Gates of Pearl, Streets of Gold

Revelation 21-

VERSE 21. -- And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The Gates of Pearl. - Whether we understand that these gates were of solid pearl, or whether composed of pearls thickly set in a framework of some other precious material, does not materially affect the testimony. If it should be objected that it would be contrary to the nature of things to have a pearl large enough for a gate, we reply that God is able to produce it; the objection simply limits the power of God. But in either case the gates would outwardly have the appearance of pearl, and in ordinary language would be described as gates of pearl.

The Streets of Burnished Gold. - In this verse, as also in verse 18, the city is spoken of as built of gold, pure, like unto clear glass, or, as it were, transparent glass. It is not necessary to conclude from this language that the gold is of itself transparent. Take that, for instance, which composes the street. If it were really transparent, it would simply permit us to look through and behold whatever was beneath the city, - the substratum upon which it rested, - a view which cannot be anticipated as specially pleasing. But let us suppose the golden pavement of the street to be so highly polished as to possess perfect powers of reflection, like the truest mirror, and

p 761 -- we can see at once that the effect would be grand and striking in the extreme. Think for a moment what the appearance of a street so paved would be. The gorgeous palaces on either side would be reflected beneath, and the boundless expanse of the heavens above would also appear below; so that to the person walking those golden streets it would appear that both himself and the city were suspended between the infinite heights above and the unfathomable depths below, while the mansions on either side of the street, having equal powers of reflection, would marvelously multiply both palaces and people, and conspire to render the whole scene novel, pleasing, beautiful, and grand beyond conception.

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Gates of Pearl.

Streets of Pure Gold.

We all know about things this world considers precious, special, priceless. To say pearls are considered among the special things isn't an understatement at all. To have a REAL pearl necklace is something wonderful. Just as having a real gold necklace is equally precious, and expensive. We all know pearls and gold are among this world's treasures so is it any wonder at all that our Lord would give us a revelation that contains these amazing things? The Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem will be a city unlike ANY other city that ever existed and ever will exist.

By the GRACE of God we will LIVE in that Holy Heaven Sent City!

Please, Lord, please.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior now and forever, AMEN!

Rainbow City

Revelation 21 VERSE 19. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;  20.  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a az; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

A Literal City. - If we consider this description exclusively metaphorical, as is done by the great mass of those who profess to be Bible teachers, and spiritualize away this city into aerial nothingess, how unmeaning, yea, even bordering upon folly, do these minute descriptions appear; but if we take it, as it is evidently designed to be understood, in its natural and obvious signification, and look upon the city as the Revelator evidently designed we should look upon it, as a literal and tangible abode, our glorious inheritance, the beauties of which we are to look upon with our own eyes, how is the glory of the scene enhanced!

It is in this light - though it is not for mortal man, of himself, to conceive of the grandeur of those things which God has prepared for those that love him - that men may delight to contemplate the glories of their future abode. We love to dwell upon those descriptions which convey to our minds, as well as language can do it, an idea of the loveliness and beauty

(picture omitted)

p 759 -- which shall characterize our eternal home. And as we become absorbed in the contemplation of an inheritance tangible and sure, courage springs up anew, hope revives, faith plumes her wings; and with feelings of thanksgiving to God that he has placed it within our power to gain an entrance to the mansions of the redeemed, we resolve anew, despite the world and all its obstacles, that we will be among the sharers in the proffered joy. Let us, then, look at the precious foundation stones of that great city, through whose gates of pearl God's people may hope soon to enter. 

The Glorious Foundation. - "The word adorned"- (garnished), says Stuart,      "may raise a doubt here whether the writer means to say that into the various courses of the foundation ornamental precious stones were only here and there inserted; but taking the whole description together, I do not apprehend this to have been his meaning.

"Jasper, as we have seen above, is usually a stone of green, transparent color, with red veins; but there are many varieties.

"Sapphire is a beautiful, azure, or sky-blue, color, almost as transparent and glittering as a diamond.

"Chalcedony seems to be a species of agate, or more properly the onyx. The onyx of the ancients was probably of a bluish white, and semipellucid.

