Praise the Lord for this last week of April. He blessed us
with a blessed day in His house last Sunday, the Lord's day. There was a
church-wide fellowship dinner following the morning worship. There
was "a big big table with lots and lots of food". There
was sweet fellowship and beautiful time sharing the sumptuous dinner; best of
all there was sharing the sweet grace of Jesus. Following the worship and
the dinner we drove down to Pennsylvania to attend the 80th birthday celebration
of one of dear friends. She and her family were an integral part of
the first charge we served beginning in July 1978. Hundreds of people were
there to celebrate her life and her faithfulness. We saw several
people of the churches there who were co-laborers and fellow servants of
Jesus. It was heart-warming and very gratifying to know that many are
serving Christ faithfully and fervently . Many, having served the Lord
faithfully over the course of their lives, have entered the Church triumphant.
Some who were part the children's and youth groups have grown up now and
have their children who are in the colleges and the universities. This was
our first charge, which consisted of three churches. It was a great
thrill and blessing to have served the Lord withe the beautiful people of this
charge. It was also while we serving in this area that Sunita and Laureen
were born. We praise the Lord for the wonders of His grace and His
love. It was refreshing and heart warming to be part of the grand
celebration.
Continuing of our Sunday travel we drove
to the Philadelphia area to spend some time with Jessica, Tom, and our lovely
granddaughter Lindy. Spring in that region is in full bloom. We
took some walks one of the local Rail Trail - the Pennypack - and also in
the neighborhood, which with clad with spring foliage, brilliant spring
flowers, accompanied by the serenading of exotic spring birds. Our grand
daughter Lindy is sweet and blessed with an amiable and affable personality. She is blessed with devoted
parents in Jessica and Tom, who adore her and love her. When we left Jess
and Tom's home yesterday the temperature was reading 80, and along the journey
it reached as high as 86. We drove home by taking a most scenic
route. The spring blossoms and the scenery along the Delaware River banks and
the Delaware Canal were stunning and breath taking. Praise the Lord of
beauty and wonder, who decorates the Earth every Spring with so much beauty and
glamour .
One of the readings for
last Sunday was taken from Revelation 21. I love version from The Message: “Look! Look! God has moved
into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his
people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order
of things gone.” This verse tells us that God is going to
dwell with us. He’s going to hang out with us! He’s going to be
ever-present. This is mind-boggling! It is written, “He [God]
will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any
death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first
things have passed away” (cf. 7:17; Isa 25:8). Verse 3 describes the
benefits of the New Jerusalem positively, and verse 4 does so, negatively. This
reference to wiping away tears highlights our God’s compassion for His
people. Sorrow, death, and pain will all end along with the tears, mourning,
and crying that result from them. This is a final reversal of the curse (Gen 3). All these former
experiences will be gone forever then.
It has
been written: “Out with the old and in with the new.” John records, "And He
who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He
said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’” John turned from
describing the New Jerusalem briefly to describe some of God’s utterances (cf.
1:8; 20:11). “Behold” introduces a special pronouncement, namely that God will
bring a new creation into existence (cf. 21:1). He assures us that His
words are “faithful and true.” The Lord then said to John, “It is done. I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the
one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost”
(21:6). His promise of abundant satisfaction for the thirsty is
metaphorical, symbolizing His ability to meet the deepest needs of His people
(7:17; cf. Isa 55:1; John 4:13-14; 7:37-39). This is an
invitation to anyone to come to God to receive freely from Him, what is
truly satisfying. It is a beautiful Gospel invitation (cf. 22:17).
Besides this promise being guaranteed by God’s faithfulness (21:5), it is also
guaranteed by His power (21:6). The new creation is marked, in part, by
an absence of powers that oppose God and diminish life. In its
dramatic visions, Revelation tells of the final defeat of evil and the
liberation of earth and humanity from the forces that have held it
captive. The resurrection of all the dead brings an end to death itself
(20:14). Therefore, in the new creation there is an absence of death,
mourning, crying, and pain--for all those marks of the former, fallen world
have passed away (21:1, 4). At the same time, the new creation is
characterized by the presence of the God who gives life. A voice
from the throne declares that God's dwelling will be "with
humankind"; he will dwell "with them," and "God himself
will be with them" (21:3).
In Christ,
Brown
