RESTORATION OF EDEN

RESTORATION OF EDEN REVELATION 22.1 He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, 22.2 in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 22.3 There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants serve him. 22.4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 22.5 There will be no night, and they need no lamp light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever. -WEB Bible.  God wants us to know that there is an absolutely glorious future ahead for those who love Him! The book of Revelation ends with a strong message of hope, as well as incentive to hang in there as we deal with the trials of life. This scene is referred to as “the Restoration of Eden”, because we will once again be allowed access to the Tree of Life, and the River of Life, which were in the garden of Eden. The curse on Adam and Eve will be officially ended. We will have fellowship with God face to face. These things were lost when Adam and Eve sinned, but they will be restored to us again, and more besides. The image above gives us only a teeny-tiny peephole idea of what Eden might be like. It will be vast and fabulous beyond all imagination. IMAGE CREDIT: Restoration of Eden, generated by SeaArt.ai and edited by C.A. Stevens.

 

DESPERATE SITUATIONS

 

DESPERATE SITUATIONS Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. Acts 12:7 God has a thousand keys to open a thousand sundry doors for the deliverance of His own, even when it is a desperate case. Let us be faithful; and care for our own part which is to suffer for Him, and lay Christ’s part on Himself, and leave it there. —George MacDonald Ah, soul, it may have to come to the worst before you are delivered; but you will be delivered! In the darkest hours of the night, God provides a way. God may keep you waiting, but he is ever mindful of His promises, and will appear to fulfill His inviolable Word. —F. B. Meyer There’s a simplicity about God in working out His plans, yet a resourcefulness equal to any difficulty, and an unswerving faithfulness to His trusting child, and an unforgetting steadiness in holding to His purpose. Through a fellow-prisoner, then a dream, God lifts Joseph from a prison to a premiership. And the length of stay in the prison prevents dizziness in the premier. It’s safe to trust God’s methods and to go by His clock. —S. D. Gordon Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle— it is miracle in its first stage. If it is to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty but impossibility. The clinging hand of His child makes a desperate situation a delight to Him. Streams in the Desert

HOLD FAST AND TRUST

 

HOLD FAST AND TRUST When you go through deep waters I will be with you. Isaiah 43:2 “In fierce storms,” said an old seaman, “we must do one thing; there is only one way: we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.” This, Christian, is what you must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars; it is a great tempest that swirls around you. Then there is only one thing you can do, there is only one way. Reason cannot help you; past experiences give you no light. Even prayer fetches no consolation. Only a single course is left. You must put your soul in one position and keep it there. You must stay upon the Lord. No matter what comes, whether winds, waves, cross-seas, thunder, lightning, jagged rocks, roaring breakers... NO MATTER WHAT: you must lash yourself to the helm, and hold fast your confidence in God’s faithfulness. His covenant engagement with you is absolutely trustworthy, and so is His everlasting love in Christ Jesus. You can trust your God in every storm. By Richard Fuller

HE KNOWS OUR THOUGHTS

 

HE KNOWS OUR THOUGHTS Then a paralytic was brought to Him, carried by four men. Since they were unable to get to Jesus through the crowd, they uncovered the roof above Him, made an opening, and lowered the paralytic on his mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus knew in His spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” He asked. “Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, they were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”  Mark 2:3-12 Jesus sees into people’s hearts and knows everything about them. He saw faith in the men who brought their friend to be healed. Then He saw into the paralyzed man’s life, recognizing that his greatest need wasn’t healing, but forgiveness of sins. Jesus also knew the secret thoughts of the religious leaders. They reasoned in their hearts, and Jesus knew their thoughts. At another time, Jesus stopped in the middle of a crowded road and looked up at Zaccheus and told him to come down from the tree, because Jesus knew that Zaccheus was ready to change his life and follow the Lord. Knowing that Jesus sees everything should both restrain and encourage us. We can’t hide anything from Him, so we should be careful in how we live. But it should also inspire us, because He knows when we try, even when we fail. He knows when we’re sincere, even when we make mistakes. He knows our heart even when others may criticize and make false assumptions. Jesus knows all the truth about us. The LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 by J.R. Miller

OUR PURPOSE AT THIS TIME

 

OUR PURPOSE AT THIS TIME For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 Esther was a Jewish refugee from a dreadful war, living in a foreign land. When the King of Susa decided to find a new queen for himself, many beautiful young women were brought to the palace for consideration. And out of hundreds of lovely young women, King Ahasuerus chose Esther as his queen. Esther’s position as queen was not a coincidence. She was placed there by divine providence, specifically to save her people from a scheming madman who wanted to annihilate the Jews. As unlikely as it would seem, a young woman was chosen by God to foil Haman's plans and bring about his downfall. We live under the same providence of God; because nothing in our lives is accidental. If we are faithful to God, He will place us where He wants us to be, and in every circumstance, He has a purpose for us. When we encounter a person in need or face a situation of sorrow, we should ask ourselves, “Perhaps God sent me here at this moment to help.” God’s providence often brings us into specific circumstances or relationships for a reason. Esther, a humble Jewish girl, became queen in a foreign land, not by chance but by God’s design. When the moment came, she was ready to fulfill her purpose. In the same way, when God brings us into new circumstances, it is because He has a purpose for us there. We must always be ready to do the work He has set before us. by J.R. Miller