"NO "GOATS", IN HEAVEN: Dick Duerksen and Gleaner Mag. October 2017.

My many thanks to Mr. Duerksen and the Gleaner Magazine's People.  (John B)

  NOTE (JB) : There are three huge factors, that will determine where each one of us spend the eternity, either in life or in death.Yet, all boils down too, have you loved those difficult to love?
    1. How did I, we, care for the poor and the suffering ones?
    2. Did I, we surrender our will to the will of God"
    3. Did I, we, have a close and personal relationship with Jesus, in loving obedience?

    All of the above, ideals, will allow the Holy Spirit to rebuild your character, to be more and more Christ-like over time. He'll guide you and me, into being fit, for The Father's eyes, for His Kingdom, while yet on this earth!  Now to Mr. Duerksen.

    I'm not sure what God has against goats, but it looks like they'll be missing in the earth made new, yes the Sheep shall be there, but no goats.
   In Jesus' own words:
   Matthew 25:31-32 " When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:"

NOTE (JB): What's the criteria for this separation?
    Matthew 25:30  "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth"

    In short, all those who refused, even after they learned the truth of God,s Word, they refused to obey the Ten Commandments, they are NOT suggestions!
   .James 2:10  "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

Sorry, do not most "Christians" break the fourth Commandment (this is the 3rd in Catholic catechism)
   Exodus 20:8-11  "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
Look at your calendar, and count out to the Seventh day, no man , nor men can change God's Law right?

I John B. have not the space restrictions that Dick is held to, one single page, thus I can dig deeper in the Word for Y O U!

    D.D.... Jesus told the "Sheep and Goats" parable to people who really wanted to get into heaven. They listened eagerly, taking notes, on how to make through the Gates. As Jesus described the Great Judge placing the sheep right hand, and the goats on the left, some of the people poked each other and made "baaaaaing" sounds, assuming, of course, that they would be sheep.
     No such luck. Yes, there were sheep, but there were {JB then and now} a whole lot more goats! But the funny part of this was/and is, that both groups were surprised.
    The sheep were surprised because they did not think they had spent enough time caring for the sick, making sure the widows had food, sending care packages to famine lands, and visiting the outcasts in prisons.

Note (JB): The closer one lives to Christ's ideals, the more one sees their own shortcomings, and the need to "PUT-ON" Christ Association ADRA and His righteousness

      "Sure, Lord, we did that, but it wasn't anything special," they said. "It's just what we learned to do as You led us to love by us being loved by You!"
     The goaty flocks were also surprised.
     {"Wait a minute, Lord. We did all that stuff as well, We kept track of each minute of this, on our magnetic chart that hung of the refrigerator door. We visited prisoners 734 times, and helped 23 widows and bought 19 heifers for Adventist Disaster Relief Association {ADRA} Wasn't that what YOU asked for?

   I like the way Ellen White wrote about the Judge's decision in chapter 70 of the "The Desire of Ages":
    "Thus Christ on the Mount of Olives pictured to His disciples the scene of the Great Judgment Day. And He represented its decision as turning upon one point. When the nations are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes, and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and the suffering."

    I'm amazed THE ONE THING that determines my eternal destiny is how I cared for the poor and the suffering. Nothing is said about my understanding prophecy, or being a martyr, memorizing all of any chapter, or even keeping the Sabbath! Only ONE THING, "Have I loved the unlovely?"

    GOATS OR SHEEP?

   What makes the difference?
    If we're "Doing", BECAUSE we've asked Jesus to get inside of us and change us in the ways we look at our world, and others, we cannot help but serve. We are sheep. Those who serve, thinking their efforts will pay the price, to heaven, are the goats!

   This brings me back to a prayer Ellen White, challenges us to pray:  "Lord, take my heart; for I can't give it. It is Thine property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it so, for Thee. Save me, in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul."

   Sounds like a sheep's prayer to me, Amen?
Mr. Duerksen, Oregon Conference assistant to the president for creative communications.

Want/Need more? Visit your Seventh-day Adventist Church, any Saturday/Sabbath at 9-10 AM. and Learn that Heaven love you greatly, and has a spot no other can fill, but Y O U!

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