Apologize and Trust

Prayer – Lord, we are worshipping You forever… heaven’s gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Revelation 21:25-27. Glory. Glory. Glory.

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God's Good News. "The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!"  Mark 1:14-15

 

Meditate. Consider John’s and Jesus’ call to repentance.

Where and When? The Kingdom of God is near! That is a phrase that has been heard around the world…for thousands of years. Old Testament references to God’s Kingdom include a couple found in 2 Chronicles and in the book of Daniel.

Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne as king to rule for him. Because God loves Israel and desires this kingdom to last forever, he has made you king over them so you can rule with justice and righteousness. 2 CApologize and Trusthronicles 9:8

 

During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. Daniel 2:44

God’s Kingdom will last forever—as foretold in Daniel—and described by Jesus.

Then Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? Luke 13:18

So what is the Kingdom of God like? Heaven is a wonderful place—depicted in Revelation.

Model of the City of Jerusalem.
The Old will pass away...and a New Jerusalem will appear--
with foundations stones of precious jewels...
and streets of gold.

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ... It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone--like jasper as clear as crystal. The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. There were three gates on each side--east, north, south, and west. The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel). The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were made of pearls--each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. Revelation 21:2, 11-21

Worshiping God forever and walking on streets of gold. Can you imagine anything more glorious? It all begins with repent and believe. Apologize and trust.

Verse of Salvation ~ (Ezekiel’s Israeli Watchman message.) But if you warn them to repent and they don't repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. Ezekiel 33:9

 

Revised and reused from April 9, 2019

© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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