Friday, June 27, 2008

Forever Fellowship

9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice,"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

 13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" 14I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 15"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 shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
   nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
   and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation: 9-17, ESV


This is not a lone cowboy thing.  No, Christianity is not something to do alone.  Christianity is not something to interpret on ones own or to walk in different directions of.  It is simply put, "Christ crucified."  This passage from Revelation gives us some insight to how worship in heaven is.  What a remarkable scene this must have been.  It gives people a taste then leaves them wanting more.  It shows Christianity is about unity in fervent love toward one another.  Not a love of "acceptance" to certain sinful behavior, but a love that speaks compassion through the Gospel.  A love thats says to you, "Your sins are forgiven."  We need the fellowship, we need the Body of Christ!


On this side of eternity, we need the sun to light things up and to create warmth.  On the better side of eternity, no sun is needed:

5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.


Revelation 22:5

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