Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
(Revelation 21:1-8 (NIV))

We have been given many wonderful pictures of what eternity with God will be like. The first part of this scripture is perhaps one that many people think of when they think of heaven and eternity with God. It is an extremely pleasant picture.

Now, consider the last part of this scripture. Many people choose to ignore this. They do not wish to acknowledge that we were told that the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars will not see this place, but will experience a much different outcome.

Who are these people who will experience this outcome? All those who have not truly accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior (the unbelieving) will see this second death.

What about all of the other descriptions?

Consider that if you truly have accepted Jesus, then you are washed white as snow and all your transgressions are removed. In addition, the desire to continue will be removed if you truly have accepted Jesus. Without Jesus, not a single person can live as God calls us to live.

Are you living within God’s plan?

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you ready to walk with God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
(Revelation 21:2-4 (NIV))

Do you like the way the world is today? Do you think that the bad things that happen in this world are God’s desires for His creation? Do you think that God simply sits back and lets anything and everything happen? More importantly, do you think that God just doesn’t care what happens to His creation?

We must take heart, for the words written in Revelation tell of a time when God will restore His creation to the glory that He intended from the beginning. God did not create the world and everything in it to be separated from Him. He created this world and us to have fellowship with Him.

Do you find it hard to believe that God created this world and us so that He could fellowship with us?

When Jesus came to earth, that was not the first time that God chose to walk with man and to seek out those who would follow Him.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
(Genesis 3:8-9 (NIV))

God’s original order will be restored. The old order that we know where sin runs rampant will be replaced. Once again, God will walk among His creation!

Are you ready to walk with God?

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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