City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV)

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
² My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.

³ Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! Selah

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
⁶ As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength;
    each one appears before God in Zion.

⁸ O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
⁹ Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!

¹⁰ For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
¹² O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Psalm 84 (ESV)

Reflection

We live in a very materialistic and technologically advanced society that makes it very difficult to view heaven as being something better. In the past sixty years, our society has advanced so drastically that it seems that the sky is the limit. We can create anything we dream of and make it a reality. What was yesterday’s science fiction is today’s electronics and toys. Who would want to leave this world? We can create our own story and future because we have all we want to do so.

Herein lies the problem. While we forget the world and the history of it, spending our days playing games, the thought of eternity doesn’t seem as important. We would rather be in the “here and now” and do our own things. When you have a good income, a job you love, and a great community, then it is very easy to lose touch with what the Bible preaches. We also create a false sense of security in our material possessions, which if you do, then use the below verse and commit it to memory for the year.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

1 Timothy 6:17

My wife and I watched the series called “the Good Place” during the pandemic. Besides the horrible ideologies it portrays, one thing did make me thing long and hard about eternity. At the end (sorry for any spoilers!), they grew tired of their “eternal lives” within “heaven” and created a gateway to eventually die for good and to turn into dust. It made me uncomfortable, because do I think about eternity the same way with God when the Bible says it’s supposed to be so amazing? Would I grow tired and bored of living so long?

It wasn’t until a few days ago while listening to an interview that Eric Metaxas did in his YouTube Channel called “Socrates in the City.” He was interviewing Andrew Klavan and within the discussion was a part where they spoke on eternity. Most of us view eternity as being within time, but eternity with God will be outside of time. That is, we wont feel as if time goes by because time would be irrelevant! This is a perfect ending to a great story that God has written for us.

Application

Many of us view our lives as better than what we would experience in eternity. We want this life now and that is how Satan gets us. Take a step back from yourself and look around the world and the suffering within it – all the pain, jealousy, injustice – and say to yourself, is my current happiness temporary and is this world better than heaven?

Our fallen world is dying due to the sin and ungodliness around us. Take a minute and meditate on Psalm 84. That one day in God’s courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. If this is the case, then shouldn’t you live this life to share the good news with others? Shouldn’t you want to let go of all the comforts that bind you in apathy and instead focus on God and His greatness?

Prayer

Father in heaven, thank You for sending Your Son to die for me. Your Story is one of redemption and love. Do not let me be carried away by the entertainment and material possessions of this world, but to focus on You and what eternity with You would be like. Help me to share this with everyone around me. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.