This is What You'll Look Like in the Afterlife

Arden, do you know that there's 300 scriptures in the Bible approximately that talk about Jesus' first coming? Do you know there's 8 times more scriptures about his second coming? Why are we talking about it? Yeah, people have had NDEs, near-death experiences, where they've actually seen heaven or hell. When they get out of their body, they feel like this world is a dream and that world is real. They said, imagine you're confined to a black and white 2-dimensional picture on a wall in a house. Somebody delivers you out of that picture, puts you in the house, and you go, whoa, there's 3 dimensions! Look at all these colors. Look at all the activity that's going on. And then you go back into the black and white picture and you try to describe to the people in the black and white two-dimensional picture what the three-dimensional is like and what real life's like.

Would be able to do it.

You can't do it. You'll live totally different if you're eternally minded than you will if you're 70 or 80-year minded. Hey everybody, welcome to the John Bevere Podcast. I'm here with my son Arden Bevere, and we are talking about relevant truth for today. Truth doesn't change. It never changes, Arden. But we are in changing times, though.

We are in very changing times. And I think what we're specifically talking about is going to be intriguing because even when you told me, I was like, so what are we talking about?

This is what we're talking about in today's show. What are we going to look like 25 million years from right now?

Yeah, I don't think people think about that at all. And so this is an intriguing— but it's an intriguing thing, right?

And again, we're in 2 Peter. Now we pick up in verse 8: For if these qualities are yours and increasing— so when I'm 85 years old, I'm going to be saying, I am seeking to increase in these 7 areas— they will keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, this is the thing I pray constantly. God, make me more effective. Make me more effective. Make me fruitful, Lord. I want to be as fruitful as a man can be fruitful. I want to be as effective as a man can be effective. This is something I actually do pray every single day, that I'm praying. But those who fail to develop in this way are short-sighted or blind. So in other words, when you're short-sighted, you're living for the day. This is the way a lot of Well, this is the way everyone that is unsaved lives. They live for the day, okay? Paul said, if there isn't any resurrection of the dead, let's eat and drink, right?

Yeah.

And let's live for the day. Now, the short-sighted person doesn't live with the eternal perspective. They live with today's perspective. You know, I'm gonna tell you a story. I was preaching to a church network in Goiânia, Brazil. They have over 300,000 people in the church, Arden. And I spoke to their 12,000 pastors. I mean, they were blowing the roof off. It was crazy. I actually did a video. I said, everybody say hello. And they were like, ah, you know? And I preached that night and the response was crazy. So I'm having lunch with 8 of the top pastors the next day. And I said, hey, I said, man, how many people— I just wanted to get it affirmed again. I said, how many people do you have in your churches down here? Oh, well over 300,000 people. I said, so when did this whole church movement network begin? I said, how long ago? How many years ago? And I'm thinking they're going to say 125 years ago, right? And the guy was going to be in heaven for 50 years, right? They go, oh, we started 16 years ago with a man named Aloysio. He said he— you met him last night, but he couldn't be here at lunch today because he had a different— another appointment. And I, I dropped my fork and I said, What?

16 years.

