Psalm 51:16-19

"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart  you, God, will not despise."

{Psalm 51:17} (NIV) 

Many, many people have made the mistake of thinking that God is a God who delights in sacrifice. We can start to think that God gets something out of animals being killed, that He is sort of bloodthirsty or something, and we forget the purpose of the sacrifice. David reminds us that the purpose of the sacrifice is to restore our relationship with God. 

The temple of God is not a marketplace, where we know before we sin, what it will cost us and are prepared to pay the price. The sacrifice reminds us that the price of sin is death and destruction, which is a price that we cannot pay. God graciously, in a covenant of love set up a sacrificial system, so that the price we can’t pay could be paid on our behalf. The sacrifice only happens because we deserve death because of our sin. If we weren’t sinners a sacrifice would be unnecessary. 

David knows that a sacrifice offered by a person who is planning to sin again in their heart, is an insult to God, and negates the sacrifice. What God desires is a broken heart, a heart that doesn’t want to sin again, a heart that is genuinely sorry for their sin. God sees our hearts, and knows our attitude as we come before Him and ask for forgiveness based on the sacrifice and blood of His Son, who is our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Friend, this is so important for each of us. May God break us. May He break our hearts over our sins. May we bring before Him a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. Forgive us Lord, forgive us.

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Psalm 51:14,15

"Open my lips, LORD, and my mouth will declare your praise."

{Psalm 51:15} (NIV) 

David knew something about singing God’s praises. He knew something about leading God’s people in praise and worship. He personally wrote the bulk of Israel’s song book, that we call the psalms. He, of all of God’s people, has done more to help us use our tongues and mouths to praise God than any other saint. So we should pay attention to the connection he draws here between guilt, the power of God, and our tongues and mouths singing praises. 

David is saying that guilt stops our tongues and lips from praising God. He has asked God for mercy; he has asked God to cleanse him and blot out his sin, and he has asked God to work in his inner being with the Holy Spirit. Now believing that God has blotted out his sin, he asks God to deliver him from guilt. 

Guilt is what we take on ourselves as we dwell on our sin. Conviction is from God, and it comes to us through His Holy Spirit (Jn 16:8-11), and it drives us to our knees before God to beg for mercy. Guilt is from our sin nature and its pride. Guilt is a slave driver and it drives us away from God – not towards Him. (Heb 10:19-25) David’s only use of the personal name of God YHWH (LORD) is in this verse. This teaches us that David knew that his relationship could only be restored if he was delivered from guilt.  

Friend, we have come before God, and asked for mercy. We have asked for forgiveness, 

restoration, the inner work of the Holy Spirit. May we not stop there. May we ask for deliverance from guilt, so that our tongues and lips might be loosened to praise our 

gracious God!

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Psalm 51:10-13

"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you."

{Psalm 51:13} (NIV) 

Do I know God’s ways? Do we know how God operates? God is infinite, and therefore everything that He is, is infinite. We are finite and so we can never comprehend God. But we can know His ways. 

He has written down for us in His Word accounts of how He deals with humans. Individual humans, and groups of humans. Humans that lived a long time ago, and humans who have yet to be born. Friend we can learn about God’s ways by reading how He deals with other people. But we will only truly learn God’s ways for ourselves if we surrender to Him and allow Him to deal with us. 

David humbled himself, asked God for mercy, asked God to cleanse him, and blot out his sin. David even asked God to change his very nature, by creating for him a new heart, and a steadfast spirit. David knows that the key to his inward change is God’s Holy Spirit! So he asks God to leave His Spirit to do His work in David’s life. 

Friend, this is how God operates! Do you know this for yourself today? Let us humble ourselves, plead for mercy, and ask for the Holy Spirit to change us in our innermost being. Then, as we experience the joy of the LORD, and we notice others who have been dragged down by unconfessed sin, let us teach them the wonderful gracious ways of our God.

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Psalm 51:5-9

"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

{Psalm 51:7} (NIV)

The good news is that despite our utter state of sinfulness from conception, our Creator God desires us to be faithful instead of sinful. David gives credit to God for the wisdom he has been given to understand this truth. Then David acts on this truth and asks God to cleanse him, wash him, restore him and to remove any memory of David’s sin from God’s mind. 

