✝ Daily Encouragement (3/23/23) "The Enduring City"
Published: Thu, 03/23/23
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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Thursday, March 23, 2023
"The Enduring
City"
Message
summary:
O
ne day we will be transferred to our eternal home. May we always fix our sight on the city that is to
come!
Listen
to our message on your audio
player.
"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.)
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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!
Heaven for the Christian is best spelled
H-O-M-E.
Be encouraged today, (
Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen and Brooksyne
Weber
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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
"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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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. 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." © Copyright 2023 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
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Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
717-823-0592
Daily Encouragement Net
https://www.dailyencouragement.net
Mail service provider is aweber.com
495 Kraybill Church Rd
Mount Joy PA 17552
USA
Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options