Christ, the savior of the world.

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Kaitlyn. And good morning to all my JTJ siblings. [SIDEBAR] Given the same chapter focus in this devo and tomorrow’s I’ll make my comment for both days today.] END Love this reminder from your devo- “Yet, by the grace of God, He has washed all of our sins away and made us new creations. We are now citizens of heaven, and we should live each day like we know this to be true.” The truth of the grace of God is what continually amazes me, blesses me, and brings me to my knees in gratitude. Q1. The promise of heaven is not a truth I fully took in until about 2014. I WANTED it to be true. But there were so many lies and sins that I liked that it was hard for me to let go fully and stay that way. Eventually it got bad enough. Q2. What excites me about heaven? Some basic elements like no death, sickness, pain, or sorrow. Many others like the majesty, beauty, and perfection of heaven. But far and away the most exciting thing about heaven is being in the presence of God forever. No more Shekinah to follow. Just embrace and experience His presence. Everything Jesus prayers for in John 17 comes true. Q3. What am I holding on to? Two answers: a lot less AND still way too much. The main battle for me is saying yes to only the best things. NO is easy to bad things. But very hard when it’s a good thing. I picked up this reminder- Say NO to good things. So I can say YES to God things. Q4. Live differently? On Wednesday morning December 22 my friend Calvin went out for his normal morning walk. On that walk he stumbled, fell, and his head hit the curb. He stumbled back home and his wife immediately took him to the hospital. Tragically, he had a brain bleed and would die two days later. The day that started like so many others for him was his last day in this life. Two days later he was in the presence of Jesus. Apart from Jesus there is no way I can live each day like it might be my last. I couldn’t even live each year like it was my last. But that would be my desire. I am less and less “in the world” but still far too much of it, (1 John 2:15-17) Third Day lead singer Mac Powell has a fabulous song/video on The River of Life- https://youtu.be/ceVLJ2Xm1UM?si=6l8eKx96y4hGPCOc

Hugh Stephenson

I love happy endings. I especially love happy endings when it’s to a high intensity action movie with one scene after another that threaten the life of the hero/heroine. While I think part of this is human nature, I also KNOW that a big part of it is Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger. As a young boy, it was these two TV shows that stressed this very story line week after week. Here’s the opening sequence to the Lone Ranger- https://youtu.be/p9lf76xOA5k?si=C53hrXJtvMcMqssc Here the opening and closing sequence to Roy Rogers https://youtu.be/SRgvtvHnh2I?si=v5q0S9OEUBWTaxKX At the end of the Roy Rogers show I would stand up in front the TV in my cowboy outfit and wave goodbye to them. I noted that Roy Rogers had Dale Evans but the Lone Ranger had no one. I guess that’s why they called him the “Lone” Ranger. :) Even so, I loved the prototypical ending where the cowboy gets the girl and rides off into the sunset. ——————————————————————————————— What I love so much about Revelation is that it’s the same story about the existence of good and evil in one continual epic battle. AND in the same way as all the great Westerns, there are repeated moments where I am not 100% certain what will happen next. But I do know who wins in the end.

Hugh Stephenson

What might heaven look like? I love the description God gives us. The notes indicate some elements may be metaphorical. Regardless, I know it will be beyond my imagination. How do I know that? Because I have already seen foretastes of heaven. Lots of them. Where? God’s creation, (Psalm 19:1). One place. Salt marshes. A childhood friend has a book paintings and images https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2007/06/14/doctors-isle-hope-images-grace-new-book/13796681007/ Other images https://images.app.goo.gl/VzYCt7uQFqkogFVbA https://images.app.goo.gl/tgjcuqGmLbsh4K2J6 https://images.app.goo.gl/Uu75E8VW22kEWGwk7 https://images.app.goo.gl/jpJWDb5v6Kr4vxqv9 Growing up on an island is an amazing thing. If it’s surrounded by salt marshes then you have your glimpse of heaven. For me, it’s lying on my back in a kayak or canoe at low tide in August with a slight breeze. -The aroma is heavier and more pleasant than the most expensive perfume. The air is filed with a thick smell that is salty and muddy. The heavy humidity hangs over you like a weighted blanket. The mud has a particular smell that is thick and rich. I’ve never smelled it anywhere else. -The sounds are a symphony greater than any a human could compose; mullet jumping, crabs walking on the mud, sea birds calling, the water lapping up an against the banks of the creeks. -The sights are greater than any painter could paint; marsh grass swaying in the wind, pelicans soaring to great heights and then diving straight down into the water to grab a fish, massive oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. I know heaven will be even better. But, until then, that’s how I think about it. Oh, and one more thing- I know that the cowboy does not always get the girl. But on July 21st, 1984- This cowboy got his girl, kissed her, and yes…we rode off into the sunset. —————————————————————————————— From the notes - Constable has a great note below on the “bookends”. I love it. Compact yet fully edifying. Even so, Larry Crabb adds a two-sentence version that is equally edifying. “The Bible is a love story that begins with a divorce. Everything from the third chapter of Genesis through the end of Revelation is the story of a betrayed lover wooing us back into His arms so we can enjoy the love of family forever.” The “Bookends” of Biblical Theology “God’s ultimate purpose in redemptive history is to create a people to dwell in his presence, glorifying him through numerous varied activities and enjoying him forever. The story begins with God in eternal glory, and it ends with God and his people in eternal glory. At the center stands the cross, where God revealed his glory through his Son." "The biblical story of redemption must be understood within the larger story of creation. First Adam, and later Israel, was placed in God’s sanctuary (the garden and the Promised Land, respectively), but both Adam and Israel failed to be a faithful, obedient steward, and both were expelled from the sanctuary God had created for them. But Jesus Christ—the second Adam, the son of Abraham, the son of David—was faithful and obedient to God. Though the world killed him, God raised him to life, which meant that death was defeated. Through his Spirit, God pours into sinners the resurrection life of his Son, creating a new humanity “in Christ.” Those who are “in Christ” move through death into new life and exaltation in God’s sanctuary, there to enjoy his presence forever." "The “bookends” concept of biblical theology illustrates that in the third-to-last chapter of the Bible (Revelation 20) God removes his enemies—Satan, death, and evil—that entered the story line in the third chapter of the Bible (Genesis 3), thus completing the story of redemption. " About Eden restored and more- "The last two chapters (Revelation 21–22) don’t simply restore the first two chapters (Genesis 1–2); they go beyond them to a world that is fully ordered and holy, in which God is fully present with his people, completing the story of creation. (Chapter divisions in the Bible are, of course, human contributions, not divinely inspired.)”

