We Are Being Watched From Heaven

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

There is some theological debate over whether Hebrews 12:1 is referring to the example of faith set forth by the saints mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11, or that it refers to the saints up in Heaven. I humbly agree with Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), who contends that in order to be “a witness,” you must first see something. That is, you must witness something. That is what a witness is. They have witnessed something.

I love Hebrews chapter 11, which I like to call: “THE HALL OF FAITH.” By faith Noah moved with fear to build the ark, which took him 120 years. By faith David took 5 smooth stones and a sling to go fight the giant Goliath. Notice that it wasn't by faith that David defeated Goliath. If David had been killed by Goliath, his faith would have been just as great. It was by faith that David went out to fight Goliath, who stood a towering 9' 6" tall. Wow!

When most people think about faith, they think about Moses leading the Hebrews our of bondage in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea on dry ground. They think of Gideon, who prayed that the sun stand still and it did, for 24 hours. When most people think of faith, they think of mighty miracles which God performed by the hand of a saint of God. However, the Holy Bible also speaks of “OTHERS,” who had faith just as great as Abraham, Moses and David; yet they were sawn in half, eaten by lions, disemboweled for public entertainment, they starved to death, hid in mountains to survive, drawn and quartered by horses, buried alive, nailed to a tree and filleted alive, stoned, beheaded, burned at the stake, boiled alive in oil, burned alive in the Brazen Bull, drowned, you name it! If you can think it, it happened to some of the saints. ...

Hebrews 11:36-40, “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

Dear reader, it may be God's will for you to suffer crippled in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Jesus said that the man in John 9:1-5 was born blind for the glory of God. The man's blindness had a divine purpose. Nobody knew that except Jesus (who is God). You and I don't know why things are as there are, or why things happen as they do, bur God does. Exodus 4:11 “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth?  or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind?  have not I the LORD?” I love this Bible verse, because it teaches us that God creates imperfect people. That is, imperfect by man's flawed standards. But in God's sight, a person that the Lord creates blind, deaf or mute is perfect. Who are we as sinful humans to decide what is perfect or right?

If you dear friend are a child of God, and you have loved ones who've gone before you to Heaven, then they are watching you. The angels are watching us. 1st Peter 1:12, “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.” We humans are intriguing to the angels in Heaven. We have something that they don't, a Redeemer. The angels are not the object of Christ's redemptive work through Calvary's cross, but we are as humans! I don't know about you, but that humbles my soul, to know that I am special to God. No doubt, the angels are loved by God who created them too, but mankind is unique, as are the angels. Just as we are curious about the angels, they too are curious about us.

We are being watched by all the hosts of Heaven. Our heavenly Father is watching us. Psalms 139:1-6, “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”

I don't know about you dear reader, but I am glad knowing that someone up in Heaven cares enough about my life to watch me. I don't want to be a bad example of a child of God. I have my faults, but God sees in my heart that I want to live right, think right, and do right. Thankfully because Christ died in my place on the cross, I can be right (and I am right with God by Jesus' precious blood). The ONLY thing that makes me any more righteous in God's sight than the worst sinner upon the earth, is the precious blood of Jesus Christ that washed all my sins away when I got saved at age 13. One of my very favorite Bible verses is Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

May we all try in God's strength to live in such a way that God is glorified by our life in the eyes of the saints in Heaven. Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” We know that no one is saved by good deeds. Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” We also know that God desires and commands for all of His adopted children to do good works, not to be saved or prove that we are saved, but simply because we are saved. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” I like how Evangelist Lester Roloff (1914-1982) said it: “Jesus saved you so you wouldn't live like that anymore!”

Let me clarify, because many people have been misled concerning faith and works:

• Hellbound Roman Catholics errantly teach that you MUST do good works to be a Christian.
• Hellbound Calvinists (followers of John Calvin, 1509-1564) errantly teach that if you are a Christian you WILL do good works.
• The Bible teaches that if you are a Heavenbound Christian you SHOULD do good works. Titus 2:12, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”

No one is saved who mixes law with grace! You must trust Jesus as your personal Savior, and Him alone. Literally, we are saved by GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” You obtain that righteousness of God through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do! Romans 4:4-5, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Amen and amen!

Someday soon dear saint of God when this life is over, I believe you and I will be up in Heaven, perched at Heaven's window, looking down upon the affairs of men. Hebrews 12:1-2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let us lay aside the sinful choices that so easily sidetrack us from serving the Lord, rendering us useless for God.

We read in Luke 8:11-15 about The Parable Of The Sower And The Seeds. This parable which Jesus told is commonly misunderstood, applied to salvation instead of soulwinning. Luke 8:15, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” You see, God's ultimate goal for every believer is to mature to BRING FORTH FRUIT. It requires patience to bear fruit (souls saved). Getting people saved oftentimes takes years of love, patience, prayer and respect for their contrary beliefs to the Holy Bible. I always tell people never to berate, criticize or show contempt for their loved one's false beliefs. Why? It is because people don't care what you know until they first know that you care! Jude 1:22, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

One of the biggest problems in churches today are cold-hearted pastors who don't genuinely care, love or have compassion for individual people. You'd be surprised of some of the horrible true stories that people share with me as a Bible preacher, about abusive pastors who couldn't care less about people, they only love their paychecks. When I attended Pensacola Christian College's (PCC), Campus Church, I was very kind and loving; but their ungodly senior pastor, Jeff Redlin, mistreated me, being insensitive in his remarks and even banning me in writing from returning to Campus Church, all because he is filled with childish hatred, resentment and pride. They need a much better pastor at PCC, not the phony that Jeff Redlin truly is, a wolf in sheep's clothing! SHAME on the PCC camp for tolerating such a horrible leader.

We are being watched from Heaven dear friend. How are you doing in your Christian walk? What have you done for the cause of Jesus Christ so far this year? Have you even shared the Gospel with one person? What good works are you doing to glorify God your Savior? To become a witness you have to see something, and the saints and angels up in glory are looking at us continually, to see what's going on down here on planet earth. 1st Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”