Four Living Creatures
In the Book of Revelation, there is a lot of symbolism and deeper meaning within things said and written. It is not always a quick understanding of things, but when you look deeper and use a study aide, you can understand things better. For instance, I came across Revelation 4:7-8 which speaks of four creatures (lion, ox, man, and eagle) and each of them had 6 wings and eyes all around. That to me sounds like so0mething out of a sci-fi comic book from the mind of Stan Lee and the marvel Universe. But, knowing what I know and having read what I have read from scripture, what is on the surface is not always the answer. You MUST go deeper if you want to understand. The four creatures (according to Dave Guzik's studies @Studylight.org) could be "the cardinal virtues, the faculties and powers
of the human soul, the patriarchal churches, the great apostles, the orders of
churchmen, the principle angels, and so forth." Also possible are the head tribes of Israel or symbols of Jesus as he is represented in the 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). No matter what they symbolize and mean, there is one thing that cannot be disputed and that is integral to growth as a church was them all "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" They spoke in unison and in agreement that the Lord God is Almighty, not maybe but is. They knew who the Lord is and was and knew that He was to come.
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Be, Just Be
Be, just be is my take on a directive given by Paul to the Corinthian church and the men in it. These directives can come for any number of reasons, but this one was in response to waiting for Apollos, another church leader who was to come to the Corinthian church and lead. Before Apollos arrived, Paul wrote the Corinthians a letter telling them to "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love (1 Corinthians 6:13-14)." Being watchful like when Jesus wanted the disciples to stay up through the night and keep out a watchful eye. Stand firm in the faith meaning do not waiver and dilute the faith and add unto it, but stand strong in what is whole, virtuous and true. Acting like men may get taken to mean not to be effeminate, but I think here in this context it means be strong like men as men are naturally stronger than women (that's not sexist). The strength here isn't about physical strength, but emotional strength or endurance and perseverance and courage while waiting for Apollos to arrive. Lastly, let all you do be done in love. If you hold God up high first and foremost and you love and honor His word and His will, then you can love people (even unbelievers) as God loves them. So, be, just be. Be strong. Be a man. Be loving. Be like Jesus. Be, just be.
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Take the Steps
When you follow Christ, 2 Peter 1:5-8 shows you how to reflect that decision. If you have faith in Jesus yet have no virtue (high moral standards), isn't that a contradiction? What about the steps of knowledge, self control and steadfastness (fixed focus)? Didn't Jesus have knowledge of the Scriptures? Didn't he exhibit self control and have a fixed focus on doing God's will? Round everything out with godliness, brotherly affection and love and you are in the realm of what it is to be Christlike among those who also striving to do so and those who are on the outside watching. Your journey is your journey and not for comparison, but for you to honor God.
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