"The emerald was of a vivid green, and next to the ruby in hardness.

"Sardonyx is a mixture of chalcedony and carnelian, which last is of a flesh-color.

"Sardius is probably the carnelian. Sometimes, however, the red is quite vivid.

"Chrysolite, as its name imports, is of a yellow or gold color, and is pellucid. From this was probably taken the conception of the pellucid gold which constitutes the material of the city.

"Beryl is of a sea-green color.

"The az of the present day seems to be reckoned as yellow; but that of the ancients appears to have been pale green. Plin., 38, 8, Bellermann. Urim et Thummim. p. 37.

p 760 -- "Chrysoprasus, of a pale yellow and greenish color, like a scallion; sometimes it is classed at the present day under az.

"Hyacinth [jacinth], of a deep red or violet color.

"Amethyst, a gem of great hardness and brilliancy, of a violet color, and usually found in India.

"In looking over these various classes, we find the first four to be of a green or bluish cast; the fifth and sixth, of a red or scarlet; the seventh, yellow; the eighth, ninth, and tenth, of different shades of the lighter green; the eleventh and twelfth of a scarlet or splendid red. There is a classification, therefore, in this arrangement; a mixture not dissimilar to the arrangement in the rainbow, with the exception that it is more complex."

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A rainbow city! How gorgeous are rainbows?  I know I love seeing rainbows. And even though we can manufacture them, a water hose on a sunny day and such, their beauty never fades. The beauty of this forever heaven sent city will truly be beyond our imaginations. All the beauty we see now is shadowed by the horrors of sin's existence.  The beauty we will have the honor, the privilege of seeing will be given to us from love! The love of our God will provide all we ever need.  We have to hold fast to our Savior's love, His promises!

By His grace alone will we be with Him in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem!

A city of gold.

Revelation 21

verse 15. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates.thereof, and the wall thereof.  16.   And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.  17.   And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.  18.   And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The City's Dimensions. - According to this testimony the city is laid out in a perfect square, measuring equally on all sides. The measure of the city, John declares, was twelve thousand furlongs. Twelve thousand furlongs, eight furlongs to the mile, equal fifteen hundred English miles. It may be understood that this measure is the measure of the whole circumference of the city and not merely of one side. This appears, from Kitto, to have been the ancient method of measuring cities. The whole circumference was taken, and that was said to be the measure of the city. According to this rule, the New Jerusalem will be three hundred and seventy-five miles on each side. The length, breadth, and height of it are equal. From this language, the question has arisen whether the city was as high as it was long and broad. The word rendered equal is isoV (isos); and from the definitions given by Liddell and Scott, we learn that it may be used to convey the idea of proportion: the height was proportionate to the length and

p 757 -- breadth. And this idea is strengthened by the fact that the wall was only a hundred and forty-four cubits high. Taking the cubit at about twenty-two inches, the length which is most commonly assigned to the ancient cubit, it would give only two hundred and sixty-four feet as the height of the wall. Now, if the city is just as high as it is long and broad, that is, three hundred and seventy-five miles, this wall of less than three hundred feet would be, in comparison, a most insignificant affair. Probably, therefore, the height of the buildings of the city is to be judged of by the height of the wall, which is distinctly given. 

The following criticisms on verse 16, the verse which gives the dimensions of the heavenly city, are undoubtedly correct:  -

"It has been inferred from the above text that the New Jerusalem city is to be as high as it is long, and that its length will be twelve thousand furlongs, or fifteen hundred miles. It seems to us entirely unnecessary to place such a construction upon the language. The word equal does not always mean the same as to dimensions or position; it is frequently used in the sense of proportion. If we were to say that the length and the breadth and the height of the city were in proportion, we should not violate the language." This view is taken by Jas. Du Pui, A. M., in his Exposition of the Apocalypse. The following from Thomas Wicks, author of Lectures on the Apocalypse, presents the same idea:       "The language, however, will bear another meaning, which is far more natural. It is not that the length and breadth and height were severally equal to each other, but equal with themselves; that is, the length was everywhere the same, and the breadth everywhere the same, and the height the same. It was perfect and symmetrical in all its proportions. This is confirmed by the fact distinctly stated, that the wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits high, or two hundred and sixteen feet, a proper height for a wall; while it is said that 'the length is as large as the breadth."'      This writer allows but eighteen inches to the cubit.

