Revelation 21 - Take the Challenge
In these final chapters of the Bible, we find mankind's eternal hope. I pray that we don’t think of the new Jerusalem as the boring end but rather the blessed beginning. God’s glory is beyond what we could hope or imagine. Lord Jesus, we are not there yet, so we press on. We need you. We have no idea how great, good, and powerful you are. Help us to understand. Help us to rightly fear You today, walk in Your ways, love You, and serve You with all of our hearts, souls, and minds (Deuteronomy 10:12). Amen.
We know that believers in Christ have a foretaste of this eternal hope despite being on this fallen earth and in these aging bodies. We have the Holy Spirit in us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). When God brings final judgment He will then create a new earth. Out of God’s kindness, He will not forget about us. Instead, God will make His home amongst His people in the new world (20:3).
All who are thirsty for springs of living water - those who trust in Jesus - will inherit the blessings and goodness of the Alpha and the Omega (21:5-7). Jesus never forgets those who love Him. His twelve tribes of Israel and His twelve apostles of the Lamb - the gates and the foundation of faith in Christ - are prominently honored in the new Jerusalem (21:12-14).
It’s easy to get weighed down, perplexed by injustice, and seemingly slow growth. Press on. We are to have an eternal perspective. We are a new creation in Christ. Take the challenge and respond to God. When you believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin and accept His gift of eternal salvation we know that we’ll stand humbly yet loved before Jesus on Judgment Day. We’ve been spiritually born again. So let’s act like it. Let’s not stay babes, let’s grow.
We get so wound up in the temporal. What will we eat, drink, and wear? How much should we save and what on earth will we do if such and such doesn’t happen? Be single-minded - with an eternal focus, not a temporal focus. Like a kid kicked off a horse, we get back up. Our highest and best calling, our noble purpose in this short life is responding to God. Take the challenge. Please God and serve Him well today. As a man or woman of God, that’s your calling. God must be at the center of everything we do - otherwise, we are just kidding ourselves and we will not be effective at producing things of eternal significance (Mark 4:19, lasting fruit).
That’s why this ancient letter to the early church was so dangerous to the spiritual powers of darkness and the physical powers supported by them. It pointed the believers to the Alpha and Omega - to the Son of God, the center of everything. And it told the early church that victory was in Christ alone. That remains true today.
Persecution by religious officials and the state was everywhere at the time. It was oppressive and seemingly insurmountable. Jesus gave John the vision to pass on to the church to let them know that the Kingdom of heaven - God’s kingdom was their true and promised home. They would overcome by steadfast faith in their King.
So yes, the Kingdom is growing, exponentially as it has been for almost 2,000 years. As we read Rev. 21 and 22 over the next few days, let’s think about the type of soil that we are. Are we fruitful soil that God can use to produce a hundredfold? Or are we hard ground, double-minded, trying to serve two masters - one eye on self-centered gain and pleasing people, gaining possessions, and clamoring for position, and the other eye flittering toward God.
Both eyes - fix them on Jesus. Let’s choose wisely today. God gave each of us volition. Use it in this grand challenge, this great adventure for Jesus. Respond to God’s gift and His responsibility with humble joy today. By God’s grace, we will trust in God alone and look forward to His promise and His great adventure. Amen.
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