16 years. I said, how do you build a church of over 300,000 people that starts with one man in just 16 years? Now I thought I knew the answer to the question. I thought they were gonna say it's 'cause of our connect groups. Yeah. You know, our home groups, our small groups, right? The guy looks at me without batting an eye and he says, it's because we teach eternal rewards and judgment. Yeah. I went, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, what, what? He said, look, John, I speak good English. I get invited to speak at a lot of American church conferences. He said, you Americans, you're 70 or 80 year minded. He said, our people are eternally minded. I remember I thought to myself after hearing him say that, you'll live totally different if you're eternally minded than you will if you're 70 or 80 year minded. And I realized that's what it means to be short-sighted. You're short-sighted in the fact that life is what I'm living in this physical. When in reality, people have had NDEs. What do I mean by an NDE? Near-death experiences where they've actually seen heaven or hell. Yeah. You know what they said when they get out of their body? They feel like this world is a dream and that world is real. They said, you have never felt— almost every single person that has an NDE in the presence of Jesus Christ say, I've never felt so alive. Wow. Okay. So they said it seems like this life's a dream. So it's kind of like The Matrix. Okay, I know, I know we're going to movie. I love that movie. You want to know why? Because that movie— so I'm talking about the first one, just the first one. It— I never saw the rest of them. I just saw the first one and I watched it twice because I thought that so exemplifies what we're really in right now. Because in essence, the whole world was under the power of artificial intelligence. Yeah, they were all in these, like, the computer was getting the strength from the people's bodies, right? And, and feeding them so that it would get the strength from them. And there was a small group of people that were free, and they were living in really tough conditions. And I remember in that movie, one of the guys that was free, he went back into the Matrix, and he— I'll never forget, he said, I want to taste the steak again. Yeah. In other words, I don't care that I'm in bondage to this computer. I want to enjoy right now. The guys that were, you know, taking the— what was it, the red pill or the blue pill? Anyway, the ones that took the red pill, yeah, that were fighting the Matrix, they saw reality. Yeah. They had the foresight to see what was really going on. The people were in the Matrix saw it right now. And this is the way sinners are. They're in the right now. They're short-sighted. But a Christian who doesn't develop in these becomes just like the sinner who's short-sighted. Hey everybody, spiritual growth doesn't happen by accident. That's why we here at Messenger International are passionate about equipping you with resources to help you grow in your relationship with God. One tool we hope you'll take advantage of is our free MessengerX app. Inside MessengerX, you'll get access to dozens of full-length courses, sermons, audiobooks, and more, all available to you at no cost. Whatever your goals, whether you're looking to discover your calling, develop deeper intimacy with God, find freedom, or improve your relationships, you'll find resources on MessengerX that will help you get there. Download MessengerX today, create your free account, and dive in. Now back to the podcast. And this is what Peter's trying to say. And he's not trying to say, he is saying, okay, for if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so then he goes on the next verse, he said, so dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove you really are among those God has called and chosen. So there you go, work hard again, exert effort. Do these things and you'll never fall away, you'll never stumble, it says. Okay, does that tell us how important what he's writing is? Then God will give you a grand entrance. And we talked about in the last podcast, not every Christian is going to have the same entrance into heaven. Not every Christian is going to spend eternity the same way. You know, you know, Arden, I just got to say this. Do you know how many people think that heaven's going to be like this boring worship service for eternity? You know how many people think that we're going to be these ethereal beings that like just kind of float on clouds and just eat grapes and fan themselves, right?

I had my comparative religions teacher, that was the one reason he would not become a Christian. He said, I can't comprehend heaven. He said, I cannot comprehend doing something for eternity. He's like, anything I would be doing for eternity, I can't, like, it would get old, it would get boring, so I can't comprehend heaven. It's the one thing that was keeping him away. And that's sad.

And that's keeping many, many people from really living a fruitful Christian life because they think it's going to be a boring worship service when in reality there's going to be galaxies to develop. There's going to be teams that are, are, are doing, doing projects, building lives, educating. There's going to be— I mean, God's family is going to be, I believe, ever increasing. There's going to be supernatural beings that rule and reign with Jesus. These are the people that came out of this life. There's going to be the natural beings, probably a different type of species that they're ruling. I mean, if we rule and reign with Christ, who we rule and reigning, right? Because it's going to keep expanding and growing. I believe it's going to go back to the way it was in the garden, the way God intended it for be. But there's going to be a group that was harvested out because they were loyal to him, that are going to be the ones that rule and reign with him. Oh my gosh, it gets so exciting when you think about it. I mean, think about it. Could heaven be more boring than what it created? Is what created more boring than what created it? Yeah. Okay. This is the way NDE people describe it. They said, imagine this world being a black— you're confined to a black and white, two-dimensional picture on a wall in a house. Somebody delivers you out of that picture, puts you in the house, and you go, whoa, there's 3 dimensions. Look at all these colors. Look at all the activity that's going on. And then you go back into the black and white picture and you try to describe to the people in the black and white 2-dimensional picture what the 3-dimensional is like and what real life's like.

Would you be able to do it?

You can't do it.

No, there's no concept.

