2003-08-29
Good Morning Cherished Readers,
I’m led to continue discussing the description of heaven that we are given in REV 4 & 5. God gives us just enough information here to stimulate our desire to one day dwell there with Him. This also gives us a model for worship that helps build our faith to where it will endure all the onslaughts to it. Last week, we left off at REV 4: 8 in the remarkable description of worship in God’s throne room.
We must understand that the heavenly world doesn’t adhere to the limitations of Newtonian physical laws or Einsteinian relativity, the time/space continuum. God’s power is so much greater than all of that. These two citations help us to understand that: 2 PET 3: 8, “But do not forget one thing , my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord’s sight between one day and a thousand years; to Him the two are the same.” PS 96: 4-5, “The Lord is great and is to be highly praised; He is to be honored more than all the gods. The gods of all other nations are only idols, but the Lord created the heavens.” Of course, there are many other places in the Scriptures where God’s power, his omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, are mentioned. Our inability to completely grasp what this means in all of it’s ramifications is no reason for us not to believe in it. IS 55: 8-9, “’My thoughts,’ says the Lord, ‘are not like yours, and My ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are My ways and thoughts above yours.’” This was not said in egotistical posturing, but to help mankind know that he cannot compare Himself to the God Who created all the earth and heavens. While we can’t understand every detail about God’s power, we can take comfort in knowing that His history with us has shown His goodness and love for us. PS 107: 43, “Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.”
REV 4: 9-11 gives us more insight into worship in heaven. “The four living creatures sing songs of glory and honor and thanks to the One Who sits on the throne, and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. When they do so, the twenty-four elders fall down before the One Who sits on the throne, and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They throw their crowns down in front of the throne and say, ‘Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. For You created all things, and by Your will they were given existence and life.’” The Scriptures are full of prophesies about how God’s Kingdom will replace all the human ones and that all who live eternally will worship Him as their supreme and sovereign Ruler. This passage sets the stage for the description of the judgement to come against all who reject God and in saving protection of all who love Him. The song that is sung in it is called “Creation.” Both PS 80: 1 and 99: 1 make reference to God sitting on His throne above the winged creatures while the judgment is meted out. He does this while being supreme above all nations, worthy of praise.
The spiritual reality of our lives is that God is always-righteous and has always been in control of what is allowed to go on both on earth and in heaven. Because of His goodness, we as individuals and corporately as congregations need to take note of His attributes and His wonderful acts. We must be willing to acknowledge our poverty of spirit and utter need for His leadership in our lives. Those of us who have put our trust in Him can testify to the many blessings our loving Abba has showered on us. PS 34: 8, “O taste and see that God is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” My own experience from the inside of numerous congregations in my lifetime reveals that those who put the Lord in leadership, whose activities are centered around His word, and who provide opportunities for personal growth through righteous service to Him are the ones which flourish. If that experience means anything, it should cause us to follow the model for worship that is laid out in the Scriptures. In this model, there is no room for human agendas to be placed ahead of God’s or for egotistical efforts to draw power and attention to oneself. Congregations should be about God’s business and should not center on a political agenda or the personality of a pastor, administrator, teacher, or other human leader. If we will keep our eyes focused on God, we will enjoy the promise in IS 26: 3-4, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You. Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the Eternal Rock.”
PRAYER: O Lord, You have told us in HE 11: 1, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.” Our limited human perspective demands that we rely on our Creator for guidance, spiritual nourishment, encouragement, and everything we need. Some people rebel against this and try to take control of their lives and those of others into their own unworthy hands. When this happens, there is disaster, such as the Holocaust and the downfall of human regimes. On the other hand, we have seen through history that when mankind places their trust in You, Dearest Abba, they are blessed. The story of Ruth’s faithfulness to You and to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi, is ample proof of that [RU 1: 16, 3: 10-11, & 4: 17-22]. Your will, which was realized, was that Ruth should be a part of the lineage that led to the Lord Jesus, the royal family of David. We can’t see ahead to all the details of what our life will be like in heaven, but You have allowed us to see enough to know that it will be more blissful than we can imagine and certainly, a better alternative to spiritual death. We experience You in our lives by obeying You and joining You in Your work on earth. The model of worship in heaven that You have given us, through John, allows us to see what pleases You and is acceptable to You. The faith You give us stimulates our thirst for Your “live-giving water” [JN 7: 37b-38] and the everlasting life in the Kingdom of heaven which You have promised us. All that we have and all that we are is from You. You are to be praised and Your loving kindness toward us is to be acknowledged. PS 136: 3-4 expresses the content of our hearts. “O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever; Who alone does great wonders, for His steadfast love endures forever.” We come before Your throne to confess our sins and to make this request: PS 69: 16, “Hear me, O Lord, for Your loving kindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.” We pledge You our trust, obedience, worship, adoration, loyalty, endurance of faith, diligence, glory, honor, thanks and eternal praise. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
In next week’s message, the description of heaven continues with the focus on Christ, the Lion of Judah, and His part in God’s ultimate victory from REV 5. We can’t help but learn more about worship in heaven and how effective it is. What a great and glorious God we have. When we endure in our faith, He stands by our side and guides us through our tests and sorrows. He also cheers when we have a victory. He shares it all with us and protects us through it all. God’s love is unconditional and salted with patience and compassion. How very blessed a true believer is! We must never forget that God sacrificed His only begotten Son on the cross to make our salvation possible. It is our awesome God Who gives believers the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us to better understand His will and His teaching. The opportunity to take the close look at Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, as we are in this series, outlines a lifestyle we can live today that will lead to the greatest victory of all-eternal life in joy and fellowship with the Father.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn