Psalm 33:8-9

Psalm 33:8-9 Let all the earth fear the LORD;  let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be;  he commanded, and it stood firm.

My Creator King, Your dramatically designed world compels me to stop and marvel at who You are. Praise supernaturally pours from my heart when I recognize that You are the Maker of EVERYTHING. This is Your world and everything in it belongs to You. Your magnificent creative power far surpasses man's prowess and imagination. Man can make spectacularly tall buildings, but they'll never reach the limitless sky. We can send a man to the moon, but no one can go near the sun. Impressive men can rule and reign over nations, but ultimately they will bow before Your Majesty. You, Almighty God, spoke one word, making the whole world for Your purpose and pleasure. It's inconceivable to even the most intelligent mind. You speak, crippling a busy city with a hurricane or snow storm. One strong breath from heaven can create winds that slow our supersonic jets, making us late for important destinations. That same burst of air from Your lips can pick up our sturdy homes, turning them into match sticks. At the sound of Your thunderous voice, heavy rains, lightening and hail force the cancellation of our public events. The high seas command the respect of even the best built ocean liners. Your mouth immobilizes the earth. I thank You Father, for everything and anything that humbles me before the mystery of life. When my heart is laden with fear and anxiety attacks my soul, help me remember that You're bigger than anyone or anything. Please keep me from the folly of worshipping people and their inanimate objects. You alone are God and I bless Your holy name. Amen.

Today, consider the greatness of God. In awe of His marvelous power, let go of your fear of people, and worship Him alone by trusting Him to take care of you, His treasured creation.

Ephesians 1:17-20, 2:6

Ephesians 1:17-20, 2:6 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. That the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you: the riches of his glorious inheritance, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Glorious Father, how I love the words You speak to me. They are music to my ears. Buried beneath busyness and brokenness, I fail to remember my privileged and powerful position. Because You lovingly chose and adopted me, I am seated with You on the high throne of heaven where You rule over everything from galaxies to governments. No name and no power are exempt from Your almighty authority. You are in charge of it all, and have the final word on everything - always and forever. O Lord, give me deeper intelligence and insight into Who You are. Flood my heart with light so that I can plainly see the rich and glorious treasures of heaven that belong to me, Your chosen child. Help me to understand and appropriate the greatness of Your mighty power at all times. The same force that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at Your right hand is available to me. Unleash that strength in me, O Lord, so that I can resist evil, overcome temptation, and continually live in the peaceful, pleasant prosperity of Your presence. When everything around me seems to be falling apart, help me to remember my high position next to Your throne in heaven. By faith, I will access Your authority and appropriate Your power, trusting that the One who controls and commands the cosmos will work out the details for my good and Your glory. Hallelujah! Amen.

God has given you a heavenly position and you can live a throne-life. His Word says, that He has chosen and adopted You (Ephesians 1:4,5) and seated You with Jesus in the heavenly realms where You can live contentedly. He didn't set you there to live a joyless, despairing life under the enemy's foot, but to live freely, victoriously and happily no matter your circumstances. Ask the Lord to give you a fresh view of Who He is. Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart and show you His treasures. He promises to give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places so that you may know that He is the Lord who calls you by name (Isaiah 45:3). He longs to give you power to crush the enemy under YOUR foot. Ask Him for it and begin living a throne-life.

Revelation 13:1, 5-8

Revelation 13:1, 5-8 And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast-all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

Almighty Authority, I am so thankful for the unlimited access You've given me to Your whole Word. Unlike people in repressed regions, I don't have just a few well-worn pages, but the entire Book, divinely directed and dictated by You. Usually, I prefer to ponder the pleasantries rather than the penalties, but today You made me take a hard look at the frightening future. Out of the "sea" a beast will come in the form of a phenomenal politician. Suddenly arriving on the scene after a colossal catastrophe, he will carefully craft a story that sounds religiously soothing. Cool, calm and collect under extreme pressure, he will seemingly have all the right answers at exactly the right time. The world will be wooed by his astonishing intelligence and supernatural abilities. Dynamic and good-looking, he will undoubtedly be a dominating charismatic capable of banding together people from diverse backgrounds and unlikely places for a common purpose. With astute managerial abilities, he will not only command a mighty military, but also be in charge of the worldwide economy. Fascinated by his forceful display of power, plenty of people will pursue him for their own profit. A highly popular, praised and promoted individual with strong personal influence; he will be morally proud and profane, misleading, manipulating, and motivating the majority to accomplish his well-devised and devious plan. Please enlighten me with Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I may really know You and not be duped by an imposter. Claiming Your incomparably great power, I will bravely stand up for my beliefs, and patiently endure dissension, discrimination and difficulty because my name has been written in the Lamb's book of life since the beginning. Blessed assurance! Amen.

