Preparing the Way of the Lord!
Saturday, December 18, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the reality that in the past, present and future You ARE God, and that You call me into relationship with You through Your Son, Jesus! I pray that you will fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that all that I say and do will glorify You today and always. Make my life make an impact for advancing Your kingdom here on earth, and into eternity. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God’s Word Today
(Since the focus of worship Dec. 12, is the Children’s Program “Cradle to Crowns,” the Scripture readings this week will come from the program. We will expand on each of the Scriptures and invest a couple days to examining each!
Isaiah 9:6-7
6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!
Psalm 149:1-4
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.
4 For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
Revelation 4:9-11
9Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,
11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.”
Reflecting on God's Word
What do you think will be the first thing you say when you enter heaven?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What attributes does God have according to today’s focus Scripture? (4:11)
Why was everything created according to today’s Scripture? (4:11)
Understanding God's Word
What do this week’s readings as a whole tell us about God’s presence among us?
What is the most important insight you gained from this weeks reading?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What one thing do you know you need to do consistently as a result of reading this week’s Scripture?
Thoughts...You Are Worthy...
The worship scene in heaven makes one thing quite clear: Only One is worthy of worship. Only One is worthy to receive glory and honor and praise. Only One created everything and has all existence dependent on His pleasure. That One is, of course, our God! He alone will be worshiped in heaven—God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I have said many times that the primary activity of heaven is worship. The question for us, then, is what are we doing day by day to prepare ourselves for that eternity of worship and praise? How do we worship the Lord here and now? Are we worshiping Him here and now with our thoughts, words and actions? If we are, then we’ll be prepared to continue that practice into eternity. If we aren’t then what will heaven seem like to us? Folks always ask whether there will be golf in heaven, or football, or restaurants, or all manner of earthly things and activities. I don’t know the answer to those questions directly, but I do know this: the center of heaven is God and the central activity of heaven is worshiping Him! That means our lives must be dedicated to knowing Him, through His Son, Jesus, and becoming worshipers in Spirit and truth throughout our lives. That way we can be sure that we will be prepared for Him, and prepared for heaven, and after all He alone IS worthy of all our worship and praise today and forever!