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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Thursday, March
23, 2023
San
Francisco
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Click on photo to enlarge
"The
Enduring City"
Message
summary:
One
day we will be
transferred to
our eternal
home. May we
always fix our
sight on the
city that is
to come!
"For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). "If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:15,16). "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:14). "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2).
In
the last two
messages we
have
considered
cities.
Tuesday we
considered
their origin
and man's
attempt to
build a city
with a tower
to reach the
heavens and to
make a name
for
themselves.
Yesterday we
considered
God's concern
for the evil
city of
Nineveh and a
challenge to
likewise be
concerned for
the lost,
wherever they
may be and
wherever it
might take us.
The
"City of God"
is Augustine’s
timeless
classic about
the timeless
city. The book
contrasts the
“the City of
God” with “the
city of men.”
I am blessed
with
Augustine's
brief
description of
the core of
Christianity:
“God’s Son,
assuming
humanity
without
destroying His
divinity,
established
and founded
this faith,
that there
might be a way
for man to
man’s God
through God’s
Man.” (Re-read
this quote to
get the
essence of
this
foundational
doctrinal
statement.)
Perhaps
Augustine had
in mind the
selection of
verses in
Hebrews when
he wrote "City
of God". The
first two
verses go all
the way back
to Abraham and
his call from
God. Perhaps
in this
instance
"city" is more
analogous to a
dwelling place
than a city as
we normally
associate.But
our main
consideration
today is this
power-packed
promise of
assurance in
13:14, "For
here we do not
have an
enduring city,
but we are
looking for
the city that
is to come".
"For
here we do not
have an
enduring city".
Some
cities have
endured a long
time such as
Rome. But we
must remember
that the city
or society
that is now
our home is
only
temporary.
Elsewhere, the
Apostle Paul
is speaking of
this temporary
situation when
he wrote, "Now
we know that
if the earthly
tent we live
in is
destroyed, we
have a
building from
God, an
eternal house
in heaven, not
built by human
hands" (2
Corinthians
5:1). The
Apostle James
describes this
temporary
situation
quite
graphically, "What
is your life?
You are a mist
that appears
for a little
while and then
vanishes"
(James 4:14).
"But
we are looking
for the city
that is to
come". We
seek for and
belong to the
enduring city
yet to come.
While indeed
rejoicing and
expressing
thanks to God
for His
blessings on
this side of
eternity the
big challenge
is not driving
the stakes in
too deeply. We
must take care
not getting
too settled or
comfortable.
For one day we
will be
transferred to
our eternal
home. May we
always be
looking for
the city that
is yet to
come!
O God, our
Help in ages
past,
Our Hope for years to come,
Our Shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal Home!
Our Hope for years to come,
Our Shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal Home!
Heaven
for the
Christian is
best spelled
H-O-M-E.
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, the
Psalmist
wrote, “His
heart is
steadfast,
trusting in
the Lord. His
heart is
secure, he
will have no
fear; in the
end he will
look in
triumph on his
foes.” No
matter what
the immediate
future holds,
our eternal
future is sure
as the price
has been paid
for our
salvation
through Christ
Jesus who
overcame death
and the grave,
establishing a
home for us
for all
eternity. In a
world full of
bad news it’s
the best news
of our life
that will not
change no
matter the
troubles of
our day. We
are forever
grateful.
Amen.See
Psalm 112
Study
Note: The
Book of
Hebrews was
written to
believers
undergoing
severe
persecution.
In the flood
of news we are
exposed to,
many areas of
persecution
are
under-reported
or at times it
seems
completely
ignored. Due
to having a
Nigerian
missionary in
our class we
are regularly
reminded of
the horrific
conditions
many of our
fellow
believers live
in that part
of the world.
But similar
conditions are
in many places
including the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo. I
just read this
story
yesterday, "Over
70 Christians
Killed in DRC
in Two Weeks".
As I studied
the Hebrews
passages for
this message
it struck me
how different
the reading of
this passage
would be if
you lived in a
place like
this. "For
here we do
not have
an enduring
city, but we
are looking
for the city
that is to
come" (Hebrews
13:14).
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
"No
Doubt About
It, I'm On My
Way Home"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
We The
Kingdom
There's
no doubt about
it, I'm on my
way home
I'm not yet where I'm going, but I'm a long way from where I was
I hear a choir of angels cheering me on
I'm not yet where I'm going, but I'm a long way from where I was
I'm not yet where I'm going, but I'm a long way from where I was
I hear a choir of angels cheering me on
I'm not yet where I'm going, but I'm a long way from where I was
"O
God Our Help"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Reawaken Hymns
What
is The City of
God? (from
gotquestions.org)
Yesterday
afternoon
Stephen's
brother Pat
and his wife
Laverne, along
with their son
Patrick and
wife Kelly
joined us for
dinner. They
were down this
way from the
Lehigh Valley
for a concert
at a local
Penn State
campus where
Patrick and
Kelly's son,
Noah, plays
bass in the
Penn State
Campus band.
We joined them
for the
concert and
enjoyed seeing
and listening
to the
talented young
people.
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Click on photo to enlarge
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radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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