Following Christ English

Q: Will We Eat and Drink in Heaven? Jesus assured His disciples that some day they would “eat and drink at my table in my kingdom” (Luke 22:30). Some have speculated that glorified bodies will not require food for sustenance, but the Lord promised, “I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). And John gives us a glimpse of this revelation: “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month” (Revelation 22:2). This would indicate a bountiful supply from Creator God. Remember too that when Jesus appeared to His followers in His glorified body, He asked them if there were anything to eat. Luke reports that “they gave him a piece of broiled fish … and [He] ate it in their presence” (Luke 24:42–43). It wasn’t that Jesus was hungry, for He was no longer subject to human needs. I believe He ate with them for two reasons: to prove His bodily resurrection and for

Will We Recognize and Be Reunited With Our Loved Ones in Heaven? I am often asked this question—and my answer is always a resounding yes. Someday soon, I know I will be reunited with all those in my family who are already in Heaven—including my wife, Ruth. And when it happens for each believer, we will fellowship around our Father’s throne, finally meeting Him face-to-face. And the family of God—our brothers and sisters in Christ—will be there. This is why it’s so important for us to tell our loved ones about Christ. Nothing is more wonderful than for our families to share in this great hope of being part of the heavenly family. Jesus in His resurrected body was known to His followers. When Christ was transfigured and His heavenly glory overwhelmed His earthly appearance, Moses and Elijah appeared with Him before Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1–3, NIV). Though the disciples had never seen the great prophets, they recognized them, just as they recognized the Lord in His

Q: I’m in a religion class and studying the great sermons ever preached. To my surprise, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount isn’t included. When I questioned the professor, the answer was that it wasn’t Jesus’ finest sermon because of His teaching on meekness, which does not fit into the success-driven society in which we’ll be ministering. I began preaching my own sermon to the professor about meekness (not weakness) being an attribute of God. Isn’t this true? A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham While many people think of meekness as weakness, this is certainly not the Biblical view. A wild horse that has been broken is no less strong, but the horse is now useful to man. Jesus was meek—not weak. Jesus was, and is, God—compassionate and strong. When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, what did He mean when He said that the meek will inherit the earth? He was speaking of an attitude, a form of humility that is sorely lacking in our culture. No person is meek by nature.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. —Matthew 21:22 Prayer is a two-way conversation; it is our talking to God, and His talking to us. As a Christian, you have a heavenly Father who hears and answers prayer. Jesus said, “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Every man or woman whose life has counted for the church and the Kingdom of God has been a person of prayer. You cannot afford to be too busy to pray. A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. Jesus Christ spent many hours in prayer. Sometimes He spent the night on a mountaintop in solitary communion with God the Father. If He felt that He had to pray, how much more do we need to pray!

Alcoholism is one of the greatest scourges of our nation. It destroys the health and well-being of countless individuals and causes untold grief among families and friends. The words of the Bible have been proved time and time again: ‘Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise’ (Proverbs 20:1). “But you know this through bitter experience, I suspect. And yet your problem is that you seem to be powerless to do anything about it. Does that mean there is no hope? No! There is hope—hope in Christ. The Bible says, ‘Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through his name’ (Acts 10:43). That is a wonderful truth and you can know it in your life if you have truly repented and turned to Christ. “Don’t let your pride get in the way. Seek out someone (such as a pastor you know) who can direct you to groups in your area that can help you … If there are people around you who are constantly trying to get you to drink, you may have to