"For here we have no lasting city but we seek the city that is to come."  Hebrews 13:14

I remember my first apartment.  It was a two-bedroom place on the third floor.  Nothing special but it was clean and adequate.  I shared the space with a roommate and both of us were making just enough income to cover rent, put gas in our cars and afford simple meals.  

It was no mansion!  Our second-hand furniture was functional but definitely reflected styles from the 1960's and '70's.  And this was in 1987!

I drive by that apartment block occasionally.  The stucco finish is the same drab beige; the windows and main door are probably the same as thirty-plus years ago.  The basement is likely deteriorating, as most foundations in the city of Regina do!  This humble yet serviceable building was special to me because it was the first home I chose for myself and prepared as my dwelling.

But it didn't last.  My roommate moved to Saskatoon; I had to find another affordable place.  It was only a temporary home.  And the next one also was temporary.  I eventually got married and we moved in to a simple two-bedroom apartment in a fairly poor neighbourhood.  Gradually we have upgraded to a nice area of the city, into a three-bedroom house with 2 3/4 bathrooms and a huge addition built on the back.  Our latest home has been ours for almost 25 years.

Still, this house is not our permanent home.

I am looking forward to my permanent home.  Jesus promised to His disciples a permanent, eternal and glorious home in His Father's house!  John 14:2 says, "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you."  (NKJV)  Other versions of the Bible may describe it as "rooms" but I prefer the New King James Version that uses the word "mansions."  My imagination goes wild as I consider what Jesus means and what He is preparing for us!

The Bible continues to give a glimpse as to our future mansion!  Actually, John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, received the revelation of this new, eternal home.  It is to be a city, called the New Jerusalem.  In Revelation 21:1-4, John saw and heard what Jesus is preparing for us who believe.  

    Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'

Wow!  So many images come to my mind as I envision what John must have seen.  Heaven and earth are new.  No more pollution, adverse weather, natural disasters, nor effects of humanity's sin impacting the beauty God created.  This new holy city will descend from heaven and be absolutely radiant, as a bride adorned on her wedding day.  Pure, dazzling beauty.  What ensures this city to be a permanent and perfectly suitable place to dwell is the Landlord, the Master of this home is God Himself.  He will not only look after and protect this dwelling place, but will live with us.  We are not tenants; we are family!

Being His family, the promises of this heavenly city include our Father's love, comfort and healing from sorrow and pain.  Don't we all long for His loving embrace and His complete healing for our bodies and souls?

Further in chapter 21 of Revelation, John gives a more physical description of this city.  The design is like the cities of biblical times, with a high wall and gates to enter. It will be secure and safe.  The layout will be a lot like Jerusalem in Israel, with very Jewish elements that were included in the Temples for worship of God Most High.  The gates were named for the twelve sons of Israel (the twelve tribes) and the foundations for the city walls are named for the twelve apostles of the Lamb.  

The size was measured in stadia and cubits - it is huge!  It is also beautiful, adorned with every kind of jewel.  And yes, the streets are made of gold!

    And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day - and there will be no night there.  They will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations.

No power or electric bills.  No locksmiths.  This new and permanent home will be filled with light.  No fear of the dark, no dread of crime or home invasions.  The gates will never need to be shut because there is no night when fearful and covert things tend to happen.

And the beauty of peace and perfect harmony among the nations.  The glory of the nations, the best of what God created and intended for the nations living together and worshiping the King of kings will be finally realized.  All that we hoped for will be fulfilled according to God's purpose.

Chapter 22 of Revelation goes on to describe more of this awesome city of God.  The throne of God with the river of life flowing from it through the city.  The tree of life with twelve kinds of fruit, whose leaves "were for the healing of the nations." (verse 2b)  Nothing unclean or accursed will be allowed in this heavenly city.  Only those redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, whose names are written in His book of life.  "...and they will reign forever and ever."  (verse 5b)  

There will be no more competition, conflict, war.  We all will be princes, or princesses, and we will have authority to reign along with our Lord.  But that's not the best part...