The Greek word isos, which is translated equal, will, according to Pickering, bear the meaning of proportion. Greenfield, in defining one of its cognate words (isotes), gives to it the

p 758 -- sense of "equal proportion," and refers to 2 Cor. 8:13, 14 as an example where this definition is quite admissible.

It would appear, therefore, that the height of the city was proportionate to its length and breadth, and not that it was as high as it was long. The text certainly admits of this interpretation; and this frees the language from all ambiguity, and the city from all disproportion, and shows perfect harmony in the general description.

The building of the wall was of jasper. Jasper is a precious stone usually described as of "a beautiful bright green color, sometimes clouded with white or spotted with yellow." This we understand to be the material of the main body of the wall built upon the twelve foundations hereafter described. And let it be remembered that this jasper wall was "clear as crystal" (verse 11), revealing all the glories within.

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'an hundred and forty and four cubits'  Interesting isn't it? 144 cubits.

144,000-

Rev_14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

God does everything for a reason, everything. Do we always comprehend the reasons, no. Do we have to? No. Will we one day understand? Yes. We are allowed to comprehend everything necessary to our salvation, and by the grace of our Lord and Savior we will! 

Knowing the dimensions of the new city Jerusalem truly amazes us doesn't it? Such a city! That our God and our Savior will be in that city with us is most amazing… and we will definitely find out more about that very soon!

A new home, a home that will boggle our minds with wonder, truly we long for this city, this perfect city!  This world isn't our final home, this world wasn't Abraham's home… remember this…

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

We are strangers and pilgrims on earth! Our country is heaven, our city is the new Jerusalem!

Please, Father, may we live with you in this new country, in this new city! By Your Love, Your Grace, Your Mercy!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever! AMEN!

New Jerusalem

Revelation- 21

VERSE 9. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  10.   And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  11.   Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  12.   And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:  13.   On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  14.   And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The Bride, The Lamb's Wife. - This testimony is positive that the New Jerusalem is the bride, the Larnb's wife. The

p 754 -- angel told John distinctly that he would show him the bride, the Lamb's wife; and we may be sure that he did not practice upon him a piece of deception, but fulfilled his promise to the very letter; but all that he did show him was the New Jerusalem. It would be unnecessary to offer a word of proof that this city is not the church, were it not that popular theology has so mystified the Scriptures as to give it this application. This city, then, cannot be the church, because it would be absurd to talk of the church as lying foursquare, and having a north side, a south side, an east side, and a west side. It would be absurd to speak of the church as having a wall great and high, and having twelve gates, three on each side toward the four points of the compass. Indeed, the whole description of the city which is given in this chapter would be more or less an absurdity if applied to the church.

Again:   Paul, to the Galatians, speaks of the same city and says that it is the mother of us all, referring to the church. The church, then, is not the city itself, but the children of the city. And verse 24 of the chapter under comment, speaks of the nations of the saved, who walk in the light of this city. These nations who are the saved, and on earth constitute the church, are distinct from the city, in the light of which they walk. It follows that the city is a literal city, built of all the precious materials here described.

But how can it then be the bride, the Lamb's wife? Answer:   Inspiration has seen fit to speak of it under this figure, and with every believer in the Bible, that should be sufficient. The figure is first introduced in Isaiah 54. The new-covenant city is there brought to view. It is represented as being desolate while the old covenant was in force, and the Jews and old Jerusalem were the special objects of God's care; but it is said to her that "the children of the desolate" shall be many more than "the children of the married wife." It is further said to her, "Thy Maker is thy husband;" and the closing promise of the Lord to this city contains a very similar description to the one which we have here in Revelation; namely, "I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires; and I will make thy windows of agates, and thy

p 755 -- gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord." It is this very promise to which Paul refers, and upon which he comments in his epistle to the Galatians, when he says, "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all" (Gal. 4:26); for he quotes, in the next verse, this very prophecy from the book of Isaiah to sustain this declaration. Here, then, Paul makes an inspired application of Isaiah's prophecy which cannot be mistaken; and in this he shows that under the figure of a "woman," a "wife" whose "children" were to be multiplied, the Lord by the prophet speaks of the New Jerusalem, the city above, as contrasted with the earthly Jerusalem in the land of Palestine; and of this city the Lord calls himself the "husband." In addition to this, we have the positive testimony of the twenty-first chapter of Revelation to the same facts. 

With this view, all is harmony. Christ is called the Father of his people (Isa. 9:6); the Jerusalem above is called our mother, and we are called the children; and, carrying out the figure of a marriage, Christ is represented as the Bridegroom, the city as the bride, and we, the church, as the guests. There is no confusion of parties here. But the popular view, which makes the city the church, and the church the bride, exhibits the inexcusable confusion of making the church at the same time both mother and children, both bride and guests.

The view that the marriage of the Lamb is the inauguration of Christ as King upon the throne of David, and that the parables of Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Luke 12:35-37; 19:12, 13, etc., apply to that event, is further confirmed by a well-known ancient custom. It is said that when a person took his position as ruler over the people, and was invested with that power, it was called a marriage, and the usually accompanying feast was called a marriage supper. Dr. Clarke, in his note on Matt. 22:2, thns speaks of it:   -

"A marriage for his son.] A marriage feast, so the word gamouV properly means. Or a feast of inauguration, when his son was put in possession of the government, and thus he and his new subjects became married together. Many eminent

p 756 -- critics so understand this parable as indicating the Father's induction of his Son into his Messianic kingdom. (See 1 Kings 1:5-9, 19, 25, etc., where such a feast is mentioned.)"

A Christian City. - The names of the twelve apostles in the foundations of the city, show it to be a Christian and not a Jewish city; while the names of the twelve tribes on the gates, show that all the saved, from this dispensation as well as from the former, are reckoned as belonging to some one of the twelve tribes; for all must enter the city through some one of these twelve gates. It is this fact which explains those instances in which Christians are called Israel, and are addressed as the twelve tribes, as in Rom. 2:28, 29; 9:6-8; Gal. 3:29; Eph. 2:12, 13; James 1:1; Rev. 7:4.

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New Jerusalem.

Rev_3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Jesus' words.

Paul's words- as moved by the Holy Spirit-

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

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We all are aware of Jerusalem as a real place on earth, but are we all aware of the heavenly Jerusalem?  The earthly Jerusalem is fraught with GREAT tension.  The three religions Muslim, Christian, Jewish- all have their roots in Jerusalem. There is fighting between the three, each wanting to stake their claim there.  This is the earthly Jerusalem, but who stakes their claim in the heavenly Jerusalem, the new Jerusalem?

Those who believe in Jesus, for it Jesus who will descend with the New Jerusalem after the 1000 years is over. These are prophetic truths that WILL come to pass!

There is a HEAVENLY New Jerusalem!  This New Jerusalem WILL descend from heaven to the earth.  This amazing new city will be the home of ALL who are known by our SAVIOR, Jesus Christ! God the Father and the Son will be in the New Jerusalem and as we continue to study this chapter we will come to that.

May God bless us as we LEARN, re-LEARN, of this New Heavenly City that will be our home!  

He will make all things new.

Revelation 21 verse 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.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The New Creation. - He that sits upon the throne is the same being that is mentioned in verses 11, 12 of the preceding chapter. He says, "I make all things new;" not, I make all new things. The earth is not destroyed, annihilated, and a new one created, but all things are made over new. Let us rejoice that these words are true and faithful. And when this is accomplished, all will be ready for the utterance of that sublime sentence, "It is done." The dark shadow of sin has then forever passed off from the universe. The wicked, root and branch (Mal. 4:1), are wiped out of the land of the living, and the universal anthem of praise and thanksgiving (Rev. 5:13) goes up from a redeemed world and a clean universe to a covenant-keeping God.

