We worship when gathered as believers of Jesus in many ways.  We sing, dance, pray out loud, raise our hands or bow humbly.  We sing songs of praise or old hymns of teaching.  When our worship not for us but for God completely, we crack the door open to get a glimpse of what it is like in heaven.  Pure worship, flowing from our heart to the heart of God happens when we are in sync with each other, in tune to the Scripture, in harmony with each other.  Our hearts beat with God’s heart in the true rhythm of his love, grace and mercy flowing through us in return for our worship of God alone.  This is a glimpse of what it must be like in heaven.

John, beloved disciple, apostle, pastor, gospel writer is given a glimpse of true, pure, loving worship of God from God.  The door to heaven opened up for him to see in his vision the magnificent worship of our God that never ends.  Beasts and Elders all bow down to worship the One seated on The Throne.  It seems our worship here on earth is only practice in the choir room until we come face to face to the Throne of God someday.  And “What a Day that Will Be” as the song of my youth taught me…

What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
And I look upon his face
The one who saved me by his grace
When he takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day that will be

There’ll be no sorrows there
No more burdens to bear
No more sickness and no more pain
No more parting over there
But forever I will be
With the one who died for me
What a day, glorious day that will be

What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
When I look upon his face
The one who saved me by his grace
When he takes me by the hand

And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day that will be

Songwriters: Jim Hill / William J. Reynolds

REVELATION—JESUS IS COMING BACK!

Revelation 4, The Message

A Door into Heaven

Then I looked, and, oh!—a door open into Heaven. The trumpet-voice, the first voice in my vision, called out, “Ascend and enter. I’ll show you what happens next.”

^2-6 I was caught up at once in deep worship and, oh!—a Throne set in Heaven with One Seated on the Throne, suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald. Twenty-four thrones circled the Throne, with Twenty-four Elders seated, white-robed, gold-crowned. Lightning flash and thunder crash pulsed from the Throne. Seven fire-blazing torches fronted the Throne (these are the Sevenfold Spirit of God). Before the Throne it was like a clear crystal sea.

^6-8 Prowling around the Throne were Four Animals, all eyes. Eyes to look ahead, eyes to look behind. The first Animal like a lion, the second like an ox, the third with a human face, the fourth like an eagle in flight. The Four Animals were winged, each with six wings. They were all eyes, seeing around and within. And they chanted night and day, never taking a break:

Holy, holy, holy
Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong,
The Was, The Is, The Coming.

^9-11 Every time the Animals gave glory and honor and thanks to the One Seated on the Throne—the age-after-age Living One—the Twenty-four Elders would fall prostrate before the One Seated on the Throne. They worshiped the age-after-age Living One. They threw their crowns at the foot of the Throne, chanting,

Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God!
Take the glory! the honor! the power!
You created it all;
It was created because you wanted it.

WHAT WE LEARN…

Keep it simple.  Love God with all our hearts, minds and souls.  Put God first, middle and last.  Put no others before God.  Worship God alone with all that is in us, heart, mind and soul.  Wash feet by serving others like Jesus did who showed the full extent of love by His example.

What God wants most is you!  What God wants most of me.  All for God.

Holy, holy, holy
Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong,
The Was, The Is, The Coming.

Lord,

Thank you for giving a glimpse of heaven through the vision you gave to John who obediently wrote it down.  Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole.  Because of what you do for me and in me, I praise You.  I worship You with every detail of life here.  I love you heart, mind and soul.  Thank you for loving me enough to lay down your life.  May my life reflect the pure praise that is in me moment by moment.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen