Bro Gary Sunday AM 3/13/11

Bro Gary Sunday AM 3/13/11

Revelation 4:1 KJVR

(1)  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

God opens the windows of heaven to all that give of their life to Him.  We see that there is a door opened in heaven in this scripture.  We need to live so that we keep that door open.  

If it for whatever reason is shut, the scripture tells us to ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened.  

Revelation 4:2 KJVR

(2)  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

It is wonderful that God has ordained that you and I could be in the Spirit.  It is wonderful that there is a Holy Spirit.  May God help us to live in the Spirit and not grieve the Holy Spirit of God so that we can leave the door open.

There is a throne set in heaven, a place of authority, a place of The Supreme, a place of power.  One sat on this throne.  There may be those that take the liberty in their mind to try to describe God and Jesus.  This scripture tells us that He can only be compared to that which is most precious.

Revelation 4:3 KJVR

(3)  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

This is not in the thought that He is a stone or the color red; He wanted John to see that this One in authority, God who is almighty, is of Most Value.  

If we didn’t know anything about the needs of Japan, New Zealand, Cuba, or Haiti, with just the requests we heard this morning for the elderly that we know and for the young in difficult situations and disappointment immediately our plate becomes so full.  It seems we hear more of the negative than the positive in the news; we must have more than the problems of the world on our mind.  Where can we go to find something of value to do something for our soul?  We must lift up our eyes as David said to the hills.  

As God said to Moses, “Be ready in the morning and come up to the top of the Mount.”  He gave him some instruction: come up by yourself and don’t bring anything with you.  There is a time when you and I need to be alone with God.  

God told Moses when he went up on the Mount to position himself so that he couldn’t see any work to do.  Spring is here.  As happy as we were to see bare ground the thought now is, “Can I get the leaves raked and all that needs done before fall comes?”  

I’m not taking away from the work that needs done.  God wants you to get alone with Him and not be talking about the leaves or the deck or anything else that you feel you need to do.  

Not only does He want you to get alone with Him away from what you have to do.  There are also the cares of life that we need to leave out of our mind as we get alone with Him.  Prices of everything are rising.  We need to get away from all that so that we can see One of more value than all of that.  We need to see Him as the One of supreme authority.  You may be disappointed by many things, but God is still the One that is in supreme control.  

The throne was to look upon as a red diamond, but there is something else unique about this throne.  There was about this throne a complete rainbow, as of an emerald.  In my study I learned that God chose the emerald because it is a stone that glows.  

God wants us to see Him on His throne and He wants us to see, to hear, and to understand that those promises He gives from heaven are all alive.  He makes them alive.  How alive He makes His counsel, His direction!

When we go to the written Word, He speaks the same promise to us that He made to us as we were praying alone with God.  Anytime that someone tells you “God told me something,” but what they tell you is contrary to the Word of God, you know that they didn’t receive that direction when they were worshiping at the throne of God; it was when they were at some other throne.

Revelation 4:4 KJVR

(4)  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Abraham and all the faithful looked forward to the day when the atonement would be made for their sins and it was accounted to them for righteousness.  All that looked forward to that day were seated there in white raiment.  Sin will never enter heaven.  Any sin, or self causes spots on our garments and it will never enter heaven.

Revelation 4:5 KJVR

(5)  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

There is something about that door being opened and you and I entering in!  Let us keep the door of heaven open.  Our minds are bombarded with human thoughts and cares.  The enemy comes to put a thought in your mind and then condemn you for having the thought.  

God wants us to dwell in heavenly places on earth.  God wants us to follow the pattern that we be in the Holy Spirit of God as John was and receive direction from Him.  

The “thunder, lightening, and voices” has the general meanings of God sending forth His word and it is a light to our path and to our mind.  There are things that we will never learn intellectually.  We try to figure things out and are unable.  Then God shows His light into our life and we think, “That is easy.  Why couldn’t I figure it out?”  There is also the still small voice that He speaks to us by.

All through the Gospel Day, God’s Spirit has dealt with mankind.  There were saved people in the dark ages.  Because they were there, there were people that got saved like Martin Luther and the Wesleys. 

Because people got saved and walked in the light with the attitude that they wanted to know more, God honored that.

Bro D.S. Warner was among a group of people that didn’t believe in the infilling of the Holy Spirit, but he realized that he had a need.  He got the experience, he preached it, he printed it, he sent it out and he lived it.  There may have been many more that felt they had to have more of God in the dark ages and also experienced this same true experience of Sanctification.

Revelation 4:6 KJVR

(6)  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

The sea of Glass represents the Word of God.  There were living creatures with eyes that could see what was ahead, what was behind and all around.

The Lion represents the Church, not just the Church in Acts.  The Church will be the Church throughout all ages.  The lion represents having courage and strength.  The first thing that is necessary to have courage and strength is to have the door opened into heaven.  The enemy will try to send you on an emotional roller-coaster and keep you in confusion and fear all the time.  God has a different design for us.

Isaiah 40:28-31 KJVR

(28)  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

(29)  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

(30)  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

(31)  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

God doesn’t faint, He doesn’t get weary.  He is the LORD, the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.  There is no searching of His understanding.  Thank God I’m here, but this God is bigger than any need and has depths and heights and understandings and powers that were not just to those that have already gone on.  

The ignorant man is the man that is proud.  Don’t be afraid of learning the glorious truths of God. 

He gives power to the faint.  There will be times when you have exhausted all your resources.  There will be times when you’re little faint and have a hard time getting around.  Get a hold of God and stand on His promise that He gives power to the faint.  

To them that have no might, He increases strength.  They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. 

I want to envision myself and the saints going through that door into heaven waiting for their strength to be renewed.