Reflection on Revelation 21:1-8

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Scripture

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Observation

Heaven and earth disappear to be replaced by a new heaven and a new earth. The new Jerusalem comes own from God like a bride dressed for her husband.

The Lord declares that God’s dwelling place is now with His people. There will be no more death or pain. It is finished! All who are thirsty will receive living water, and all who overcome will inherit all the blessings.

Application

We might be tempted to believe that all of this talk about new heavens and earth, and a new Jerusalem is future tense. In a sense this is true, as the ultimate fulfilment of this vision is yet to come.

In another sense, it is already here. When Jesus died on the cross, a new covenant, a new age, was inaugurated. In prophetic literature this is described as a new heavens and a new earth because everything has been made new.

The new Jerusalem comes down from God as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. That is the church; we are the bride and we are clothed in Christ.

God’s home is already with us. He wipes away every tear. He gives living water to all who are thirsty.

All of these promises receive their full glory at the end of all things. But they are also real right now.

We have the promise of God that He is with us- Emmanuel- now. He will meet every need that we have.

To see the promises come to life, all we have to do is trust. As we walk with the Lord day by day, He will light the path for us.

Prayer

Lord, our imaginations of heaven barely scratch the surface of what you have prepared for us. In this present age, we know the joy of your presence and the glory of your Son. Grant me the grace to see you in every part of my life. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 11:1-18

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Scripture

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Observation

Not long after Peter visited the house of Cornelius and the household was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, news gets back to Jerusalem. When Peter arrives there, he is criticised for eating in the homes of Gentiles.

Peter recounts the story of his vision of unclean animals, the command to eat and the subsequent visit to the home of Cornelius. He tells how when he began to speak, the Gentiles believed and received the Holy Spirit.

Application

At first, the believers were all Jewish, and they understood Jesus’ ministry in the context and the culture of Judaism. It does not appear to have occurred to any of them that Gentiles could be saved. The next big issue that plagued the church was whether Gentiles needed to become Jewish in order to live as a follower of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit kept on showing them that the gospel was bigger than anyone could have imagined.

Salvation is for everyone who will repent- that is turn away from their sins- and follow Jesus.

The gospel is freely available to all people. In Revelation, John talks repeatedly about people from every tribe and nation and ethnic group.

There are no prerequisites for following Jesus, apart form a heart that loves God. God’s grace is like a flooding river that flows right over the top of human distinctions.

“God so loved the world” means the whole world. Every human being from the North Pole to the South, and all the points in between is loved by God.

We are all candidates for heaven if we accept Jesus as Lord.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for your great and amazing grace that is so big that it even includes sinners like me. Amen.

Reflection on John 10:22-30

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Scripture

“You don’t believe me because you are not my sheep.”

Observation

Jesus is at the Temple at the time of Hanukkah. People are asking Him to reveal if He is the Messiah.

Jesus tells them that they have seen His works, but they don’t believe Him because they are not His sheep. His sheep know His voice and follow Him; they will receive eternal life, and nobody can snatch them from Him.

Application

We live in an age that is increasingly hostile towards the christian faith. People have no understanding of what christians believe or what motivates them to do what they do.

We can see this in the case of football player Israel Folau. He quoted on Instagram a Bible verse that says that adulterers, thieves, liars and homosexuals will not inherit God’s kingdom. Despite threats of punishment for this “homophobia” he remains true to his faith and will not back down. Commentators cannot see why he would give up a contract worth a million dollars a year for this.

In politics, the Opposition is threatening to remove exemptions for faith- based schools that allow them to discriminate against employees on the basis of sexuality. Schools may soon be forced to choose between compromising and closing down.

It is clear that people in corporations, media and politics cannot understand the convictions of christians. They are not in Jesus’ flock; they are not His sheep. Therefore they cannot hear the voice of the Lord.

Of course, this changes when we come to faith in Jesus. When we make Jesus Lord we suddenly learn to hear His voice, and everything that seemed stupid or irrational suddenly makes sense.

The Pharisees saw the miracles that Jesus did, but they still refused to acknowledge that He is Lord. Many others believe without seeing a miracle or sign. It just takes a heart that is soft towards God.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for bringing me into your flock. Please help me to hear your voice and to walk in your paths. Amen