Okay, so that's why people aren't excited. But you see, these, these great fathers of faith, they were looking for a city whose builder and maker was God. Oh my gosh, this is so good. Okay, a grand entrance. Will be provided, right? Now we go to the next verse, right? Verse 12. Therefore, Peter says, I will always remind you about these things, even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth that you have been taught. Hey, I know many of you already know these things, but you need to hear it. The Bible says we are to exhort one another daily. That's why we're doing this podcast, because we need to hear the word of God. The word of God, not— yeah, what I think, what I think is going on, not philosophy, not life coaching, not We need the word of God. This is why Paul said to Timothy, preach the word, because it's the word of God that will build us up and give us our inheritance. And he said, it is only right that I should keep on reminding you of these things as long as I live, for our Lord Jesus has shown me soon I must put off my body and leave this earthly life. Now we're about to get into what are we going to look like 25 million years from tonight. So I work hard to make sure you always remember these things. 'For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Now stop right there. Powerful coming. Arden, do you know that there's 300 scriptures in the Bible approximately that talk about Jesus' first coming? Do you know there's 8 times more scriptures about his second coming?

Wow.

24— there's over 2,400 scriptures on the second coming of Jesus. Why are we talking about it?

Yeah.

Okay. So things happen when he comes. And I think we need to devote an entire podcast to this. Yeah. Okay. Maybe a couple of weeks. And actually, when we get to 2 Peter chapter 3, that's where we're going to hit this. Okay. Because he talks about the new heavens and the new earth. We're going to actually talk about this. So, hey, guys, this is just a little like—

what do you call it?

Trailer. Trailer for things to come.

Right.

Bouj bouj. The bouj bouj, whatever that is.

Okay.

Help me with that. What's a bouj bouj?

That's like the thing the chef will bring out before It's like a very small one bite, just gets that palate.

Okay. Yeah, I've had that and I didn't even know it was called a moose booge. Anyway, the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to talk about this. John the Apostle makes this statement and this is what he says. Listen to this. 1 John 3:2. Dear friends, we are already God's children. Okay, I remember, I'll never forget this. Friend of mine, his daughter was in 5th grade in a church that had more of a sin consciousness. In other words, we're sinners saved by grace. No, no, no. He made me the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Yeah, I was a sinner, I got saved by grace, and I was made in his image and likeness. Okay, I have the divine nature in me. Okay, and this teacher was like, well, you know, we're all sinners, we're just saved by grace. And This pastor's daughter raises up her hand, goes, doesn't the Bible say that, beloved, now we are the children of God? And the teacher went, uh, uh, and didn't know how to answer. Yeah. Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. So we're talking about the power of the coming of the Lord Jesus. Remember, Peter said that, right? But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. So here, here we got a clue. We're going to be just like him. Okay, now let's go back to Peter. He says, for we were not making up clever, clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes. Now I need to stop here. I'm gonna interject something that I feel like had to have happened with Peter, James, and John. What is he talking about? We saw his majestic splendor. I'm gonna keep reading. And then I'll, 'cause he said with our own eyes, and I'll say it. Verse 17, when he received honor and glory from God the Father, the voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, this is my, 'Dearly beloved Son who brings me joy.' We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Now, most people believe that mountain was Mount Hermon. Some people believe it was Mount Tabor, but most scholars believe it was Mount Hermon. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John. He takes them up. And it's interesting, two of the, two of the gospels say after six days, after six days. I think that's so interesting. But anyway, it's another whole message. He takes them up on this high mountain and he gets transfigured. This is what Peter's directly talking about. I'm going to read it out of Matthew 17. And after 6 days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John. Why do I get so hung up on 6? Because Peter says a day with the Lord is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day. Yeah, Adam was created 6,000 years ago. The 7,000th year is the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. Yeah, I think we're right at that time. But anyway, that's just another story. After 6 days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother and led them up on a high mountain. Many believe it was Mount Hermon. And he was transfigured. Yeah. Okay. Before them, his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. Okay, stop right there. Stop, stop, stop, stop. Jesus dwells in unapproachable light, who no man has seen or can see. It's talking about physical body. Moses said, God, I want to see your face. God said, you can't see my face and live, right? I think somehow God for an instant brought Peter, James, and John into the realm of the spirit.

Wow.

