The LORD God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He has established laws in nature which govern all the processes of life–planting, growth, cultivation and harvest. These principles give us insight on how to conduct our lives, families, churches, and societies (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).
The New Heaven and the New Earth, Rev. 21.1-6
John’s apocalyptic vision reveals the culmination of God’s redemptive plan: a complete cosmic renewal where both heaven and earth are made new, and the corrupting presence of chaos (symbolized by the sea) is eliminated. The holy city, New Jerusalem, descends from heaven like a bride adorned for her wedding day, representing the perfected community of God’s people. A voice from the throne announces the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise—his dwelling place is now permanently among us human beings, establishing an intimate relationship unmediated by temple structures or priestly intermediaries. In this new reality, God personally wipes away every tear, and the devastating effects of the fallen world—death, mourning, crying, and pain—are permanently abolished. The One seated on the throne declares with divine authority that he is making everything new, commanding John to record these trustworthy and true promises. With the pronouncement “It is done,” God identifies himself as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, offering the water of life freely to all who thirst, signifying the completion of his redemptive work and the inauguration of eternal communion with his people.
Our Focus Today
God establishes his permanent divine dwelling, Rev. 21.3.
God establishes his permanent dwelling place among his people, fulfilling the ancient covenant promise that “they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
Invocation
God of covenant faithfulness, who has persistently worked throughout history to restore your dwelling place among your people, we invite your presence into every dimension of our lives today. Draw near to us as we draw near to you, fulfilling in our experience a foretaste of that perfect communion you promised us and what we will certainly experience in the New Jerusalem. Shape our identity around the precious truth that we are your people and you are our God, a relationship purchased at the cost of your Son’s blood and sustained by your faithful care and love. Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Wednesday: Amos 1-6
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Wednesday: Psalm 21, 51, 81, 111, 141 and Proverbs 21
God establishes his permanent divine dwelling, Rev. 21.3.
God establishes his permanent dwelling place among his people, fulfilling the ancient covenant promise that “they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
Reflection
John’s vision of the heavenly city as a proclamation that resonates from the throne of heaven, declaring the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant purpose: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God.” This declaration marks the consummation of salvation history, where the separation between the divine and human realms is finally overcome. The language deliberately echoes the covenant formula found throughout Scripture, from God’s promises to Abraham and Moses through the prophetic visions of Ezekiel and Jeremiah. The repetitive emphasis on God’s presence (“with them,” “with them,” “their God”) underscores the extraordinary intimacy of this relationship. The word “tabernacle” or “dwelling place” evokes Israel’s wilderness sanctuary where God’s presence dwelt among his people, yet transcends it completely—no longer will God’s presence be mediated through temples, priests, or symbolic representations, but will be immediate, permanent, and universal. God’s vision thus portrays the ultimate goal of redemption: the restoration of unhindered communion between Creator and creation, where God’s immanent presence permeates human experience without barrier or interruption.
Engaging God’s Word Today
If the culmination of God’s redemptive plan is to establish his own permanent dwelling place among his people, how might our perspectives, priorities, and practices need to change to more fully welcome and experience his presence in our lives today? What barriers of busyness, sin, or neglect might you need to remove to create more space for genuine communion with him?
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Eternal God and Father, the God who promises to make his dwelling place with humanity, fill us with the joyful awareness of your presence in every moment and circumstance of our lives. May we live securely in our identity as his beloved people, finding in that relationship our deepest meaning and purpose. And may your Holy Spirit remove every barrier that hinders communion between us and you, preparing us for that day when your tabernacle will be permanently established among your people, and you become our God forever. Amen.
Scripture Memory for this season
Galatians 6.9-10 (ESV): Do Not Grow Weary in Doing Good
9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.
Book Reading and Reflection
YOUR HABITS ARE HOW YOU EMBODY YOUR IDENTITY
“More precisely, your habits are how you embody your identity. When you make your bed each day, you embody the identity of an organized person. When you write each day, you embody the identity of a creative person. When you train each day, you embody the identity of an athletic person.
The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior. In fact, the word identity was originally derived from the Latin words essentitas, which means being, and identidem, which means repeatedly. Your identity is literally your “repeated beingness.” Whatever your identity is right now, you only believe it because you have proof of it. . . .
Of course, your habits are not the only actions that influence your identity, but by virtue of their frequency they are usually the most important ones. Each experience in life modifies your self-image, but it’s unlikely you would consider yourself a soccer player because you kicked a ball once or an artist because you scribbled a picture. As you repeat these actions, however, the evidence accumulates and your self-image begins to change. The effect of one-off experiences tends to fade away while the effect of habits gets reinforced with time, which means your habits contribute most of the evidence that shapes your identity. In this way, the process of building habits is actually the process of becoming yourself.”
~ Clear, James, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin Random House UK, 2018. Electronic Edition, Location 505.
Seedling Focus for the Season: Do Not Grow Weary in Doing Good
Description: The harvest of righteousness comes when we do not give up on doing good, even when it is difficult, Galatians 6.9-10.
On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
Ascension of the Lord: The Promise of the Holy Spirit, Acts 1.1-11.
Visit our Church App for more information: Scan the QR Code below (if you have difficulty loading the app, click here for instructions how to get the app on your iPhone or Android)
