Devotionals
ALL SUFFERING ENDED
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4
MOMENTS OF PRAYER
☐ Pray for the items listed in your Prayer Journal
☐ Pray for the five individuals/families you chose
☐ Pray for the Adventist Native Ministries in Canada
☐ Pray for your own salvation
Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. In the home of the redeemed there will be no tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning. “No one living in Zion will say, ‘I am ill’; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven” (Isaiah 33:24). One rich tide of happiness will flow and deepen as eternity rolls on.
The time has come to which holy men have looked with longing since the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden, the time for the “redemption of the purchased possession” (Ephesians 1:14). The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the great plan of redemption. All that was lost by sin has been restored…. God’s original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed….
There, “the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them: and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose” (Isaiah 35:1). “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree” (Isaiah 55:13). “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; … and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain” (verse 9), saith the Lord.
One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought….
The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow Life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.
Ellen Gold White, God’s Amazing Grace, pg. 361 – December 19
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“No matter what their differences on the details, all Christians who take the Bible as their final authority agree that the final and ultimate result of Christ’s return will be the judgment of unbelievers and the final reward of believers, and that believers will live with Christ in a new heaven and a new earth for all eternity. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will reign and will be worshiped in a never-ending kingdom with no more sin or sorrow or suffering.” Wayne A. Grudem, Evangelical theologian, seminary professor, and author
DID YOU KNOW?
Expectations of divine rewards for those who do good on earth exist in almost all cultures and all peoples of the human race.
GOING DEEPER
There will be a new earth, new in terms of both time and form, different from the present one. Upon that new earth will be established a new and eternal kingdom ruled by the King of kings. The subjects of that kingdom will be those rescued from sin by God’s plan of salvation.
Dederen, R. (2001). Handbook of Seventh-Day Adventist Theology (electronic ed., Vol. 12, p. 947). Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association.
QUESTION…
How important is God’s Word according to Deuteronomy 32:46, 47?
IN LETTERS OF GOLD
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22:1-5
THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK
- Memorize: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35
- Contact the five individuals/families and kindly remind them about the special concert. Be mindful that this may be their first time at church. We suggest that you set a time and place to meet them before the concert starts.