Just like John the Apostle on the island of Patmos went in the spirit and saw heaven. The reason is I don't believe any man can look at God in his natural body. Yeah, they saw Jesus' face. Shining like the sun. Now, people have had near-death experiences said that when they see Jesus, they said his face is like 10,000 suns, and they're not exaggerating. Like they said, it would kill you if you were in your physical body, but somehow it was beautiful to behold in your— in their— when they were in the spirit. Yeah. This is what Isaiah saw when he was in the spirit right before the throne of God. Okay, so God is light. This is the reason when God came down on the mountain, He had to hide himself in the dark cloud because he said, I'll kill all of them. Just my presence, my glorious unveiled presence will kill 3 million people. Can't do that, okay? So I gotta hide myself in a dark cloud. Psalm 104 says, God, you wear light, you wear light as a garment. I mean, this is so cool. He's light, he's pure light. Okay, so Jesus gets transfigured. His face shines like the sun. His clothing's become— his clothing comes— I'm reading from the Bible. This is Matthew 17:2. And his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses, Elijah, talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good that we're here. If you wish, I'll make three tabernacles here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. This he was completely ignorant of what he was saying. But he was still speaking when behold, a bright cloud overshadowed him. Now this is God the Father. And a voice from the cloud said, this is my beloved Son with whom I'm well pleased. Now, what did John say? That when he appears, we're going to be like him. Revelation 1 tells us, behold, he comes in the clouds, right? And every eye shall see him. John the Apostle talks about the one they're going to see. He says in Revelation 1:13, Jesus was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like the flame of fire. His feet were like polished bronze, refined by a furnace. His voice thundered like a mighty ocean wave, and his face shone like the sun. Okay, now are we getting a glimpse of what Jesus looks like right now? Okay, now can I show you that this is what we're going to look like?

Yeah.

Daniel 12:3: Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness, to uprightness and right standing with God, shall give forth light like the stars. What are stars? They're suns. Yeah. There are brighter stars, there are lesser stars. They shall shine like the stars forever and ever. We're going to look just like him.

Wow.

Now what's really cool, when Jesus was raised from the dead, you got disciples that are walking on the road, don't even know who he is. You got disciples that are eating a fish breakfast with him after he's raised from the dead. But when Paul saw him, the light was so bright it blinded him. Okay, so in other words, Jesus has the ability, and this is how I believe we're going to rule and reign the people in natural bodies. We're going to have the ability to take on the form that Jesus did, where we can eat, we can sit down with people, talk to them. But then we're going to have the times when, as Daniel said, they're going to shine like the stars forever and ever. When the Bible says we're going to see him as he is because we're going to be just like him, he's the firstborn from the dead. The Bible says. Well, there's the second born, there's the third born, there's the fourth. Your number's in there somewhere. My number's in there somewhere. I might be the 1 million— or I should say 1 billion 565 million, but my number's in there.

Yeah.

And he's the firstborn from the dead, and that means there's a second born. That means what? They're going to be in his exact image. We're going to be just like him. Let me read John again because I want everybody to understand I'm not speaking heresy. 1 John 3:2: Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be just like him, for we will see him as he really is. Okay, when he comes, he's coming in the brightness of his glory. See, it's hard to believe, but literally God has shared his glory with us in the sense of the glory that I have, I've given to them that they might be one. Yeah, it does. It's not clear. It's not evident because there's no way of displaying it, what we're going to be like. In this new heavens and earth though, we know as he is, we are going to be just like him.

Yeah.

That's crazy when you think about it.

Yeah. Well, and honestly, I'm just sitting here listening to all this because I've not heard— I mean, I've heard you talk about it, but I've not heard a lot about it. And like you said, there is 8 times, right? 8 times as many scriptures that about his second coming. It is something like when I think about second coming, I just, I think about he's going to return in the same way that he came or the same way that he went. Yeah, that's what I hear. But what you're describing, I mean, it's all like the only word I can use for it. It's so awe-wondering. It's all awestruck because it's just, it's baffling me right now to think about this.

We will worship him forever. He will be the King forever. He will be our Creator forever. But yet he, as our Creator, says, "I want my brothers and my sisters to be just like me." And this is what angered the Pharisees so much, because Jesus saying, "God is my Father," made himself equal with God, right? That's what they said. They said, "How dare you compare yourself with God?" And yet here's Jesus, who says, the glory that you've given to me, I've given to them. Yeah. That we might be one together. So here's God who says— here's Lucifer who says, I'm going to be like God. But here's God who says, I'm going to make you like me.

Yeah.

