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The man without a country lost all the benefits of the United States. He told the judge he never wanted to see the United States again. The judge gave him his wish. He banned him from these shores. For the rest of his life, soldiers moved him from ship to ship. Whether the story is fact of fiction, it makes a vital point: those reject God and Jesus Christ forfeit the eternal blessings God offers them. In the book of Revelation, an angel shows John a river with water flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. Both the river and the trees symbolize eternal life that those who arrive there enjoy. John notes that there will no longer be a curse on anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there; and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name appears on their foreheads. There will be no night there–no need for lamps or sun–for the Lord God will shine on them. They will reign forever. The angel said to John, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true.” Unlike the Man without a country who forfeited life in America, those in Paradise will see God’s face forever and enjoy all the benefits God offers. That is why we love Him. It is why we surrender to Him; and it’s why we seek to carry out His wishes each day.
