GLIMPSE OF HEAVENLY WORSHIP

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things, and by

your will they were created

and have their being."

Revelation 4:11

Every once in awhile, Scripture pulls back the curtain that divides time and eternity, and we get a brief glimpse of heavenly worship. We may crave more than a glimpse, but that's probably all we can handle; the vision is too overwhelming for inhabitants of a fallen world.

Do we have examples in the Bible of heavenly worship?

Isaiah 6:1-3 ....'In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.'
Isaiah's vision of the heavenly throne is one which we are familiar ... the sound of the angelic worship was so powerful that it shook the doorposts and thresholds of heaven's gates. The scene was so awesome and pure that Isaiah was terrified by his own impurity.

Revelation 4:8-11 ....'And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.'

(www.revelationsillustrated.com)

These beasts are heavenly beings, and how do they worship? They do not rest day or night in worshiping God. The twenty four elders not only fall upon the ground in humility and reverence, but they also throw all of their crowns at the foot of the throne.

In both the above scriptures we read the angels singing "HOLY HOLY HOLY ...."
(an extract from - The Fear of the Lord by John Bevere)
We have sung these exact words in out churches in hymns, worship choruses ... yet often our worship ring void of the passion found in these angels. As worship leader you would sometime see people yawning or glancing about as they sing the words. How different is the atmosphere in God's throne room!

These mighty, awesome angels are not bored or restless; they are not merely singing nice songs. They do not say, "God, I have been singing this song before Your throne for millions of years; do You think a replacement could be brought in? I would like to go explore the other parts of heaven." No way! They would not desire to be anywhere else but crying out and singing praises before the throne of God.
These spectacular angels are not merely singing a song. They are responding to what they see. Every moment, through veiled eyes they glimpse another facet and great dimension of God's glory being revealed. Overwhelmed, they shout, "Holy, holy, holy!"

Some points to note about heavenly worship:
(extract from : Exploring the Mysteries of Worship by Lamar Boschman)
1) Perfect Worship - In heaven worship occurs perfectly and continually.
2) Centre of Worship - The first thing Apostle John saw was a throne. In heaven there is no worship artist, worship leader or even a Christian leader of any kind. There is simply a throne and a LAMB!
3) Heavens's Songs - No single worship style is favoured over another in heaven. there is no debate over the worshipers' preference. Only One sits on the throne, and what He wants will be done. There is a perpetual song that is sung often in heaven. It is called the new song (Revelation 14:3)
4) Heaven's Musical Instruments - There is no mention of percussion or wind instruments used in worship in heaven. However, in connection with worship, strings instruments were played. (Revelation 5:8-9; 14:2-3)
5) Heaven's Order of Worship - John also described the position of the worshipers as they worshiped. It was almost like they were in a round stadium, only larger and more glorious. (Revelations 4:4-6)
6) Heaven's Modes of Worship - The expressions of worship in heaven are extreme. There is constant action of obeisance to Him who sits on the throne. (Revelation 4:10)
The worship in heaven is also loud and long (Revelations 5:11-12 & 7:9-11)

Share with you Revelation Song - a powerful Heavenly Worship song by Kari Jobe




Blessing, Glory, Honour & Power to our Lord!
TPWC

Maranatha - Come Lord Jesus

The word "Maranatha" is an ancient Hebrew-Aramaic phrase that meant alternatively, “the Lord is coming soon,” or “Oh, Lord, Come Soon.” It was part of the Jewish congregational prayers in the first century. The New Testament includes it in 1Corinthians 16:22 (the Aramaic phrase is transliterated into Greek letters in the text). "As understood here ("O Lord, come!"), it is a prayer and declaration for the early return of Christ. This interpretation is supported by what appears to be a Greek equivalent of this acclamation in Rev 22:20 "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"

It seems like the Rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Jesus is a much less preach these days on the pulpit! But we all know that Jesus told us to expect His return and we are to be watchful and wise. We are seeing many signs being fulfilled in the last days and as God's end-times clock is sticking by the seconds ... one thing we can know for certain is that Jesus expect every of His followers to be ready. ARE YOU?