Forever and ever. This is why Paul the Apostle said in Ephesians 1 that your eyes of your understanding might be enlightened, that you might know what is the hope that's future, of his calling. Remember, he called us to himself. And what are the riches in the glory of the inheritance of the saints, and that you would know what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe. We've done none of this to earn for ourselves, none of it. Yeah, we've exerted effort to be more close to him and intimate with him, That's gonna result in different rewards throughout eternity. Hey, but Jesus made this statement, "Without me you can do nothing," John 15:6. Jesus made this statement, "When you've done all those things which you've been commanded to do," say, "We are unprofitable servants. We've only done that which is our duty." Everything I'm talking about is so grand and glorious, but yet we've gotta remember it's a gift. And God chose to give this gift to his children. And we did nothing to earn it or deserve it.

Can I ask you, going back to what you said about the natural beings, like those we're ruling over, can you expound on that a little bit more?

So when Jesus— I love that you asked that. When Jesus returns, not everybody on the earth is going to be killed by the wrath of God. Yeah, it says two-thirds of the earth. Basically, there's going to be people in natural bodies that actually will come out of the tribulation and enter into the millennial reign of Christ. Okay, so Christ will rule those people at the end of 1,000 years. What's going to happen, Arden, is Satan's going to be— Satan's going to be bound up those 1,000 years, but he's going to be loosed. And there are going to be nations that actually revolt because God and His saints are going to be in Jerusalem, and He's going to have His saints ruling during that time. Or excuse me, I said God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, He's called God our Savior. Jesus is going to be there ruling. Yeah, you're still going to have God the Father in heaven for that 1,000 years, but we're going to rule and reign with Him, and there's going to be people in natural bodies. And they said their children are going to play, play right next to the cobra hole. Yeah, they're going to— the lamb and the lion are going to lie down. Okay, so they're going to, they're going to have children. Yeah. And so you're going to have these glorious— just as Jesus was able to interact with the disciples, you're going to have these glorified sons and daughters that God has redeemed out of this corrupt world. And now in this perfect world, the way it was supposed to be in the garden from the beginning, you're going to have these people— I think they're going to be like Adam and Eve— and you're going to have the glorified ones who are like Jesus.

Yeah.

And this is going to be the starting of the building of the new heavens and the earth. It's going to start with that millennial, and it's going to transition into a brand new heavens and earth when God purifies the earth with fire, which we're going to talk about in Chapter 3. So exciting.

So exciting.

So this is what people— if people understood all this, I mean, this is better than any Star Wars movie. It's better than any, any, uh, uh, what was that one called? That one that everybody went crazy over? The, um, Star Trek? No, the one with the purple or blue people that were really big and we were aliens going in there. Do you remember the movie? Uh, Avatar.

Oh, Avatar.

Okay, I'm not talking about Avatar 2. Avatar 1, people went nuts over it. Yeah, you're like Why are you going so nuts over this? What we have here is so much more powerful.

Well, can I ask you, because this is your eyes of understanding as you're reading the word, because a lot of people read this and they don't understand it. And there is things that I read within the Bible that I'm like, God, I don't fully understand that. And I pray you give me that understanding.

But seek and you shall find. Knock and it'll be open. The Holy Spirit, if he sees that hunger in you, he'll open things up to you. And that's why we exert the effort. I want to know more of his ways. Yeah. So this is— this is— look, I feel like the more God reveals to me, the more I realize how much I don't know. Yeah. And I— like, like today, I feel like I don't know more than I felt like 30 years ago. I don't know. So I realize how much I don't know right now, and it keeps that hunger. After reading the Bible for 40 solid years, it keeps the hunger in me to keep reading, keep searching, keep praying, keep saying, God, open up my eyes, please open up my eyes and reveal your glory, your glorious plan, as well as your glory to me as I read.

Yeah, I love that. So I do have a question. And honestly, this is a question that I would just probably ask you if we were just having a conversation. I feel like this is why I want to ask this question, because if you were explaining this to me in your office and we're sitting there, this, this probably where my mind's going. But you talked about God reigning in heaven. Jesus reigning in the New Jerusalem, what in your mind, or what do you feel like, and if you don't have an answer, that's fine, that the role of the Holy Spirit is during that time, in that time, and that's end time, so that's not like it's a time, that's eternity when we're talking about it, and you might not have it.

