Amen! Praise the Lord!

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!” And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.””
Revelation‬ ‭19:4-5‬ ‭NLT

In John’s vision, his focus shifts back to the twenty-four elders. We read in Revelation 4:4, “Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.” What do we know about the elders? Not much, it seems. Because this scene was in Heaven, one possibility is that they were angels, but this is unlikely because nowhere in the Bible does it say that either thrones or crowns were given to angels. The most likely explanation is that they represent God’s holy people, with possibly links to the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. Anyway, we read that, once again, they fell down before God and worshipped Him, along with the four living beings. Their “Amens” and praises filled the Heavens. Interestingly, the phrase “Praise the Lord” is apparently the Hebrew word “Alleluia”, a word that will be forever on our lips when we join God in Heaven.

As the elders were prostrate in worship before God, another voice was heard. This time coming from God’s throne. Who was that? It may have been Jesus, but most probably from an angel serving God next to His throne. And he added his exhortations to all within earshot, “Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest”. No one was excluded. We’re all God’s servants, whether in Heaven or on earth.

Picking up that theme, how do we pilgrims serve God? After all, it’s not as though we’re standing next to God, like the angel. Anyway, God is omni-everything, so how do we find something that could be defined as serving Him? The Apostle Paul served God by sharing the Gospel. “ … Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:9). Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” And of course we read in John 13 about the time when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. A menial act of service, exemplified by the Son of God Himself. And towards the end of this recorded episode, Jesus said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” Service to God starts with serving our fellow human beings. In our families and communities. Let us pilgrims always be on the look out for ways to serve people, whether they are Christians or not. The Apostle Peter wrote, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (1 Peter 4:10). And by doing so, we echo the words of the angel who spoke from besides God’s throne, “Praise our God, all his servants…”. In our service to God and people everywhere, we truly praise Him.

Dear Father God. Thank You that we have opportunities to serve You, in our daily lives. Please open doors for us, and direct our paths in accordance with Your will and purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Shouting in Heaven

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After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.” And again their voices rang out: “Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!””Revelation‬ ‭19:1-3‬ ‭NLT

The Apostle John’s vision moves onto happier times. “Babylon” is no more and the celebrations in Heaven, focussed on God, declare His righteous judgements. The wrongs committed against God’s servants, during their times on earth, are finally righted. The balance between good and evil is redressed. Only what has survived the fire of God’s judgements has prevailed. We don’t know how long the party lasts, but they note that the smoke of the smouldering remains of “Babylon” ascends forever.

Heaven will be so different to what we pilgrims experience in our lives here on Planet Earth. Gold on earth, so beloved by the world’s inhabitants, is used for paving roads in the New Jerusalem. The world’s value system has either been turned upside down or doesn’t exist anymore because it is considered irrelevant. But how did it come to this? God wanted His people to be rich on earth. Take Job for example. We read in Job 42:12, “So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.” Job was a wealthy, but righteous man, and he knew the blessings of God because he had a right relationship with Him. 

But sadly, what God wanted as a blessing for His people became corrupted by the devil’s schemes. People abandoned God and instead put their faith in the worldly kingdom, in riches and wealth, without acknowledging God as their Source and Heavenly Father. Hence the birth of “Babylon”.

Our loving Heavenly Father was never going to let this state of affairs last forever, and our verses today describe the party going on in Heaven. Let’s make sure we are there to enjoy it as well.

Father God. Can we hear in our spirits the shouting and singing reverberating around the Heavens? In faith we reach out to You, confident, through Your Son, Jesus, of our place there with all Your people. We are so grateful. Amen.

Luxury Goods No More

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“The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. 
And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.” Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.”
Revelation‬ ‭18:11, 19-20‬ ‭NLT

The precarious nature of the world economic system has been exposed. We have received hints of what this might look like in this century. The financial meltdown around 2008. The impact of the war in Ukraine. The Covid pandemic. It doesn’t take much to shock the world economy into recession or worse. Babylon is a picture for a global social-religious-economic hybrid that has its foundations on nothing more substantial than thin air.

The impact of the destruction of “Babylon” is described in great detail in Revelation 18 – a sobering read at the best of times. But Jesus taught us about the folly of hanging our coats on the Babylonian peg. He taught constantly about a new Kingdom. God’s Kingdom. The true and lasting Kingdom. But making the transition from the kingdom of the world, “Babylon”, to God’s Kingdom was a step too far for some. We read about the “Rich Young Ruler” in Matthew 19:21-22, “Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” However, Zacchaeus managed it. In Luke 19:8-9 we read, “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.”

God brought an end to “Babylon” for the sake of His people. Only lasting fruit in His Kingdom will survive the transition into our Heavenly home.

