CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR AUGUST 20, 2022 : TOPIC - THE BEAUTY OF HEAVEN (1)
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LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Saturday, August 20, 2022
THE BEAUTY OF HEAVEN (1)
Read: Revelation 21:1-6
[1]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.
[2]And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
[3]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.
[4]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.
[5]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.
[6]And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
MEMORISE: Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2).
EXPOSITION
Have you ever visited a glamorous place, may be, a park or a truly magnificent edifice before? Whatever that place means to you, imagine the difficulty of describing it to someone without the aid of still photographs or video footage. John went through something similar in trying to describe to the followers of Christ, what he experienced when the beauty of heaven was revealed to him. Paul had a similar experience described in 2 Cor. 12:1-4.
John the beloved had been caught up in the spirit into the heavenlies (Rev. 4:1). According to him, he was made to see the One sitting on the throne in heaven (v. 2). One would have expected him to continue describing the One (God), but he immediately switched to describing the things around the throne (vv. 3ff). Why? The glamour of God is beyond what man's faculty can fathom and explain.
We should be enthused by the fact that the present heaven and earth will soon pass away through rapture and destruction in hell. Why? CORRUPTION (Isa. 14:12ff; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). John says he sees the replacement-a new heaven and a new earth, ...the holy city, New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1-2)-coming down like a prepared bride. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people (cf. Jn. 14:1ff). Are you in the number?
In the coming heaven, what we lost in Eden-face-to-face companionship with God (Rev. 21:3; cf. Gen. 3:8), unfettered access to the Tree and Water of Life (Rev. 21:6) will be restored. The beauty further consists in God making all things new (Rev. 21:5a). This is most certain because God says it (v. 5b). So, don't joke with your Christian life, so as not to miss the coming bliss.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord Jesus, thank You so much because You are coming soon to put an end to all we are facing.
2. Lord, help me to always look on the bright side of Your coming kingdom, so that I can live my life in preparation for it.
3. Pray that God should help preachers to be more concerned with messages that focus people's attention on Christ's imminent return.
HYMN FOR TODAY: CAC GHB 951
1. There is a Home eternal,
Beautiful and bright,
Where sweet joys supernal
Never are dimm'd by night;
White-rob'd angels are singing
Ever around the bright throne;
When, oh, when shall I see thee,
Beautiful, beautiful Home?
Chorus
Home! Beautiful Home!
Bright, beautiful Home!
Bright, Home of our Saviour,
Bright, beautiful Home!
2. Flowers are ever springing
In that Home so fair,
Little children singing
Praises to Jesus there.
How they swell the glad anthem,
Ever around the bright throne!
When, oh, when shall I see thee,
Beautiful, beautiful Home?
3. Soon shall I join the ransomed,
For beyond the sky;
Christ is my salvation,
Why should I fear to die?
Soon my eyes shall behold Him
Seated upon the bright throne;
Then, oh, then shall I see thee,
Beautiful Home!. Beautiful Home!
Amen.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Jeremiah 42 - 45
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