May the mumbling commence!
I have spent the past couple of days at a district-wide retreat called “The Gathering”. Its theme was “Get off Your Pew and Join the Celebration”. The kingdom of God is here! There is no greater cause to celebrate. Read about the celebration in heavenly realms from Revelation chapter seven:
When this was done I looked again, and before my eyes appeared a vast crowd beyond man's power to number. They came from every nation and tribe and people and language, and they stood before the throne of the Lamb, dressed in white robes with palm-branches in their hands. With a great voice they shouted these words: "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb!"
Then all the angels stood encircling the throne, the elders and the four living creatures, and prostrated themselves with heads bowed before the throne and worshipped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be given to our God for timeless ages!"
Then one of the elders addressed me and asked, "These who are dressed in white robe – who are they, and where do they come from?!
"You know, my Lord," I answered him.
Then he told me, "These are those who have come through the great oppression: they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. That is why they now have their place before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits upon the throne will be their shelter. They will never again know hunger or thirst. The sun shall never beat upon them, neither shall there be any scorching heat, for the Lamb who is in the centre of the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Verses 9-17)
A vast crowd in white robes is without number. Now, there are large numbers in Revelation. To be without number is mind-boggling. They are as the stars of the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore.
Who are these people from every nation and tribe and people and language? They are those who have endured with faith through all the various trials of life and have remained steadfastly attached to the Lamb – to Christ Jesus. Their robes are white (they are counted as righteous) because they have washed their lives in the blood of the Lamb.
They are free! And they use their freedom to worship God – “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne at to the Lamb!” The angels and elders and heavenly creatures join in the worship – in the celebration. “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be given to our God for timeless ages!”
They are free to serve God night and day in his temple.
In return for this right relationship, God gives us much more than we can dream or ask or imagine. We will be sheltered – from hunger and thirst and noonday sun. The Lamb will shepherd us to springs of living water. Every tear will be wiped away from our eyes.
To be in the presence of God. To know God. To worship God. To serve God. We were made for these things. We no longer need to live a life of lies and deceptions.
Now, that is cause to celebrate!
Let’s do it!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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