Dear Jesus. Only You have the words to eternal life. Only You can show us the way to the father, because only You are the way, the truth and the life. we praise and worship You today. Amen.

Mourning Kings

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“And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.””
Revelation‬ ‭18:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s work backwards, starting with Babylon, the global secular, materialistic and evil religious system. Any allegiance to God was sacrificed long ago on the altar of a global economic trading and social system that delivered more and more luxurious goods and hedonistic practices. “If it feels good just do it” is the increasingly strident cry echoing round the corridors of societies everywhere. There are no limits to the depravity of mankind. Shame and guilt have become forgotten words and emotions. But a series of catastrophes, a.k.a. the plagues, dismantle and destroy what had been built by the “kings of the world” under the directions of the beast. 

Nations all over the world were now in shock, and their leaders, their kings, were suddenly facing into a situation that left them bereft of the lifestyles they had previously enjoyed. A global economic crash totally beyond any previous experience had put them back to the survival days of subsistence farming and bartering. And the charred, smoking remains of banks, shopping malls, the vestiges of a previous age, literal and symbolic, smouldered on. Terror and mourning replaced immorality and luxury. And it all happened “in a single moment”.

But it was a different story for the pilgrims still alive at this time. Their mourning was turned into dancing. They remembered Psalm 30:11-12, “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Pilgrims remember also the prophecy from Isaiah 61:2-3, “He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favour has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory”. Yes, God’s people still alive will be suffering too from the collapse of the world system, from the death of “Babylon”, but they take the long view. They would soon find themselves in God’s presence.

Dear Father God. Thank You that worldly commerce will not find a home in Heaven. Your Kingdom is built on pure, holy and proper foundations. we’re eternally grateful. Amen.

Consuming Fire

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“She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’ Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day— death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”
Revelation‬ ‭18:7-8‬ ‭NLT

It looks as though the vision portrays an immediate, plague-induced collapse of the world system called Babylon. Judgement and fire follow. The world system and religion glorified itself. Pride and boasting prevailed. The throne of individual lives became the focus. Self satisfaction was the norm. But our mighty God was having none of this behaviour, and His fire, following the plagues, instantly burns it all up. The fire followed God’s righteous judgements. 

The world system is dominated by “Me! Me! Me!”. People stay awake at night thinking of ways to improve their lot in life, even if it means trampling on someone else in the process. We boast about what we have achieved. We take pride in our conquests. Selfishness rules the lives of those in the world. But 1 Corinthians 3:13 reads, “But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.” Obviously, the world system has, ultimately, no value at all. The world system called Babylon disappeared in a puff of smoke. Gone forever without trace.

There is a cost in following God’s ways. And one thing for sure, glorifying self will not be a part of it. Jesus taught about the cost of following Him. In Matthew 10:38-39, he said, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” There is no room in a pilgrim’s life for selfish living. It’s Jesus’ way, His way alone. So we pilgrims ask ourselves the question – who is on the throne of our lives? In response, we live out our lives, always at the foot of the Cross. Always conscious of what He has done for us. When we come to God in repentance, accepting His death for our sins, we die to our selfish nature, and instead put God fairly and squarely on the throne of our lives.

We do not need to fear the fires of Judgement Day. We are not Babylon followers. Instead, we follow God’s ways, storing treasure in Heaven, safe from the fires of judgement.

Dear Father God. Please forgive us for our selfish ways. It’s Your way, or no way. For ever and ever. Amen.

Sins Piled High

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“Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds. Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.”
Revelation‬ ‭18:4-6‬ ‭NLT

In John’s vision, the frantic outpouring of plagues has been replaced by what is more like an overview. We’ve been through the trees, looking at the detail, but now we’re getting a drone shot, as it were, of the wood, providing a summary of the impact of what has happened. God’s people are warned to keep away from the world system. It is so corrupted by wickedness, that the sins are piled up to the point that they reach Heaven. This is a time of retribution for the disgraceful way God’s people have been treated, with the “voice calling from Heaven” proposing that the punishment should be double that committed by the world and its “evil deeds”. 

Should we pilgrims separate ourselves from the world system around us, as the voice from Heaven implied? Should we all join a monastery or convent? Swapping our everyday clothes for those worn by monks or nuns? Spending our lives without TV, cars, and shops, instead growing our own food and spending our spare time in prayer within the monastery grounds? Although there is some merit in such a life style, I don’t believe it is for everyone, by a huge margin. In His wonderful prayer in John 17, Jesus prayed, “I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do.” (John‬ ‭17:14-16‬). The Apostle James, Jesus’ half-brother, expressed very strongly the dichotomy between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. He said, “You adulterers! Don’t you realise that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” (James‬ ‭4:4).

