24 December 2009
Psalm 45, 46; Baruch 4:36-5:9; Gal. 3:23-4:7; Matt. 1:18-25
What a wonderful vision of the glory of Jerusalem returning. We don’t really have a picture of what it means to be in exile. I have seen a glimpse of what it looks like in Rwanda. Many of the people I have met there have spent most of their lives in exile from their homeland and as soon as it was safe to return after the war in 1994, they came back. At that time the country was desolate with the stench of death all around and most of the buildings in the capital were full of holes from the shelling in the war. Nonetheless, they saw it for what it once was and what it could be and chose to return and rebuild. The eternal city of Jerusalem will be of a glory all its own and, with the coming of Jesus, we shall see that glory and the book of the Revelation tells us that nations will stream to its light, just as Baruch sees in this prophetic vision.
Joseph was a righteous man in that he was obedient to the heavenly vision in the same way that Mary was obedient to her vision. It must have been a difficult thing for the man to believe, who can blame him for hearing her story and deciding to put her away? Matthew tells us what had to have been first hand information regarding Joseph and Mary in order that we know that she remained a virgin until after the birth of her son, Jesus. They both sacrificed for the sake of the fulfillment of God’s will in their lives and for the world.
The law was our guardian prior to the coming of Jesus. Does that mean that we are now no longer under any obligation to live according to the law? No, it means, however, that we are no longer under the penalty of the law for transgressions, there is plenteous forgiveness in Christ Jesus. It does not mean that we should sin greatly so that mercy may abound. The law has not passed into meaninglessness, it still governs our conduct, but it is now written on our hearts by the Spirit of God who leads us into real righteousness. That righteousness is apart from the law but it is in keeping with the law, not just the letter but the spirit of the law. Jesus did not come to break the law or change the law but to interpret it by being the living Word. The glory of God revealed to us allows us to see the Word made flesh in order that we might be clothed in Christ and enabled to live like Him, in keeping with the will of the Father.
"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
23 December 2009
Psalm 72; 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Titus 2:11-3:8a; Luke 1:39-56
David realizes that he is secure enough now to build a house for the Lord. Nathan agrees and says, “Go for it.” Later, however, he listens to the Lord who has an opinion on the matter. The time has not come for building the temple and David isn’t the guy to do it. The promise the Lord makes concerning David’s line seems out of place to us today, seeing the government of Israel and how things have gone there for so long. The reality is that we, as Christians, know there is one from David’s line seated on the throne who will indeed be there forever. It isn’t, however, about an earthly kingdom, just as Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 19 when asked if he was a king. His throne is, for now, a heavenly throne, and we await the coming of the kingdom to bear on all of creation.
Mary explodes in praise for her condition, the fulfillment of the promise of God. Elizabeth’s greeting must have been sweet music to her ears. We don’t know how her family reacted to the news of her pregnancy but we do know about Joseph’s reaction, he decided to put her away quietly. What a blessing it must have been to hear Elizabeth rejoicing with her and confirming the word of the Lord to her. It hardly seems possible that two women, two cousins, at the same time, conceived children who would be the fulfillment of the prophets, the hopes and dreams of all peoples. Mary’s hymn of praise is all about the One who has done great things and her expectations of what this will mean, little does she know that in the short term things won’t go so well.
Paul states that his expectations of Christians is that they truly become new creations. We are to be different people since we received salvation and the Holy Spirit. He reminds them that even though their lives are more characterized by righteousness it isn’t for their righteousness that they were saved but through the mercy of God to those who were foolish and disobedient. The giving of the Spirit was so that we could be heirs of hope and be capable of devoting ourselves to good words as we wait the fulfillment of that hope. Let us be pregnant with hope and ready to proclaim the greatness of God to all who share that hope.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
Psalm 72; 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Titus 2:11-3:8a; Luke 1:39-56
David realizes that he is secure enough now to build a house for the Lord. Nathan agrees and says, “Go for it.” Later, however, he listens to the Lord who has an opinion on the matter. The time has not come for building the temple and David isn’t the guy to do it. The promise the Lord makes concerning David’s line seems out of place to us today, seeing the government of Israel and how things have gone there for so long. The reality is that we, as Christians, know there is one from David’s line seated on the throne who will indeed be there forever. It isn’t, however, about an earthly kingdom, just as Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 19 when asked if he was a king. His throne is, for now, a heavenly throne, and we await the coming of the kingdom to bear on all of creation.
