ACTIVE WORSHIP

“The twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne” (Revelation 4:10).

Worship is an act of submission. Falling down before God and casting our crowns before his throne are the only appropriate reaction before a holy, sovereign, eternal God. These expressions of self-abdication are a worshipful renouncement of the right to rule our own lives and acknowledges his authority to reign supreme.

PROMISES IN CONTEXT

“With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

When is a promise not a promise? When it’s taken out of context and made to mean something for which it was never intended. For instance, how often do we hear the second clause of today’s passage quoted as a promise of God to bail us out of any circumstance, even those created by our own decisions and choices. This to the neglect of the first clause and, even more carelessly, to the total disregard of the larger context of the narrative in which it is found. While most seem satisfied to apply the promise of the verse to the overcoming of some moment of adversity, it is a greater promise than we could ever imagine—it is for our salvation. For man this is impossible, but not for God.

YOUR TIME/HIS TIME

“For not even His brothers were believing in Him.  So Jesus said to them, ‘My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune’” (John 7:5-6).

Is your life driven by a sense of divine appointment? Every day, every moment, every encounter viewed as a providentially ordained? This was how Jesus viewed life, but not his brothers. Life becomes purposeful when the time allotted us is missionally embraced and lived with the understanding that it is His time, and we are His presence in a world of daily interaction.

TIME, SPACE, AND WORSHIP

“And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 4:9).

For some reason this passage brings to mind those who do not have time for worship but, seemingly, have time for anything else. To scream “misplaced priorities” is obvious, but a solution may lie in a redeemed perspective on time and the One not bound by its perceived limitations. That God is forever and ever, points to his authority over time and space. For him, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day (2 Peter 3:8). It serves as a humbling reminder that there was a time when I was not, and a time when I will not be. The Lord our God, however, has always been and will forever be. In this light, he should receive priority and preeminence over all other things being deemed more important, but will soon pass away.

THE CENTERPIECE OF WORSHIP

“And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 4:9).

Nine times in his heavenly vision, John mentions God upon his throne as the centerpiece of spirit-filled worship. The image of a throne is a powerful visual of worship’s sole objective—an acknowledgement that all power, dominion, control, supremacy, and command rests exclusively upon Him. To introduce any other preferences or sentimental elements to our expression of worship is but a continued pursuit of self-enthronement.

HEAVENLY WORSHIP

“And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come’” (Revelation 4:8).

Though there are various reasons why some are motivated to attend worship services—profitable connections, popular preachers, personal reputation, or promoting one’s own religious preferences—scripture asserts there is but one objective in worship—to ascribe to God the worth and value that are his. This brief, concise, repeated phrase is the eternal mantra of the angels. So, prepare yourself now…it may not be your musical genre of choice, but it achieves the very thing, the only thing, worship is meant to accomplish.

SECULARISM ISN’T gODLESS

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).

With the rise of secularism, it’s no surprise that the fastest growing demographic of religious affiliation is “none.” This decrease in religious identity, however, should not be interpreted as a disinterest in spirituality. What’s being rejected are the historical creeds of the church, orthodox faith confessions, along with any claims of absolute Truth. Instead, influencers, content creators, and consumers have created a “spiritual experience” based upon their own intuitive desires and subjective emotional needs. While a religious preference of “none” may be reported to polling agencies, a more accurate response is “Me.” It’s a religious expression as old as man himself.

RECLAIMING YOUR HERITAGE

“For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5).

When trapped by the struggles and alienation of exile, one’s spiritual heritage can be lost in the daily battle to survive. This “lostness” is, seemingly, made all the more certain by the illusion of comfort, security, and pleasure offered by the pagan gods of political power, military might, bountiful economic systems, and limitless entertainment. Being no different than Isaiah’s original audience, we, too, must forsake the gods of fleshly desire and return to the God of our heritage and redemption.

STAY IN THE MOMENT

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Have you considered how the communion table offers a unique perspective on time? Each occasion is but a perfect storm of past and future colliding in the present moment; the past reaching forward to us and the future coming back to us. It is a timely reminder of the Kingdom of God here and now; the convergence of past and future bringing forth meaning to the present.

NO LAUGHING MATTER

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye” (Matthew 6:41)?

The personality of Jesus is revealed in this laughably hyperbolic question. He utilizes humor to highlight two serious issues–the tendency of judging others while neglecting the necessity of self-criticism. To neglect the obvious flaws in one’s own life, while focusing on the minutia of someone else’s, is to make oneself a laughingstock.