We can’t help but think of heaven. Our citizenship belongs there, after all (Philippians 3:20). Take a moment to imagine what that place will be like. And take great encouragement from knowing if you can imagine it it’s not heaven! The angel in Revelation 21 guided John to a high mountain. From there, he could see the new, holy city of Jerusalem (verse 10). Part of John’s revelation is seeing what is new about this place. After that, the angel starts measuring. I’ve learned how important this is from Facebook. My wife likes to sell things online. She’s good at discerning what items can make a profit. If it’s furniture, you need measurements. People want to know how tall and wide that table or chair is. They want to ensure it will fit where they envision it in their home. If the measurements are off, it’s not perfect. The measurements of the new Jerusalem carry a strong sense of perfection. It’s not only that it’s big. That there is the perfect amount of room for all the saints of God is the promise. And you can’t look around without seeing the beauty of precious stones. Even the streets are pure gold. Of course, there is no need for a temple anymore in this new place. The saints have God as their temple. What a day of rejoicing that will be! In the meantime, our cities are not perfect. Room? If you want it, you better be able to pay more than you can spare. Location, location, location doesn’t even matter as much. Wherever you are, scarcity prevails in a way that tears apart dignity and compassion. Whatever heaven is, I’m convinced it’s the most loving place because that is God. But we also pray with our Lord who asked for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Yes, that is something God can do, apparently. That’s why we pray. God’s will has something to say about our cities today. Let’s also not forget how much we celebrate our heavenly citizenship. As citizens of heaven, we have a role to play in bringing heaven to earth, too. Even if our vision limits what we know heaven is, we have seen enough. We have seen Christ! So, how do we bring heaven to earth? How do we make that a reality of our ministries and witness? We can start by recognizing the perfection of heaven wasn’t only the beauty of it. There was room! And God wasn’t just at the center. God was everything. Stay blessed…john |
John Fletcher
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