Everything Craved

Everything Craved

Revelation 5: ¹¹ Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, ¹² and sang in a loud voice:

“The Lamb who was killed is worthy
    to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength,
    honor, glory, and praise!”
¹³ And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea—all living beings in the universe—and they were singing:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb,
    be praise and honor, glory and might,
    forever and ever!”

¹⁴ The four living creatures answered, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

 

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After struggling for years to pay my bills, it felt good to be able to pay for rent and a car payment. After a while, I was able to get a house and another new car because I got a “better” job. This wasn’t enough. I needed to be a decision maker so I climbed the corporate ladder in pursuit of a title.

 

• I tied a personal cause to it to justify the enormous amount of hours spent seeking power.
• I thought I needed a title to “help” other people.
• I thought “I” was the answer to other people’s problems and I needed to be strong.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, is given another look at the throne area where GOD sat and JESUS was standing. Thousands of millions of powerful angels surrounded the throne, possibly protecting it, but also engaged in worship. Another son was sang, this time with a chorus. The song was about JESUS receiving power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, and praise!”

 

My Observations:

• GOD is so powerful and I am so weak and I sometimes want the things JESUS deserves.
• GOD has everything and since HE is made of pure love, is willing to share it with me.
• JESUS did what no other could do and that is die for my sins and be raised from the dead.

 

All the things I want, JESUS has. I mean, I sometimes want power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, and praise!” I may even work a little longer and harder when I get even a couple of these items on the list. BUT JESUS is the only one who deserves these items.

 

JESUS did what no other being did, namely gave HIS life for HIS creation. HE is placed over everything. No power can come up against JESUS. The throne room scene by John shows the FATHER, the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT with all power, wealth, wisdom, and strength,  honor, glory, and praise!” My crave is to yield my desires to GOD.

 

Challenge

• Did the writer present the presence of GOD as a weakling?
• Have you ever thought GOD was a pushover because HE is showing you grace and mercy?
• Will you contemplate your view of power, wealth, wisdom, and strength,  honor, glory, and praise so you can give it to JESUS and HE will share it with you?

Influential

 

Influential

Acts 26: ³⁰ The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. ³¹ After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”

 

³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

 

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Wanting to be more like this leader, I met his family. The wife was very poised and graceful and the kids were too. “How in the world did they get that way?” I asked myself. They were very influential.

 

• I have met some very influential people.
• I have met some people I wanted to be like.
• I have met some people who seemed to be connected to everyone in an influential way.

 

King Agrippa heard Paul’s final defense. He, the governor and Bernice discussed the situation and could not find anything wrong with what Paul was doing. Bernice is mentioned a lot. Her prominence must have come from her influential style. Paul appealed to Caesar, avoiding the influences of those trying to kill him.

 

• GOD wants me to be influential for HIM.
• GOD wants me to be persuasive for HIM.
• GOD wants me to be a life changer for HIM.

 

Influencing people happens whether I like it or not. I mean, I will influence people with what is in my heart. If my heart is greedy, I will always speak about money. If I lust for power, I will somehow work respect or taking over into the conversation. BUT GOD wants something different.

 

GOD wants me to have HIS love in my heart so I can persuade people to follow HIS SON. People make mistakes. I make a lot of them. HE wants me to overlook the mistakes and present the true solution. JESUS. I am grateful for the influencers HE sent to me.

 

• What are you trying to persuade people to do?
• Who has influenced you to be where you are?
• Will you stop following human influences and allow JESUS to guide you through the HOLY SPIRIT today?

Misread Ticket

Luke 14: ⁷ So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: ⁸ “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; ⁹ and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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“Would you like something to drink” the flight attendant asked me. I was shocked because not only were we still on the ground, passengers were still boarding. “Sure” I replied thinking to myself, “First class is wonderful!”

This elation was followed by “Excuse me. You are in my seat.” I misread the ticket and was in the row just behind first class. Everyone on the plane seemed to watch me move.

• There were times when I wanted the best places.
• There were times when I felt I “deserved” fist class treatment.
• Three were times when I got upset at “those” people who did not know how to travel right.

JESUS spoke in a parable about choosing the lowest seat first otherwise the person may get embarrassed when told to move. HE wasn’t just speaking about chairs, HE was speaking to the church leaders who loved their titles, numbers of people in their congregation and most of all the amounts of money to be had. These leaders had overlooked the ONE who deserved the best.

• GOD wants me to seek true humility that resonates from HIM.
• GOD wants me to need JESUS to be first instead of “me” getting the credit.
• GOD wants me to accept being a servant seeking to bring people to HIM.

Having a title is not the problem, its needing the title that caused blindness, When I seek to be more and more, then GOD may say, “That seat is reserved for someone else” and tell me to sit somewhere outside of HIS kingdom.

GOD wants me to recognize HIS power and accept HIM as being GOD. HE is supreme and JESUS has the rightful seat above everyone. I seek to be less so HE can make me more. HE is my savior.

• Do you feel you deserve more?
• What are you seeking in your heart?
• Can you place GOD above all things and allow HIM to guide you to the place you need to be?