A New Heaven & A New Earth

There are some days I just need to read and reread and remind myself of these truths:

Revelations 21:1-5
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. 
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 
And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

This past week we spent some time on top of a beautiful mountain with amazing views, and yet, none of what we see here can compare to what God has prepared for those who love Him.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelations 21:1-2

“From the smoke and pain and heat it is a relief to pass into the clear, clean atmosphere of the eternal morning where the breath of heaven is sweet and the vast city of God sparkles like a diamond in the radiance of His presence.” (Moffatt)

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. Revelations 21:3

This is the greatest glory of heaven, and the ultimate restoration of what was lost in the Fall. “I do not think the glory of Eden lay in its grassy walks, or in the boughs bending with luscious fruit-but its glory lay in this, that the ‘Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day.’ Here was Adam’s highest privilege, that he had companionship with the Most High.” (Spurgeon)

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  Revelations 21:4

Man comes into the world with a cry; and goes out of it with a groan, and all between is more or less intoned with helpless wailing... But the Halleluias of the renewed world will drown out the voice of woe forever.” (Seiss)

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:2

And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelations 21:5

Love

I feel like I should read this every morning.. 

 J.C. Ryle 
“Practice love diligently. It is one of those graces, above all, which grow by constant exercise. Strive more and more to carry it into every little detail of daily life. 

Watch over your own tongue and temper throughout every hour of the day, and especially in your dealings with children and near relatives. 

Remember the character of the excellent woman: “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26) 

Remember the words of Paul: “Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14) 

Love should be seen in little things as well as in great ones. 

Remember, not least, the words of Peter: “Love each other deeply”; not a love which just barely is a flame, but a burning, shining fire, which everyone around can see. (1 Peter 4:8) 

It may cost pains and trouble to keep these things in mind. There may be little encouragement from the example of others. But persevere. Love like this brings its own reward.” 

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8

It's All About Jesus

This morning I read this quote while scrolling through my social media newsfeed:

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Jim Rohn 

Although I wasn’t sure I agreed with the statement, it did get me thinking about who did I spend time with? I also decided to do a little research and see what the Bible had to say about this. 

Some of the Bible verses I found were these: 

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20 

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33 

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. Proverbs 9:6 

Then I thought about who were the five people that I spent the most time with. I immediately thought of those who I lived with. My husband and three sons. 

Have they affected who I am? 

 Yes. 

Because of my husband, I have become a more logical, levelheaded thinker. I want to say smarter too, just because I do believe and like the fact that he is very intelligent and I hope that some of that intelligence rubbed off on me! Also, I know for a fact, that in the eleven years we’ve been married I’ve become a much better communicator. I remember when we were first married and had a disagreement about something I would just shut down. I would walk away from the problem, try to bury my thoughts and emotions and refuse to talk about them. (Now if that’s you too, just know that, that kind of behavior gets you absolutely nowhere.) But overtime, I learned from Jason to articulate my feelings and frustrations and discuss them calmly, which was much more likely to lead to a quick resolution.

Jayden our oldest son is a deep thinker with a tender heart. I know that his sweet deepness has made a big difference in my life. 

We sometimes call Justin, our middle son, “Opa.” He’s the super responsible, little old man in a five year olds' body, making sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed. I see a lot of myself in him. 

Alexander is a tiny, cheerful boy with a zest for life that far surpasses his diminutive stature. Every morning I smile in anticipation as I crack open his bedroom door because I know I will be greeted by a belly laugh or an exuberant shout of joy. He makes my day brighter. 

But then I thought about Who really had the greatest influence on my life and I realized it wasn’t my husband or my kids or my friends. 

It was JESUS. 

The Lamb of God (John 1:29), the Saviour of the World (John 4:42), the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), our Counselor (Isaiah 9:6), our High Priest (Hebrews 4:15), our Friend (John 15:15) 

The One whose feet I sit at every morning, (Luke 10:39) whose Spirit abides in me (1 Corinthians 3:16) who is always with me (Matthew 28:20) and who never leaves or forsakes me (Deut 31:6). 

The One who transforms me by the renewing of my mind. (Romans 12:2) And the One into whose image we are being changed into. (2 Corinthians 3:18) 

 The One who gives me the water of life that becomes a well of water in me springing up into everlasting life. (John 14:4) 

The One who lights my candle and enlightens my darkness. (Psalm 18:28) And then, in turn, HE makes me the light that not only gives light to all who are in the house but also gives light to the world. (Matthew 5:14-15) 

Jesus. 

Is that who you are spending your time with? 

 It matters. 

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

A Resolution Worth Keeping:

Ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil I have loved writing. From age five onwards I filled papers and notebooks with thoughts and ideas and stories and poems and even recipes. I also kept diaries and journals and for many years wrote New Year’s resolutions. These included drinking more water, eating less chocolate, not fighting so much with my sister and being kinder; but inevitably, a week into the New Year I would have broken them all. 

As I was thinking about New Year’s resolutions these past few weeks, there was one that I decided was really worthwhile keeping and I had been doing it for ten years now. 

Time with God. 

Sitting at His feet. 

Praying to Him and then listening as He spoke to Me through His Word and by His Spirit. 

Our wedding texts was Matthew 6:33 
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

If you only make one resolution this year, chose that one. 

When I started ten years ago during our first months in Haiti, I simply found an old tattered notebook and began to write down Bible verses that I had memorized as a child and as a teenager. Then I would read them over and over again until they were very clear again in my mind and in my heart. 

Psalm 119:11 says: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. 

Over time more and more verses or snippets of verses came to mind and I would type them into Google and find the references and copy them down correctly. Over time I started reading books of the Bible and writing down any verses that stood out to me. So I filled journal after journal. 

When I shared them with a friend in Haiti she encouraged me by saying: “If the God of the universe is speaking to you, should you not take notes?” 

Did you know that reading the word of God is more important/worthwhile than eating food? Job says in Job 23:12b: “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” And Jesus said: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4b 

And did you know this about the Word of God? 
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8 

I think it's definitely worth spending our time reading the eternal Word of God.

Solomon writes in Proverbs 2:1-6 
My son, (My daughter) if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 

And I’m not writing this so that you feel guilty that you don’t spend time at the feet of Jesus, but rather to encourage you - for in His presence is fullness of joy at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore! 

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11 

Ernest Boyer, Jr says: “God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.”

For I know Whom I have believed, (2 Timothy 1:12b) 

Mary also knew the value of sitting at the feet of Jesus: 
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:39-42 

Just to know Him and to make Him known – It is enough. 

But they, when they were departed, spread abroad His fame in all that country. Matthew 9:31