In the article, "Election Day," we learned about the nomination and election process. Denominating, being the opposite of nominating (the call of Christ), proves denominations are not Christian as they have believed themselves to be. The misconception is so widespread, the world lumps all of them together as Christianity. This includes Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and a host of others, on top of denominationalism.

We saw the words of the Savior telling us exactly how to be called, or nominated, and elected as well. To bring everyone up to speed, we will go over those scriptures again. Redundancy never hurts if it is an important subject, and it gets missed the first time around.

Matthew 11:15, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”

Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

We also saw that the election, or getting into Heaven, can be lost. Among other Scriptures, we read this.

Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Writing to Christians at Galatia, Paul told them they could fall from grace. Why? It was because they were adding into Christianity something that was familiar to them, but no longer an acceptable part of religion: the Law of Moses. Their nomination was removed.

Last month’s sermon destroyed the very fabric of the vain, empty, and meaningless faith held by all denominationalists. A new foundation is now ready to be laid and built upon. A new building, or a new creation, cannot be completed successfully while the old is still in existance. A preacher must rebuke. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says we must fear God as we obey Him. Nevertheless, a preacher must also exhort. This is the intent of this lesson. After all, Jesus said in John 14:15 to love Him and keep His commandments. Fear and love are both components to the obedience required by God in our covenant with Him.

Today, we will examine the inauguration of the President, in keeping with the example we began.

Of all the political ceremonies, none compares with the pomp and circumstance of a Presidential inauguration. The planning begins the very day the election results are revealed. This is in addition to the regular procedures kept in place from one ceremony to the next.

There are many who are pleased about the election results. As many as can make it attend. The President is surrounded by his closest friends, family, and advisors. He enters with strains of, “Hail to the Chief.” Flags wave. People are joyous. The moment turns somber, signifying the seriousness and importance of what is happening.

Once again, there is stability in the country. For the next four years, we can be as sure as mortals can be we will have the same policies in place for some time to come.

Just as there was a connection between the nomination and election of the President and our spiritual nomination and election, there is a connection in this as well. In comparing the physical to the spiritual, while there are many similarities, there are also many differences. My understanding of these differences indicates they are better, and less fallible, than anything conceivable by man. We need to look at some of these first.

Firstly, there is the planning for the event. We need more than a month for the choreography of the actual inauguration. God doesn’t need this month. Remember, we are dealing with the nature of eternity, and its absence of time. It is written, “A day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.” The inauguration occurs immediately after the election. Yet, the plans are in place once our nomination, or calling, is made sure. We also know that the plans have been in place since before the foundation of the world. Our mortal minds cannot grasp the possibility that these three are all truthful. Yet they are. This is but one example of the Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Omniscience of God on display at the same time. God is all-powerful. He set in motion a system whereby all of this can be done instantly. God is everywhere. He sees everything done by all. God is all-knowing. There will be no denying the sentence.

We will be surrounded as well. However, God is joy. Heaven is joy. It will be impossible to have sorrow there. A study of Matthew 7:14 shows not many people will be there. Many in our families will not be there. We will not miss them. To do so would be sorrowful. What we do have is our new family; our Brothers and Sisters in Christ. It does not end here. We also have our advisors. You may ask, “Who are they?” The Holy Spirit wrote the exact words of Scripture, and if we made it to Heaven, it was by those words that we were judged. He advised us. He is the message. In order to receive the message, we had to have messengers as advisors as well. We did. Another Biblical word for messenger is Angel.

Luke 15:10, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Matthew 18:10, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

We may not understand them. We may not know how they function towards us. Nevertheless, we have angels who are always before God. They were present at our nomination. They will be present at our election. Likewise, they will be present at our inauguration.

John 14:2, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

For four years, additional years if it’s a second term, the President has a mansion. Probably the most famous address in the world is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I have been there during the administration of President Nixon. It is a marvelous place. There is splendor, majesty, and grandeur in the place incomparable to anything I have seen in my forty-three years.

The third difference is that it is earthly. Treasures such as this, on earth, are subject to the corrosive powers of moth and rust. If nominated (and not subsequently denominated) and elected, we will be given a mansion in which to dwell. It will not be for four years. It will not be for a lifetime. It is for all eternity. Its splendor will make the White House look like a freestanding set of matchsticks.

Revelation 7:9-17, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

The pomp and circumstance of a Presidential inauguration shall be nothing compared with the ceremonious worship of God, which takes place in Heaven. It will never end. It is eternal. Yet, in eternity, it will never get old. Nor will it change to fit the desires of progressives seeking to improve things. Like the church, there is no need to improve upon perfection.

Let’s look at one more aspect of Heaven this morning before we extend the Lord’s offer of pardon and salvation. That aspect is the Host Himself.

Exodus 34:29-35, “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”

Why did Moses’ skin shine so? Why were the Israelites afraid of him?

Exodus 33:20-23, “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”

As mortals, we cannot see God. Just seeing the back of God made Moses’ face too bright to be beheld by the Israelites. His majesty is that great. There is just no way that it can be put into words. It has not been seen. There is nothing like it. Imagine going there and living, bathed in this glory for all eternity!

Why did Jesus say that we must keep His commandments if we love Him? The answer is really quite simple. If we love Him, we will desire to be with Him, and keeping His commandments is the only possible way to accomplish this.

All things are in preparedness at this time. Are you a Christian who has made a shipwreck out of your faith, as did Hymenaeus? Or have you been misled, thinking you were a Christian, only to find out your group has voluntarily removed their nominations from the Lamb’s Book of Life, and taken yours with it? Whatever they need may be, will you not come? Come to Jesus instead of answering the call of man?