So I'm gonna be the first to say I probably don't know the full answer, but I could give a partial answer.

Yeah.

I believe that the Bible says, what things know about a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? Even so, the things of God knows no one but the Spirit of God.

Yeah.

I believe that the Spirit of God will be working. First of all, he's omnipresent. He's the person of the Godhead who's omnipresent. Yeah. Okay. God, God the Father is on his throne. Jesus is seated at his right hand. I believe it's the Spirit of God who's omnipresent. So I believe in the millennial reign, he'll be omnipresent on this earth. He'll be omnipresent in heaven. Wow. Omnipresent in the universe.

Yeah.

And he's still going to be revealing Jesus.

Yeah.

And Jesus glorifies the Father. I mean, such a beautiful unity in the Trinity.

Yeah.

I love that. I hope I know.

No, that, that to me makes sense. I just— it's just because it was curious on my mind.

I want everybody to mention that I am not the Bible answer man, and I'm not— I'm not actually knocking what somebody used to call himself. I, I'm still growing, Arden.

Yeah.

And I will be when I'm 85 years old. And if we're sitting down and we're having a conversation, I'm going to say, Arden, I'm still growing.

Well, these are the conversations that me and you have had. For years. And these are the questions that I will ask you. And I think they're the questions that sometimes we're scared to ask. Like, you know, I think kids ask amazing questions. They ask those questions that are like, I didn't think about that. And I've, I've, you know, of course, more comfortable with you and through the years of asking you some of those questions that can be— it can be good questions. It can be like, that doesn't make sense. Why are you thinking about that? And so I wanted to be able to take those opportunities in this time period to ask you those questions. I understand we might not have the full answers, but sometimes it just gets the conversation. And the idea of the Holy Spirit still being the omnipresent and teacher during that time, that gets me excited.

I love that.

Like, that gets me excited and that makes sense to me.

Well, let's put a wrap on 1 Peter— 2 Peter chapter 1. Peter goes on to say, because of that experience, the experience he had on the Holy Mount, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention. How many times we see this in the New Testament? You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like— now you got to remember, Peter didn't realize I'm writing the Bible right now. I'm writing the Scripture. So you must pay close attention to what Peter and these prophets wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place. In other words, this world is a dark place and the Word of God is the light that shines into this dark place. In other words, you don't have understanding and you don't have wisdom. You don't have understanding unless you get it from our Creator. And we're living in a very dark world, and a dark world thinks that it knows what is going on, when in reality it doesn't know what's going on. God is the one, the Creator knows what's going on. He said, so for their day— or excuse me, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns. Now, I love this. The day dawns. What happens when the day dawns? I get up early in the morning and I watch it dawn. It just gets lighter and lighter and lighter and lighter until boom, there's the sun, right? Until the day dawns and Christ the morning star shines in your heart. In other words, we will know him as he knows us. That's what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13. We will know him as he knows us. Oh my gosh, I just got excited again. Above all, Peter says, is the very last verse, you must realize that no prophecy in scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding or from human initiative. No, those prophets— that would include Peter, Paul, and the rest of the New Testament writers— those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit and they spoke from God. And we just finished chapter 2, chapter 1, and it took us about 8 podcasts to do it, but we made it. And now we'll go into chapter 2 and, and 3, which I think are so exciting. But anyway, um, Arden, it's just been a joy being able to study this with you and talk about it with you. And I just hope that you guys have been built up, you've been strengthened, you've been edified. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, listen, it's just like a husband and a wife getting married. When that bride walks down, she says, I'm giving my whole heart. It doesn't mean she's perfect the first day, week, year. Jesus said, unless you're born again— that's the marriage ceremony you will not be, you will not see the kingdom of heaven. To be born again is when you say, Jesus, no longer will I live my own life my way. I will now live my life totally for you. I am completely yours. I am giving you my life. Live your life through me. That's the way you can have a relationship with him. If you haven't done that, pray this prayer with me. Father, Forgive me, I repent of living life my way. I give my full, complete life to Jesus Christ now. You are my Lord, Savior, and King for eternity. I'm yours in Jesus' name. If you prayed that prayer for the first time, please let us know at Messenger International. And we love you guys so very much. And until next podcast, this has been the John Bevere Podcast with Arden Bevere and John Bevere.