The worship scene in heaven is the most awesome scene we will ever see … Saints without number, all dressed in white, waving palm branches before the Lord, and all the Angels surrounding the throne .
READ/HEAR: Rev.6,7
Christians are bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. We therefore do not belong to ourselves. Many of us live like it, though. We go where we want to go (or not go … to church), we eat what we want to eat, we watch what we want to watch, we say what we want to say. If we truly understand how much Jesus sacrificed and paid for our redemption, we would live life differently.
I am convicted.
READ/HEAR: Rev. 4,5
If we are wise, we will welcome rebuke. A consistent theme in scripture is that, “Whom the Lord loves, He rebukes and chastens.” Chastisement is an earmark of being someone’s child. Parents who don’t love or care about their children don’t take the time or give the effort to bring correction to them.
Proverbs says that correction is an excellent oil that won’t break your head. The wise person, therefore, understands that correction is vital to being correct, so they welcome it. Conversely, a foolish person resists or resents correction. They want to take the easy peasy way. They love themselves too much to think that they could be wrong or lacking. The cant’ take the pain of being wrong.
When we love ourselves too much, we leave little for God and others.
READ/HEAR: Rev. 3
God gave the Revelation to John because He wanted His people to know what was going to happen in the end times. A recurring phrase is, “He that has an ear, let him hear.”
What does it mean to have an ear. If you want to hear a herd of elephants coming, what do you do? You put your ear to the ground. It’s a matter of knowing where to put your ear.
“Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of My doors.” [Pr. 8:34]
Here’s where we can hear:
As Eli taught Samuel to say, “Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
READ/HEAR: Rev. 1,2
We rarely consider the horrible death Jesus suffered on our behalf. It’s important because through His suffering, we have been provided with both present and eternal benefits. [Is. 53] He called it a cup, something to be ingested. He could have refused to drink it, but He willingly took it because He knew and understood it’s value and importance.
We are also presented opportunities to drink a cup of suffering. Obviously, there is no joy in its experience, but there is joy and a reward at its conclusion. Scripture informs us that Jesus ENDURED the cross and suffering for the joy that was set before Him. He was the fullness of God’s grace on display for the world to see. We too can display God’s grace to this sin-sick world when we endure and triumph over life’s challenges through the strength and stamina provided by God through Christ.
Call upon the name of Jesus when you suffer.
READ/HEAR: Mark 15,16
Today I will trace the major influencers over the praise and worship trends in churches in the U.S. that I have experienced in my walk of faith. I call it God’s traveling trophy of anointing on the choruses churches use in their praise and worship services.
JESUS PEOPLE MOVEMENT – 60s and 70s. Chuck Girard and Barry McGuire were well known singers. It coincided with the San Francisco Hippie Movement. Made up mostly of young people fed up with established main-line religion, there was much zeal. You came to church dressed as you were.
SCRIPTURE IN SONG – 70s. David and Dale Garrett from New Zealand made singing scripture popular. They published small spiral bound music books that got people singing the Word of God.
CFNI – In the 70s and 80s, Christ for the Nations made praise and worship recordings that introduced many popular choruses to the church. “To Him Who Sits on the Throne” by Debby Graafsma was a well-known song. Her little sister, Kerri, sang in the first Living Praise group I directed at CFNI.
HOSANNA INTEGRITY – 80s and 90s. “Give Thanks,” sung by Don Moen and many other powerful choruses were birthed and recorded and published through this ministry which had a periodic, well organized marketing method of supplying praise and worship leaders with new songs to sing in churches.
VINEYARD – 80s and 90s. John Wimber, himself an accomplished.professional sax player, started a movement of churches and music which introduced a rock concert style to churches .. low lights, sing-a-song, audience applause, start another song. Local, converted rock and rollers could easily reproduce their songs.
HILLSONG – 90s. Darlene Zschech’s song, “Shout to the Lord,” characterized the Hillsong music movement that produced popular praise and worship music that was published and well-distributed worldwide.
God uses imperfect people to sing perfect praise. Our eyes should be upon Him and view the people He uses with loving, forgiving hearts. They are singing about Him and to Him. Songs that get all the people focused on Him and singing to Him is the goal.
I can’t wait to hear the music of heaven.
READ/HEAR: Rev. 5
Jesus took His Disciples to the garden of olive trees on the Mount of Olives to pray. He told them of the end times and commanded them to “watch.” He identified it as the opposite of sleeping. Other expressions to explain His meaning are “Be alert.” “Stay awake,”” Be ready.” They were to apply their diligence to make preparation for the Lord’s second coming.
The other day I was caring for my toddler grand-daughter. I got a little sleepy, but I could not dare doze because of the critical responsibility I had to watch her. I stirred myself to be alert for her welfare.
Spiritually, we must stir ourselves and keep alert. Yes, we need sleep, but we need His coming more.
READ/HEAR: Mark 13,14
Jesus dealt with hypocrisy continually. He pointed it out to His Disciples and when asked stupid questions designed to trick Him, He responded with wisdom and eternal insight others didn’t have. He deferred judgement to the hereafter.
Political leaders often use noble sounding phrases and references to God, but propose and enact legislation from the pit of hell. It’s nothing new.
Meanwhile, we continue to do what James encouraged; “Comfort the fatherless and in their affliction, and keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
READ/HEAR: Mark 11,12
Jesus made this statement as He conducted a dialogue with His Disciples concerning admittance into the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. He had just finished telling the rich young ruler that he would need to sell all his belongings and give them to the poor. People are no different today. Their security and sense of well-being is directly related to their bank account or material possessions. We don’t realize that when we die, we can’t take it with us and it will give us NO ADVANTAGE over anyone else … unless we will have done what Jesus said … give it to the poor and thereby invest it in our eternal future.
Is it possible to give it all away? In men’s eyes it probably isn’t. In God’s eyes and with His perspective, we can see the possibility to separate ourselves from our possessions and rely upon Him to provide for us.
Again, with God, all things are possible.
READ/HEAR: Mark 10
Jesus referred to bread often. He fed His students loaves of bread and fishes. He used bread to refer to Himself … “I am the bread of life.” It was a vital part of the Last Supper. He was known to the disciples on the road to Emmaus when He broke bread with them.
So many people won’t eat bread. No doubt, our bread probably isn’t the same, but how different can it be?
In Europe, bread and bakeries are everywhere. They are probably healthier than we are, on the average.
It’s said, “Bread isn’t good for you.” (But I like French toast)
READ/HEAR: Mark 8,9
TCS Daily Devotional 