Mary explodes in praise for her condition, the fulfillment of the promise of God. Elizabeth’s greeting must have been sweet music to her ears. We don’t know how her family reacted to the news of her pregnancy but we do know about Joseph’s reaction, he decided to put her away quietly. What a blessing it must have been to hear Elizabeth rejoicing with her and confirming the word of the Lord to her. It hardly seems possible that two women, two cousins, at the same time, conceived children who would be the fulfillment of the prophets, the hopes and dreams of all peoples. Mary’s hymn of praise is all about the One who has done great things and her expectations of what this will mean, little does she know that in the short term things won’t go so well.
Paul states that his expectations of Christians is that they truly become new creations. We are to be different people since we received salvation and the Holy Spirit. He reminds them that even though their lives are more characterized by righteousness it isn’t for their righteousness that they were saved but through the mercy of God to those who were foolish and disobedient. The giving of the Spirit was so that we could be heirs of hope and be capable of devoting ourselves to good words as we wait the fulfillment of that hope. Let us be pregnant with hope and ready to proclaim the greatness of God to all who share that hope.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
22 December 2009
Psalm 66, 67; 1 Samuel 2:1b-10; Titus 2:1-10; Luke 1:26-38
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, we meet a woman whose heart is sad, who is depressed, bitter, provoked in spirit, who weeps constantly and won’t eat. The same woman is now exulting in the Lord who has heard her prayer and answered it. Amazingly, she has given the child for whom she had so fervently prayed to the priest who had accused her of drunkenness when she prayed! Hannah knows how to give thanks, something we would do well to cultivate in our prayer life, always giving thanks for what the Lord has done for us, in the present as well as for all He has done for us.
What an incredible promise, “He (your son) will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary’s response was to ask how this could be since she was a virgin. Even Mary didn’t believe in a virgin birth. She could have asked the angel if it was alright to wait a few months until she was married but she didn’t, she simply said, “let it be to me according to your word.” She had to know it could cost her everything, her engagement, her reputation, her family. She simply acquiesced to the will of the Lord, and she never saw the earthly fulfillment of the promise. Mary is quite an remarkable person.
Paul understood that our lives matter as much as pure doctrine. In each of his admonitions to right living, he gives a particular reason. Women are to live a certain way in order that the word of God not be discredited, younger men so that any opponent be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of Christians, and slaves so that they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior. We can’t make sound doctrine our only aim, it must be a life lived in accord with the teaching of Jesus if we are to prove the doctrine is sound. We can’t simply believe in Jesus without living according to His Word.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name."
Psalm 66, 67; 1 Samuel 2:1b-10; Titus 2:1-10; Luke 1:26-38
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, we meet a woman whose heart is sad, who is depressed, bitter, provoked in spirit, who weeps constantly and won’t eat. The same woman is now exulting in the Lord who has heard her prayer and answered it. Amazingly, she has given the child for whom she had so fervently prayed to the priest who had accused her of drunkenness when she prayed! Hannah knows how to give thanks, something we would do well to cultivate in our prayer life, always giving thanks for what the Lord has done for us, in the present as well as for all He has done for us.
What an incredible promise, “He (your son) will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary’s response was to ask how this could be since she was a virgin. Even Mary didn’t believe in a virgin birth. She could have asked the angel if it was alright to wait a few months until she was married but she didn’t, she simply said, “let it be to me according to your word.” She had to know it could cost her everything, her engagement, her reputation, her family. She simply acquiesced to the will of the Lord, and she never saw the earthly fulfillment of the promise. Mary is quite an remarkable person.
Paul understood that our lives matter as much as pure doctrine. In each of his admonitions to right living, he gives a particular reason. Women are to live a certain way in order that the word of God not be discredited, younger men so that any opponent be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of Christians, and slaves so that they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior. We can’t make sound doctrine our only aim, it must be a life lived in accord with the teaching of Jesus if we are to prove the doctrine is sound. We can’t simply believe in Jesus without living according to His Word.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name."
21 December 2009
Psalm 61, 62; Zeph. 3:14-20; Titus 1:1-16; Luke 1:1-25
The time has come for rejoicing, not that the work of deliverance is complete but because the Lord has declared His intentions for His beloved. He has promised that He will act on Israel’s behalf, will return them to the land, will deal with their enemies, and will set all things to rights. In addition to all that, He will be in their midst and will exult over her with singing. Because of the promise the prophet encourages rejoicing. Worship should never wait. In this time of waiting for the fulfillment of the promises of the Lord to return and establish His everlasting kingdom we are called to worship Him for those promises and to live as those who know the future and are confident that He will do as He has promised.
