ENDTIMES CHAT with GJ and DAN

WORSHIP GOD AS A HABIT OF LIFE - ENDTIMES CHAT with GJ and DAN

Worship God as a Habit of Life The continual response of the four living creatures. Verse 8 says that “they do not rest day or night” in their praise and worship of the Lord. It is a continual response.

1. What these creatures say. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” These creatures worship and praise the Lord for three basic things: His holiness, His power, and His eternal nature and plan. Like the seraphim (angels) of Isaiah 6:3, they proclaim the holiness (separateness) of God. The repetition of the word “holy” might be for added emphasis, or it may suggest the triunity of God-He is one God but exists as three Persons. God is holy in two ways: He is separate from all that He created and is not to be identified with the physical and material universe; He is also separate from sin. The holiness of God emphasizes both His transcendence as well as His moral purity.

In referring to God as “Lord God Almighty,” these creatures speak of His mighty power, which shall be uniquely displayed on earth during the tribulation period. The worship of those in heaven seems to focus on the holiness and power of God, exalting His attributes and His actions.

These four living creatures praise God for His eternal nature and plan by calling Him “Who was and is and is to come!” He is the eternal God, living, and governing, in past, present, and future history. These same words are applied to Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:8, establishing His identity as God the Son.

2. Why do these creatures say what they do? One motive is certainly to recognize the greatness and worthiness of the One they are praising. Why should we praise the Lord? Because He alone is worthy of such worship and praise. These creatures give “glory and honor and thanks” to God the Father as a habit of life. What an example these heavenly beings are to all of us.

That suggests a second motive-to reveal to us what we should do. The twenty-four elders represent the completed church in heaven, and their actions help all of us to know how we should respond as believers. We are to worship the Lord and give Him honor, glory, and thanks as a habit of life. Whenever the four living creatures give worship to God, the twenty-four elders respond.

The immediate reaction of the elders. Taking their cue from the four living creatures who serve as the worship leaders of heaven, the twenty-four elders react immediately with worship and praise to God the Father on His throne.

The way they react. When they “fall down before Him,” they give recognition to His authority and position. It is a lesson to all believers; we need to submit to His authority as a daily principle in our lives. That’s why it is a good thing to kneel when we pray to indicate our submission to the Lord.

When they “worship Him,” they display reverence and love for Him and His attributes. In the New Testament, and particularly in the Revelation of John, the word worship denotes a prayer of adoration for God and His works. It is a royal acclamation of His worth. Do we love and adore Him for Who He is?

When they “cast their crowns before the throne,” they show a deep realization of His worthiness when compared with their accomplishments (for which we shall all be rewarded by the Lord). While we are motivated in the New Testament to be faithful to the Lord based on future reward, it is good for us to pause and realize that the worthiness of the Lord Himself causes our rewards to seem quite insignificant by comparison. The words they repeat. Their words speak of what He deserves ”glory and honor and power”-as well as why He deserves it - “for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

God the Father is worthy of praise and worship because of two basic things we should always remember: It was His power that created all things, and it is His purpose (will) that brought everything into existence and gives meaning to it all. If we refuse to acknowledge the power and purpose of God in creation, then, as Paul so graphically portrays, we deserve His judgment (Romans 1:18-23). God the Father, the Creator of everything, desires and deserves our worship and praise. We should honor, glorify, and give Him thanks every day of our lives because He created all things and has a Divine purpose for it all.

PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

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WORSHIP AT THE THRONE OF GOD - ENDTIMES CHAT with GJ and DAN

Can you imagine what it will be like to actually stand IN the THRONE ROOM of GOD Himself? Think about it! What surrounds the throne of God? There are seven lamps of fire. There is also a "sea of glass." What does this mean?

Revelation 4 is the THRONE chapter of the Bible. It centers in the exaltation of God the Father and climaxes with the worship of God by all the heavenly creatures. Can you also imagine what it must sound like to hear the worship of all those in heaven? The four living creatures have a continual response. They do not rest day or night in the praise and worship of God.

What do these creatures say?

Why do these creatures say what they do?

What is the immediate reaction of the 24 elders? How do the 24 elders react?

What are the words the 24 elders repeat?

With this amazing picture of the THRONE of GOD, we start to see how infinitesimally small we are. We also become humbled that the same God that we worship, is the One who came down to earth to die on a criminal's cross, so that we can have a relationship with the One True God.

Why are we here on this earth?

What is the real meaning of our lives? Do we feel frustrated at times trying to put the pieces together?

Do we wonder why things happen as they do? What are our goals and objectives?

What are we really trying to accomplish?

Revelation 4 is a clear testimony of what heaven is going to be like and gives us fresh and concise information on WHO and what is behind all the events and circumstances of our lives. God the Father, through Jesus the Creator of Everything, desires and deserves our worship and praise. This same God wants you and I to be in a close personal friendship with Him. You can make that a reality today.

Are you ready?

PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

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The Wonder of the Throne of God (Revelation 4:2-7) What a spectacular sight this must have been! As we read it today, we are still amazed at the description of this throne of God in heaven. Human words are inadequate, but they will have to do. They are our only means of understanding what God wants to convey to us about heaven. The word “behold” suggests the need to pay special heed to what is being said and described. It deserves our alertness and attention.

