We’re a lot like this table. We, meaning our minds and motives and current mission in life are all splattered with the unique evidence of those we’ve made ourselves available to, like this table, do as they please with us. Some of our “tables” are more colorful than others but the irrefutable evidence of “artists” from our past and present is clear. The “table” of our life has been undeniably marked by some sort of influence or influencers.

And if you let me, I attempt to explain how it works... and give you some of the evidence I’ve been chewing on, as I’ve been meditating on the wonders of God and the harsh reality of His wrath in Revelation 4-7.

We will never be right about God’s witness or wrath, if we are not right about His worth. If we underestimate His worth... we will inevitably underestimate His influence upon the “table” of our heart.

There’s a pattern we find throughout the Scriptures:

We see it in Revelation 4 and 5... it is those, who have been saved by the grace of God, having been redeemed to God, by the blood of the Lamb, that have been made kings and priest to God, that are in adoration of Him.

Paul encouraged the brethren at Rome... by the mercies of God that they would present themselves in adoration to the Lord for transformation by the Lord. A living sacrifice, being transformed by God, to apply the word and ways of God, to authenticate and affirm His excellent will, before others, cannot and will not, at the same time, be conformed to this world.

Whatever or whoever we give our adoration to... shapes us! Let me say that again: Whatever or whoever we give our adoration to... shapes us! We’re all being shaped by what and who we adore. The people or personalities or principles we adore most. The people or personalities or principles we adore most are those that are having the most influence upon our lives. And the evidence of their work is undeniable. Like an artist... whatever is shaping us has left behind the evidence of their presence. And like the table in my picture... we made ourselves available to them to create their own masterpiece.

We are shaped by what we give our attention, affection and adoration to. That list can be so long... but the sad thing for the majority the list doesn’t include Jesus. And by some chance He did make it on there... He usually fluctuates on the list, depending on what people are going through or who they may be around at the time. Why? They do not understand His worth. The estimate His worth based on their needs and not who He is.

And we’ll never be right about a lifestyle worship, if we’re not right about His worthiness.

And this is why?

ADORATION always always always precedes TRANSFORMATION... and SALVATION always always always comes before ADORATION. SALVATION, in Christ Jesus, repositions us, again and again, for ADORATION. And ADORATION supersedes every work of divine TRANSFORMATION. Because genuine TRANSFORMATION can’t take root in us without the PERSONIFICATION of God’s presence, power and priority of grace that the APPLICATION of truth will result in the AUTHENTICATION of the truth Giver and His grace. This is why ADORATION always comes before TRANSFORMATION. And the APPLICATION of TRANSFORMATION will be rewarded with the AUTHENTICATION of the PERSONIFICATION of Jesus and His ways, in and through the transformed, that the AFFIRMATION of His good and acceptable and perfect will be accomplished by them, that worship Him in spirit and truth.

We’ll never get God’s witness, ways or wrath right, if we don’t worship right.

No salvation... no personification.
No personification... no adoration.
No adoration... no transformation.
No transformation... no application.
No application... no authentication.
No authentication... no affirmation.

To know Christ’s work... is to know Christ’s worth. To know Christ’s worth is to know God’s grace. And to know God’s grace is to know Christ’s love. And to know Christ’s love is to be compelled by His love to live no longer for ourselves but for Him who died for us and rose again.

We’ll never rightly perceive God’s wrath... if we’re not compelled by His love and neglect to rightly worship Him.

We’re all being shaped by what and who we adore. Who’s shaping you? Better yet, who’s shaping me? If our adoration isn’t consistently being transformed to point to Jesus... He ain’t shaping us. And we need to figure out why. We don’t want to be like this lifeless table... it pops with color from everyone else’s touch but it has no life in itself. I need Christ giving me life... so do you!

Blessings... I pray each of you will have a great and glorious day... and that these thoughts will be something you can ponder and meditate upon.

(2 Corinthians 5:14-21 ; Romans 12:1-2 ; Philippians 1:9-11 ; 2 Peter 1 ; Revelation 4 ; Revelation 5 ; Revelation 6 ; Revelation 7)