Revelation 21:1-5 (TNIV)

¹ Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘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.” ⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

When we think of cities, we think about the big ones like New York, San Francisco, London or Paris.  But even with their many interesting sites to see and places to eat, no city can compare with the “Holy City.”  All of the prophesies of Zechariah and others will be fulfilled with the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and the coming of this city of God.  What will it be like?  In this Holy City, we will no longer experience death, mourning, crying or pain.  God will remove the old order of broken and temporary things and usher in the new order of His kingdom, full of His power and glory.  Above all, the greatest fulfillment is the very presence of God dwelling eternally with His church.  We are that church who has been washed and prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  This is who we are.  This is where we want to be.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

In response to all that was revealed to Apostle John in Revelation, he cried out “Amen!  Come, Lord Jesus!”  May his words be our prayer.  Let us pray for Christ’s return and the coming of the Holy City.  Let pray that God will continue to wash us and prepare us for His return.  “May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.”

Ephesians 2:19-22 (TNIV)

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Temples get destroyed in battle.  Walls come down during revolutions.  Foundations crack through earthquakes.  Roofs get blown away by tornadoes.  There is no earthly structure that can withstand the tests of time, war, nature or neglect.  But thank God that we are no longer of this fading world but we are eternally being built up together as God’s holy temple that will not be destroyed.  With the apostles and prophets like Zechariah as our foundation, with Christ as our cornerstone and with the Holy Spirit who binds us together, we are becoming God’s holy temple where God dwells with us by His Spirit.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Our lives as God’s church are joined together by the Holy Spirit.  As we are joined together as brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray for a greater spirit of unity and stronger bonds of peace among us.  Pray for more love, humility and gentleness as we work together in building up God’s house.

Ezra 3:10-13 (TNIV)

¹⁰ When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel. ¹¹ With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD:
“He is good;
his love toward Israel endures forever.”
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. ¹² But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. ¹³ No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

The construction of a house is never a quiet or invisible process.  When a house gets built, sounds can be heard – banging of hammers, buzzing of saws, clanging of pipes or even blasting of a worker’s radio.  When a foundation is poured or walls are raised, those around know that something new and grand will be placed there.  In the same way with the church, the building of God’s house is neither quiet nor invisible.  As God graciously uses us to build His house, the sounds that ring out into our cities are those of worship.   Whether instruments, songs, laughter, clapping, shouts or cries, they are all worship onto our Lord who is so good.   Whether we are talking to a coworker, praying with a sick neighbor or inviting a student to large group, we are worshiping our God whose love will be revealed and recognized by many.  It is all worship of the one and only God.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Let us remember that our worship is not quiet or invisible.  With that truth and the Spirit’s empowering, let us worship God with all of our hearts.  Sing a song, keep that song ringing in your heart and sing it over the people that you encounter today.

Psalm 126 (NLT)

¹ When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!
² We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
³ Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!

⁴ Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
⁵ Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
⁶ They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.

When the faithful Israelites recognized the handiwork of God in their return from exile, how did they respond?  Joy and laughter, like in a dream!  But their joy and laughter did not come without the tears.  Like a long-awaited harvest, it came after many seeds of tearful prayers were planted.  Just at the right time, God gave them the harvest of restoration and renewal. . . .  What will it take for us to build God’s house in our times?  How can we see the handiwork and glory of God revealed in our generation?  The answer is the same – faithful prayers of His church planted with tears and weeping cries for the restoration of broken lives lost without Christ.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

God is faithful to hear the prayers of His people.  He will not delay unnecessarily.  Let us not delay in our prayers.  Let us pray in the Spirit with hearts full of tears for people in our missional groups and campuses.  As we trust in the promise of a joyful harvest, let us persist in our intercession and requests for restoration and renewal in people’s lives.

Exodus 13:20-22 (TNIV)

²⁰ After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. ²¹ By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. ²² Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Many people think that the global positioning system (GPS) is a modern invention.  But did you know that it actually has been around for thousands of years?  The first GPS was introduced by God and made available to the Israelites upon their exodus of Egypt.  By day, the GPS was a pillar of cloud that went ahead of them, but at night, it was a pillar of fire that helped them travel through the dark.  The fire meant that God was always with them, protecting them from all danger, fear or weariness.  As they traveled through the desert, the fire uniquely marked them as the people of God, keeping and leading them together in the same direction.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Because God is our wall of fire and the pillar of fire that leads and protects us, we can be confident that no trouble or difficulty will overcome us.  Let us declare in our hearts that God is with us and we are His people.  Let us pray for our churches, especially that God will continue to lead and guide us.