"They will see His face..." (Revelation 22:4a)  Nothing will separate us from our Father, our Holy God!  We will see Him in person, no veil, no cloud, no shame to hid His lovely face from us.  As John also wrote in his letter of 1 John chapter 3, "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is."  All that we have longed for, to become holy like our Father, will be realized when we see Him.  We will be perfected and finally leave the shell of our earthly bodies and be free from our sinful natures.  1 Corinthians 15:52 gives us the hope of our final transformation: "...in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed."

Many of us have watched home renovation or house-hunter programs on TV.  Our sights become set on grand and unattainable mansions that truly are beautiful by earthly standards.  And yet they cannot compare to the "city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God...they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one...for He has prepared for them a city."  (Hebrews 11:10 & 16)  

Our Father is preparing us a mansion, a home that will never deteriorate, depreciate or be destroyed.  More than that, He is preparing US for our eternal home, to be able to enjoy and engage in heavenly worship and service to our Lord and Saviour!

"When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!"  

 My son, Mark, is a hard worker.  He gets up early, travels to the job site and sweats under the hot sun!  His labour is physical.  He and the concrete crew often race the clock, or the weather, to finish a concrete pour and complete the necessary steps before sundown or before the snow flies!

Some folks have jobs that are time-sensitive and must manage their tasks within a certain time-frame.  Others of us work with people, giving leadership and overseeing the big picture, so our roles do not require as much hurry.  But the enormity of that type of responsibility carries a different load and still requires time and deadlines.

At the end of the day, both types of labour can leave us very tired, drained and done.

"Give us this day our daily bread..." Matthew 6:11

Every day, we need to rely on God for our needs.  Literally, we have physical need for food (and water).  Back in biblical times, labourers were often paid daily; therefore this prayer was a reality for daily provision.  Just as we have hunger and thirst, we also have emotional and spiritual needs.  Those needs can't be filled only on a weekly basis, or monthly or annually!  We need the strength and wisdom and ongoing ability to live and work and raise our families EVERY DAY! 

I think of the Scripture in Lamentations, written by Jeremiah the prophet, to the grieving Israelites.  They were a defeated nation, sent to live in a foreign country in exile. Their present circumstances looked hopeless; their future looked bleak.  In the midst of this darkness and sorrow, Jeremiah writes to God's people:  "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:22-23 

As we rise every morning, we can be sure that God's steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness will be there to greet us.  We are never alone to figure out our problems or challenges.  God promises to be with us and to give us what we need EVERY DAY.

As Jesus continued His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, where He taught the Lord's Prayer, He gives another truth for us to apply.  "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Matthew 6:34  Yes, each day does seem to present trouble and challenge.  But worrying about it ahead of time is pointless.  Jesus emphasizes that tomorrow will be another day and what did He promise?  He would be with us in the future, as well as right now.  Such a comfort!

Looking back to the Old Testament, the provision of daily bread began in the time of Moses and the fleeing Hebrew slaves.  When the people began to complain of hunger, God gave Moses this information:  "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them..." Exodus 16:4  God would provide the bread, the people would gather it and only enough for that day.  (On the day before the Sabbath, God would send double the amount so they could gather for the day of rest and not work on that day.)  Maybe we do not have that exact provision; in a land of extreme weather and harsh winters, we must prepare ahead for our food and heat supplies.  But the principle is that we need God and His presence each and every day.  If we ask for our daily needs from Him and rely on Him, we will not lack.  And just as importantly, we need to acknowledge and give Him thanks for providing!  Being ungrateful is as bad as not asking for our daily supply from the Father.  If we think WE are the ones who work hard and earn our own way, we are in danger of independence from the Lord, and risk alienating ourselves from Him.

I just finished putting together a puzzle.  Starting with the outer edges, I built the framework of the project, then began to piece together the rest.  Each piece needed to be placed in order, one piece at a time.  Just as each day must be lived in order, not rushing ahead to the future, or being stuck in the past, we must focus on TODAY.  

May God show Himself today as your Provider and Father.  He is faithful and will meet your needs, whatever they may be.  

 Yesterday was the first day back to work, officially.  We received a couple texts and emails welcoming us back from our break!  I take that as a good thing, that our staff with NCEM have missed us and have prayed for us during this time off.  

