"But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:16)
The word for, "country," means "fatherland, native place." Humanity has a simple choice. They can cling to and dwell in the "fatherland" into which they were born, or they can cling to and dwell in the "Fatherland," which, "God...has prepared...for them," the, "city," of their second birth. People of faith always desire the, "better...fatherland, native place," His, "city," over anything they or those whom they admire can, "prepare[]."
The first thing man did after the rebellion was to build (prepare) something. We read in Genesis 4, "Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. And Cain....built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son...." Man rejected God's City and started building his own; Babel reveals the end of such building. "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
Are you building a city? Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us a way to test who is doing the building and what is being built by the effect of the labor. Notice the contrast between man's work and Jesus' work, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me...,and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Or, "....You...labor and are heavy laden.... I...give...rest...."
The word for, "country," means "fatherland, native place." Humanity has a simple choice. They can cling to and dwell in the "fatherland" into which they were born, or they can cling to and dwell in the "Fatherland," which, "God...has prepared...for them," the, "city," of their second birth. People of faith always desire the, "better...fatherland, native place," His, "city," over anything they or those whom they admire can, "prepare[]."
The first thing man did after the rebellion was to build (prepare) something. We read in Genesis 4, "Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. And Cain....built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son...." Man rejected God's City and started building his own; Babel reveals the end of such building. "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
Are you building a city? Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us a way to test who is doing the building and what is being built by the effect of the labor. Notice the contrast between man's work and Jesus' work, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me...,and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Or, "....You...labor and are heavy laden.... I...give...rest...."
Cain built the first city and named it after his son. You can always tell whose city it is by whose name is attached to it. Cain preferred his city to God's. People who are of the same "lineage" as the People of Faith in Hebrews 11, however, "desire a better, that is, a heavenly," which, "God...has prepared...for them." The reward of such, "desire"?---------"God is not ashamed to be called their God"!
Father, in Jesus' Name, I embrace your, "city," and reject any of mine. Amen.
*************
Some have been having difficulty locating our news blog. I'm trying to find out what the trouble is.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I embrace your, "city," and reject any of mine. Amen.
*************
Some have been having difficulty locating our news blog. I'm trying to find out what the trouble is.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