This seems a little presumptuous on David’s part, perhaps even foolish. God is a holy, righteous Judge, who always does what is right. How can a person who is completely in the wrong, with no excuse for his actions, expect a righteous Judge who shows no favoritism, to completely absolve him from his crime and wipe out the record of his crime? Well, David asks God to do this with hyssop. Hebrews 9:19 tells us that Moses used hyssop to sprinkle the blood of the covenant on the people of God. As he sprinkled the blood on the people he told them, “this is the blood of the covenant”. 

Friend, do we have wisdom from God, like David had? Do we understand that God desires us to be faithful, and that He has provided a means for us to be restored to Him? When we see our sin, may we confess our sinfulness, and ask our Lord to cleanse with the blood of Christ, believing in our hearts that when God does that for us, we become whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;

I want Thee forever to live in my soul.

Break down every idol, cast out every foe;

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

(James Ni­chol­son, 1872)

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Psalm 51:5-9

"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

{Psalm 51:5} (NIV) 

David is describing the problem that every one of us has; we have been sinful from the time we were conceived. A new born baby is as innocent as pure driven snow. They haven’t exercised their will in any way; they are too busy surviving and growing and learning. Yet as David catches sight of his sin, the Holy Spirit reveals to him that his sin problem is not a surface problem, it is a foundation problem. 

The TV news present wicked people as though down deep they are good, they just made a terrible mistake, or they got caught up in circumstances beyond their control. The world constantly seeks to answer the question - WHY? - for all sorts of terrible deeds, and yet the world refuses to believe the truth that David shares in this verse. The reason people act wickedly is because everyone of us is sinful from the time we were conceived in our mother’s womb. 

The real question that needs to be answered is – HOW? How can people who are sinful to their core, actually stop sinning, and begin to show love for people around them? How can we be the parents we should be, the neighbours we should be, the people that we should be? The world’s answer is to change their outer circumstances, but David knew better; he knew that he needed an inner change. 

Friend, what about us today, are we looking for a change in our circumstance or are we looking for inner change?

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Psalm 51:1-4

"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."

{Psalm 51:3}(NIV) 

It is an awful place to be; when you know your transgressions, when you constantly think of your sin. Ignorance is bliss, so we think. I was much happier when I was unaware of this sin. The Bible teaches us that this awful place of knowing our sin is actually the place of blessing. Satan tells us that ignorance is bliss, the Bible teaches us that ignorance is death. 

By using the word ‘for’, David shows us that the awareness of his sin is what caused him to ask God for mercy, and for his sin to be blotted out. This awareness of his sin caused him to base his prayer for mercy not on himself, but on the character of God, “according to your unfailing love, and great compassion.” (vs.1) David based his request on the character of the One whom he approaches for mercy, not upon any merit of his own, and therefore his prayer will be answered. 

When we see our sin, and think about our Holy God, it causes us to realize that although we sin against others, we offend our God in how we treat others. The words we said, the thoughts we thought, the places we went, the things we did. These sins offend a Holy God and to Him we must go and ask for mercy. 

Friend, let us ask God to search our hearts and show us our sin, for ignorance is death.

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Psalm 118

"The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar."

{Psalm 118:27} (NIV)

Tomorrow is what we call Palm Sunday. It is the day that Christians have set aside as the day to remember the wonderful welcome that our Lord received as he entered Jerusalem at the end of His ministry. 

The words those disciples used as they welcomed Jesus, were the words of Psalm 118. In Psalm 118, there is no thought of the king leaving, only rejoicing that he has come to Jerusalem. He will be their deliverer and their salvation because the LORD has blessed him and has shown His power through him. With him present among them, who can hurt them? Oh they are so happy! So they join in on his journey to the temple of God, singing, waving boughs and rejoicing in the goodness of God; drawing near to God with sincere hearts full of adoration and thanksgiving. In short: they worshipped!  

This is a day that should cause Christians everywhere to worship God. Our KING Jesus is our deliverer and He is our salvation. He has come into my heart and He will never leave me. Whom will I fear? Who is strong enough to take me from my King, or even separate me from the love of God? May each of us join this festal procession to the horns of the alter in the throne room of God. May we worship Him in spirit and in truth, for he has made his light shine on us.

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Song of Solomon 2

“He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love."

{Song of Solomon 2:4} (NASB) 

There is something almost embarrassing about being around two people who are as madly in love as the lovers described in this chapter. They have eyes for each other, and they both believe that they have the most special person in the world as their lover. She knows that he loves her and she even describes his love as a banner over her. 

