When God is satisfied that His plan has progressed to the point that all things have been summed up in Christ, or are ready to be summed up in Christ, He will banish the present earth and heavens from His Presence. He will bring up before Himself the dead from all periods of history. Those whom He has chosen to be in the Book of Life will be brought forward to the new earth. Those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. The judges at that time will be Christ and His firstfruits.

Now we see a new sky and a new earth. God has taken all that is and has made it new in Christ. All the old creation died on the cross of Calvary. Everything that has been brought over to the new world has partaken of the resurrection Life of Jesus to a greater or lesser extent.

The Lord Jesus, all things of the creation having been made subject to Himself, will turn back the creation to God the Father, to the One who brought all things under subjection to Christ. God then will have become All in all in His creation. God is in Christ who is in His saints who have become the Presence of God extended to every saved creature of the universe.

This, I believe, is the big picture. All doctrine and practice that has as its goal bringing us into the image of Christ and into oneness with Christ, that cooperates with the Holy Spirit as He removes sin from us and forms Christ in us, is of God. All doctrine and practice that does not have as its goal bringing us into the image of Christ and into oneness with Christ, that does not cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He removes sin from us and forms Christ in us, is not of God. It is of the flesh, or of Satan, or of both the flesh and Satan.

We are heading toward an age of moral horrors. The past has brought us to the present hour. Let all of us who are Christians now turn to the Lord Jesus and get our marching orders.

We are not to panic like the world when we see the judgment of God fall on America. We are to pray continually so we will be as a lighthouse that people can see in the storm. The American people are soft, loving their comforts. They have been taught that life is a situation comedy. Their wise people and educators have assured them that the Christians are outmoded cranks whose main purpose in life is to make everyone miserable.

This soft, comfort-loving generation is soon to discover that life is not a situation comedy. It is going to be hit hard with the problems and pains of basic survival. Out from this turmoil will come many strong Christians, as well as children of the destroyer.

It is up to each of us to stand in his or her place around the camp, for the Lord will deliver the enemy into our hand and make each of us a source of blessing in the days ahead for untold numbers of people.

God is on the throne. He knows exactly what He is doing. Rejoice! (The Big Picture)