Choosing Your City | July 28th, 2026

Revelation 17:1
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters

Revelation 21:9-14
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Joshua 24:14-15
14 “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

There are close similarities between the Angel that showed John Babylon, the Harlot and The New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ! However, the contrast is deliberate. A person cannot inhabit both cities. Every day, in small and large decisions alike, we are choosing which city we are oriented toward -- the city of self, pride, and temporary pleasure, or the city of God, grace, and eternal glory. Joshua, at 110 years old, drew a line in the sand and declared his allegiance without apology. That same clarity is available to every believer. The choice is not made once and forgotten. It is renewed daily in how we think, speak, and live.

Reflection: Where in your daily life are you most tempted to live as a citizen of Babylon rather than as a citizen of the holy city?

Challenge: Write down one specific decision you face this week. Prayerfully ask which choice reflects the values of the city of God, and commit to acting accordingly.