Heaven’s Posthumous Purple Heart

ALL – Psalm 133:1-3
ALL – Proverbs 29:26-27
OT – Jonah 1:1-4:11
NT – Revelation 5:1-14

Interesting passage for the day: They were singing him a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it; for you were slain, and your blood has bought people from every nation as gifts for God. And you have gathered them into a kingdom and made them priests of our God; they shall reign upon the earth.” – Revelation 5:9-10, The Living Bible

Thought: The Purple Heart award is an honor given in the name of the United States President to soldiers who have been wounded or killed during their service to our country. Yes, it is an honor that can be given to a soldier after death. Facing death in service to other people deserves honor so much that our government does not consider the posthumous award to be a waste.

Here in Revelation 5, Jesus Christ, the Lamb, is found to be worthy of an honor that no one else—not a single living being in all of creation—could claim, the honor of taking the scroll from the hand of the “one who was sitting on the throne” (Rev 5:1), to break its seals and to open it. Why did the Lamb merit this great honor?

The twenty four elders sang the reason for His honor. “You are worthy,” they proclaimed, “for you were slain, and your blood has bought people from every nation as gifts for God. And you have gathered them into a kingdom and made them priests of our God; they shall reign upon the earth.”

Jesus has gone to war for us. He marched straight to the front lines and battled for our lives. And Jesus Christ did not leave the battle field in defeat. He won the victory! We who trust in Him are being gathered into His kingdom and have become priests of God!

This victory was not won without cost. Jesus Christ died on the field of battle. He laid His life down to gain the ultimate victory.

And yet, in this heavenly scene from Revelation 5, Jesus Christ did not need a next-of-kin to step forward and claim His honor for Him. Unlike the United States’ posthumous Purple Heart awards, Jesus Christ is an honoree who can stand to personally receive the posthumous praise He deserves. He has risen from the dead and lives forever. And so the victory that He won by His death is forever secure because He lives.

Question: How grateful are you to Jesus for His death for you? When you hear about the honor He receives, do you yawn? Clap politely? Or cheer at the top of your lungs? If you could award Jesus an appropriate posthumous “Purple Heart” award of your own, what kind of reward do you think He would deserve?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

He Has Done Great Things

ALL – Psalm 70:1-5
ALL – Proverbs 12:4
OT – Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32
NT – Luke 8:22-39

Testimonies. What are they about? How awful we used to be? How great we are now?

I don’t think so. I hope that’s not what people get from our testimonies. “Look at that guy! He used to be a total jerk, but now he’s awesome! Don’t you want to be like him?” If that’s all that comes out of our testimonies, then almost nothing has been gained.

When Jesus drove legions of demons out of one particular man, the man wanted to follow Jesus instead of going back to his home town. But Jesus gave him an assignment:

“Go back to your family,” he told him, “and tell them what a wonderful thing God has done for you.” – Luke 8:39, The Living Bible

Point to God! Point to God! Point to God! What a wonderful assignment!

How often do we spend our time mumbling about how life’s doing when we could be telling people the wonders of God? Jesus left us here for a reason, just like the man he delivered way back then. Are we taking His assignment seriously?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

The rest of the week's readings:

March 30, 2010

ALL – Psalm 71:1-24
ALL – Proverbs 12:5-7
OT – Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23
NT – Luke 8:40-9:6

March 31, 2010

ALL – Psalm 72:1-20
ALL – Proverbs 12:8-9
OT – Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20
NT – Luke 9:7-27

April 1, 2010

ALL – Psalm 73:1-28
ALL – Proverbs 12:10
OT – Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
NT – Luke 9:28-50

April 2, 2010

ALL – Psalm 74:1-23
ALL – Proverbs 12:11
OT – Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30
NT – Luke 9:51-10:12

April 3, 2010

ALL – Psalm 75:1-10
ALL – Proverbs 12:12-14
OT – Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19
NT – Luke 10:13-37

April 4, 2010

ALL – Psalm 76:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 12:15-17
OT – Deuteronomy 26:1-27:28
NT – Luke 10:38-11:13

What if God Doesn't Like Our Songs?

Amos 1-5; Psalm 131; Proverbs 29:23

People love their songs. Even those who don’t sing well love songs. We all love the feelings we have when our hearts and souls seem to be perfectly expressed by the words and lyrics of our songs.

Especially in church.

Right? I mean, the whole service is called a WORSHIP service. But we value our praise songs so highly that when we say, “Our time of worship,” we almost always, 100% of the time, think about singing. When we say, “Our worship time,” we don’t think about prayer, we don’t think about reading and listening to the words of the Scriptures, we don’t think about sharing testimonies, we don’t think about giving tithes or offerings, we don’t think about listening to a sermon, and we certainly don’t think—when we’re talking about worship—we certainly don’t think about obeying God’s teachings and guidance throughout the week.

I like our songs. But does God?

Not always:

Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! – Amos 5:23-24

God isn’t saying, “Away with the noise of your songs,” just because people are singing off-key. His goal isn’t for the music to be better, more professional and edgy and skillful. What God is saying is that He doesn’t care about our music if our lives aren’t synchronized with His Word.

If our relationship with God is expressed more deeply when we sing than at any other time of the week, then God wants us to stop singing and focus instead on righteous, holy living.

Father, may You receive more worship from me than just nice words and emotive music. May my worship rise to You in every interaction with my wife, every encounter with my children, every meeting with a neighbor, every conversation with a stranger. Whether I’m alone or in public, worn out or energized, at home or at work or at church, may my life be holy and righteous—a symphony of non-musical worship to You.

What simple ways has God shown you by which to worship and honor Him daily?