Revelations 22:12-21

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Read Revelations 22:12-21 Verses for meditation: Revelations 22:12-13, 16, 20-21 ESV: 12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Reflect How does it feel to be reading the very last few verses of the bible? What do the proclamations, the last few of them, say about Christ? Come, Lord Jesus! Does this really express our desire? How does the greatest book end, and on what note? But is this really the end? Relate With mixed feelings, I'm writing this last devotion based on the final ten verses of the greatest book, the bible. What a journe...
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Amos 3-4 "Worship that seeks to please......us"

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Read: Amos 3-4

Verses chosen for reflection

Amos 4:4-5

“Come to Bethel, and transgress;
    to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
    your tithes every three days;
5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
    and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
    for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”
declares the Lord God.

Reflect: 

God's judgement upon Israel included their corrupted and hypocritical worship practices. As Israel did not want to worship at the southern kingdom of Judah, they set up other worship centres in Bethel and Gilgal. However, these worship centres were not approved by God. They were not set up in obedience. 

They were set up because the people of Israel wanted to worship as they please and even as a form of rivalry against Judah. Worship in these centres, even if they tithe every three days, were not pleasing to God. For these acts of worship only sought to please their own desires and preferences. Their outward acts of worship were not genuinely done to please God. God saw through those hypocrisy and among many other transgressions, counted this as a cause for judgement. 

Relate:

Do we worship to please ourselves? Many of us might state a resounding no. But let us think about this deeper. What truly is worship? Worship to God, whether we do it through singing praises, prayers, reading His word, listening to sermon and how we lead our daily lives; is about two main factors: (1) faithfulness to the word of God and (2) reverence to God.

So our worship is pleasing to God only if we fulfil these two factors. We can use these two factors to gauge if as a church or individuals, our worship does not seek to please ourselves but God. 

So for example, is our musical worship prepared and done according to the word of God? When we arrive in church to worship, how is our posture for God? When we wanted certain preferences on how we worship as a church, is the preference more to please self or a conviction through the word?

When we seek to bring our "worship" to another church, what are the reasons? Are these reasons more to please God or our own desires?  As Canon J John said, "the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. The grass is not greener at this side of the fence. The grass is greener where we water it." Yes. Let us learn to "water" our own sense of worship to God and do what is pleasing to Him,

Rest

Lord, help us to discern if our worship is truly pleasing to You. Give us insights to areas of our lives if this is not the case and the wisdom to change for the better. This we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Jason 



   

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