Will There Be a Sun in the New Earth?..... by Randy Alcorn

 Will There Be a Sun in the New Earth?

by Randy Alcorn

“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 22:5

Some people wonder, “If the New Earth will be full of the light of God, does that mean we won’t see any more sunrises and sunsets?” Do you love sunrises and sunsets? Are you disappointed to think you might not see any again? Our sun is one of countless billions of suns. I think we’ll see many more sunrises and sunsets, on many worlds. And when we’re watching one of those spectacular sunrises, I don’t think we’ll wonder, What am I missing?

Revelation 22:5 says, “There will be no more night.” Some people believe this is figurative, speaking of the moral perfection of the New Earth. Darkness is associated with crime, evil done under cover of night. Darkness is synonymous with distressed travelers unable to find their way. Prostitution, drunkenness, and idol worship often happened at night. In the modern era of electric lights, it’s difficult to understand the utter dread of traveling in the dark and the threat of being locked out of the city gates that would close at night to prevent robbers, bands of marauders, or enemy soldiers from invading a city. To be outside the city at night was to be exceedingly vulnerable. This will no longer be.

Yet darkness isn’t evil—God created it before the Fall (Genesis 1:5). Night is also associated with positive things: time with family after a hard day’s work, opportunity to talk, rest, have dinner with loved ones, read Scripture, and pray.

Because God created the first celestial heavens to display His glory (Psalm 19:1), when He makes the new celestial heavens, they will perform this mission even better. That means we’ll have to be able to see them. If that requires darkness, as it does now, then darkness we will have, if not on Earth, then somewhere from which we can behold God’s glory in the new heavens.

I’m speculating, but I don’t believe these passages demand constant and unvarying brightness, certainly not outside the New Jerusalem. There may be diffused light or twilight, without total darkness. Light may be constant in the Holy City but not necessarily in the cities and countries outside the city gates.

To view the new heavens, we might travel to the far side of the moon and other places where stargazing is unhindered by light and atmospheric distortion. Imagine the quality of telescopes that redeemed minds will design and build. We may be able to visit innumerable planets from which the wonders of the night sky can be viewed to the praise and glory of God.

How will our eyes be able to tolerate the bright light of the New Jerusalem? Our new bodies will be stronger than our present ones. We’ll be designed for our highest purpose, to see God’s face—brighter than the sun—without being blinded. Rather than turn away from that Light, we’ll be drawn to it.

Dinner with your Creator..... Denison Ministries

 Dinner with your Creator

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

This week we’ll spend time simply stirring up our affections for God. God has designed us to see him, to know his character and to let the truth of his goodness lead us into deeper relationship with him. Augustine wrote, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.” In seeing God for who he is, our hearts are naturally stirred to find rest in his goodness. May your heart be stirred at the revelation of God’s wonderful character.

Scripture:“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

Devotional:

Revelation 3:20 reveals amazing insight into the relationship God desires with us, his crown of creation. In it Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Do you know that God wants to be friends with you? Just as a friend would ask you out to a meal, God longs to spend time with you. Every day God is knocking on the door of your heart. If you are willing to open your heart to him and listen, you can spend time with God in ways more boundless and satisfying than you could with any other friend.

Where in your life do you need God’s friendship today? John 15:15 says, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” The story of the gospel is God losing relationship with the crown of his creation, you and me, and through the death of Jesus gaining restored relationship with us. He has been working tirelessly from the very first sin just to be able to call you and me friends again. What you desire from friends around you is completely available to you in God and to even greater depths!

If you need a friend to talk to, God is standing at the door of your heart asking to come in and listen—“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” If you need advice, the Holy Spirit who authored Scripture is waiting to reveal to you the wisdom of God—“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). If you need to laugh, God longs to bring you unfathomable joy—“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalm 126:1-3).

You have a best friend in God. He is not distant. What was true for the psalmist in Psalm 73:23-26 is true for us, “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Spend time in God’s presence today. Listen to him knocking on the door of your heart and invite him to come in and meet with you. Let his friendship heal the broken places of your heart that need his love. He offers himself freely to you today. He’s gone to unimaginable lengths to be able to simply spend time with you. Lay the table of your heart bare before him, and let his smile restore to you the joy of your salvation.