Michael Scaman

When you think of heaven, the highest treasure in heaven should be God but we only have a glimpse of what it will be. It does revolve around the person of Jesus. It is not a hall of mirrors for us. You can here Isaiah and Revelation reinforcing each other Isaiah 40:10 (NIV): "See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him." Revelation 22:12 (ESV): "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done." Zechariah as well: The Lord Coming with His Holy Ones seen in Thessalonians but also in (Zechariah 14:5): "Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him." For Psalms book 2: I think Psalm 72 which ends book 2 of Psalms, poetically Exodus, which the Solomon reigning over a fruitful world, contrasting with the ending of Exodus with the tabernacle shining in the dessert. The contrast between shining in the dessert with ruling over a fruitful redeemed un-broken world shows the greatness of Jesus (Solomon a type in this case) Now let's rephrase that as if John Bunyon wrote about it in Pilgrim's progress style :) for the end of the year! Title: Heralding the King as if by John Bunyan Hear ye, O pilgrims of the celestial journey, as I, the humble John Bunyam, bring tidings from the sacred scrolls. Let the echoes of Isaiah and Revelation resonate within the chambers of your hearts, for they bear witness to the majesty of the Sovereign Lord. Behold, as the words of the prophets intertwine like vines in the divine garden: In the tapestry of Isaiah, the mighty arm of the Sovereign Lord is revealed, adorned with power as He approaches, and His reward is not withheld. In Revelation's celestial symphony, the Son of Man declares, "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done." The words dance in harmony, a celestial duet, resounding through the corridors of eternity. Zechariah, too, unveils the grandeur of the Lord, as witnessed in Thessalonians and inscribed in the sacred scroll: "Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him." A procession of sanctity, a divine entourage accompanying the Sovereign, heralding His arrival in glory. And in the Psalms, the second book unfolds a poetic revelation. Psalm 72, the final cadence of book 2, paints a portrait of Solomon reigning over a world reborn, a redeemed and unbroken kingdom. The contrast with the closing verses of Exodus is striking, for there, the tabernacle gleams in the desert, a radiant beacon in a desolate expanse. Solomon, a type of the One to come, shines as a ruler over a fruitful and redeemed world, his dominion a prelude to the greater glory of Jesus. Therefore, pilgrims, fix your gaze upon the celestial horizon, for when thoughts of heaven stir within your souls, let the highest treasure be God, revealed in the person of Jesus. It is not a mere hall of mirrors reflecting us, but a realm of divine splendor, where the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and the holy ones march in procession and we reflect on HIm. Prepare thy hearts, for the King approaches, His reward in hand, and the recompense for each soul is assured. Amen, and onward, dear pilgrims, toward the celestial city.

Michael Sisson

Re: Rev 22:13 Rev 22:13 (NASB) >>>“I am the Alpha and the Omega<<<, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” See Isa 41:4.

Sue Bohlin

Thank you, Kaitlyn. Meditating on Jesus' revelation of Himself as Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Beginning and End makes me think He is telling us, "If you go back as far as you can imagine, I am already there. If you project forward as far as you can imagine, I am already there as well. You can't even go outside your imagination to a time and a place where I am not there. I am the eternally-existent God of the Universe." Ray and I teach a class to homeschoolers called "Building Confident Christians" which is a year of worldview and apologetics. One of the true/false questions on our first-semester final exam is, "The New Testament never teaches that Jesus is God." Since we hammer home the concept of Christ's divinity over several lessons, it is gratifying to see that this is one concept the students REALLY get right. Revelation 22:13 is a powerful verse to add to our list of biblical evidences for the important doctrine that Jesus has always existed as God.

Jason Cromwell

There are some who buy their own Christmas presents. There are others who try to peek and see what they got. Then there's me. I love to dream and make Christmas lists, but I prefer to wait until Christmas morning to find out what I got. It's the same with my view of Heaven, because no matter what I can dream or imagine it will be beyond what even my brain can come up with. Obviously like most people I'm looking forward to the end of anger, sickness, war, death, hate, fear and so many other things.

Amy Lowther

1. Yes. I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I learn about Him everyday in the Bible or in listening to a sermon. 2. I am not in a hurry. I have been taught heaven is on earth as earth is in heaven. Therefore, listen to God, walk with Jesus, and don’t be worrying about tomorrow forgetting today is here. Heaven will be beautiful and it will be important to use God’s advice as usual. 3. Bottled water and my phone. 4. No, it would be the same. Kaitlyn - Thank you for sharing your ideas. You ask a good question in saying “How often do we sit and imagine what heaven will be like?”. We should consider (before we get there) what heaven is like, know what it is, and know what is possible.