If you stop and think, can you picture how a woman looks who knows that she is loved? A woman who is so convinced of her lover’s love that his love hovers over her like a banner? For us husbands, this is how our wives are to look every day, but sadly we fall short on our Lord’s command to love her as He loved the church. But Christ didn’t fall short of loving us. He loved us, sought us, died for us, will do anything for us, helps us, comforts us, listens to us, walks with us, speaks softly in our ears, and wants us to speak to Him continually (which means He doesn’t ever want us to be quiet). 

Will we sit at His feet today? Will we drink deeply of His love? Will we force our minds to dwell on the wonderful things He has done for us, and the wonderful mansion He has prepared for us? Drink deep of His love this day and in the days to come. People will notice that you are loved. They can`t help but see that we know we are loved, for we will wear a banner everywhere we go.

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Exodus 17

"Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner."

{Exodus 17:15} (NIV) 

I always chuckle to myself when I see a car on the street with a little flag flying off the back window, with their favorite hockey team symbol on it. They are identifying themselves with “their” team. In this text, Moses is identifying himself with God. He is saying that the LORD is his God. God’s banner flies over him, he is on the LORD’s team. 

Actually Moses goes further than that; he says that the LORD Himself flies over him and that that his hand is upon the throne of God. That is, God is right there at all times and He listens to his prayer and brings victory for those Moses prays for. Here we have enemies, come to destroy the people of God. Moses goes up on a hill and raises above his head his staff, (which was his proof that he had met with the LORD) and prays for victory. Not only did God bring victory that day, He promised Moses that He would give His people the strength to completely eradicate their enemies in the future. 

This passage makes me want to pray, every time I read it! It is a wonderful reminder of the importance of intercessory prayer, but it should also remind us to check our banner. May our lives today, bear the banner of the Living God. May all who come our way be able to see that we are on the LORD’s team, that the LORD is over all that we do and say.

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1 Samuel 7

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

{1 Samuel 7:12} (NIV) 

Could we stop what we are doing right now and speak these words with truth? “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” As we read this chapter, we realize that the LORD had worked a miracle and had delivered their enemies into their hands by a supernatural act. It seems a fitting thing for these Old Testament people to set up a reminder stone of God’s help, but does it apply to us in 2013? 

How about it: has God helped you thus far? Did He not bring you to a place where you could hear the gospel, open your eyes, and give you faith to believe and be saved? Has He not entered into your sinful body, to make it His holy dwelling place? Has He not worked on your mind and conscience to bring you into conflict with your sinful tendencies that are so destructive to us? Has He not brought you into fellowship with other children of God who love you and who pray for you, and help you? Has He not placed you in a century and in a country where much money and effort is put into taking care of your physical needs? 

The Bible records that the LORD continued to help Israel against their enemies, and no doubt this stone was a reminder and encouragement to them in their struggle. May our lives today, bear testimony to all who come by, that the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, has helped us thus far, and therefore we are looking for His help today.

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Judges 6

"So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."

{Judges 6:24} (NIV) 

Many of us cringe when we think of the book of Judges; the anger of God, the suffering, the killing, the cycle of sin, idolatry and punishment, repeated over and over again can make this book a little discouraging to read. But in this story of the call of Gideon, wonderful truths about our great God are revealed.

1. The LORD is with him in his distress and trouble. Israel is in trouble because of their sin, and yet God does not leave; He is there with them still. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us.

2. God calls him a mighty warrior when he is cowering in a hole hiding from the enemy. God sees us as we will be. He sees us in Christ, and calls us His holy ones. Oh that we would live as He names us!

3. Who we are and our weakness are not as important as who God is. His presence guarantees victory. Oh friend, that we would believe this truth and live in confidence of the victory of God, over sin and Satan.

4. Most important of all the presence of the LORD meant Peace for Gideon! Once Gideon realized that it was God he was speaking to, he panics and becomes very fearful for his life. God speaks reassuring words of peace to Gideon, and Gideon builds an altar and names it Peace. 

Oh friend, do you know this Peace that Christ Jesus speaks into our lives? Friend, do you this day, have that wonderful peace that passes understanding, the Peace that comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our sinful bodies?

 May our lives today, bear testimony to all who come by us, that we have Peace with the LORD.

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Genesis 35

"Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.(which means house of God)."

{Genesis 35:15} (NIV)

Abraham built an altar near Bethel to call on the name of the LORD (Gen. 12:8). Isaac built an altar near Beersheba and called on the name of the LORD there (Gen. 26:25). Both of these men did this without any instruction from the LORD, however, Jacob needed the LORD to tell him to do it. “Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” (Gen. 35:1) 

Not only did Jacob build an altar, but he also set up a pillar of stone that he poured oil over. The purpose of this stone was to build an earthly reminder, outlasting Jacob, that God had kept His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This ‘house of God’, this name ‘Bethel’ is the most accurate description of a Christian that you will find in the Old Testament. God lives in us! The most fitting earthly reminder for a Christian to build, is the life we are living right now. 

