20111230: Rev21 - 2 Cor 5:An eternal house in heaven

The year 2011 is coming to a close.  This Christmas, I received a lovely devotional "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" - so wonderfully timely as I started this series of Rev 21 study on the City of God and its foundation gem walls.  The rainbow was captured by another friend who was in Hanoi - in a village in Fannispan, near Sapa Valley, Vietnam.

A great year to end with great photos above. Awesome gems and rainbow of covenant of love!

I am reminded of this verse in 2 Cor 5:1 "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven , not built by human hands."
I am also reminded of this wonderful song "You are God Alone"



2011 in restrospect:

1. The year has passed us by with much shaking - the tsunami in Japan, the earthquakes in diverse places and much global economic shakeup especially in the Euro.  How true of 2 Cor 5:2 " Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groaned and are burdened because we do not wish to be unclothed byt to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 
2. Despite the shakings around, I thank the Lord that He has set eternity in our hearts. 2 Cor 5:5"Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come"  Living in the last days require us to have greater sensitivity to the Spirit of God. Rom 8:14 those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. John 16:13 the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide us into all truth..and he will tell us what is yet to come. Oh what a deposit ! what a guarantee! Thank God for the Holy Spirit!
3. So what is our goal to be? 2 Cor 5 :9 "So we make it our goal to please him whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear beofre the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body whether good or bad"

May we invest more than those precious stones & treasures here on earth. 1 Tim 6:19  we exhort ourselves to "lay up treasures for ourselves as firm foundation for the coming age, so that we may take hold of the life that is truly life"

YWHW: Unchangeable, Unshakeable, Unstoppable!

You are God Alone !

Amen!