Ok. Enough of that. On to the "spiritual" stuff.
For White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to humbly seek God�s wisdom and grace as he manages the President�s schedule
We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.
--II Corinthians 1:12 (NIV)
Precious God, how truly amazing is Your kindness to us! Because of Your love and favor upon us, we have the gift of eternal life through Christ, redemption from our sins, and access to Your riches of knowledge and insight to guide us each day. Thank you, Lord, for the incredible reality of Your grace in our lives.
Today, Lord, we pause to pray for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Just as the Apostle Paul said his conscience testified that he had conducted himself before the people in Corinth with holiness and sincerity from God not according to worldly wisdom, let His grace perform the same work in Mr. Emanuel�s life as he serves President Obama. We ask that he will be drawn to You and will desire Your understanding in all his doings, in the name of Christ, amen.
25:1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
"In order...that we may pray aright to God, let us be directed by this rule: not to distract our minds by various and uncertain hopes, nor to depend on worldy aid, but to yield to God the honour of lifting up our hearts to him in sincere and earnest prayer."
Revelation 4:2-8
1 Then I looked, and, oh!�a door open into Heaven. The trumpet-voice, the first voice in my vision, called out, "Ascend and enter. I'll show you what happens next."
2-6 I was caught up at once in deep worship and, oh!�a Throne set in Heaven with One Seated on the Throne, suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald. Twenty-four thrones circled the Throne, with Twenty-four Elders seated, white-robed, gold-crowned. Lightning flash and thunder crash pulsed from the Throne. Seven fire-blazing torches fronted the Throne (these are the Sevenfold Spirit of God). Before the Throne it was like a clear crystal sea.
6-8 Prowling around the Throne were Four Animals, all eyes. Eyes to look ahead, eyes to look behind. The first Animal like a lion, the second like an ox, the third with a human face, the fourth like an eagle in flight. The Four Animals were winged, each with six wings. They were all eyes, seeing around and within. And they chanted night and day, never taking a break:
Holy, holy, holy
Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong,
The Was, The Is, The Coming.
What on earth is happening here? John is having some kind of vision here, while he is caught up in "deep worship." He is, apparently, getting a vision of a scene in heaven. He sees what must be the Throne of God, with God sitting on it, surrounded by 24 smaller thrones with 24 Elders sitting in them. Then he sees these really weird "animals." Four of them. Lion, ox, human, eagle.
Check out Ezekiel 1. Ezekiel saw four "animals." Lion, ox, human, eagle. In each instance, the "animals" have eyes on all sides. The only difference between the two accounts is that Ezekiel counted four wings, where John sees six. Other than that discrepancy, I have to believe that John and Ezekiel have both seen the same creatures.
Is there a common theme in this passage? I believe it is worship. John was caught up in deep worship when he had this vision. These "creatures" (could they be seraphim?) worshipped day and night, never taking a break. And to think, some of us have trouble getting up for a church meeting once a week! However, any attempt to compare what John is seeing to our feeble attempts at worship on Sunday morning fails miserably! These creatures are face to face with God Almighty, and were created for one purpose and on purpose only--to worship him!
I close my eyes and try to imagine this place. It's hard, because it is obviously unlike anything I have ever seen. The colors are wild. Lightning flashes around this Throne. And these creatures! How can I even begin to imagine this?? How does it feel to be there? I am in awe. I am so filled with awe, that I cannot stand. I dare not stand. I would immediately fall on my face. I chant with the "animals." "Holy, Holy, Holy!!" What does holiness mean? It is purity, perfection. It is beyond comprehension. The holiness of God is something that I cannot begin to imagine. I believe that if I were to experience it first hand, I would simply disintegrate into a pile of ashes. Back to the chant. "THE WAS. THE IS. THE COMING." And then, once again..."Holy, Holy, Holy."
Grace and peace, friends! And thank you for reading.