A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Entering
Zion National Park on scenic Route 9 in Utah
"The
Great White Throne"
Zion National Park
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Message
summary: The main thing in this life is to be
ready for that final appointment, judgment day. I am
trusting in Christ and believe I am ready. Are you?
Listen
to this
message on your audio player.
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it" (Revelation 20:11).
Our final national park to visit during our western trip was Zion which likely has its name based on the Zion in the Bible (see here). We entered the park from the east on Utah state route 9, a very scenic highway. At the entrance I was pleased to be able to use my lifetime senior pass. But after pulling it out of my wallet to show it, I was told there was no need as it was a free pass day! That meant the park was very, very crowded.
Nevertheless the drive was beautiful although due to the crowds we didn't go into the main part of the park which requires shuttles and even finding parking was hard. Maybe another time!
Zion is distinct from other canyon parks in that you drive through the canyon looking up at the walls rather than from along the rim looking down. You can't drive through the Grand Canyon! However we did take a hike to a vista point overlooking the park.
A popular scenic point in Zion National Park is known as the Great White Throne. It is often used as a symbol of Zion National Park. Since that was in a portion of the park requiring a shuttle ride we didn't get a photo but here's one online.
We assume this also has a name based upon a Bible passage, our daily text. However please don't forward this to the "Freedom From Religion Foundation", a group that manages to find offense in any expression, display or reminder of this country's Judeo-Christian foundations. Probably Zion would upset them as well!
The Great White Throne in our daily text is the place of final judgment. Those who are judged are assigned to their final state. The Bible does not indicate any chance for belief after this final judgment. The Great White Throne Judgment refers to a time in the future when all who have ever lived will stand before God in judgment, and He will decide who will be a part of His Kingdom, and who will receive eternal death.
Listen
to this
message on your audio player."Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it" (Revelation 20:11).
Our final national park to visit during our western trip was Zion which likely has its name based on the Zion in the Bible (see here). We entered the park from the east on Utah state route 9, a very scenic highway. At the entrance I was pleased to be able to use my lifetime senior pass. But after pulling it out of my wallet to show it, I was told there was no need as it was a free pass day! That meant the park was very, very crowded.
Nevertheless the drive was beautiful although due to the crowds we didn't go into the main part of the park which requires shuttles and even finding parking was hard. Maybe another time!
Zion is distinct from other canyon parks in that you drive through the canyon looking up at the walls rather than from along the rim looking down. You can't drive through the Grand Canyon! However we did take a hike to a vista point overlooking the park.
A popular scenic point in Zion National Park is known as the Great White Throne. It is often used as a symbol of Zion National Park. Since that was in a portion of the park requiring a shuttle ride we didn't get a photo but here's one online.
We assume this also has a name based upon a Bible passage, our daily text. However please don't forward this to the "Freedom From Religion Foundation", a group that manages to find offense in any expression, display or reminder of this country's Judeo-Christian foundations. Probably Zion would upset them as well!
The Great White Throne in our daily text is the place of final judgment. Those who are judged are assigned to their final state. The Bible does not indicate any chance for belief after this final judgment. The Great White Throne Judgment refers to a time in the future when all who have ever lived will stand before God in judgment, and He will decide who will be a part of His Kingdom, and who will receive eternal death.
The
reminder of future judgment is a Biblical truth that
many are uncomfortable with or find offensive.
Proclaim that today and you will be labeled a crackpot
by the world and sadly many in the visible church
would critique your message to be "unloving".
The Apostles Creed forthrightly states that "He shall come to judge the quick (living) and the dead." A spiritually healthy outlook in life includes a perspective of future judgment. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy (and through Scripture to all of us): "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead" (2 Timothy 4:1).
The Apostles Creed forthrightly states that "He shall come to judge the quick (living) and the dead." A spiritually healthy outlook in life includes a perspective of future judgment. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy (and through Scripture to all of us): "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead" (2 Timothy 4:1).
The Bible says that Jesus didn't
come into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). He
appeared in flesh and walked upon the earth 33 years,
taught the ways of godliness, lived a sinless life and
died upon the cross that we might be saved from our
sins.
Every
one of us has a final appointment. This appointment
will take place whether or not we believe in it.
Having faith is not necessary. This appointment can't
be skipped nor forgotten. You can't cancel it or
reschedule at your convenience. There will be no
excuses accepted. Wealth, position, power or
possessions won't matter when it comes to our final
appointment!
The secular reader will smugly smile at this. Although he certainly cannot deny the inevitability of death, he may chuckle at what seems to him the archaic notion of an appointment of future judgment and accounting to God.
The believer in Christ and the believer in the worldly system both have faith. Death is the final step of faith for both.
The secular reader will smugly smile at this. Although he certainly cannot deny the inevitability of death, he may chuckle at what seems to him the archaic notion of an appointment of future judgment and accounting to God.
The believer in Christ and the believer in the worldly system both have faith. Death is the final step of faith for both.
- One believes the record of the Bible, the other believes the record of "enlightened" man.
- One has faith that the words expressed in the Scripture are true, the other believes in what man has said.
- One believes we are uniquely created in the image of God, the other believes we are just a higher form of evolved animal life.
- One believes that following death there is judgment day with a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. The other believes that we are merely physical matter and at death we simply cease to be (although I find it interesting that at the death of a loved one, all, except for the most ardent secularist, tend to express belief in an after-life).
Be
encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we read in
Revelation 20 about the Great White Throne
Judgment where all will stand and give account of
his or her decision to follow after You or to
rebel against Your righteousness. As believers we
will stand before Your throne blameless because of
Jesus' righteousness which delivers us from the
punishment we deserve. I want my faith to be
living and active, influencing my every thought
and motive, as I live out my life here on earth.
In Christ's name I pray. Amen.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we read in
Revelation 20 about the Great White Throne
Judgment where all will stand and give account of
his or her decision to follow after You or to
rebel against Your righteousness. As believers we
will stand before Your throne blameless because of
Jesus' righteousness which delivers us from the
punishment we deserve. I want my faith to be
living and active, influencing my every thought
and motive, as I live out my life here on earth.
In Christ's name I pray. Amen.Note:
For discerning readers I am aware
there is a separate "judgment seat of
Christ" for those who have
followed Christ.
Zion National Park
Zion
National Park
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Zion
National Park
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
The
hole in the center is a gallery window
to a long tunnel we had just driven
through. It was used during
construction to remove debris. Here's
an interesting article.
(Click
on photo to enlarge)
Look
carefully to see about ten Bighorn
sheep on the ledge over this tunnel.
Tomorrow we will share a photo of a
close-up of a Bighorn sheep we saw our
last full day in Valley Of Fire State
park in Utah
It
was a beautiful drive!
Checkerboard
Mountain is on the east side of the
park.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"The Great I Am Still
Is"
Video
Triumphant Quartet
What is the Great
White Throne Judgment? (from the
gotquestions.org teaching site)
"Freedom
From Religion Foundation"
(not an endorsement!)
Finally
today:
We
took this photo on a scenic route
between Bryce Canyon and Zion National
Parks. The scenery doesn't stop being
beautiful outside the parks!
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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