Could the Antichrist already be in the world today just waiting to be appointed to power? It is inevitable that he is coming. He must in order to fulfill the words of prophesy, and prepare the way for Christ's visible return to earth.

Revelation 7:14-17

Revelation 7:14-17 They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God        and serve him day and night in his temple;     and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.   Never again will they hunger;        never again will they thirst.     The sun will not beat upon them,        nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;        he will lead them to springs of living water.     And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Promises, Precious promises, O how I delight in Your promises! O how I cherish the wonder working power of the blood of the Lamb. You guarantee that in this world we'll have all kinds of trials and tribulations. We'd be naïve to believe that we won't be despised and disdained for faithfully following You. Afflictions, adversities and atrocities are bound to affect us. Yet, if we persist and don't give up, You promise we'll come through the tragedies with white-washed robes - bleached by the blood of the Lamb. Blessed assurance! Dressed in white linen, we'll be led into Glory. Enthralled by our beauty, You'll endow us with the privilege of being priests in the Temple of Heaven. Delighting You day and night with songs of praise and the sweet scent of prayers will be enchanting. With my ear pressed close to my heart, I can almost hear the melodious music. With my nose in the air, I can almost smell the fragrance of prayer. In the safe shelter of Your presence, we'll have access to Your boundless buffet. Our starved souls that insistently sought satisfaction will be content at last. Under the shade of Your canopy, the scorching sun will no longer sear our souls. You'll lead us to ceaseless streams of refreshing water. With a soft stroke of Your hand, You'll gently wipe every tear from our swollen eyes and we'll never again have reason to cry. O Lord, why do I dread dying when You promise me all this? Please dear Lord, permanently paint a pleasant picture of Paradise in my mind to prevent me from discouragement and despair while I wait for You to return and take me to live with You there. Amen.

Ponder the promises of heaven, and ask the Lord to permanently paint them on your mind. Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb  Elisha A. Hoff­man,Spir­it­u­al Songs for Gos­pel Meet­ings and the Sun­day School(Cleve­land, Ohio: Bark­er & Smell­ie, 1878) Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Refrain Are you washed in the blood,  In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?  Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?  Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you walking daily by the Savior's side? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you rest each moment in the Crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Refrain When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb? Refrain Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb; There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, O be washed in the blood of the Lamb! Refrain

Revelation 5:6-

Revelation 5:6-9 I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song. King of the Universe, You are the Sacred Lamb of God, omnipotent, omniscience, and omnipresent. Perfect in power and knowledge, Your presence is everywhere. Because You were slaughtered, You and You alone, are worthy to step forward, take the secret scroll, sever its seals and open it. Your right to rule the world was and is and always will be undisputable, unquestionable, and undeniable. With Your precious blood You purchased people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to build for Yourself a kingdom full of priests to rule and reign over all the earth. Instead of resisting Your will, disputing Your purpose, and complaining about Your ways, I must immediately start submitting to Your almighty authority. Falling in step with the rest of the universe, it is imperative that I recognize Who You are, change my haughty attitude, and fall down in reverent awe of You. Taking up a harp, with my eyes focused on You standing on the throne of my heart, I'll practice plucking a lovely cord for the King when I live harmoniously with others. Holding out my golden bowl full of passionate, persistent prayers, I'll honor You, hasten Your coming, and attract the hopeless, helpless and heartless to the sweetness of Your splendor. By maintaining one accord within the multicultural, multilingual, and multiracial body of Christ, I'll reproduce the crescendo of thunderous praise that will one day, possibly quite soon, resonate throughout all of creation: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength     and honor and glory and praise! Thank You for giving me a guided tour through the gates of Glory, and allowing me a glimpse of the gala events at the throne of grace. To the Sacred Sacrificial Lamb who sits on the throne, be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever! Amen.  I can't wait to get to heaven to see the magnificent Throne Room where the King of the Universe conducts His official business, and to find out for sure what's on that secret scroll. Absolutely no one but Jesus, the Sacred Sacrificial Lamb who was slain, is worthy of taking it from the King, severing the seals, and opening it. According to God's revealed Word, the Truth, our only response will be to reverently worship the Only One who has the right to rule and reign over all creation. We can practice for the priestly performance for which He purchased us by: Living harmoniously with others. Praying for the hastening of Christ's return, as well as, for others. Being united in worship with other believers. When we all get to heaven What a day of rejoicing that will be When we all see Jesus We'll sing and shout the victory!

Revelation 4:8

Revelation 4:8 Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,  who was, and is, and is to come."

