I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.
~Henry Ward Beecher
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest. The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.
~ Rev. 1:12-16
Beloved, the Jesus we will most surely see on that Day will not be an affable carpenter from the countryside of Judea. He will be very clearly seen as the King He has always been.
Words are cheap in this space. Kneeling – or rather planting one’s face in the ground – seems a better option.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. — Revelation 1:17-19
But, catch this friends. What did The Captain of the Hosts do? He – the Righteous, All-Consuming Fire of the universe put His hand on his friend John and told him what He had already said hundreds of times throughout Scripture: Fear not.
This Holy, unattainable, unobtainable, unapproachable Maker of being reaches out in Love to His friend John and tells him that everything is OK. It is OK, because He – Jesus – has done everything necessary to bring His friends home to be with Him forever.
Are we catching this? The righteous Judge of everything. The One who will, most surely, take names and kick evil’s head into hell is telling believers a simple message: It worked.
What worked?
The Cross, and everything about it, worked as planned. Everything is paid. Preparations are under way. Jesus is in control. He is alive forevermore – and has imparted that Life to us so that we may glorify Him and enjoy His presence – FOREVER.
Jesus did not go back to heaven and then remember humanity as some afterthought… He chose to send a message of first importance to all of us who are trusting Him to bring us to Himself one day. He is saying: “I AM Alive, I AM really strong, I AM really good, and I REALLY LOVE YOU. All is now, and will ever be, all right.”
Some of us just had a thought… “Where did the fear go?”
Once we see it, how could we ever be afraid again? What a blessed hope!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
~Revelation 21:1-8
