God's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

A few months ago our minister taught a series about heaven. My husband and I missed a few of the sermons due to my husband's hip surgery. So a couple of nights ago we accessed our church's sermons online and listened to the messages we had missed. One of the main ideas our minister discussed was the "new earth" that is described in the Bible. "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17a). It seems that earth, the "new earth" that God will restore, will be our eternal home. God originally walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Abandoning that perfection would be conceding defeat to Satan. God simply can't do that! So, He will redeem the earth as He has redeemed us.

I read Isaiah 16-25 this morning and found more verses that remind me of God's promises of restoration. The first one shows how our salvation is at all possible.

"In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it--one from the house of David--one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness" (Is. 16:5). Jesus, who became man, will reign finally. Earlier verses in Isaiah have prophesied about His perfect government.

The other verses I read this morning describe the earth's curse and its purification as well as the gifts God will give us after the "makeover" of the earth. Two years ago my husband and I bought a house that had not been cared for by its former owner. For years, it had been mistreated and left to ruin because of the hard hearts of its occupants. But we bought it and have restored much of the house (such things take time for mere mortals) to be a home of enjoyment and comfort. The same can be said of our earth. When Adam and Eve sinned, humankind was not the only one lost. The earth was cursed as well. "The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth" (Is. 24:4-6a).

But then, when the earth has been made new, we will celebrate. "On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine--the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken" (Is. 25:6-8).

If you're interested in hearing more about heaven, I recommend this series. Click on "My Church" on the right side of this page. Once on my church's website, click on "Sermons Online" on the left side of the home page. The series is titled "Amazing Place!" and began on April 3. I believe there are 11 sermons total.

I can't wait till the makeover is complete and the time for the revealing has come!