May our lives today bear testimony to all who come by us, that we are the house of God; that God Himself lives inside us, that His gracious promises always come true. May God Himself, pour out the oil of the Holy Spirit upon our lives today.

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Matthew 4:1-11

"Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

{Matthew 4:10} (NIV)

When you read this last temptation, one wonders if Satan knew that the Lord’s purpose was to become King of kings and Lord of lords. It is a fitting temptation for a king. It wouldn’t tempt most of us, for we aren’t kings nor do we want to be. 

All the kingdoms of the world must belong to Satan, for Jesus doesn’t just tell him that they aren’t his to give. The concept appears to be that all our Lord has to do, is turn toward Satan and bow His knee; drawing near to Satan with a sincere heart in adoration and thanksgiving, and then Jesus can shortcut the process He will have to endure to become King of kings God’s way. Our Lord refuses and tells Satan to get lost, for He will only worship God. 

Satan works this same way with us. If we would only draw near to money and serve it, we can get what we want the easy way. If we would only draw near to pornography, we can get what we want, without the hard work of marriage. And so on and so on. Do we know what our Lord knew, that if we draw near to our God, we will get what He wants, which is way better than what Satan and the world have to offer? 

Friend, what about it - have we worshipped God yet today? Have we drawn near to Him, with a sincere heart full of adoration and thanksgiving? Let us worship God, and serve God only. It is what we need today, more than anything the world can offer!

Dear Heavenly Father, may your will be done by me today as it is in heaven.

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Matthew 4:1-11

"Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah."

{Deuteronomy 6:16} (NIV) 

Having heard from the Son of God that He was determined to rely on God only, the devil then took our Lord to the highest point of the temple and asked Him to prove that He was the Son of God by throwing Himself off the temple, the concept being that the Word of God in Psalm 91 teaches that God would protect His Son from harm. Our Lord’s response showed that He understood this test not to be about His identity as the Son of God, but as an actual test of the presence of God Himself, and He refused. 

Jesus quotes a verse from Deuteronomy which refers back to the desert in Exodus, where the Israelites grumbled about lack of water. Moses sums up their grumbling with this statement, “Is the LORD among us or not?”. Jesus knew that He is the Son of God, and He knew that God was with Him, and He refused to “force” God’s hand. He would not “test” God’s loving Presence, as if God was some sort of puppet that we can manipulate because of our relationship with Him. 

Friend, are you a child of God? Does His Spirit testify with your spirit that you are His child? Then friend, rest in that knowledge, no matter your situation. Refuse the temptation of Satan to demand that God perform, that He needs to prove His love. Just simply trust Him. God loves you, He is with you now, He is all around you. Trust Him!

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Matthew 4:1-11

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

{Deuteronomy 8:3} (NIV) 

The people of Israel were led by the cloud into their desert. Our Lord Jesus was led by the Spirit into His desert. 

The people of Israel went in ignorance, not knowing what would happen, nor knowing the purpose. Moses told them 40 years later that the purpose was to teach them. Not to teach them how to survive in a desolate wasteland, but to teach them to depend solely on God and not on themselves. There was no grain to pick, no animals to kill, no water to discover; nothing that they could do that would preserve their lives. They had to rely solely on God. 

Our Lord knew the purpose of the desert and He wanted to demonstrate to all of us and to Satan and the spirits, that He would rely only on God, and nothing else. So He willingly followed the Spirit into the desert and there, when He was tempted by Satan to use His own efforts to save Himself, He reminded Satan of the purpose of the desert. He declared for all creation to hear, that He, the Only Son of God, would depend solely on God for His sustenance. Friend, may this attitude of relying solely on God be ours today. May His grace be sufficient for us today.

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Psalm 77

"Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen."

{Psalm 77:19} (NIV) 

There is a popular poem called "Footprints in the Sand". In it, the author looks at her life as a set of footprints on the sand, and is so thankful of the places where there are two sets of prints; the places where God is walking close, hand in hand. But then there are times when the author saw only one set of prints, and it troubled her that God had left her during that time of her life. She then receives encouragement from a revelations that God Himself carried her during those times. 