Zechariah did not believe but doubted the word of the angel. One would think that an angelic visitation in the holy place where only the priest could go would be enough to convince him that this would happen, but the years of waiting and hoping had dulled his ability to believe. The incense offering Zechariah was making represented the prayers going up to God and here an angel tells him that his own prayers have been answered. The sign given is that he will not be able to speak until the promise is fulfilled. He is unable to convey the fullness of what he has seen and heard until after it is done. For someone like me it would be incredibly difficult not to talk about something as awe-inspiring as this event for the period of time necessary to bring it to pass. No promise is made concerning when this will be, I wonder if Zechariah was thinking about a similar promise to Abraham and how long that took to fulfill.
Paul writes to a leader instructing him how to arrange the affairs and leadership of the church. Paul describes himself as an apostle of the truth in the hope of eternal life. He is counting on God, who never lies, to fulfill that promise and, as we know, Paul bet the farm on that promise. Paul went to prison and continued to preach and write about the truth, went to his death proclaiming the truth. Truth is important to Paul, something to be defended and taught in the belief that the Holy Spirit was carried to the hearts of the elect in the truth and the truth itself was the hope of the world. We have a foretaste of what is to come and the promise of what it will be, now is the time to stand in that hope.
For You alone my soul waits in silence;
from You comes my salvation.
You only are my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Psalm 61, 62; Zeph. 3:14-20; Titus 1:1-16; Luke 1:1-25
The time has come for rejoicing, not that the work of deliverance is complete but because the Lord has declared His intentions for His beloved. He has promised that He will act on Israel’s behalf, will return them to the land, will deal with their enemies, and will set all things to rights. In addition to all that, He will be in their midst and will exult over her with singing. Because of the promise the prophet encourages rejoicing. Worship should never wait. In this time of waiting for the fulfillment of the promises of the Lord to return and establish His everlasting kingdom we are called to worship Him for those promises and to live as those who know the future and are confident that He will do as He has promised.
Zechariah did not believe but doubted the word of the angel. One would think that an angelic visitation in the holy place where only the priest could go would be enough to convince him that this would happen, but the years of waiting and hoping had dulled his ability to believe. The incense offering Zechariah was making represented the prayers going up to God and here an angel tells him that his own prayers have been answered. The sign given is that he will not be able to speak until the promise is fulfilled. He is unable to convey the fullness of what he has seen and heard until after it is done. For someone like me it would be incredibly difficult not to talk about something as awe-inspiring as this event for the period of time necessary to bring it to pass. No promise is made concerning when this will be, I wonder if Zechariah was thinking about a similar promise to Abraham and how long that took to fulfill.
Paul writes to a leader instructing him how to arrange the affairs and leadership of the church. Paul describes himself as an apostle of the truth in the hope of eternal life. He is counting on God, who never lies, to fulfill that promise and, as we know, Paul bet the farm on that promise. Paul went to prison and continued to preach and write about the truth, went to his death proclaiming the truth. Truth is important to Paul, something to be defended and taught in the belief that the Holy Spirit was carried to the hearts of the elect in the truth and the truth itself was the hope of the world. We have a foretaste of what is to come and the promise of what it will be, now is the time to stand in that hope.
For You alone my soul waits in silence;
from You comes my salvation.
You only are my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
20 December 2009
Psalm 24, 29; Gen 3:8-15; Rev. 12:1-10; John 3:16-21
The beginning of all the trouble in the world. At that time we knew how to react to sin, to hide from God. He knew what had happened and He came anyway and had to call us out of hiding. As sin becomes more prevalent, we no longer see it for what it is and we no longer feel the need to hide, instead believing we are righteous. Isaiah got quite a surprise in the temple one day and in the light of God’s holiness, saw himself as sinful and therefore shouldn’t have been in the temple. By the coming of Jesus, God walked among us and we decided we were more righteous than God. Today we talk very little about righteousness and, in the words of CS Lewis, put God in the dock and ask for explanations from Him about how a loving God could allow horrible things to happen. It’s easier than looking at ourselves.
Our sins deserve the death penalty but God’s love wouldn’t allow Him to execute that judgment. We were given a chance at reprieve in Jesus’ death on the cross. Our sins, all of them, are transferred to Him if we are willing to believe and to accept His Lordship over our lives. Accepting His sacrifice is also acceptance of the law at one level as in order for Him to take our sins we have to be willing to agree on what they are which then provides us with a definition of righteousness for the future. Like our first ancestors, some refuse to come out of hiding in the darkness and come to the light because they prefer their sin to change. Dealing with sin requires us to come at His summons and confess our sins in order to receive pardon.