Guided Prayer:

1. Spend some time meditating on God’s desire for friendship with you.

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

2. Open your heart to God and receive his presence. Receive the peace and joy that comes from being in the presence of your heavenly Father.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

3. Spend time simply enjoying your friendship with God. Talk to him about anything you desire. Receive his joy over you.           

“I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:23-26

Friendships aren’t built in a day, but over lifetimes. You have all of eternity to spend getting to know God. After spending consistent time with him, he truly will become your best friend. He will be the person you run to when you have a problem. He will be the source of your joy, peace, and life. Every day, you have the choice to do life with God or on your own. And you have an enemy working to lead you to choose the latter. The more consistently you spend time with God, the easier that decision will become. Once you know the goodness and reality of God there is no going back. Enjoy God today. Walk in the abundant life of restored relationship with him. Answer his call whenever he knocks on the door of your heart. There is no better way you could choose to spend your days and no better friend than God.

Extended Reading: John 15

Wounded Parents Wounded Children..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Wounded Parents Wounded Children

Dr. Charles Stanley

Jeremiah 32:17-19

So often when we deal with difficult people, it's easy to form judgments about them based on their behavior or attitudes. But have you ever stopped to wonder what has made that person so disagreeable or foolish? When the Bible says God "repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children" (v. 18), it is speaking about generational cycles of sin. Unless someone in the family line makes a deliberate choice to change, sinful and dysfunctional behavior will be passed from parent to child for many generations.

This is really just a confirmation of the principle of sowing and reaping. We pass down standards for conduct and character traits that we received from our parents. If we are unwilling to change our sinful habits and attitudes, they will very likely find their way into our children's lives.

What is true for sin is also true for wounding. When a child is emotionally bruised in the home, his behavior and character may be negatively affected. With this in mind, think about a difficult person that you know. What hurts do you think shaped his or her life? A heart of compassion originates from a willingness to empathize with those who have been wounded. This doesn't excuse someone's sin, but it does aid in opening our hearts toward the individual.

What about you? Have childhood wounds contributed to who you are today? How have they affected your life? If you haven't dealt with them, you'll probably pass similar hurts down to your children. But with God's help, you can break this cycle and begin a new one that will benefit future generations.

Strengthened by His Word..... BAE FROM NORTH KOREA

 Strengthened by His Word

BAE FROM NORTH KOREA 

“But he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” Matthew 4:4 (ESV)

Each morning, I wake up thinking about what I need to do that day to meet my work quota.

My husband and I are exiles living somewhere in the mountains of North Korea. We were taken here when we were caught with a Bible. As soon as the authorities realized we were Christians, our lives as we knew them were over.

From early morning, at 6 a.m., to dusk, we are forced to work these barren fields. The work here is hard. If we don’t harvest enough crops, we will be beaten and have no time to forage for food for ourselves.

All of us who live here are starving. Because we are part of what our government calls “the hostile class,” we get very little food rations, usually watery soup; hunger is a constant companion. As always, we live firmly in the suffering march (what North Koreans refer to as famine). I have accepted that I will live in this village until I die.

Although it was difficult, I did manage to escape one time to China to bring back food and medicine. The leaders of the safe house where I hid gave me a new Bible and offered me the chance to stay there. But I could not abandon my family and church, however small it may be.

To some, a life of suffering this way may appear cursed. However, I have come to realize, my sister, that this suffering is a blessing from our Father, who has allowed it in our lives because it is a shortcut to Him. I deeply understand Jesus’ words when He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4: “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” That means any life that follows His words is blessed. He knows our suffering and listens to our prayers.

His words and blessings strengthen me to strengthen others. In this place where guards are constantly on watch, my husband and I have secretly shared our faith and introduced many others to His Word. I feel Jesus’ presence each evening I silently pull on my cloak, slip out the front door and make my way through the village into the forest where my Bible is hidden in a plastic bag. In most areas of North Korea, Christians must bury their Bibles in the ground to avoid authorities discovering them in random searches.

When I get home, my housemates are waiting — they’ve already covered the windows with blankets and lit a small candle. With everyone gathered tightly around me, I open the Bible, and in a voice barely above a whisper, I read God’s Word. This is our church service, and my husband and I are blessed to lead it.

I have learned that gratitude in every circumstance and situation keeps me focused on Jesus. I am so thankful that I am still strong enough to be poured out and used as His servant, and I desire to dedicate my life, until death, to glorify Him.

When our Bible was found by the authorities before we were taken to this village, it was immediately destroyed, burned in the fire. But His Word, as you know, lives in us. In you and me. (Psalm 119:11) And nothing can separate us from the love of our Father — not death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. (Romans 8:31-39)

Thank you for praying for me and the other believers in our village and country. I believe God’s Word that one day all knees will bow and all tongues will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And I pray for that day. With your prayers, we will spread the gospel throughout North Korea.

