Tears in Heaven?

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

"For the Lamb who is on the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev 7:17)  

In heaven, the Lord will wipe away all tears.  Now some of those tears may be from sufferings that people endured while they were on earth.  

There are some Christians who are not aware that healing for their bodies belongs to them, along with their salvation. (Psalm 103, Ex 15:26)  

There are some Christians who haven't been taught about spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons. (Eph chapter 6, Matt 16:19, Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17,18)

But in some cases, I suspect that there will be tears to wipe away because once in heaven, some of the people will realize that they didn't do such a very good job for the Lord while on earth.  

One thing that some will discover is that they could have been stronger Christians on earth by getting from the Lord the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, as in Acts 1:8, & chapter 2, & chapter 10, & chapter 19.

Some will probably say, "Well, my church didn't believe that way."  But the Bible believes that way.  God the Father, the Son (Jesus), and Holy Ghost believe that way.  

Christians need to study the Bible for themselves so that if someone tries to teach them contrary to the Bible, they won't receive the false teaching.  

John Osteen was Pastor of a Baptist church.  He had not received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues (languages.)  

But as Osteen was studying the Bible, he said, "Well what's wrong with it?  It's scriptural."  So Osteen got the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues from Jesus.  

As Osteen began to share about it some with his people, he was kicked out as pastor of that church.  

But some of his people went with him, and they started another church, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.  Last I heard, they had grown to thirty thousand members.  

Osteen did the right thing.  But clearly, Osteen did have another choice.  He could have said, "Well yes, I see that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is scriptural, but my denomination doesn't believe that way.  

I have friends at my church.  How will I pay my bills if I have to leave this church?"  (You can see where this is going.)  

Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man brings a trap, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe."  

Osteen could have chosen the fear of man, but instead he chose the fear of God, and boldly proclaimed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Preacher Willard Cantelon told about a certain Evangelist who used to hold big tent meetings across the United States.  Cantelon didn't say the man's name.  The Evangelist would get a lot of people healed in his meetings.  

The Evangelist had a board.  The men on the board said to him, "Brother, we believe you would reach more people if you didn't emphasize the Holy Ghost (or, Holy Spirit) so much."  

The Evangelist followed their advice, and he lost his healing ministry.  

If you're an Evangelist, and your board advises you like that, fire your board.  And tell them, "I'm not going to preach what you think I should preach, I'm going to preach what the Lord has for me to preach."    

But even some Christians who have received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost might have some tears when they get to heaven about things they could have done, and should have done for the Lord, but didn't do.  

In Matt 5:16 Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they'll see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

The Lord wants every Christian to be a witness for him.  And some Christians are doing that, testifying to people, passing out salvation tracts.  

But some Christians do very little witnessing.  

If you go to work every day at a certain company for ten or twenty years, and then find out later that many of your co-workers wound up in hell, will it be partly your fault because you never mentioned Jesus to them?

What did God tell Ezekiel?  In Ezekiel chapter 3, verses
17 "Son of man, I've made you a watchman to the house of Israel, therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me.
 18 When I say to the wicked, you'll surely die, and you don't give him warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his sin, but I will require his blood at your hand.
 19 Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn't turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his sin, but you've delivered your soul."

If you tell people about Jesus, and they still choose to go to hell, their blood is not on your hands.  But if they went to hell because Christians wouldn't witness to them, then God will find fault with those Christians.  

By the way, after receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, we're then supposed to pray some in unknown tongues every day.  Paul says, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all..." (1 Cor 14:18)  

And in 1 Cor 11:1, Paul says,  "Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ."

Are you following Paul by praying every day in unknown tongues, friend?  

Chapter 2

I mentioned before about a man who had been a Christian, but later went back on the Lord.  He thinks (incorrectly) that he caught the Lord lying.  

But back before this man told me he had stopped being a Christian, the subject came up in conversation years ago about world evangelism, and he said, "Not my job."  

Well, O.K., maybe the man wasn't called to the ministry.  But every Christian is supposed to care about world evangelism.  If you don't go to the mission field, you can help missionaries financially.  

You can pray for world evangelism.  In Matt 9:38, Jesus tells us to,   "Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send out laborers into his harvest."  

So even if he wasn't called to go to the mission field, it was not appropriate for the man to say, "Not my job," at a time when he still considered himself to be a Christian.  

In Matt 7:16 Jesus said we would know men by their fruits.  It seems to me that for a Christian to say that world evangelism is not their job is fruit of less than the best kind.  

Of course Judgment Day will come, and we'll see what the Lord says about those words from that man.  Possibly the Lord will choose to overlook that.  

That man doesn't have to worry about tears in heaven.  At the rate he's going, he won't make it to heaven.  I wrote about that man in my book, "Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?"  

My Dad doesn't have to worry about tears in heaven.  He professed to be an Atheist.  And then he died and went to hell.  What a pity.  But I made efforts to get him born again.  

Now that he's in hell, I'm sure he has figured out that yes, there is a God.  But, you see, the devil and his demons deceived the man into believing the lie that there's no God.  

I guess if you think there's no God, then there's no need to get right with God, and no need to fear God.  

But the Bible teaches that,  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, all of those who do his commandments have a good understanding, his praise endures forever." (Psa 111:10)  

Atheists say there's no God.  But God says about Atheists, "The fool has said in his heart there's no God." (Psa 14:1)  

I mentioned before about the news item where a man in his bed went down into a sink hole.  His shouts for help could be heard, but they weren't able to save him.  

That's why people should take it seriously when the Bible says, "...now is the accepted time, see, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor 6:2)  

People who won't get right with God now might not have another opportunity.  

Scriptures quoted are from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version and the New Testament, Hoehn Version, copyright 2011, both are available as ebooks for the Kindle readers from Amazon.com, and at Barnesandnoble.com

The Lord bless you.  Frederick Hoehn



___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.