VERSE 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.  8.   But the fearful, and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcrers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

p 752 --

(picture omitted) 

p 753 -- The Great Inheritance. - The overcomers are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal. 3:29. The promise embraces the world (Rom. 4:13); and the saints will go forth upon the new earth, not as servants or aliens, but as lawful heirs to the heavenly estate and proprietors of the soil.

The Fear That Hath Torment. - But the fearful and unbelieving have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. The word "fearful" has been a trouble to some conscientious ones, who have had fears more or less in all their Christian experience. It may be well, therefore, to inquire what kind of fear is here meant. It is not fear of our own weakness, or of the power of the tempter; it is not fear of sinning, or of falling out by the way, or of coming short at last. Such fear will be very apt to drive us to the Lord. But it is a fear connected with unbelief; a fear of the ridicule and opposition of the world; a fear to trust God, and venture out upon his promises; a fear that he will not fulfil what he has declared, and that consequently we shall be left to shame and loss for believing on him. Cherishing such fear, one can be only half-hearted in his service. This is most dishonoring to God. This is the fear which we are commanded not to have. Isa. 51:7. This is the fear which brings into condemnation here, and will finally bring all who are controlled by it into the lake of fire, which is the second death.

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The fearful, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the whoremongers, the sorcerers, the idolaters, the liars-   all the unrepentant sinners will have a part in the lake of fire, the second death.

All who do not believe.

Why should those who choose willfully not to believe have any other outcome? Seriously. They do NOT want what God has to offer them.  They would NOT be happy with what God has to offer them. They are NOT innocent victims being abused by a horrific God. They are being given a choice and making that choice for themselves. The choice is an informed choice, not a choice mucked up in a lot of trappings meant to deceive. The choice is a plain one.  Believe, or do not believe.  And our God knows the hearts of all believers. He will know if you believe in name only, but not with the heart. He will know if you believe in sincerity or insincerity. He will know the depths of your heart conviction. You CAN'T fool God, it is impossible. You can however, fool yourself. If you truly believe in Him you will live for Him, with Him in you. God's truth will be revealed in all ways and if you truly believe in Him, you'll believe in His truths.

If we say we believe… well, read this…

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

The devils also believe.

Are devils saved?

No.

We must believe and when we believe there is a result of that believing, a natural outflow from that sincere belief. 

We can say the words, 'I believe.' , and there can be no truth in it at all, just a whole lot of self-deception. You believe just like the devils believe, you believe but not in your heart.

Unbelievers will take part in the second death.

And believers who work iniquity will take part in the second death.

Please Father, we believe, help our unbelief.  Make our belief one of true believing, not  a false believing that has no truth in it, no heart conviction. We don't want to be like the devils who believe, we want to be like Abraham, like Isaac, like Jacob, like David, we would have a faith with corresponding works that You would have us work. We want our faith to be a real, living faith. We want You living in us, working in us to do Your good pleasure! We want to be the individuals You would have us be in You! Keep us from evil, Lord. Please keep us from evil!

We desire to be a part of the new heavens and new earth, dwelling in the New Jerusalem with You, with Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! Please Father, we do not want to be a part of the second death! Please, save us, from us and our tendency towards evil. Help us to depend solely upon You for our salvation through our Savior!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen!

Saved.

As we grow closer to our Savior; as He, through the Holy Spirit works in us -we will be able to see all the filth staining  us, all the dirt on our hearts.  It is necessary for us to see it in order for Him to remove it from us. We have to comprehend it is Christ working in us! It is Christ alone who can excise the sins in us. Christ is the only Spiritual surgeon capable of creating a clean heart within us! Christ Jesus our Savior is just that, OUR SAVIOR. 

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Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom_12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Psa 51:9  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psa 51:11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Psa 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Rom_7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Gal_6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Heb_12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

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While we strive, even unto blood, to resist sin, we must recognize any power of striving we possess is given to us by our SAVIOR! We can't manufacture anything within ourselves to resist sinning. The power is Christ's, not ours! The only glory we possess is in the cross of our LORD!

