Thanks in Heaven 11-13-13

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:" Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:11,12)

Thoughts: Even the powerful angels say thanks to God in worship.  Thanks is due God (along with praise, glory, wisdom, honor, power, and strength) forever and ever.  Paul said to give thanks to God always (continually).  There is no time where we should stop giving thanks- in the hard and the easy circumstances; in the good and the bad.  God is on the throne- to Him is always due thanks.  He never gets off of the throne. Our perception is that God is off the throne when things go poorly for us.  But God is on the throne.  

Prayer: You are worthy, O Lord,  of our praise and thanks.  Thank you that you are on the throne all the time.  

4/21/13- A Vision of Heaven

These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat down on them,’  nor any scorching heat.  17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their  shepherd;  ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’  ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’  (Revelation 7:14-17) 

Thoughts: In the wake of the terrorist acts we would do well to ask where are we headed and where do we want to go?  For North Korea, the vision is to defeat the South and America- uniting the Korean peninsula by force- that is heaven for them.  For Muslim fundamentalists, the belief is that chaos must come along with immorality before the day of judgment.  Eliminating structures and human comfort add to the chaos and hasten the day of judgment.  Christians believe heaven is a place of comfort, peace, security, and fulfilled hope and love.  Our desire is not to hasten chaos, but to bring the hope, peace, and grace of heaven down to earth.  What you believe about heaven effects what you do on earth.  

     Revelation 7 is a vision of martyrs in heaven, but it is also a glimpse of heaven for all of us.  The first vision is that we are made clean by Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  So on this earth, Christian try to tell others there is a way to get forgiveness and to forgive each other.
     There is no hunger, thirst or environmental discomfort.  In other words, there is real security and lack of worry.  We do not need to worry about unemployment, or the money running out at the end of the month, or the consequences of pollution or nuclear war.  But in this life we seek to bring a bit of heaven to earth and work to help the hungry eat, the thirsty drink freely, and to free the world of environmental disaster.
     The Lamb will be our shepherd.  So we shall not want.  The One who died for us will lead us to life and eternal nourishment.  So in this life we seek to let people know the Great Shepherd who can give them purpose and direction in life.
     God will wipe every tear from their eyes.  Pain is ended in heaven.  The Great Physician heals us and helps us.  In this life believers seek to end the pain of others.  So there are many Christian hospitals and medical missionaries.
     Yesterday when the terrorist was arrested people lined the streets and clapped for the Law Enforcement personnel. Heaven applauds when we bring God's peace, grace, help and hope to earth. In our day, we need a vision that can give us hope and direction.  

Prayers: Thank you Lord for the hope of no more hunger, tears, weather or pollution problems, and pain.  Give us strength to bring your idea of heaven down to earth now.  

(Jesus wiping tears of a child)