SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/27/2005
My Worship Time Focus: The New Jerusalem
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Revelation 21:9-11
Message of the verse: “9 Then one of the seven angels who had the
seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying,
‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ 10 And
he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me
the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was
like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.”
One of the
angels who had the last plagues came to John to show him the New Jerusalem,
which is the city that God’s glory will dwell in, as is described in verse eleven. The angel calls this city the bride the wife
of the Lamb, so this could mean that this is where the Church will dwell at in
eternity. John’s description of this
city can be a bit difficult to understand, giving that it was done almost 2000
years ago, and terms in that day are surely different than today, but with all
of that said one thing is sure, and that this will be the most beautiful city
ever made or seen.
John is
carried away in the Spirit again and is wittiness to seeing this city come down
from heaven, a city made by God. Verse
eleven is saying that God glory, or light will be shining through this
city. Dr. Macarthur writes that the word
for jasper seen in verse eleven is a transliteration from the Greek, and the
word means like a clear diamond, so this would make sense that God’s glory
would shine through it.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I have written about how God has made His
presence with man throughout the ages in different ways in a previous SD, and
today God’s dwells in His children today in the presence of the Holy
Spirit. As I look, especially at verse
eleven, and see that the glory of God will be in the New Jerusalem in such a
way that there will be no need of any sun during that period, it makes me think
that I as a believer in Jesus Christ, having the Holy Spirit dwelling in me
should live my life in a way so that the glory of God shines through me. Not in the way that it will be visible like
in the New Jerusalem, but in a spiritual way so that when people see me they
will be able to see something different, and there will be times when this may
get me into trouble because people will not want to see God’s light shining
upon them because of what it reveals.
This happened in the early Church when Stephen was actually killed
because the evil people of that day, (even though they were religious), could
not stand to see the light.
I must confess that I have a very
long way to go in this process, but I am willing and I will, by the grace of
God, study His Word each day so that His Holy Spirit will continue to conform
me more into His image each day.
The Word of God has been a challenge to my heart as I read
it this morning.
My Steps of Faith
Today: Continue to study God’s Word
and as the Holy Spirit to teach me how to apply it to my life, so that God’s
glory will shine through this vessel.
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