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Christ in us. Christ can only know us, if He is in us. Christ can only be in us if we surrender ourselves to Him. He is LOVE, we are surrendering to love and that love He knows. Christ in us is the HOPE of glory. Selflessness, not selfishness. Selflessness, not self-exaltation. In the very words 'have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works,'  is revealed the very reason Christ does NOT know them- 'have we'. WE!  It's NOT US, it is CHRIST- not us just USING His name, as a tag line, as a signature, as a hashtag, as a hook. Those things when done in Christ are NEVER boasted about! If Christ is working in us, HE knows HE is working in us, we do NOT have to tell HIM! Using Christ's name to do good, does NOT make it good, does NOT make us good. Having Christ in us working is what matters! Not us saying Christ is working in us, but Him truly working in us!

Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Through Jesus Christ!

All through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! OUR SAVIOR!  We need a Savior because we absolutely cannot save ourselves!

In HIS LOVE, His amazing, amazing love!

AMEN!

God with us.

Revelation 21

verse 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.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

The Father's House. - In connection with the view which John has of the holy city coming down from God out of heaven, a voice is heard, saying, "The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them." The conclusion naturally follows that the tabernacle here mentioned is the city. This same city is called in John 14 the Father's house in which are many mansions. If an objection should arise in any mind that this is too permanent a place to be called a tabernacle, we reply that the word "tabernacle" sometimes has the signification of a permanent dwelling-place. The great God takes up his abode on this earth; but we do not suppose that God is confined to this, or any other one of the worlds of his creation.

p 751 -- He here has a throne, and the earth enjoys so much of his presence that it may be said that he dwells among men. And why should this be thought a strange thing? God's only begotten Son is here as ruler of his special kingdom; the holy city, which is called the Father's house, and which it is natural to suppose will be the most beautiful and glorious object in the universe, will be here; and the heavenly hosts take an interest in this world probably above what they feel in any other; yea, reasoning from one of the Saviour's parables, there will be more joy in heaven over one world redeemed than over ninety and nine which have needed no redemption.

No Cause For Tears. - And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. He does not literally wipe away tears from the eyes of his people; for there will be no tears in that kingdom to be thus wiped away; but he wipes away tears by removing all causes of tears.

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God will dwell with us.

No more PAIN.  I don't know any adult who isn't in some sort of pain, that's not true, I don't know very many adults who aren't in some sort of pain. Whether that pain is great, constant, or inconsistent, I know so many people who live with various kinds of pain. Back, legs, muscles, joints, head, neck, feet, arms- pain.  We have things called pill mills and a lot of time it is for those who are seeking pain relief. Too many don't get any relief, or very little. Pain is a part of our lives, a very big part. We are constantly seeking to be pain free. When our Savior returns, when we come down from heaven after 1000 years and the new Jerusalem comes down with us, God comes with us as well.  God will give us a pain free forever life. God will give us a tear free life. No sorrow, no more death for us to live with- not for any of us that are living in the New Jerusalem.  The life we long for now is the life we will have, it will be REAL. This is the HOPE, this is the GOOD NEWS that our Savior came to give to us. This is the GOSPEL that our God who took on flesh, human flesh, who lived with pain, sorrow, and death, came to give to us!  Without this good news, we have NO HOPE.

We can choose to live in a world with HOPE, or without HOPE, it's our choice. 

We may be ridiculed in many ways, we may be looked upon as being foolish, deceived, deluded, crazy people.  We might live a life subject to all sorts of mental, emotional abuse, but we will live it with HOPE.  Choosing to not believe gives nothing, no hope. It might give you a temporary peace, a false peace the will deceive you into believing you are brilliant for not believing, but when you find out you are not brilliant at all, it'll be too late to change your mind.

People choose. And then they live with their choices.

We are given a chance to know truth, to believe truth, to hope in truth, may we all do this so we may all live with our God whose love is beyond our full comprehension.

Please, Father, please. We believe- help thou our unbelief!

Keep us in YOU now and ALWAYS!

By Your mercy and grace, Your love, in the name of Jesus Christ our LORD, our SAVIOR!

AMEN!