Interestingly there are Seven Feasts (Leviticus 23) mentioned in the Bible is which has direct fulfillment and foreshadow to the end-times calender:
1) Feast of Passover (Pesach) - Deliverance from slavery in Egypt - Fulfilled at Jesus' death
2) Feast of Unleavened Bread (ChagHamatzah) - When leaving Egypt - Fulfilled at Jesus' burial 3) Feast of First Fruits (Yom Habikkurim) - First harvest wave offering - Fulfilled at Jesus' resurrection
4) Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) - Celebration of first fruit of harvest - Fulfilled at Pentecost
5) Feast of Trumpet (Rosh HaShanah) - Blowing of the shofar - Foreshadow of the Rapture
6) Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - Solemn assembly to express repentance and forgiveness - Foreshadow of Jesus' second coming and judgement
7) Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) - Celebration of final harvest - Foreshadow of the Milennium where Jesus's kingdom is established on earth

The first four Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, and on the EXACT DAY OF THE FEAST. The last three Feasts picture the second advent, and the Feast of Trumpets (the blowing of trumpet is an important part of this event) is the first of the latter three Feasts, picturing the Rapture.

Just as Christ, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed at Passover, for which the Lord instituted Passover to symbolize and foreshadow, it is very likely that His return will be at the time of the Feast of Trumpets, for which the Lord instituted the Feast of Trumpets to symbolize and foreshadow. (The Apostle Paul, speaking of these Jewish Festivals, declares, "Which are a shadow of things to come" - Colossians 2:17).

In 1 Corinthians 15:52 we are told Christ will come, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound." Notice this is spoken of as the last trump, and this may remind of the last trump of Rosh Hashanah.

In another description of Christ's coming for His Bride, Paul speaks of the trumpet of God (1 Thess. 4:16). This is not a trumpet blown by a man or even by an angel. Like the trumpet which sounded at Mt Sinai, this is one which is the trump of God...doubtless God Himself blows it.

Do you know that TODAY marks Israel's New Year called Rosh Hashanah - Feast of Trumpet?
As a worshiper, my heart is in excitement, anticipation and readiness ... let's worship Him with this song - Days of Elijah .... Behold He Comes ... At the TRUMPET Call ... Who Was And Is And Is To Come


Last but not least, the revelation of Rosh Hashanah also saddens my heart to realize that many believers are taking the rapture without any sense of urgency! May this message quicken every reader to WAKE UP! MARANTHA - JESUS IS COMING SOON! GET READY!
Maranatha!
TPWC

A LIVING SACRIFICE - PART 3 (A SACRIFICE OF LOVE)

WORSHIP

Is Not Part

Of The

Christian Life;

It Is The

Christian Life

(G.Vann)

I Urge You, Brothers, In View Of God's Mercy, To Offer Your Bodies As Living Sacrifices, Holy And Pleasing To God - This Is Your Spiritual Act Of Worship (Romans 12:1)

Being a living sacrifice is more than a holy obligation; it is a HOLY PASSION. It's the lover whosays, "I would do anything for you. I'd sacrifice my life, my dreams, my everything for your welfare." Few of us love God like that with any consistency, but that's our goal. And the only way to get there is to ask Him for that kind of love. It's supernatural. Only He can offer it and maintain it in our hearts.

How do we know if we have it? We'll know by what fills our minds when we lie down at night and when we wake up in the morning. We'll know it by where we direct all of our resources and all your abilities. And we'll know it by the things we pray for.

If a stranger were to pick up the ledger of our checkbook and read it, would he know that we are lovers of God? If he were to examine our calender, would he be able to tell that we have a holy desire for a beloved Saviour? If he were to hear our prayers, would he find that we're wholly dedicated to the will of our Father? We're reluctant to answer, because we know our shortcomings. We know how fickle our hearts and how self-directed our desires are. We know we have more than one agenda - God's plus our own. We know we have a long way to go to be filled with a holy, God-centred love.