God, thank You for Your Word that brings light and life in every situation. I thank You for hearing my prayers — and using me as Your servant. Please strengthen my family in faith around the world who are persecuted in Your name. Give them Your peace that passes all understanding and embolden them to share Your Good News. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Prayer for You, God’s Masterpiece..... By: Alisha Headley

 A Prayer for You, God’s Masterpiece

By: Alisha Headley

“The Lord will work out his plans for my life --- for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not abandon me, the works of your hands.” - Psalm 138:8

I love the idea that God, through the work of His own mighty hands, created me and only me once. Like paintings by a world-renown artist – there’s something unique about the first one. Anything else after the first one, are copies and replicas.

How beautiful to know that we were worth the work the first time. God threw away the mold because one of us is enough for Him. We are enough. We are a sacred painting, the original piece. And God has made us for our own unique purpose.

Today’s scripture verse reminds us that he will never abandon us, His beautiful creation, His “masterpiece – His workmanship.” (Ephesians 2:10) He won’t abandon the work He created.

Yes, He will work out His plans for our life. He didn’t just create us and then leave us. Oh no, He created us with intention, His very own masterpiece.

Whatever God has called you to, He will equip you for it. He will work His plans for your life. You might not feel ready, or feel you have the tools or the skills to do what you feel God calling you to do. But if He’s called you to it, you better believe He’s also equipped you for it.

You are his work of art, created by Him for a purpose of doing good works for His kingdom. He didn’t create you for nothing. You were beautifully created for a purpose, a one of kind, unique purpose. He will accomplish what he started by the work of His own hands.

Rest in the promise today that He will work out all that He planned to work out for you. Rest in the knowledge that He is our faithful God, and you “can be confident, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until it is finally finished on the day that Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6)

Dear Lord,

Thank you that your love is so personal, that you created me, and that there is only one of me. You set your eyes on me from the beginning. You created me with a purpose and you promise to work out all the plans you have for my life.

Thank you that you are a faithful God. That all throughout Scripture, time, and time again, you showed your faithful love to your people. Lord, remind me in moments of doubt, that you will never abandon me, for I am your unique workmanship. I am yours. I am your creation.

Lord, help me to not compare myself to others. You created me, just as I am, and you view me as your masterpiece. Help me to see myself the way that you see me, not as the world sees me. Remind me that you have given me everything I need to work out the plans you have set before me. Help me remember that if you have called me to it, you have also equipped me for it.

Thank you for your Word as my guide, the “lamp unto my feet” (Psalm 119:105), and for the Holy Spirit as my “Helper” (John 14:26). Allow us to rest in the confidence that you will finish what you began in us. We worship you, Lord, praising you for your everlasting love for us.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Little Children..... by Ryan Duncan

 Little Children

by Ryan Duncan

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." – Matthew 19:14

When I was a little kid, I made an amazing discovery. I realized that if I found something I liked and asked the right person “Can I have this?” there was chance they would give it to me. This may not seem all that extraordinary to you, but trust me, to a child this was a goldmine. You see, I didn’t just ask for candy at the grocery store or stuff on TV commercials, I asked for everything. I asked other kids if I could have their toys, I asked the neighbors if I could have their dog, I think I even asked one family if I could have their house. I’m afraid I embarrassed my parents to no end, and by the time my father sat me down and explained that asking someone for all their belongings was rude, most people had stopped inviting our family over for dinner.

Kids can be a real hassle, and when you think about it, you can’t really blame the disciples for their actions in Mark 10. Take a look at the following passage,

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. - Mark 10:13-16

Here’s the thing about children. Children are messy, children are selfish, children are ignorant, and children are incredibly self-destructive. Don’t believe me? A monkey knows better than to stick a butter knife into an exposed wall socket, but let a child have its way and they will do it twice! Despite all this, however, you really can’t help but admire the oblivious, single-minded nature of a child.

If anything, Christians should try learning from their example. Too often we stop ourselves from encountering God because we are afraid we don’t fit the “Christian” criteria. Well, I’ve got news for you; we will always be children in God’s eyes: messy, crazy, self-destructive children. But as long as we make him the single focus of our hearts, He doesn’t care. So take a lesson from these little ones, pursue God recklessly and don’t pay attention to what others think, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you pursuing God with the heart of a child? Take a moment to consider.

Further Reading

Matthew 19