Like preparing for a marathon, we have slowly begun our stretches and workouts and nutritional disciplines for the next leg of our journey.  A couple of weeks ago already, we were reading and reviewing emails and making connections so that our return to full time ministry routines wouldn't be a shock to our systems!  So today, as we formally re-enter our ministry responsibilities, I feel a bit nervous and anxious and excited as the starter pistol for the race is set to signal "GO!"

Remember that road trip game, where each person packs an item in their suitcase or trunk and then the next adds another item?  You have to recite each item in order and keep adding until the game is over.  That's how I feel when getting ready for our trips!  Besides the usual packing procedures, like food, clothing, toiletries and our laptops, the Lord is prompting me to include certain spiritual items in my suitcase.

On this road trip or marathon, I am packing in my suitcase...

FAITH -  The past few months I have been listening to a daily devotional on the book of Hebrews.  Over and over, I have heard the repeated theme of faith.  I cannot forget the basic truth that I need faith for every part of our journey, whether my personal walk with Jesus, my relationship to Walter and our children and to each one I meet.  I need to trust the Lord with all my heart, lean on Him and seek Him in every aspect of my life and my ministry.  I will start with FAITH as I pack my suitcase.  (Proverbs 3:5 & 6)  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

VISION - Part of the time of rest during our break has been to process the past.  But at the same time, we have been praying about the future.  Where will this next leg of the marathon take us?  What will stay the same and what will be adjusted?  What direction is God taking us and the ministry?  Proverbs 29:18 is a Scripture Walter has used often in sharing about our role in leadership over the years.  It takes on more meaning as we continue our journey with NCEM.  "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law."  I am packing VISION as we move forward, praying along with my husband that we personally will see and hear the vision of the Lord for the ministry, but also to join our hearts with our leadership team to seek God's will and plan.  As this verse in Proverbs emphasizes, the law or the Word is foundational to healthy and Spirit-led vision for leadership.  Continuing to work with the existing mission statement of NCEM "To establish strong, indigenous, multiplying churches" is our vision as God enables and empowers.

ENDURANCE - Yesterday, our pastor preached in the book of Revelation on what we can learn from the lives of the "Tribulation Saints" and the phrase "Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints."  (Revelation 13:10b & 14:12 a)  I personally have never run a marathon, but Walter recalls participating in a cross-country run in elementary/junior high school.  He was not the fastest runner, but his coach commended him for finishing the race!  The need for ENDURANCE is vital not just to be a participant, but to finish well.  I am packing this character quality and pray God will sustain us for the next leg of the race set before us!

LOVE - 1 Peter 4:8 says "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."  Serving in the Kingdom of God is not about performance, results or any other works-based evaluation!  Paul wrote an entire chapter to the Corinthian church about the pre-eminence of love over all gifts and operations of ministry.  And Peter reiterates the absolute necessity for God's people to love one another because we all will blow it at one point or other.  But to be committed to one another in love because of Jesus Christ's love for us is our highest and greatest calling.  I will make sure my suitcase is stuffed full with LOVE, because I will be making mistakes, forgetting things and be weak and uncertain at times.  But serving with love will keep the relationships in good health and my heart in the right place.

WISDOM - Whenever people ask how they can pray for us, we immediately say "Pray for wisdom!"  This may not be a politically correct thing to say, but we (I) often feel in over my head in the current roles we have at NCEM!  We are faced with situations, questions and decisions that require wisdom beyond ourselves, things we have never dealt with before and must make judgment calls.  Between the books of Proverbs and James, I have often sought the Lord's leading on this topic of wisdom and moreso recently as our responsibilities have expanded.  I take to heart the verse in James 3:17 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."  If I can apply these principles and measure any decision based on these criteria, then maybe the wisdom from God will shine through our ministry in this next season.  Yes, I better throw in lots of WISDOM, volumes and volumes!

Well, my suitcase is already full for the journey and I'm sure much more can be added!  Good thing we are driving a truck to Prince Albert (and beyond...) today with all that we need to take with us.  So as I review my physical packing list, I will summarize my spiritual list with this verse:

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love."         (1 Corinthians 16:13 & 14)