Satan is the great accuser, the one who wants the law applied down to the letter and punishment for sins to the nth degree. His defeat in heaven is the sign that the judgment of God is at an end, we no longer have an accuser. It is his desire to destroy God’s plan for salvation, to destroy the baby before it is born, before it can begin to proclaim God’s love. He has hated us from the start and it was his plan to destroy us in death. The revelation of John tells us that there will be a time when sin and death are destroyed and it requires a battle in the heavens. Sin is an awful thing, no matter what it is, a little thing like a piece of fruit eaten in disobedience to God’s command necessitated all of this. Maybe we need to reconsider that reality as a check in our lives.
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
Psalm 24, 29; Gen 3:8-15; Rev. 12:1-10; John 3:16-21
The beginning of all the trouble in the world. At that time we knew how to react to sin, to hide from God. He knew what had happened and He came anyway and had to call us out of hiding. As sin becomes more prevalent, we no longer see it for what it is and we no longer feel the need to hide, instead believing we are righteous. Isaiah got quite a surprise in the temple one day and in the light of God’s holiness, saw himself as sinful and therefore shouldn’t have been in the temple. By the coming of Jesus, God walked among us and we decided we were more righteous than God. Today we talk very little about righteousness and, in the words of CS Lewis, put God in the dock and ask for explanations from Him about how a loving God could allow horrible things to happen. It’s easier than looking at ourselves.
Our sins deserve the death penalty but God’s love wouldn’t allow Him to execute that judgment. We were given a chance at reprieve in Jesus’ death on the cross. Our sins, all of them, are transferred to Him if we are willing to believe and to accept His Lordship over our lives. Accepting His sacrifice is also acceptance of the law at one level as in order for Him to take our sins we have to be willing to agree on what they are which then provides us with a definition of righteousness for the future. Like our first ancestors, some refuse to come out of hiding in the darkness and come to the light because they prefer their sin to change. Dealing with sin requires us to come at His summons and confess our sins in order to receive pardon.
Satan is the great accuser, the one who wants the law applied down to the letter and punishment for sins to the nth degree. His defeat in heaven is the sign that the judgment of God is at an end, we no longer have an accuser. It is his desire to destroy God’s plan for salvation, to destroy the baby before it is born, before it can begin to proclaim God’s love. He has hated us from the start and it was his plan to destroy us in death. The revelation of John tells us that there will be a time when sin and death are destroyed and it requires a battle in the heavens. Sin is an awful thing, no matter what it is, a little thing like a piece of fruit eaten in disobedience to God’s command necessitated all of this. Maybe we need to reconsider that reality as a check in our lives.
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
19 December 2009
Psalm 55; Zech. 8:9-17; Rev. 6:1-17; Matt. 25:31-46
The promise of blessing is announced. The link is clear between the trouble of the past and the hand of the Lord as well as the promise of plenty which is His will and His doing. The reality is that all that we have and all that we are is simply gift, it need not have been this way. It is important to realize He is both source and supply. The earth need not yield to our efforts to obtain daily sustenance, that the environment is designed to support life and cooperate with us to produce all that we need is a result of His desire and plan. The conditions He sets forth for this blessing of His people are simple: speak truth, render true (impartial) judgment, make peace, don’t devise evil against one another and don’t give false oaths. If we could do those few things we would be an extraordinary community, but so much more is possible by the power of the Spirit He has given us.
We are called to extend mercy and love to one another. The way that we live bears witness to whose we are. As He has loved the world, so are we called to love the world in practical ways, providing for one another as the need and opportunity arises. One of the collects for mission in Morning Prayer says, “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace; so clothe us with your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. This Gospel lesson not only says that, it tells us how we can reach forth our hands in love.
The judgments of God are revealed. The beginning of the end is announced. John is now a prophet and is telling us what is to come, the wrath of God will be poured out. The scene is ominous and tells us that what is to come is fearsome. There in the midst of this is the vision of the martyrs crying out for divine retribution on those who shed their blood. John would certainly have seen and known Christians who paid with their lives for their testimony. We live in a day when brothers and sisters in Christ are shedding their blood regularly and yet in America we don’t see it and have little or no connection to the persecution of others. Today is a good time to begin praying for the persecuted church around the world, that is one way of reaching out to others in the Name of Jesus.
Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
Psalm 55; Zech. 8:9-17; Rev. 6:1-17; Matt. 25:31-46
The promise of blessing is announced. The link is clear between the trouble of the past and the hand of the Lord as well as the promise of plenty which is His will and His doing. The reality is that all that we have and all that we are is simply gift, it need not have been this way. It is important to realize He is both source and supply. The earth need not yield to our efforts to obtain daily sustenance, that the environment is designed to support life and cooperate with us to produce all that we need is a result of His desire and plan. The conditions He sets forth for this blessing of His people are simple: speak truth, render true (impartial) judgment, make peace, don’t devise evil against one another and don’t give false oaths. If we could do those few things we would be an extraordinary community, but so much more is possible by the power of the Spirit He has given us.
