Holy, Holy, Holy

I read something in Beth Moore's "Beloved Disciple" which I thought was a powerful observation.

"The holy place was the room where the priests ministered on a daily basis... the most holy place, which the high priest entered only once a year with fear and trembling... the term 'most holy place' actually repeats the original word for holy...'the holy holy'... We will join the seraph who cry 'Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty" (Rev 4:8)... Perhaps like me, you try to distinguish between members of the holy Trinity. Whom did John picture on the throne...? Before we immediately assume God the Father as the occupant or no distinction at all, please read Revelation 5:6. Where is the Lamb (Christ) depicted as standing? [Click here for the answer] I don't beleive the revelator meant us to picture Christ standing up on a chair. Our familiarity with a throne is entirely related to a piece of furniture. The word 'throne' seems to encompass the center, from which Christ presides with all authority... According to the comparisons with Daniel 7 and Revelation 5, both the Father and the Son inhabit the throne room. Could it be that in the OT God wanted most to reveal Christ and in the NT Christ wanted most to reveal God? I think it's quite possible and very likely of each of Them to shed light on the other"

Then I read Revelation 4 and 5, compared the words with which "the Lord God" and "the Lamb" were worshiped... imagine myself there... and wrangling over human "authority" grows strangely dim.

Rev 4:11"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."
~
Rev 5:11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering
thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled
the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13Then I heard every creature in
heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them,
singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
14The four living creatures said, "Amen,"
and the elders fell down and worshiped.

insofar as they reflect the mind of the Lord...

from Who's Your Covering by Frank Viola

quote:

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The Greek word most often translated “submit” in the NT is the word hupotasso. Hupotasso is better translated “subjection” In NT usage, subjection is a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating with, and yielding to the admonition and advice of another.
Biblical subjection has nothing to do with control or hierarchical power. It is simply an attitude of childlike openness in yielding to others insofar as they reflect the mind of the Lord….

Our Lord Jesus, as well as Paul, exhibited the spirit of subjection when they stood in the presence of official authority (Matt 26:63-64; Acts 23:2-5). In like manner, we are always to be subject to such authority. Lawlessness and the despising of authority are marks or the sinful nature (2 Pet 2:10; Jude 8) At the same time, subjection and obedience are two different things. It is a fatal error to confuse them.

How does subjection differ from obedience? Subjection is an attitude. Obedience is an action. Subjection is absolute. Obedience is conditional. Subjection is an internal matter. Obedience is an external matter.

…. one can disobey while submitting. You can disobey an earthly authority while maintaining a spirit of humble subjection. You can disobey while having an attitude of respect and reverence as opposed to a spirit of rebellion, reviling, and subversion (1Tim 2:1-2; 2Pet 2:10; Jude 8)
…

When the indwelling Christ leads a believer or a church to speak or act, they are backed by the authority of the Head. His is the only authority that exists in the universe. Jesus Christ, as represented by the indwelling Holy Spirit, is the exclusive wellspring, mainstay, and source of all authority….
The upshot is that leadership problems in the modern church stem from an obscenely simplistic application of official authority structures to spiritual relationships. This faulty application is rooted in a one-size-fists-all mentality of authority. But it is a profound mistake to transplant official authority into the Christian assembly- or into any other sphere of organic relationship (such as marriage).

Whenever a believer is expressing organic authority in the church, we do well to recognize it. To rebel against such authority is to rebel against Christ. For there is no authority without Jesus Christ as its Author. Consequently, to reject someone’s words when they are expressing God’s thought is to reject His authority….

…mutual subjection emphasizes power for and power among rather than power over. It encourages the empowerment of all rather than the power of a few.

[italics in original; bolding added by me]

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because of a lack of grace and truth in some churches...

from Changes that Heal by Cloud

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It is interesting to compare a legalistic church with a good AA group. In this kind of church, it is culturally unacceptable to have problems; that is called being sinful. In the AA group it is culturally unacceptable to be perfect; that is called denial. In the former setting, people look better but get worse, and in the latter, they look worse but get better. Certainly there are good churches and poor AA groups, but because of a lack of grace and truth in some churches, Christians have had to go elsewhere to find healing.

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"First Love"- Beth Moore quote

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write...
I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love.
Revelation 2

Beth Moore in "Beloved Disciple" (pg 165) says:

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"Notice that the church in Ephesus received tremendously noble commendations from Christ and yet somehow let go of the most important thing of all: her sacred romance with Jesus Christ.... Beloved One, you and I can work hard, persevere through extreme difficulty, refuse to tolerate wicked people, and accurately discern false teachers- yet still forsake our first love.

Ironically, many believers don't view an absence of fiery, first love for Jesus Christ as sin. They view it simply as something they lack. This misunderstanding may be part of the holdup. If God's absolute priority for all followers of Christ is love- for Him first and others second- then the absence of such love is sin. I don't pound this point to condemn. Remember, it's not an irreversible condition! I pound the point so that we can do what we must do to get on to the business of loving! God says "Repent!" Repent means turn. I believe God told them and is telling us to turn from whatever we have given a higher priority than our sacred romance with Christ. He tells us to pour our lives back into the first things.

Keep in mind that with the first things rightly established, all other things of value come to us as well. The church in Ephesus very likely allowed spiritual busyness and stalwart religiosity to displace love. Because everything else hinges on the laws of love (see Matt 22:40) over time all things of eternal value would have crumbled in Ephesus. Christ exhorted them to go back to the first priority of love so that all their works would flow form a boundless wellspring of agape. Surely this exhortation speaks to each of us."
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Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,
and repent, and do the first works;
or else I will come unto thee quickly,
and will remove thy candlestick out of his place,
except thou repent.
Rev. 2:5

Beth explains:
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"That doesn't mean they would lose their place in heaven. We lose our lampstand when we lose our godly influence on earth. In other words, we lose our light in the world."
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God hasn't put a period at the end of our sentences yet..."

Thought provoking meditation from Beth Moore's "Beloved Disciple" (pg 153 )

"Read John 3. List each person identified and write a brief description __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Imagine being named in a letter that turned out to be inspired Scripture for all the world to see! Whether in commendation or criticism, having your name immortalized in scripture is a heavy thought! When I see a portion of Scripture with brief testimonials similar to the segment we're studying today, I almost shiver... At times I would have been anywhere from devastated to humiliated over what might be written in my life's theoretical one-sentence statement. I love knowing that as long as we're kicking and breathing, we can change the course of our testimonies. God hasn't put a period at the end of our sentences yet..."

GEM- May we all think twice about doing things we would be ashamed of were they “exposed”. They are visible to GOD, even if we succeed in hiding them from everyone else… The greek word “hypocrisy” means “mask”.