These verses are organized around four prepositional phrases concerning the throne of God: “on the throne” (v. 2); “around the throne” (vv. 3, 4, 6); “from the throne” (v. 5); and “before the throne” (vv. 5 and 6). Who is on the throne? The One on the throne is the “Lord God Almighty” (v. 😎, the Lord Who “created all things” (v. 11). John is immediately affected by His appearance, which was “like a jasper and a sardius stone.” The word “like” signals a simile- likeness in appearance, but not the same as. God is not a stone, obviously; His appearance to John was like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. The “sardius” stone is named after the city of Sardis, where beautiful red stones have been found. Most liken this stone to a blood-red ruby. Together, and in conjunction with the rainbow around the throne, they create a dazzling impression of transcendent glory.

What was around the throne?

Three things are depicted “around the throne”: a rainbow, twenty-four elders, and four living creatures. 1. Why a rainbow? 2. Who are the twenty-four elders? 3. What about the four living creatures? Tune in to find out more!

PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

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The Throne of God No chapters of the Bible are so inviting, thrilling, and worshipful as chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation.

The Lord welcomes us to heaven itself, giving us a brief look at what takes place there and what we can anticipate for ourselves in the future.   In chapter 4, the primary focus is on God the Father, sitting upon His throne, enjoying the worship of His creatures. In chapter 5, the focus is on God the Son, the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is also the  One Whom all heaven adores and worships.

What tremendous insights are to be found in these two chapters about the unique relationship of the Father and the Son!   The central feature of chapter 4 is the throne of God. Forty-five times Revelation refers to thrones and only fifteen times in the rest of the New Testament. Here is the throne book of the Bible!  

The Second Vision of John (Revelation 4:1-2)   The first vision John received began with his words, “And having turned I saw…” (Revelation 1:12), and continued until the end of chapter 3. It included a glorious revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ, and a message from the lips of Jesus to be sent to seven churches in Asia Minor.  

According to Revelation 1:19, John was to write what he saw about the risen Christ and about “the things which are,” a phrase dealing with the seven churches. After the messages to the seven churches, John was to write about “the things which will take place after this.” The words “after this” or “after these things” refer to everything John saw from Revelation 4:1 until the end of the book.  

Revelation 4:1 begins with the same prepositional phrase as the end of Revelation 1:19 - “After these things.” The verse also ends with that phrase. John is making sure that we understand where this fits in his outline. All that follows comes after the message to “the churches.” The word church is not even mentioned again. The book refers to “saints” and “brethren,” and to the children of Israel and a great multitude of believers in the tribulation period; but, there will be no further reference to a church or group of churches.  

The phrase “after these things” is used eleven times in the book in connection with the words “I saw.” It implies an order or sequence of events, and not necessarily chronological order. Rather, it suggests the order in which visions of the future were given to John-first vision, second vision, third vision, and so on. It does not necessarily imply that what was said in each vision takes place chronologically.   John mentions three things we can hover on here: "the door in heaven," "the voice in heaven," and that he "was in the Spirit." Tune in today to find out more!  

PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

 ENDTIMES.chat

Character, Condition, Counsel, Challenge, Consequence. Conclusion.

The Character of Jesus is Behind this Message: He is "the Amen." When 'Amen" is said it indicates assent or agreement; it is confirmation of something said or done. The main point of this unique title of Jesus Christ (used only here) is that what He says to this church is totally reliable. He is "the Beginning of the creation of God." Revelation 1:8 calls Him "the Beginning," which is the same as saying that He is the Originator of all things-the Creator Himself (Colossians 1:15-18; John 1:3). It is a clear statement of His pre-existence (before His birth in Bethlehem) and power.

The CONDITION of this Church Made Him Sick They were indifferent to the work of the Lord. They were insensitive to their spiritual need. They came to the tragic conclusion that they had "need of nothing." Our Lord said they "do not know" their true condition. That's how self-confidence and material prosperity can blind our eyes. We don't see our true condition before God. Material prosperity seems like a blessing, but it often becomes a curse and blinds our minds to our real spiritual needs.

His Counsel Must Be Heeded (Revelation 3:18-19)

Jesus Christ urges these Laodiceans to do three things:

(1) They must recognize their spiritual need, (

2) they must realize why He rebukes and disciplines them, and

(3) they must respond with repentance. Do we recognize our spiritual need?

These Laodiceans were "poor, blind, and naked." Now Christ urges them to acknowledge their need and to do something about it. To solve their spiritual poverty, they need to "buy" from the Lord "gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich." The Lord is urging a group of people known for their material prosperity to buy that which cannot be bought with money. Gold that is "refined in the fire" is pure; the dross has been removed.

The reference here is to a purified faith, not a mere profession that was not genuine. His Challenge to Open the Door (Revelation 3:20) Flowing out of the motive of love (Revelation 3:19) comes this beautiful picture of our Lord urging individuals to respond to His invitation.

The "door" could represent: (1) The door of the church in Laodicea, (2) the door of an unbeliever's heart, (3) the door of a believer's heart, or (4) the door through which Jesus Christ will come again. (How many more can we think of?) The wonderful promise is to all true believers. We shall one day rule and reign with Jesus Christ in His kingdom on earth.

This identification with Jesus Christ by believers is like the position and relationship which Jesus has to His Father's throne. We do not sit on that throne, the position of the sovereign God ruling the universe, but Jesus was granted that privilege to sit down with His Father on His throne when He had finished His work on the cross in dying for our sins. A Thought-Provoking Conclusion (Revelation 3:22)

There is a message to mere professing Christians, who do not really walk with the Lord - "repent," before it is too late. God's patience and love are being demonstrated by the appeals of these letters. But one day there will no longer be "an open door" for us. Now is the day of salvation; now is the time to get right with the Lord! Are we ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ?

Have we settled our personal commitment to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? If not, why not stop reading at this point and make that decision to commit your life and future to Him?

PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

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