark,
53:20came to her mother
53:21and said,
53:21Mama,
53:22is something lost
53:23when you know
53:23where it is?
53:25Isn't that a wonderful
53:26truth to remember?
53:27If we know where they are,
53:30they're not lost.
53:31We're just waiting
53:32for the time
53:33when we will be reunited
53:34in the future.
53:36Remember Cameron Cole,
53:38who I told you about
53:39at the beginning
53:39of the message?
53:41He said this
53:42in regard to his son's passing.
53:44I have often thought
53:46that Cam and I
53:47are both hugging
53:48the same massive oak tree.
53:52He stands on one side
53:53and I stand on the other.
53:56The girth of the tree
53:57is so big
53:58that we cannot see each other.
54:00Nevertheless,
54:01we grip the oak tree
54:03with the same joy,
54:04affection, and pleasure.
54:06In reality, he said,
54:08the oak tree is Jesus.
54:13Cameron went on to say,
54:15I miss him
54:16and I yearn to be with him.
54:17My heart and mind
54:18naturally turn upward.
54:20My son's life and glory
54:22has put my heart
54:23and mind
54:23on a heavenly swivel.
54:26So if you've lost
54:27a little one,
54:28let your heart and mind
54:29turn upward.
54:31Put your head
54:32on a heavenly swivel.
54:34Let the soon-approaching joys
54:35of your coming reunion
54:37lift your mind to Jesus,
54:39who never saw a child
54:41he didn't love enough
54:42to die for.
54:44They are all safe
54:46and happy
54:46in his heavenly home,
54:48and to that we can all say,
54:50hallelujah.
54:50Dr. Jeremiah will return
54:58with one more
54:59inspirational word
55:00to close today's program
55:02right after this.
55:03Thank you for watching
55:06Turning Point.
55:07In appreciation
55:08of your gift
55:08of any amount
55:09in support of this program,
55:11Dr. Jeremiah will send you
55:12his new book,
55:12The Promise of Heaven,
55:13upon its release
55:14on October 7th.
55:16Or for a gift
55:16of $75 or more,
55:18pre-order
55:19The Promise of Heaven set
55:20containing Dr. Jeremiah's
55:21new book,
55:22teaching series,
55:23study guide,
55:24special interview DVD,
55:25and the 10 things
55:26you may not know
55:27about heaven bookmark.
55:28Plus, when you pre-order
55:29from Turning Point,
55:30you'll instantly receive
55:31these exclusive
55:32digital bonuses,
55:33early access
55:34to The Promise of Heaven
55:35teaching series
55:36and study guide,
55:37and two extra chapters
55:38written by Dr. Jeremiah,
55:40not included
55:40in his new book.
55:42Thank you for your support
55:43of this program.
55:44Pre-order The Promise of Heaven
55:45resources from Turning Point
55:47today.
55:49And now,
55:50here is Dr. David Jeremiah.
55:53The Promise of Heaven
55:54is a great comfort to us
55:56as we go through this life.
55:58But the fact is,
56:00there is only one way
56:01to gain entrance.
56:03We can't get to heaven
56:04by being nice people.
56:06We can't get there
56:07by doing more good
56:09than bad.
56:10We can't get there
56:11by rites or rituals.
56:13You see,
56:14the only way to heaven
56:15is through Jesus Christ
56:16and accepting Him
56:18as Lord and Savior
56:19of your life.
56:20If you have made
56:22the decision
56:22to follow Jesus Christ today,
56:24or you would like to know
56:25how to take
56:26your first steps of faith,
56:28please allow me
56:29to send you
56:30two free resources.
56:32One is a booklet called
56:33Your Greatest Turning Point,
56:35which will help you
56:36begin your faith journey
56:37with Christ.
56:38And the second
56:39is our monthly
56:40devotional magazine,
56:41Turning Points.
56:42We will gladly send
56:43these resources
56:44to you completely free
56:46if you'll just contact us
56:48here at Turning Point
56:49today.
56:50If you enjoyed
56:54today's message,
56:55watch the entire
56:56The Promise of Heaven
56:57series on Turning Point Plus.
56:59Start streaming
57:00this series today,
57:01along with more than
57:021,200 messages
57:03from Dr. Jeremiah's
57:04four decades
57:05of broadcast ministry.
57:07On Turning Point Plus,
57:08you'll find Dr. Jeremiah's
57:09Bible Strong teaching,
57:11original programming,
57:12plus special collections
57:13and playlists,
57:14all on demand
57:15and on any screen.
57:16Visit turningpointplus.org
57:18to get started today.
57:23Next time on Turning Point.
57:26The Bible says that
57:27when we get our crowns
57:27in heaven,
57:28we're going to go to Jesus
57:29and cast them down
57:30before Him
57:31as an act of worship.
57:33You say,
57:33well, I guess it won't
57:34make that much difference
57:35if I don't have one.
57:36And if that's all
57:36we're going to do with them,
57:38no, it'll make a big difference.
57:39Frankly, I don't want to be
57:40in the line of people
57:40with no crowns.
57:42I want to be in the line
57:43waiting to cast my crowns
57:44to the feet of Jesus.
57:46Thank you for being
57:47with us today.
57:49Join Dr. Jeremiah next time
57:50for his message,
57:52Five Crowns,
57:53here on Turning Point.
57:56Dr. David Jeremiah
58:01is delivering
58:02the unchanging Word of God
58:03every month
58:04to more than
58:04half a million homes
58:05through Turning Points
58:06magazine and devotional.
58:08Request your first issue now
58:09to read inspirational,
58:11in-depth articles
58:11and quick, clear,
58:13and creative devotionals
58:14from Dr. Jeremiah
58:15each month
58:15that will encourage,
58:16challenge,
58:17and strengthen
58:17your walk with the Lord.
58:19Request your first three issues
58:20of Turning Points
58:21completely free
58:22or give a gift of any amount
58:24to receive an annual subscription.
58:25Contact Turning Point today.
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