God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that through Him the world could be saved! John 3:17
Two things that God detest is pride and arrogance. Our world at this time in HIStory seems to struggle with the evil that is trying to overcome the people of God. Only God, in the person of Jesus Christ, has overcome that which seeks to destroy us. We all fall short of the glory of God but in Him is eternal life. The truth of the only begotten Son who gave up His life for our sins and tore the veil that separated us from our holy God is the only truth that matters. Carla
Revelation 21:3-8
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (NKJV)
In these verses, God is described as dwelling among His people. This recalls the Incarnation, the fact that Jesus “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), and is a fulfillment of the promise in 7:15 that God will dwell among His redeemed people. A virtually identical promise was given to Israel in Ezekiel 37:27, 28. Wipe away every tear fulfills the promises in 7:17 and Isaiah 25:8.
No more death … no more pain goes far beyond the earlier promise of 7:16, which promises freedom from hunger, thirst, and scorching heat. Former things have passed away echoes both verse 1 and 2 Corinthians 5:17. The believer’s rebirth through faith in Christ brings newness to that person’s life, but it is only in the eternal state that God will make all things new. The NKJV Study Bible
To take up residence with them describes the great hope in the book of Revelation and the whole Bible (Exodus 25:8; Leviticus 26:11–12; Ezekiel 37:26–27; Zechariah 2:10). Believers can be confident that in the end, they will be united with God. Dedicated to Him, belonging to Him.
God himself will be with them. Emphasizes that He will remain and reside with them.
God will extinguish all sorrow and grief (Revelation 7:17).
Death will not exist any longer. Christ conquered death on the cross; death was eradicated in 20:14. The saints will live eternally with God.
Pain will not exist any longer and describes physical or bodily (as opposed to spiritual) death and discomfort—things brought about by the fall and the entrance of sin into humanity (Genesis 3).
Former things refers to the old or previous way of life or existence.
The one seated on the throne, God, Himself speaks.
I am making all things new. John’s vision anticipates the restoration of an Eden-like state that also includes a reversal of the effects of humanity’s sin as described in Genesis 3.
Write, because these words are faithful and true.
It is done. The Greek term used here refers to completion—probably in reference to the words in verse 5 and the overall actions of verses 1–4. God has accomplished His purpose and made all things new. The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, echoes the introduction of Christ in chapter 1. The one who conquers refers to those who remained faithful to Christ. He will be my son in these passages, the paternal relationship is used describing God as Father and the king as His son (2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 2:7).
As for the cowards issues a reminder to John’s audience. The seven churches were pressured to compromise their allegiance to Christ. Here, in the midst of describing the wonders of God’s new creation, John reminds them of the consequences of compromising with the present order. Faithlife Study Bible
Revelation 7:14–17
And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them…
Isaiah 65:19
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.
Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Revelation 22:15
But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Leviticus 26:11–12
I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
In the words of John O’Donohue, “And if you listen, You will hear What your heart would Love to say.”
Amen. So. In what ways can we embrace the permission to be here now? Embrace the gift of enough in this self?
Okay. It’s paradigm shift time again...
I'm remember a conversation with an old friend. And we're talking about things middle-aged (okay, upper middle-age) men talk about; receding hairline, expanding waistline and loss of virility. And he asks me, “Is there anything in your life that you are passionate about?”
I must admit that the question kind of stumps me. Being a good Midwestern boy, passion was not exactly something we talked about. It was akin to boastfulness; which means it made it on that sin scale somewhere between card playing and dancing. But the more I thought about it, the easier the answer came, “Yes, there is something I feel passionate about, gardening.”
Of course my friend is incredulous, “Gardening,” he said, “gardening is so, so self-centered.”
I thought about it, but didn't like the alternatives. And then it hit me. I remembered the first time when I really knew I was a gardener. And I realized that for the first time in my life I was non-self-conscious. Completely non-self-centered. For the first time in my life, I cared about something bigger than my own little petty issues. I cared about the health and well-being of our air and our water, the health of the planet we call home. I cared about the dirt, for healthy roots and healthy food. I cared about the bird and the insects, pollinators and seed deliverers extraordinaire. I cared about the animals who call the forest around my garden home.
I was with something Very Big.
In other words, gardening wasn't something I did; gardening was something that was done unto me—enabling me to yes, “carry something beautiful in my heart”.
And what is the gateway to embrace this gift of enough? Awe.
Not advice or completing an assignment... but breathing in amazement.
Exactly. Being passionate will keep you alive. And more than ever, it seems to me that we live in a world where our whole heart is required. Where we come to feel the depth of life even in the smallest of activities. We trust that we are intended for wholeheartedness, that each day we are meant to be steeped in mystery, and so to remember our true selves. Because from that place, we can truly care. We can be present. And from that place, we can make a difference.
“Awe is what we feel when we encounter something vast, wondrous or beyond our ordinary frame of reference. It evokes a sense of mystery and wonder. And, given its documented benefits, awe might be our most overlooked, undervalued emotion.” Psychologist Dacher Keltner writes. “It makes us curious rather than judgmental. It makes us collaborative. It makes us humble, sharing and altruistic. It quiets the ego so that you’re not thinking about yourself as much.” Sabbath Moments
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