I am a fan of music that was popular before I was born. The Righteous Brothers’ “Loving Feeling” is on my mind this morning. I think about how that song laments the lack of passion in the relationship that existed before. She never closes her eyes anymore when he kisses her, there’s no tenderness anymore in her touch; the relationship seems to be dying. Yet it’s all brought back to losing that “loving feeling.” While relationships come and go in cycles, I think there’s usually a deeper issue than a “loving feeling,” even when it’s gone, gone, gone, wo-ah-oh-woah (if you know, you know).
In many ways, this is how we treat God. When we first met Him, we were excited, enthusiastic, hopeful, new. Many ministries, preachers, and even believers are always chasing that “feeling.” We want enthusiasm, we want good feelings (or vibes, whatever those are), we want people to come in to church and have an experience with God. Judas had many experiences with God…and what happened? Demas, too. The demons all had emotional experiences with Jesus. That’s the problem: we’re chasing emotion, we’re chasing feelings, but we’re not seeking God in the most Holy Place. We don’t want to be filled with the Awe and Wonder of God. We want to experience things.
The Most Holy Place changes a person. Or it should. Israel had God in Fire and Cloud for 40 years, and profaned Him. The Kingdom of Israel had access to the Most Holy Place, and they profaned it. Judea had Jesus Christ, and they crucified Him. Why? Why do we come to this place over and again? We are chasing the wrong experiences. We need to constantly seek the Most Holy Place, to be in the presence of God where the Seraphim cry out, day and night “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” and where the 4 Living creatures cry out “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” and the 24 elders on their thrones cast themselves on their faces as they lay their crowns down at His feet. Let us be filled with Awe and Wonder as Isaiah and John were, seeking, then, to do God’s will in all things, crying out “here I am, send me!”
God is the Lord. He is worthy of all praise. Fear God. Yes, Fear Him! Approach His throne boldly, but in awe and wonder. Don’t give in to feelings or experiences, but seek God, and fall down before Him in praise and adoration. He is worthy of it all.
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Revelation 4-5
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
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