A Tale of Two Cities: April 5, 2024

[00:00:00] You are listening to MY Devotional, the Daily Devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading The Way.

[00:00:07] A Tale of Two Cities by Dr. Michael Youssef The Bible is a tale of two cities,

[00:00:16] the city of man and the city of God. We can trace these two cities from the opening pages

[00:00:22] of Genesis to the closing paragraphs of the book of Revelation.

[00:00:26] The city of man is symbolized by Babylon, Rome and even today by Western civilization.

[00:00:33] In contrast, the city of God is symbolized by the elect of God from every nation, tribe and generation.

[00:00:41] For believers currently living their earthly lives in the city of man,

[00:00:45] it may appear to be the worst of times, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ promises that one day

[00:00:52] all believers will experience the best of times.

[00:00:56] In Genesis 4 verses 1 through 16, we see these two opposing cities begin to take shape

[00:01:03] in the lives of the children of Adam and Eve. In Abel we see the city of God.

[00:01:08] Abel loved God and was obedient to him bringing his creator a sacrifice of blood.

[00:01:14] In his brother Cain, however, we see the city of man with all its disobedience

[00:01:20] and an attitude that says, I know what God said, but I want to come to God my way.

[00:01:28] After Cain killed his brother Abel and lied about it, he fled home and eventually built the first city,

[00:01:34] a place to escape from God, filled with fear, anxiety and restlessness.

[00:01:39] In Cain's city it was easy to pretend that God did not exist and therefore to revolt against him

[00:01:46] to this day so it remains within the city of man.

[00:01:51] As believers, you and I represent the city of God because we follow Jesus our lives run counter to the culture that surrounds us.

[00:01:59] The Bible tells us that the godless culture of Cain runs down through generations,

[00:02:05] sinking deeper into sin, idolatry and rebellion over time.

[00:02:10] But there is good news.

[00:02:12] God has placed you in your neighborhood, your school, campus or workplace in order to serve him as a light in this present darkness.

[00:02:22] God does not call us to run away from the city of man but instead to invite others to come to the city of God before it's too late.

[00:02:31] Will you stand up and be counted for Christ today in your areas of influence?

[00:02:38] Let's pray together.

[00:02:40] May we be burdened for the lost in the city of man.

[00:02:44] Use us to call people to your truth boldly with the love and compassion of your Holy Spirit at work in our hearts.

[00:02:52] We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[00:02:56] What awaits the believer after this life?

[00:02:59] And how does our eternal future impact our lives today?

[00:03:03] In his new book, Heaven awaits.

[00:03:06] Dr. Michael Yusuf dispels misconceptions about the believer's eternal home and articulates Heaven's blessings, majesty and the reality of Heaven shared in Scripture.

[00:03:17] As you dig into God's promises and understand your eternal future in Christ, you'll be empowered to persevere whatever you face today.

[00:03:26] Pre-order your copy today at ltw.org for your gift of any amount. Heaven awaits.

[00:03:34] If today's devotional encouraged you, we'd love to hear about it.

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[00:03:43] My devotional is a ministry of leading the way with Dr. Michael Yusuf.

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