Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | March 21, 2021

“By faith Abraham, … was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Today’s devotion comes from Hebrews 11:8-10.

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance;  and he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  Hebrews 11:8-10. 

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For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”  Philippians 3:20-21.

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”  Hebrews 12:22-24.

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”  Colossians 3:1-2.

Other doctrine loves to say:  “He was too heavenly-minded to be any earthly good.”

But, Reformed Doctrine praises Abraham and others who live by faith, realizing that they are pilgrims temporarily passing through here on earth and they are looking for heaven and seeking things above.  

“Walk about Zion and go around her;
Count her towers;
Consider her ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
That you may tell it to the next generation.” Psalm 48:12-13.

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,” Revelation 21:3.

“The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17.

“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;  and there will no longer be any death;  there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;  the first things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:4.

“There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.  …  this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality …”  1 Corinthians 15:40 and 54.

“they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.  And there will no longer be any night;  and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them;  and they will reign forever and ever.”  Revelation 22:4-5.

“… the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 14:17. 

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived;  neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Such were some of you;  but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”  1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

“But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13.

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.  Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.  It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, …  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;  each one of the gates was a single pearl.  And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”  Revelation 21:10-12 and 21.

“The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.  The first foundation stone was jasper;  the second, sapphire;  the third, chalcedony;  the fourth, emerald;  the fifth, sardonyx;  the sixth, sardius;  the seventh, chrysolite;  the eighth, beryl;  the ninth, topaz;  the tenth, chrysoprase;  the eleventh, jacinth;  the twelfth, amethyst.”  Revelation 21:19.

“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,”  Revelations 22:1.  

There are trees in Heaven and they bear “… twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month;  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”  Revelations 22:2.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.” Matthew 22:2.  

“6 The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
And refined, aged wine.
7 And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death for all time,
And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces,
And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;
For the LORD has spoken.
9 And it will be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:6-9.


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