living creatures – Praying Pint

34.w. “And God Said, “Let There Be….”

Genesis 1: 3-26 And God said, “Let there be light,” And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.”And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Deep within each and every soul is a God-given yearning for purpose and meaning in their existence. Each soul will choose a path or paths to search out for themselves. Some may see God’s creation with awe and wonder giving praise to the Creator and then being led by the Holy Spirit come to an understanding of their Creator, His Holiness, their sin, and the need for redemption, and follow down the path that brings them to faith in Jesus Christ. Others seeing God’s creation have the same awe and wonder but reject the fact God created it, or for that matter there even really is a one and only God, and they follow down paths that are self-led or led by others with worldly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and with no thought about God.

Just as there are millions of souls who have found purpose, meaning, peace, and rest for hearts, minds, and souls by faith in Jesus Christ and following, obeying, serving, honoring, and glorifying Him, there are a million times more who go through life to the grave denying and rejecting God, the Word of God, and salvation, redemption, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. They have no lasting purpose and meaning for their lives and at the end of their days, they die unsatisfied and wanting more. The world offers many distractions and means to deaden the soul’s desire for true purpose and meaning. It offers; fleshly lust, pornography, drugs, alcohol, prosperity, position, power, worldly wisdom, knowledge, greed, etc…..Not only does it offer these lies as a means of satisfaction and purpose, but it also promotes and condones them in the hearts and minds of those doing them.

God created you with a purpose and meaning for your life. He has given you free will to choose either a purpose with soul deep meaning, satisfaction, rest, peace, joy, comfort, and hope, or to choose that which gives none of these though the world and flesh say it does and will.

God so loved the world (His Creation) that He gave His one and only Son to redeem them to eternal life and give them purpose, satisfaction, and meaning, if they would but believe in Him, Trust Him, Follow Him, Believe in Him, Rely on Him, Obey Him, Serve Him, Honor Him, Worship Him, Praise Him, and Glorify Him with all their heart, soul, and mind. For this purpose they (we) were (are) created. Blessed is the soul that finds purpose and meaning through Jesus Christ.

7.g. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”

Revelation 1:8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

Ezekiel 2:8 – 3:1 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat.And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.” Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!” It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the LORD being strong upon me.

John, like Ezekiel, was told to consume the message of God. This message was sweet to the taste but bitter to the stomach. When you think about it there is something sweet and bitter with God’s Word. Grace, mercy, and love – sweet, Wrath, anger, judgment – bitter. Do you ever wonder if today there is enough being taught and preached about the two of these? We here so much of the grace, mercy, and love without a full understanding of the need to preach the whole Gospel which also speaks of wrath, anger, and judgment. The Gospel that promises me redemption, forgiveness, salvation, life, hope, peace, rest, satisfaction and eternity in heaven also promises wrath, anger, judgment, unrest, confusion, anxiousness, fear, turmoil, dissatisfaction, discontentment, anguish, disappointment, regret, unhappiness, frustration, chaos, and eternity in Hell. How many have trusted in a shallow gospel of prosperity, health, and heaven with a single understanding of the benefits of coming to Christ? How is it they can know the need of forgiveness without knowing of sin and its consequences? How can they know the depth of the love of Jesus Christ if they do not know of the depth of His wrath, anger, and judgment against those who reject Him? Preaching and teaching and believing in a watered-down gospel does no one any good. The need to be saved can only be understood when we know what we are being saved from. Understanding and becoming aware that we deserve hell but have been given a choice of redemption through Jesus Christ is the beginning and all of the promises and blessings after this deepen our faith commitment post being saved (born again). The sweet and blessed redemption through the Love of Jesus Christ and the bitter consequences of the rejection of this Love must be proclaimed.

6.q. “Worthy are you”

Revelation 5:9 “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

When John first saw the scroll he looked at it with anticipation and desire to know what it contained. It was important. It was a scroll that was in the presence of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God and God Himself. No one in heaven or earth was found worthy. John wept. Then one of the elders said do not weep any more for there is one who can open the scroll and its seals. The one who could open it had been slain and with His blood, He ransomed people for God and His kingdom. These people will reign with God on earth. John heard praises and saw the worship of God and the Lamb. Worthy are they of our true and deepest worship. Worthy are thy of our devotion. Worthy are they of our humble service before them. Worthy are they of all our heart, soul and mind. Worthy are they or our time and possessions. Worthy are they of all we have. And yet we seem to keep too much of this world and its influences in our lives. We get distracted by busyness and whatever else this world has to offer and lose sight of our God and Savior. We are given a recorded revelation by God through John on the worthiness of God and the Lamb that was slain. This is not something we should take lightly. It should fill our thoughts so that what we think, say, and do are worthy of the price that was paid through the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ.

6.n “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.

Revelation 4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

In the spirit, John sees a throne with 24 elders seated around this throne. There are also 4 living creatures around the throne. They never cease saying “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” When these living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks the 24 elders fall down and worship Him, who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before His throne saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.”

Some commentaries explain the 24 elders as the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 12 apostles. Whoever they are and what whatever the 4 living creatures are it is what they do that is most important. They give absolute praise. In His presence, there is nothing else that seems worthy of their attention. In His presence, they are in awe continually. They are fully aware of creation and the fact that all things were created by His will. Do you ever wonder why we get distracted so much that we can go hours or even days without giving heart, mins, and soul-deep praise, thanks, and worship? We get so caught up in the things of this world and the busyness of life that the One who is worthy of all our praise, thanks, and worship. We are shown these things for many reasons, and for sure one of those reasons is to focus our eyes, heart, mind on Him who is worthy. What we do with what we see and have seen, and what we hear and have heard from the Spirit of God, we will be held accountable for how we respond. If we live with our heart, mind, and soul given over to things of this world, and living for things of this world rather than for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ we will have lived unworthy of that to which we have been given through Jesus Christ. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart, mind, and soul to His majesty, power, and creation. You will then just begin to understand the awesomeness of God.