1 Minute Daily Devotions
March 8, 2010
You May Not Be in Hell, but It Might Feel Like It!
"Saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.'" - Revelation 5:12
Each week, in churches all over the land, Christians gather to worship the Lord. Most churches will use choirs and bands and voices to praise God. We Christians have gotten really good at making a joyful noise unto the Lord, that's for sure! Now, I know some of you really don't care to go to worship. It bores you. You're not into it. You're there because your spouse or parents nagged you into submission, laid on the guilt trip, and dragged you there under duress. You show up under protest and just don't like the whole scene.
Okay, here is something for you to chew on. If you really aren't into worship, gathering with other believers, and praising God, you're not going to enjoy heaven very much. As a matter of fact, it's going to be hell for you! That's because the main activity in heaven is praising God and worshiping the Lord. So, if you don't care much for weekly worship, it might really tell you where you're headed! You might want to give that a little thought!
Comments on this Devotion
From Grant on Mar 8th:
I have a different expectation regarding Heaven. I will be interested in all your comments today.
From Stephanie on Mar 8th:
I think that there are many different forms of worship, not just singing. I think that heaven will not only be worshiping the Lord in that form. Since we all don't know what exactly it'll be like I'm leaving my trust in Him to make it more amazing than I could ever imagine...and I'm positive I'll like it. Even though sometimes I'm not into worshiping in the singing form.
From wayne on Mar 8th:
This devotion says so much on so many different levels. It first pointed me to the eternal option and then to my response to earthly worship and ...oh, so many other thoughts. Heaven? God is good and Jesus prepared the place for us believers so it will also be good.
From Allen on Mar 8th:
As with many topics, generalities tend to dilute the real issue. Today, many so called "praise bands" are more focused on the show than on true worship of our Lord and saviour. When the music is so loud that you can't enjoy the words to the song or the band is trying so hard to look like rockers that it draws your attention away from worship it's all too easy these days not to be into worship. I believe there will be all kinds of worship in heaven and we will be able to participate in the type that allows us to worship God without distraction. I tust that those who believe the focus should be on the show will be tuly humbled in His presence. Maybe the problem is not the heart, but the style of worship chosen by a given worship leader. Mix it up and give everyone a chance to enjoy the worship and not the show!
From Judy on Mar 8th:
While I enjoy corporate worship, I also enjoy private worship. I can worship God when I hear a bird song, or see a beautiful flower, or see a butterfly. I also find that my private worhsip can enhance my corporate worship.
From Jerry on Mar 8th:
None of us knows what heaven will be like, I once told a person what I imagined it to be and it was something like this.
I would awake after a peaceful sleep and then I would make my way to the throne of Jesus to ask him if he would like to go and fish in the nearest river and each time we cast our lines into the water, we brought record size fish out of the water. When we wanted something to eat an angel would appear and have just what we desired and it didn't cost anything. We had the music of the birds and the beauty of heaven itself to enjoy and we just talked the ages through. I know this may sound silly, but I was a young boy then. Now I just know that heaven will be heaven just because Jesus will be there.
Enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord has created just for you.
From sherry on Mar 8th:
as i was reading the devotion, i kept thinking to myself, yes, heaven is all about worship, but i'll bet it won't be a rock concert!! thank you allen, for so elequently stating your thought. i echo them!!
heaven will be just that~heaven!! all about Him.
From Janice on Mar 8th:
Heaven is a wonderful reunion of loved ones (believers) who will never be parted again. It is the ultimate closeness of God and people who have been believers on earth. Security is no longer an issue and tears will never be seen and there probably isn't even a word for tears in heaven. Worship will be clearer, brighter and purer than any we have ever known on earth. It seems to me it would be a place without shadows or any form of darkness. Of course, all that we know are our human imaginings and God always gives gifts that are even better than what we can think or imagine. I have not traveled much in my life but heaven is one place I want to go as my final destination! Blessings to all.
From Grant on Mar 8th:
I like the your thoughts Janice. I too look forward to seeing loved ones and to meeting saints from the ages, famous and "ordinary folk", with an eternity to fellowship.
Of course, the best will be really knowing Jesus, as Jerry says.
As for praise and worship, of course we will, but probably not in the way we expect. I would suggest taking the joy you felt when you saw your first baby, the thrill of your team winning on the last play of the game, and the peace that surpasses all understanding you felt when you saw that "perfect sunset" and multiplying it all by ten million to get some idea of how wonderful it will be.
Eternal fellowship, love and worship with and of God. It really is beyond our context of experience thus far. But, it's not beyond our anxious anticipation. And it is a promise that we know we can be sure of.
Have a blessed evening.
From Janice on Mar 9th:
I agree, Grant and Jerry, that the best will be knowing Jesus without any barriers. I have a picture of Jesus greeting a person with a hug in heaven on my refrigerator door. Someone had given it to my mother when she was in assisted living. I love that picture. I know the artist did not really know what Jesus looks like but just the thought it invokes is good to think upon each day.
From Leigh W. on Mar 10th:
No wonder people hate Christians, you even criticize the way they worship. You might want to give that a little thought!
From Bart on Mar 10th:
This is unbelievably naive and condescending! Eternal separation from God is Hell. Our worship here is nothing to be compared to true worship there. So you say it's boring here? If the shoe fits...
From Messup on Mar 10th:
Just a quick note to Sherry. Nowhere in this devotion do they mention that there will be a rock band in heaven. Nor can you say with any amount of credibility, Allen, that the praise bands of today are only interested in entertainment. That's just not true. Today's quoted verse, however, does say that we will be "saying with a LOUD voice" praises to the Lamb.
As we all will probably agree, we only have hints of what heaven will be like, but we know for sure that, among other things, it will be a place to worship God. The Apostle John confirmed this when he said: "For Thou only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee" (Revelation 15:4; 21:24). Personally, I can't wait to find out how wonderful that worship will be. I'm sure it's more than our minds can imagine. God bless you all.
From sherry on Mar 10th:
obviously, this is quite a hot topic on this site as well as it is in quite a few churches!
messup, please don't call into question anyone's credibility as they comment. you have no idea what experiences they have had. allen did not say that ALL praise bands are in it for the show, nor did i say that there would be a rock concert in heaven. my comment was based on some of my own experiences where the music was so loud and there was so much activity on the stage that it did not promote a worshipful atmosphere.
absolutely scripture tells us to shout to the Lord, and all through the Psalms we are told of drums, cymbals and other loud instuments that are used to praise the Lord. we just need to make sure that we are bringing glory to Him and not attention to ourselves.
i agree with you that true worship in the presence of our Lord and Saviour will be more than we can imagine!
From Karen T. on Mar 11th:
Leigh W is right. I am thankful that God doesn't tell those who worship him in ways different that those seen in a church service that he doesn't like their worship. Only self-righteous people who are trying to conform to an image of the church that PEOPLE have created tell people how they are allowed to love and worship God. I think some "Christians" will be surprised to see how different God's definition of church and worship is from theirs. No wonder people are turned off when they hear the word "Christian". People who think they are "in good" with God sit back and look down their noses at others who aren't comfortable in the same "church" setting as them. Jesus never dropped his daily work with God to attend his local service. Church was where ever he was serving and worshipping his Father.
From Lee on Mar 12th:
Wow, the last paragraph of this devo is HORRIBLE! I don't even know where to start! You may want to consider just pulling it, it's so bad. Some good replys, tho, regarding true worship.