This psalmist receives encouragement from the truth that God didn't leave any footprints in the sand of the Red Sea. Using his mind properly, fixing it on God and the works God has done, causes him to realize that you can't see God's footprints. All you see is your own, and yet it was God Himself who led His people through the Sea. It was God who separated the Egyptians and Israelites by a cloud. It was God who parted the Red Sea. It was God who led them through the Sea and then destroyed the Egyptian army. But God didn't leave any footprints! 

Friend, although in your distress, you see no visible signs of God's presence, be encouraged. Think on what He has done for you. Think on what He did in the past for you and then realize that He hasn't changed; He still loves you dearly. He is still a warrior, able to free you. He is still your Counselor and Comforter, able to to heal you. Call out to Him and wait on Him. Praise His glorious Name!

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Psalm 77

"I thought...Then I thought..."

{Psalm 77:5a, 10a (NIV) 

God has given each of us a mind. Not just a brain, though the brain is a ncessary part of the mind. He has made each of us with a mind, and therefore we can think cognitively; we can use logic, we can think apposing thoughts and argue things out. We can connect sights, sounds and smells to events, and to people. We can dream and visualize what the future may hold, most of which is pure fantasy, but some of which is actually logical projection based on past observations. 

The most amazing part of our minds is our memory; the fact that we can think on things that we have read or experienced. The psalmist's mind is working against him in verses 5 thru 9, as his memories of his own actions condemn him and place him in God's anger. But through his will, he forces himself to place his mind on a different subject. Instead of remembering his actions, he chooses to remember God's actions. 

There is a world of difference between remembering my actions, versus remembering God's actions. Placing my mind on myself and what I have done, will bring dispair. Placing my mind on God and what He has done, will bring healing and hope.

May we this day resolve to get our minds fixed on our Lord Jesus Christ and the tremendous work of love that He did for us. 

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Psalm 77

"I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me."

{Psalm 77:1} (NIV) 

We can learn so much from the Spirit-led prayers of the saints that are recorded in the Psalms. I cry out to God for help! We go through times of distress, of sleeplessness, of depression; times when God seems to have deserted us. There are times when we walk hand in hand with God, skipping along our merry way. Troubles have left us, the sky is blue, our future is bright, and everything has a rosy hue! We awake with a song on our lips, joy in our heart and a spring in our step. But what this psalmist is going through, is the opposite experience. He doesn’t even think God hears him, and yet he still cries out to God, to help him and to hear him. Friend, this is faith! 

When times are good, it is easy to praise God. But when times are tough and God’s hand is against us, a person who has faith seeks God more, with more energy than before. They seek Him with all their soul and mind and strength; they want His blessing, they want His assurance, and they draw near to Him, with a sincere heart, seeking His presence and assurance. 

Friend, this crying out to God is Spirit-led worship! May we worship Him today, especially in our trouble.

Better than a Hallelujah, Amy Grant, via YouTube

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Revelation 19

"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean."

{Revelations 19:13,14} (NIV) 

Here in this passage we have our Lord Jesus Christ, in His rightful position in front of the armies of God that He commands. He is the Faithful and True, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. These are the armies of heaven, and the chariots of Elisha are in this group. 

In this awesome scene, the Lord is not asking anyone to take off their sandals and obey Him. No! He is riding to bring death and destruction to all who have not surrendered their souls to Him. For all who have not bowed before Him and kissed Him (Ps2). He has a sword, He has an iron club, He has a great horse, and He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. If you are one of those who sees this Lord, this Son of God coming in His garments of war, then friend at that moment realize that there is no hope for you. The passage clearly states that all means all. He is not just coming for the “beast”, nor just for the kings or the generals or the mighty people of this earth, rather He is coming for all flesh. He will by force kill all flesh and will throw them into eternal fire. Rebels against God are rebels to the end, even when there is no hope. 

Friend, the hope is now, today. The hope is in surrender today; kiss the Son of God. He comes to us in meekness, gentleness, humility. He comes with open arms inviting us to surrender our lives and receive the salvation of our souls. The Commander of the armies of God desires us to live and has given His life that we may have life. Praise His holy Name.

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Joshua 5:13-6:27

"The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so."

{Joshua 5:15} (NIV) 

Moses had to take his sandals off for the burning bush. Joshua has to remove his for a man with a sword. This commander of the LORD’s army is more than an angel. He is a manifestation of God Himself. 