We are called to extend mercy and love to one another. The way that we live bears witness to whose we are. As He has loved the world, so are we called to love the world in practical ways, providing for one another as the need and opportunity arises. One of the collects for mission in Morning Prayer says, “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace; so clothe us with your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. This Gospel lesson not only says that, it tells us how we can reach forth our hands in love.
The judgments of God are revealed. The beginning of the end is announced. John is now a prophet and is telling us what is to come, the wrath of God will be poured out. The scene is ominous and tells us that what is to come is fearsome. There in the midst of this is the vision of the martyrs crying out for divine retribution on those who shed their blood. John would certainly have seen and known Christians who paid with their lives for their testimony. We live in a day when brothers and sisters in Christ are shedding their blood regularly and yet in America we don’t see it and have little or no connection to the persecution of others. Today is a good time to begin praying for the persecuted church around the world, that is one way of reaching out to others in the Name of Jesus.
Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
Thursday, December 17, 2009
18 December 2009
Psalm 40, 54; Zech. 7:8-8:8; Rev. 5:6-14; Matt. 25:14-30
The former days of Jerusalem are remembered, the failure to heed the Word of the Lord. They are reminded of two basic things, that they disobeyed and that God judged their disobedience. They were not simply losers in the battle for the city with other nations, this was the judgment of God being executed against their sin and that judgment was righteous in the sense that it was deserved by their failure to keep covenant. The second part of the reading tells that not only is God righteous, He is also merciful. The return of the exiles has nothing to do with their obedience, it is God’s desire alone that has allowed them a hope and a future and the future He promises is peace and righteousness. The vision is of old and young in the city, and faithfulness and righteousness are the hallmarks of the relationship.
This Gospel lesson haunts me as a leader in the church in America. We have been given many talents by God, freedom, money, you name it we have it, and yet we are providing less return on investment than the one talent guy who buried his talent. Are we being faithful stewards of those talents with which we have been entrusted? It seems we have tried to hoard those things instead of sharing them in order to grow the kingdom. We have a great responsibility to the One to whom they belong and we will be required to give an accounting of our stewardship.
This 5th chapter of the Revelation is an amazing one. Where before there had only been the one on the throne who was worthy to receive glory and honor, now comes the lamb and the reaction of the elders and the living creatures is to fall down in His presence and offer Him the exact worship they had previously offered the One on the throne! Their worship is then followed by the angels and all the creatures in heaven, on earth and under the earth, all of creation explodes in the worship of the lamb. Our joy should be to join in that worship in the power of the Spirit at every opportunity as we recognize the worth of both the Father and the Son to receive our worship.
Blessed is the man who makes
the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
Psalm 40, 54; Zech. 7:8-8:8; Rev. 5:6-14; Matt. 25:14-30
The former days of Jerusalem are remembered, the failure to heed the Word of the Lord. They are reminded of two basic things, that they disobeyed and that God judged their disobedience. They were not simply losers in the battle for the city with other nations, this was the judgment of God being executed against their sin and that judgment was righteous in the sense that it was deserved by their failure to keep covenant. The second part of the reading tells that not only is God righteous, He is also merciful. The return of the exiles has nothing to do with their obedience, it is God’s desire alone that has allowed them a hope and a future and the future He promises is peace and righteousness. The vision is of old and young in the city, and faithfulness and righteousness are the hallmarks of the relationship.
This Gospel lesson haunts me as a leader in the church in America. We have been given many talents by God, freedom, money, you name it we have it, and yet we are providing less return on investment than the one talent guy who buried his talent. Are we being faithful stewards of those talents with which we have been entrusted? It seems we have tried to hoard those things instead of sharing them in order to grow the kingdom. We have a great responsibility to the One to whom they belong and we will be required to give an accounting of our stewardship.
This 5th chapter of the Revelation is an amazing one. Where before there had only been the one on the throne who was worthy to receive glory and honor, now comes the lamb and the reaction of the elders and the living creatures is to fall down in His presence and offer Him the exact worship they had previously offered the One on the throne! Their worship is then followed by the angels and all the creatures in heaven, on earth and under the earth, all of creation explodes in the worship of the lamb. Our joy should be to join in that worship in the power of the Spirit at every opportunity as we recognize the worth of both the Father and the Son to receive our worship.
Blessed is the man who makes
the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
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