But coming back to our verse today, where the voice from Heaven entreated God’s people not to get caught up in the world system and its sins. Jesus taught that there is a way to live in the world but not be a part of it. We can do so by putting our service to God at the highest priority. We extend God’s love and grace to the sinful world around us, sharing the Gospel through our acts of service, selflessly expending our lives and resources on those most in need. But in the process we make sure that we don’t become corrupted by those we serve. We must objectively discern where the dangers lie and keep well away.

Practically, we avoid anything that would corrupt our Godly way of life. So instead of walking through a red light district, we take the long way round. Instead of channel hopping the TV, we selectively choose the channels that will not offend. Instead of getting caught up in the office gossip we walk away. We stay away from all sorts of temptation. As someone once said, we cannot stop birds from flying over our heads, but we can stop them from nesting in our hair. We discern the dangers of temptation and act accordingly.

James didn’t imply that we should cut ourselves off from the world around us. He exhorted us not to become friends of the world, being sucked into the world systems and cultures, to the extent that we start to become absorbed into everything the world gets involved in, and particularly its sin. By taking a step back and discerning what the world systems are about, we will be able to keep ourselves in the sweet spot of a relationship with God.

The old Apostle John wrote in his first epistle, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John‬ ‭2:15-17‬). Wise words indeed.

As we are seeing in this chapter in Revelation, the world system will not end well. Let’s diligently ensure that we don’t go down with it.

Dear Father. Please help us to be strong, with a resolve to stand against all the temptations that come our way in the worldly system around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Babylon is Fallen

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“He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal. For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.””
Revelation‬ ‭18:2-3‬ ‭NLT

The bright angel had a declaration to make. He spoke out, shouted even, the final condemnation of the world religious system, which had finally collapsed, taking with it everything that is foul and corrupt. In his vision, John saw a literal city called Babylon. There is of course a possibility that this was the case, but the result will ultimately be the same. In John’s vision, Babylon imploded and ended up as a smouldering pile of ruins, spiritually, religiously, morally, economically, nationally, and even globally. Babylon is fallen.

The language John used to described the fall of Babylon in his vision is graphic. You can almost see the horror and disgust dripping from his pen, or feel the shivers of dread running up the spines of the observers. The words he used, such as “foul”, “dreadful”, “immorality”, “adultery” – they all capture the event. But he also observes something we might see little harm in – words such as “luxury” and “rich“.

The bright angel, with his shouts, exposed all that is wrong with the world religious system. I use the word “religious” because that is what our world culture has become. The religion of secularism, materialism, and godlessness, and including a spiritual system conforming to what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:5, They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. …..”. And, ominously, a component part of “Babylon” is those things that make our life comfortable – luxury and wealth.

Jesus taught about the power of money in His parable taught in Matthew 6:21, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” and in Matthew 6:24, He said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money“. 

We pilgrims have to be discerning when it comes to having comfortable lives. If we are fortunate enough to enjoy luxury and wealth, we must hold what we have with open hands. Always aware that our riches, no matter how modest, must be under our control, not controlling us. One day, the world system, of which luxury and wealth is a part, will collapse. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal”. Eternal Heavenly treasure will be the only commodity of value when we pass from this life.

Dear Father. We know that You wish to richly bless Your children. Please help us to be good stewards of what You have entrusted to us in this life, and help us discern and seek out those things of Heavenly value. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Bright Angel

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“After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendour.”
Revelation‬ ‭18:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In John’s vision, an angel appears from Heaven. John was told that he had “great authority” and every where he went the earth lit up, brightened by “his splendour“. Why would that be significant? We will see in the next few verses the important message he had to declare, but initially this bright being illuminated an earth darkened by the wickedness of the beast and his followers.

Perhaps one reason he was so lit up, was because he had just come straight from the presence of God. Remember the Old Testament story where something similar happened with Moses? We read in Exodus 34:29-30, “When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.” The people were not comfortable with his bright face, so Moses had to wear a veil, as described in Exodus 34:33, “When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil.” But no veil was necessary to cover our angel, newly arrived on Planet Earth.

There is one thing we Christians have to be careful of. That is, how do we appear to other people? Is our visage bright and cheerful, or do we look as though we have just taken a sip of vinegar? Are we smiling or miserable? You see, it is no good us pilgrims trying to share the Gospel with others with a miserable face. If our body language is at variance to our message. If we are excited about our relationship with God, as we should be, then others around us should be able to pick up our excitement. Anecdotally, Francis of Assisi has been credited with the saying, “Preach the Gospel, and if necessary use words”. Whether true or not, the point is that the delivery of what we say, and our body language when we speak, must be in step.

