JESUS IS MARVELOUS! And He is everything to us that love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, the Savior of our Souls, the Bright and Morning Star, the Light of the World as well as the Holy One of God. Scripture offers only the most glorious descriptions of Him such as Isaiah 9: 6, “Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Jesus is called Emmanuel (God with us) or translated Iesous, Yeshua and Joshua (Yahweh saves). Known by everything in existence as the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Chief Cornerstone, the True Vine, the Alpha and the Omega, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
Herein lies the magnificence of Jesus. Revelation 5 describes a scene where God is sitting on His throne in heaven and holding a book with seven seals in His right hand. Sadly, there was no one who was worthy to open, read or even look upon this book. That is, no one except Jesus! Our Lord, Who was more than worthy, took the book from His Father's hand and this is what happened. “… the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5: 8-10)
But that wasn’t all. Oh, no! A heavenly host was standing by, waiting, compelled and ecstatic to join in this resplendent exultation: “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” (Revelation 5: 11-12)
Think that’s it? Thought wrong! There’s more! All of creation rounded out this glorious chorus of praise as follows: “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5: 13-14) Oh, my! How beautiful what saith the Psalmist, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 150: 6)
The aforementioned stunning events are soon to be consummated at the command of Almighty God our Father who allows us the awesome privilege of praising Him in all of His glory. We joyously thank God for His Son and our Messiah Who is worthy to be praised with all pure and holy praise; therefore let His saints praise Him with all His creatures; and let all His angels and His elect praise Him for ever.
We know that praise is a conveying of approval and admiration of our God and an acknowledgement and appreciation of what He has done for us. But as His children, He has given us a special method to more deeply connect with Him called worship. Worship is a state and expression of total adoration, veneration and reverence held for God and God alone. When we worship, we submit completely to God in a spiritual position of perfected humility and surrender. This is not only a blessed privilege, but a commandment with condition. Jesus told the woman at the well, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23–24).
This type of intimacy with God is reserved for His children and is only accessed through a genuine relationship with Jesus because He is the truth and no one can go to God except through His Son. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14: 6) And, in like manner, no one can go to the Son unless the Father draws them. “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6: 44) Both of these principles are confirmed as follows, “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” (Matthew 11: 27)
And so, when we do come to Him, we must come as children. “And they brought unto Him also infants, that He would touch them: but when His disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.” (Luke 18: 15-17) When we are ready to receive God’s call and voluntarily surrender all to Jesus, He is ready to receive us. “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6: 37-40)
Christ did not come to earth to suffer and die so that we could have a comfortable life. Though He unequivocally knows how, and unfailingly does give us good things, He came to earth to suffer and die that we could have everlasting life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16) We just have to recognize Him, believe in Him, submit to Him and be changed by Him. This is not achieved by intellectual prowess, physical skill or monetary accumulation. Nor is it denied because of social shunning, educational disadvantage or even involuntary incarceration.
It takes faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5: 7) The kind of faith that goes against what you see or feel through your natural eyes or emotions. The kind of faith that says yes when others say no. The kind of faith that the thief on the cross had when he turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” (Luke 23: 42) The kind of faith that sees Jesus not just as a prophet, a teacher or a good man, but the kind of powerful, reassuring and confirming faith that overwhelmed the Roman centurion at Jesus’ crucifixion when he said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27: 54) Sight says Jesus was just an interesting stranger who conversed with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Faith says, “Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24: 32) Sight says, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Faith says, "God will provide Himself a lamb for the burnt offering." (Genesis 22: 7-8) Sight says, “this is just a valley of dry bones.” But faith says, ”THIS IS AN EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY OF GOD!” (Ezekiel 37: 1-10)
This is why we must always remember to operate daily in that faith which opened the gate to the first touch of love that changed our lives forever. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5: 1-2) We were not made worthy by anything we’ve done, but as the Apostle Paul said, “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15: 9-10)
Prior to his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus Paul was a religious zealot. But after the encounter he became a spiritual child of God. Religion is a mindset, but spirituality is a heart and soul condition and Brother Paul had been changed. And because of that change his eyes were opened like never before. He became as a newborn babe in all innocence and humility. As Jesus said, “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” (Matthew 11: 25) And though we all need to grow spiritually and experience other spiritual blessings, let us never wander from this divine place of grace. And may all of our words, thoughts and actions be based on the foundation of love we received at the beginning. "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
(1 Peter 2: 1-3)
A perfect place to start and a great place to frequently revisit is described in this song of brokenness and contriteness composed by King David ..... Psalm 51.
1 - Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the
multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 - Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 - For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 - Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou
mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest. 5 - Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 - Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt
make me to know wisdom. 7 - Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow. 8 - Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may
rejoice. 9 - Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 - Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy holy spirit from me. 12 - Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. 13 - Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee. 14 - Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue
shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness. 15 - O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. 16 - For Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt
offering. 17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
Thou wilt not despise.
And so beloved ones, I beseech that you completely disregard the hysterical meltdown this world is currently experiencing and immerse yourself in the spiritual praise and worship of God through His Son Jesus Christ Who is, as we said in the beginning, simply marvelous!
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