As you know by now, this site was created out of my desire to make every aspect of my life more honoring to Christ—and to document what I learn (and implement into my life) with each of you. One of my greatest weaknesses as a God-fearing man was not being a student of His Word.

Now, I’ve known since my faith was a fetus how important spending daily time in the Bible was. But for far too many reasons and excuses, I’ve just always struggled to really focus on doing daily devos. I would “get around” to reading it once or twice a week, maybe even pray about what I’d read—and sure, sometimes be convicted by what I’d read. But the desire to actually dive in and be excited to learn more about God’s Word on a daily basis was always a pipe dream for me.

So I’ve committed to spend my commute to and from work listening to ‘podcastable’ Bible studies. I load up my iPhone with a study on a certain book, and I’m set to go for a few good weeks of listening. I’m currently listening to a study on the Book of Revelation led by Dr. Bob Beltz, and there was a moment this morning on my drive in that had me—and I’m serious about this—smiling giddily with goosebumps on my arms and chills running up my spine. Bob read aloud a passage I’ve read many times before–but had never really been so powerfully impacted by. It’s John continuing to recount the heavenly vision he had on the Isle of Patmos not so many years ago, and I would challenge you to visualize exactly what is was that God revealed to John that day—and see if you don’t have the same reaction as I..from the 4th Chapter of Revelation:

¹After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” ²At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. ⁴Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. ⁶Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰the 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:

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.”

You and I weren’t created with the capability to fully comprehend God, His Glory, or heaven—otherwise there would be no other religions and certainly no atheists—but the fact that the Creator gave John this vision (and told him to write these things down for you and I to read) is one of the greatest gifts of the Bible. We’re given a glimpse of the Glory of God, a glory that will cause you and I to fall flat on our faces and worship, and celebrate, and sing. Amen.

And, amid all the chaos and catastophe of our fallen world today, what a comfort to know that God is on His Throne in heaven, continuing–as He always has–to rule the universe.

I’d love to find any pictures or artist renderings of what this must have looked like. Email them to me at matt(at)crossmosis.com. I’ll find some and post them here as well. (The first one I found is the one in the thumbnail for this post.)

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