I’m personally excited about God, about the wonders of His creation, about His transforming power, about His accessibility, and I’m excited about Jesus, His Son, who gave up His life, taking on board the punishment for all mankind’s sin, and giving us instead His righteousness. And we can now enter into God’s presence, intimately empowered to call Him “Daddy”. In my opinion it is impossible to have a miserable face when we consider all of that!

Father God. How can we express our love and gratitude enough. With faces shining with our love for You, we worship You today. Amen.

Prostitute No More

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“Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language. The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.””
Revelation‬ ‭17:15-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Oh dear! It seems as though something has gone wrong with the world religious cult, referred to as the “great prostitute”. All of a sudden, it seems, the “scarlet beast and his ten horns” have fallen out with this religion followed by the “masses of people of every nation and language” and have decided to destroy it. The angel’s description is graphic, and what it means symbolically amounts to a brutal put down of all who diligently follow then “great prostitute“. Perhaps, the devil finally realised that the cult’s worship had replaced what he really desired, which was worship of himself. But God had a plan, and you can just imaging Him whispering in the devil’s ear, “Look out – you’re being side-lined here, they don’t want to worship you anymore”. But God’s plan was profound. He was setting up the beast for annihilation, which we will read about in the next chapter in Revelation.

We read in Psalm 119:89, “Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven.” Isaiah 40:7-8 says, “…. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” The problem with anything built on a God-less foundation is that it will eventually collapse and disappear. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus taught that anything built on other than His teaching will eventually collapse. We read, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” (Matthew‬ ‭7:24‬). I’m writing this just after watching the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service, held on 19th September 2022 in Westminster Abbey, London. Here was a monarch whose passing, after over seventy years, has left people feeling bereft and a bit insecure. But she was human – still a remarkable and dedicated servant of course – but someone who cannot provide the security we have in our Heavenly Father. He is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

On what foundation are we pilgrims building? We are servants of the Most High, dedicated to His service in an increasingly secular world. And our foundation is God Himself. Psalm 18:31 reads, “For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?”. Hebrews 12:28 says, “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.”

There is an old hymn entitled, “My hope is built on nothing less” and the chorus goes;
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

There is no other foundation that will endure like God’s.

Dear Father. We praise and worship the solid Rock. You watch over us and the affairs of men and we can rest secure in Your protection and love. Amen.

John’s Amazement

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““Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings. Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction.””
Revelation‬ ‭17:7, 9-11‬ ‭NLT

The angel confesses to John that there is a mystery involved in the vision of heads and horns, the woman, beasts and kings. The angel, as he tried to explain what was going to happen, said “a mind with understanding” would be required. But his explanation was quite detailed. Many theologians and others have claimed to have the understanding the angel said would be required and have worked out the meaning of when these events will take place, at least to them. But in all of that, how much fruit has been produced for the Kingdom?

Although I say there is only limited value in trying to work out what it all means, from the perspective of 21st Century Planet Earth, the reality is that there is still a mystery here. Why wasn’t John given a clearer vision? Why wasn’t he told specifically who the main players were, and when the events described would happen? However, Jesus said that only God knows the exact time. So all those claiming to “understand” when it will happen are encroaching on God’s domain.

About the clarity of prophecy, what about some of the Old Testament prophesies about the first coming of Jesus? We see, with the benefit of hindsight, how spectacularly accurate they were. For example, Isaiah prophesied, as recorded in Isaiah 7:14, “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” Imagine how the people of Isaiah’s day would respond to the reality of a child being borne to a virgin? Laughable to them? But with the benefit of hindsight we marvel at its accuracy. Or consider Jesus’ death. We read the graphic description of the crucifixion experience in Psalm 22:14-15, “My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.” So one day I’m sure that we will look back at John’s prophetic vision and finally understand how accurate it was.

Perhaps another reason for prophecies not being as accurate as we would like is the limitations of trying to articulate events that are to take place in the future with a limited vocabulary. For example, imagine a “prophecy” given in the nineteenth century about the coming of mobile phones. How would our Victorian forbears describe it, in the language, and with the vocabulary, of the times? Silly example I know, but hopefully it illustrates the point I am trying to make. 

But I’m sure the real reason for prophecies not being as clear as they could be is that God wants us to be dependent on Him. Through faith we trust Him with our future. Through faith we are assured that, even though He has given a glimpse, or hint, of what is to come, He wants us to embrace His love and provision for the situation and times in which we live. That’s good enough for me! And we pilgrims respond with our praise, worship and gratitude.

Dear Father God. You are our loving Heavenly Father. You are always available for us to come and worship at Your throne, accepted and loved. How grateful we are. Amen.