That's okay. God's grace is more than enough to cover our lukewarm hearts. But He doesn't want us to remain ambivalent toward Him. He wants to stir us up to a consuming obsession with His goodness, His love, and His plans. He wants us not just try hard to please Him - we've done that and failed so many times - but to delight in Him. Like any lover of another, He wants to be our joy. Like a wife who craves evidence of her husband's affections, or a husband who looks expectantly for affirmation from his wife, our God - though never needy - wants to be adored.

Can we adore Him? We MUST - it's our created purpose, and it's the only love we'll ever have that will leave us completely satisfied. All others fall short, but PASSION for Him always fulfills.

TPWC (An extract from Worship The king - by Chris Tiegreen)

A LIVING SACRIFICE - PART 2

[Abram] built an altar there to the Lord,

who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7

THE LIFE OF THE ALTAR
An altar is a raised structure on which sacrifices to god are made. Did you know that in order to offer our lives as LIVING SACRIFICES we need to have altars? Every sacrifice must be put on the altar to be burned by fire, so the sweet smelling savour can come forth. “For our God is a consuming fire.” Heb. 12:29
The life of a Christian is the life of the altar. God requires of His children that in His presence they have an altar. Why was Abraham able to offer Isaac His promised son at the altar of sacrifice? We learn that prior to this sacrificial worship (Genesis 22), Abraham was already leaving a life of building altars.

1) THE FIRST ALTAR
In Genesis 12:7 God appeared to Abraham and he built an altar. What made him want to worship? God had taken a seventy-five year old man out of his homeland and led him to a new frontier, making extravagant promises to him for his faith and obedience. There was no written revelation at the time, no covenant history, no people of God. Just a man and his faith and a land of promise.
This altar (not for sin offering) was for offering his life to God. It was the kind of altar spoken of in Romans 12:1. What the altar signifies is not doing for God, but being for God. Unlike the sacrifice of the Old Testament, which in one act was finally burnt, the sacrifice of the New Testament is “A LIVING SACRIFICE”. The meaning of the altar is the offering up of the life to God to be ever consumed, yet ever living: to be ever living, yet ever consumed.
God appeared to Abraham and Abraham offered himself to God. Anyone to whom God has manifested Himself cannot do other than live for Him. This is the life of the ALTAR – Being A Worshiper!

2) THE SECOND ALTAR
Genesis 12:8 – “From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent … there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord”. This is Abraham’s second altar. The pitching of his tent implies that it is not a permanent place. The tent-life also means that what Abraham possessed does not belong to him. At the altar Abraham has offered his all to God. Was he stripped of everything? No! Abraham still possessed cattle and sheep and many other things. Through the altar God deals with our lives; through the tent God deals with our possessions. At any time God may say: “I want this thing.” If we cling to it and say: “This is mine,” then in heart we have forsaken the altar and cannot say to God that our life is being lived for Him. The second altar shows us that Abraham’s life was a life of the altar – not bound by material possessions. That is why when God demand his son Isaac, he was able to response in faith and God restored back Isaac to him.

3) THE THIRD ALTAR
In Genesis 12:10-20 we read that because of the famine (type of economic crisis) Abraham went DOWN to Egypt (a type of the world) and got himself into trouble. Abraham had his failures when he departed from the altar in times of difficulties. In Genesis 13:1-4, he went UP from Egypt and returned to Bethel (the house of God) where he has first built an altar and called on the name of the Lord again. If you are seeking the way of recovery, you will find it at the altar. But what happened to Abraham after his recovery? Genesis 13:18 records Abraham built his third altar at Hebron (means fellowship). After his recovery Abraham entered into the place of continuous fellowship with God. If we are in fellowship with God we will never forsake the altar.

What does it mean to lay our lives on God’s altar? It means that we are not our own; we have no claim on our own lives. We are bought with a precious heavy price. Living sacrifice don’t live for themselves. They live for Another. That’s their service of worship.

Stays bless!
TPWC