Eternal and Most Holy God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, You are the glorious One, seated on the throne conducting the official business of the universe. Holy, holy, holy, are You, Perfect, All-wise, Almighty Judge. Thank You for opening the door to Your throne room and giving me a glimpse of Your glory. I can only imagine the contagious choir I will hear when I step into Your holy presence. Day and night, there will be a continuous crescendo of praise as all the redeemed ceaselessly sing harmonious, thankful choruses honoring You, the Conquering King who reigns victoriously. Humbly bowed at Your nail-pierced feet, worship will be uninterrupted and uninhibited, forever and ever. Positioned for service, I will reverently join the elders, unreservedly laying down the praise of my accomplishments, accolades, and awards. Apart from You, there are no rewards or recognition. All glory, honor, and power belong to You, the Host of Heaven. Inscribe this magnificent vision on my heart today and help me to live a sincere life of worship so that when I enter the holy of holies I'll be prepared to behold Your beauty. Following the example of the twenty-four elders, my praise will be constant, not sporadic; united, not divided; warm and genuine, not cold and calculated; highly charged with energy and activity, rather than smug and sleepy; humble, not haughty. O Jesus, with all my heart, I anticipate the day when I will join the crescendo of eternal praise. Hallelujah! You are worthy! Amen.

Practice continuous praise today!

Revelation 4:10-11

Revelation 4:10-11 The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:  "You are worthy, our Lord and God,     to receive glory and honor and power,     for you created all things,     and by your will they were created     and have their being."

My Creator King, You alone are the King who reigns in power over the entire universe, and You alone are worthy to receive glory and honor and power because You created all things. Why then, if I believe this, am I so contradictory? If You alone are worthy of ALL praise - and You are - why then do I pursue pleasing people for their praise? Why do I relish rewards and recognition from mere man? Why do I long to stand in the spotlight to be seen? And, why am I offended when others don't give me credit for the work I've done? My heart is deceived, and my thoughts are distorted. Thank You for opening my eyes to see how subtly Satan seduces me and steals my glorious golden life. He'd love nothing more than for me to be focused on the attention, applause and accolades of people. Oh, that all sounds so wonderfully harmless. Yet, it is a lie, straight from the pit of Hell. If I cash in on it, I cheat You, the Lamb of God, of the glory and honor and praise that rightfully belongs to You, hampering Your work in the process. Apart from You, I would not even exist. In the Throne Room in Glory, I will be compelled to cast down my crowns, and give You all the credit for anything good I've ever done.   Please, dear Lord, give me power to abandon all my misguided ambitions, and faith to believe that You are in control, and have a plan and purpose that's vastly beyond my dreams, for the glory and praise of YOUR name, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Are you cashing in on the attention, applause and accolades of people, cheating God of the glory, honor, and praise that rightfully belongs to Him? Apart from Him, you wouldn't even exist. He deserves complete credit for every good thing you've ever done. Unreservedly abandon your misguided ambitions. His Word says, "He stoops down to make me great." Psalm 18:35

Matthew 2:2, 11 Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Holy Child of God- I have seen Your splendor and beauty brilliantly beaming down from heaven on high. Under the glowing streams of glory is the wonderful gift of worship. In awe of Your radiant reflection, I joyfully come, falling on my knees in adoration to worship Your Majesty! You are the: Word of the Father Son of God Abba Daddy Blessed Word of God Truthful Teacher Lamb of God Bread of Heaven Glorious River of Life Healer of Hearts Breakfast Server Lover of My Soul Lord of the Dance The Way, the Truth and the Life My Beloved King You are the worthy of the best I have to offer. Generously, I give you the tarnished gold of my life. Remove my impurities so that I will glitter and glimmer and become increasingly more pure and valuable to You. Selflessly surrendered to You, I will sparkle when I worship You, my Master, with a life of sincere service. Freely, I offer You the fragrant frankincense of my faithful prayers flowing heavenward. The sweet sound of the song in my heart will be a pleasant perfume of praise to You, O Holy King. Boldly, I bring to You the bitter myrrh of my brokenness. In the stunning splendor of Your sanctuary, You graciously accept the sacrifice of my suffering and shame, and restore me with heavenly healing. I have come to worship You with all my soul and strength like the star-guided sojourners. After a long strenuous journey through darkness, I have found You in the home of my heart. Now I gladly open the glowing streams of glory, take out the wonderful gift of worship, and triumphantly sing in exultation, "Gloria, In Excelsius Deo." Hallelujah! Amen.

If You have found the gift of the Christ Child in your heart, will you bow down and worship Him? Give Him the tarnished gold of your life, allowing Him to remove the impurities. He can make you beautiful no matter how much tarnish you've accumulated. Present him the sweet scent of your prayers and praise. Offer him the bitterness of your suffering and sorrow. Then find someone who needs the heart of Christmas and offer them the Holy Child of Christmas. Christmas isn't a season. Any day is Christmas when Christ is born in the manger of a human heart.