THE HEAVENLY CITY

 

THE HEAVENLY CITY REVELATION 21.1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 21.2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 21.3 I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 21.4 He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.” 21.5 He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” 21.6 He said to me, “I have become the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 21.7 He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.” -WEB Bible.  St. John is now wrapping things up quickly, hitting the high points without providing much in the way of details: Revelation 20 reveals what will happen during the millennial reign of Christ and the day of Judgment. Revelation 21 describes the heavenly City that will be our future home forever. Revelation 22 describes the restoration of Eden, as well as final comments and a benediction. We think of Revelation as a book of punishment, apocalypse and judgment: but it’s far more than that. The primary concern throughout is for the Church of Jesus, the Bride of Christ.  This holy city, the New Jerusalem, is fabulous beyond all imagination. Because of the brief but remarkable description in Revelation, we know it is a glorious future, and all faithful believers will be part of it. Death and sorrow, pain and suffering will only be sad memories associated with the tragedies that happened on Earth. We can look forward to our bright new future with great joy and anticipation. This study of Revelation will continue on Thursdays.   IMAGE CREDIT: The image of St. John’s vision of the Holy City, generated by SeaArt.ai and edited by C.A. Stevens.

ALIVE IN CHRIST

 

ALIVE IN CHRIST Ephesian 2:1-6 It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. From The Message Bible

GOD DOESN'T SHARE HIS GLORY

GOD DOESN'T SHARE HIS GLORY I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols. Isaiah 42:8 Christian music veteran Michael W. Smith stated that "the Lord doesn't share His glory with anybody," warning worship leaders to avoid celebrity culture and keep the focus entirely on God during the worship service. Smith said he's concerned about what happens when the person leading worship becomes more visible than the God being worshiped. “I just think we have to be careful that this thing is not celebrity-driven,” Smith told The Christian Post. “We can all say, ‘Well, oh, we’re doing it all for Him.’ But you watch social media, and it’s just a little me-focused.” Perhaps, he added, modern worship has also “lost the reverence.” Applause and attention can distract artists and cause them to lose their sense of reverence. Leaders should "kind of disappear" instead of building a personal performance platform. Smith says he prays to be clothed in humility before taking the stage. If we really want to experience God's Presence during worship, Christians needs to take this advice to heart also. When we come to worship God in humility with a prepared heart, He is more than willing to meet with us. You can read more at the Christian Post website: CLICK HERE

 

DO NOT WORRY

 

DO NOT WORRY Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 Learning not to worry is a lesson everyone should master. Worry wastes our energy, strength, and focus. It makes us unfit for our responsibilities. It dishonors God, who has promised to care for us if we do His will. Plus, worry is pointless—it doesn’t fix anything. The Bible gives many lessons on worry, but none is clearer than Paul’s instructions on how to overcome it, in Philippians 4:6. First, we are told simply not to worry. “Do not be anxious about anything.” There’s no room for exceptions. We are not to be anxious about anything. What should we do with the things that cause us anxiety? We should take them to God in prayer and leave them in His hands. If we do this, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds from anxiety. Learning this lesson will benefit us greatly in every aspect of life. By J.R. Miller