Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:10, 22-27; 22:1-5 and John 14:23-29

When Paul shows up in Philippi after being diverted from parts of Asia Minor, he and his missionary team stay with a God fearing Gentile named Lydia. Both good and not so good events happen: conversions, baptisms, but also jail and beatings.

An interesting note this close to our Memorial Day is the fact that Philippi was a Roman colony of retired army veterans! Since the new Christian fellowship took hold there, Paul fondly writes and entire epistle to them later in his life. I would think that many new Christians there were Roman army veterans!

If Philippi is an example of God’s spirit moving with a population over time, the passage from Revelation is a glimpse of the Final City of God ( The New Jerusalem) with its marvelous vision of peace and healing for all nations. The bright light from the New Holy City shines, so to speak, backward and impacts Philippi with the generosity of Lydia and the spiritual transformation of many including her household!

Whenever we read of the future New Heaven and New Earth we should always consider how that vision and promise should awaken us in the here and now. What COULD be presently if we trust God to be at work now as well as in total fulfillment ahead of us! That bright future shines “backward” on us in our “cities and homes” even now.

Let us remember this Sunday our dead (alive in Christ), especially those who died in service to their country. Let us trust God to “make all things new” in the “healing of the nations.”

Pastor Barry