That Blessed Hope

I hope that all of you had a restful Thanksgiving weekend, where you truly focused on the blessings of life. I had a great one!
And it was topped off by a great sermon yesterday morning. My grandpa preached on "That Blessed Hope." Talk about something to be thankful for!
We as Christians all have that blessed hope. We know that Christ will return one day for His children. (And I believe that day is very near!)
My Bible in 90 days reading brought me to the book of Revelation last night. I was reading through the chapters about the 7 seal judgements, the 7 trumpet judgements, and the 7 vial judgements. And I started to think about how awful it would be to live on earth during that awful time.
And I was reminded again how blessed I am to have that hope!
Not only do I get to escape the earth during that awful time of tribulation. I get to live in a city that Christ Himself prepared for us. Check out these verses from Revelation 21 about that city:

9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Sounds gorgeous doesn't it? Foundations made of precious stones. Filled with the brightness and glory of God. And did you catch what is said in verse 27? Nothing impure will EVER enter it. Sin will be gone forever. Satan's influence will be destroyed.
Yes, I'm very thankful for that blessed hope, and I'm watching for Christ's return everyday! What about you?