Day 25 - Advent Devotionals

Read:
​Revelation 21:1-7, 22-27
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars — their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there. They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Think:
Even though we are forgiven of our sin, we still live in a world broken by sin and surrounded by people who have not accepted God’s gift of hope. It’s exciting to think about heaven and Jesus returning, but, until then, we have a job to do. Jesus, after He was resurrected from the dead, and right before he went back to heaven, gave us the important last words in (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV) to “go and make disciples.” It’s important his command was not wait until you feel less awkward, or wait until you know more about the Bible.
 
Hope:
Although it’s hard to wait, there will be a day soon when we get to be a part of this restoration that the book of Revelation talks about. Jesus will return. There will be no more tears or pain or death. When Jesus came back to life on Easter Sunday, He was foreshadowing our future “resurrection.” Pastor Timothy Keller puts it like this, “The resurrection of Christ means everything sad is going to come untrue and it will somehow be greater for having once been broken and lost.” What are you most looking forward to about heaven? After reading how wonderful heaven will be in Revelation, how does that compel you to tell your friends and family about Jesus? Who are three people God is putting on your heart right now to tell?
 
Pray:
God, thank you that one day all of my pain will be gone, and I will get to see you face to face. Give me the power of your Holy Spirit to share the HOPE of Jesus with everyone I meet so they too can experience eternity with you. Amen!
 
Apply:
​Pick a new Bible plan that you will start the day after Christmas on the “YouVersion” or “Read Scripture” Bible Apps, and invite your friends to do it with you.