What an amazing God Joshua serves! God Himself comes with instructions for victory. The message is that God will deliver the enemies into the hands of God’s people. God Himself will bring their stronghold down, and will make the enemies helpless before God’s people. 

God’s people are required to OBEY exactly the instructions given, and then all they need is the will to swing a sword and to put to death man, woman, child and animals. 1 Samuel 15 records that Saul didn’t have this will when it came to the Amalekites. God’s people in this age of grace, (which is the day of salvation for all who call on Name of the Lord) are called to a different battle then Joshua and Saul. Our battlefield is within ourselves. The enemy is our own sin, and the Lord Jesus has taken away the protection of the enemy, and made them helpless before us. 

O Lord I pray, may we have the will this day, to kill the sin that is within. May we not cling to the fattened calves of sin that we treasure for ourselves, may we kill them all! Work in our hearts and will O Lord, give us the love for you and the hatred for sin that we need to cleanse our lives this day!

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2 Kings 6:8-23

"And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." 

{2 Kings 6:17} (NIV) 

I am like that servant of Elisha. I can’t see spiritual beings around me. I am oblivious to them. I work in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, preaching His gospel, engaged in spiritual work, and yet I have no ability to see the spirit world. There have been times when I think that I sense evil spirits. My hair stands up, goose bumps come over my skin and fear grips me. There have been many times when I sense the presence of the blessed Holy Spirit, as He comforts me, works in me and in the people who attend services. But I can’t see the spirit world. Sometimes I think, “that is good John, you don’t want that kind of sight, you don’t need it and it would be another burden”. But in a situation like this, where fear grips us, then this sight would be a real blessing. 

The spirit world is real and there are angels who are around us; this is biblical. Just read Hebrews 1:14 and Luke 16:22! Friend, I can’t tell you that this prayer of Elisha will be answered for you, and that you will be given the ability to see the spirit world with your physical eyes. But I think of the prayer that we sing at church, “Lord open the eyes of my heart.” I think to myself, just open those eyes Lord, just allow my heart to have the faith to believe that all around me, right at this moment are angels, sent for me, to minister to me and then to take me to be with my Lord.

God is so good to us!

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Revelation 4,5

"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

{Revelation 5:13} (NIV) 

What is our reaction to the revelation of God on His throne and the Lion who is a Lamb? Do we worship? Do we sing? Do we pray and bless our Lord who died for us? Friend, if these two chapters of the Bible don’t cause us to worship, then we have a serious spiritual problem. 

Verse 13 is pretty clear that ALL creatures will worship, presumably at some future time, for we know that all creatures do not worship Him now. What stops us from worshipping God? What stops us from drawing near to Him with a sincere heart, full of adoration and thanksgiving? What makes us respond to a powerful passage like the one before us, with a yawn and an “Oh well, so what?” on our lips? 

Friend, the Israelites were set free for the purpose of worship. (Ex 12:31) God sought us out and set us free for the purpose of worship. (Jn 4:23) May we worship Him today! Don’t let discouragement stop you. Don’t let busyness stop you. Don’t let a lack of a feeling of closeness to God stop you. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Come, now is the time to worship

Come, now is the time to give your heart

Come, just as you are to worship

Come, just as you are before your God

Come

One day ev'ry tongue will confess You are God

One day ev'ry knee will bow

Still the greatest treause remains for those,

Who gladly choose you now

{Come Now Is the Time to Worship, Brian Doerksen, 1998}

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Revelation 5

(Artwork by Jason Engle. © Crossroads Gaming LLC) 
"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."

{Revelation 5:6} (NIV)

 

John hears that the Lion has triumphed and he turns to see a Lamb! Not a healthy Lamb even, but a Lamb that looks like it had been killed. In this revelation we have the hardest truth for Christians to understand. Our triumph comes through suffering; our triumph comes through death. Our Lord Jesus is the Lion of Judah who triumphed and who is worthy because our Lord Jesus is the Lamb who was slain! 

Triumphant living, according to the world, is victory over our enemies, victory over disease, and victory over death. Triumphant living according to the Word of God and the testimony of our Lord, is putting our trust in God as we walk through whatever He has laid before us. This is what Job tells us in 13:15; this is what Daniel did in the lion’s den (Dan. 6:23). It is what the Pharisees mocked Jesus for doing on the cross (Matt 27:43). It is what David declared emphatically in Psalm 23. 

What does it mean to you and I this morning that our Lord, the One who is greater than us, triumphed through suffering? I trust that it encourages us, and causes us to fix our eyes on Him, the Author and Perfector of our faith. 

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