The Perfect Life
Revelation 21:1-5
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Christ] in the middle of its street. [Ezekiel 47:1-12] On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [Genesis 2:9, 3:22]
There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion]; [Zechariah 14:21] they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. [Psalm 17:15; Matthew 5:48; 1 John 3:2]
And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever. [Zechariah 14:7]
You Are Invited to be Blessed
Revelation 21:6-7
Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel [as a representative] to show His bond-servants the things that must soon take place.”
“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed [happy, prosperous to be admired] is the one who heeds and takes to heart and remembers the [scroll]”.
Recently I mentioned to a friend that Revelation is becoming a favorite book for me. As I read and study it, I try to imagine what it will be like for us to be truly whole in heart, mind, soul, and body, what that might mean for the relationships and the things we do in the present.
It is a great help to me to read what other people, who love the book of Revelation, have studied and written about, both what they have learned and also imagined. One that has been particularly encouraging to me is Discipleship on the Edge written by Darrell W. Johnson. The subtitle is “An Expository Journey Through The Book of Revelation”. His scholarship is excellent; his way of presenting it makes it a joy to read, and his love for the Trinity draws me close to them.
He mentions some things that will no longer be a part of the problems we face as we wait for Jesus’ return. Several are mentioned in the scripture referenced above. He mentions especially, “The character traits and behaviors that are inconsistent with the Kingdom of God”. He then goes on to list more such behaviors from scriptures. These are often the attitudes and actions that cause difficulty in our relationships now.
Then he lists what will be there, some of which are also referenced in the scriptures above. One that I had never thought of was “creativity”. There will be a place and time for each person to honor God and bless each other with their gifts of creativity without comparison or competition.
I am a quilter, and have been making them for years, as well as having had a business finishing quilts for other people.
Along with four other friends, I used to hang quilt shows in the long hall outside the offices and children’s area at South Fellowship. In addition to quilts from some of our clients and some for ourselves, we used to have a “challenge” that each of us make a small quilt: One year we decided on Crayola Crayon colors and a size of 40×60 inches. We hung them on the entry wall of 6560 and included stories of how we designed and made the quilt, but did not include our name. Visitors to the show could vote for their favorite.
The one below was mine. The pictures were of my paternal grandmother and me when I was four years old. I made the pictures by enlarging photos, tracing them onto muslin and using fabric ink to create the details of faces, hair, and clothing. Then I appliquéd them onto the background. There are several other hand techniques I used on the quilt. I overheard one visitor say it would have been better if the maker hadn’t put paper pictures on it. She hadn’t read the story.
We counte
d the votes at the end of the show. Out of 300 votes, I got one. But the person who voted for me included a note saying that it , “Touched her heart and she love d the variety of techniques that had been done”. It was hard to not get a few more votes at least, but the one I did get was a blessing and a treasure. And no one can take away from me the fun I had making the quilt and reliving the memories that inspired it.
Take some time to ponder and imagine what Jesus might be saying to you from the scriptures above. If anyone is interested in the book I mentioned, it is available on Kindle and in paperback on Amazon.
by Carolyn Schmitt
