Category: Righteousness

Being a ‘Disciple’ of Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Disciple, Follow Jesus, Obedience, Repentance, Righteousness, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Luke 14 

OBSERVATION

Luke 14:25-27 ~ Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said: You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.

APPLICATION

We quite often use the word ‘disciple’, so this morning I did some research to understand fully what it means. The dictionary defines it as a follower of Christ. A theologian goes into more detail and describes the term by giving us 7 qualities of a mature, reproducing disciple of Jesus Christ:

Reflects Christ
What am I doing to be more like Christ?
Eph. 4:15, 2 Cor. 3:18, Gal. 5:22–23, Matt. 22:37–39

Fellowships with Believers
How can I develop relationships with God’s family?
Heb. 10:24–25, Eph. 2:19

Lives Biblically

What am I doing to know and put into practice
the teachings of the Bible?
2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Peter 1:3–8

Gives Sacrificially

How am I handling the resources God has
entrusted to me?
2 Cor. 9:6–9, Prov. 11:24–25

Serves Others

How can I further develop/discover my SHAPE
for ministry?
Eph. 4:11–13, Rom. 12:3–8, 1 Cor. 12

Worships Daily

How can I surrender my whole heart/life as worship?
Rom. 12:1–2, Psalm 27:6, 95:6–7

Shares Faith

What am I doing to actively fulfill my life mission
of sharing Christ?
Acts 20:24, 1:8, Matt. 18:18–20

As I reflected on this passage I thought how important it was when I got married for my wife to leave her family and give me her full devotion. Similarly I believe that Jesus is teaching that if we are to truly be His disciple, that we must dedicate ourselves fully to the task. When we give something our full undivided attention and dedication, we will succeed at it. When we decide to follow Jesus, it should not be because this is the only means into Heaven, although that is true. It should not be due to the fact that our mom or dad have always wanted that for their child, although that may be true also, but we should be willing to follow Jesus and be excited about what He has in store for us as individual children of the King. I think it is exciting to believe that Jesus has a personal desire for each of us individually, not because of anything that mom or dad may have done but because He loves me so much, and yes He loves you so much as well. Won’t you accept Him today and get to know Him personally, mature in Him daily through the qualities described to the left, then look for the blessings that He will give to you each and every day. He is an awesome Savior! He loves us so much and wants to show His love to us personally in ways that we will recognize and appreciate. He’s my King. Make Him yours today! Don’t know how?

Are you representing the ‘Old’ or the ‘New’?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Follow Jesus, Obedience, Repentance, Righteousness, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Luke5

OBSERVATION

Luke 5:33-39 ~ Some people said to Jesus, “John’s followers often pray and go without eating, and so do the followers of the Pharisees. But your disciples never go without eating or drinking.” Jesus told them, “The friends of a bridegroom don’t go without eating while he is still with them. But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.” Jesus then told them these sayings: No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and make the hole even bigger. No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put only into new wineskins. No one wants new wine after drinking old wine. They say, “The old wine is better.”

APPLICATION

This passage was a challenge for me, but I felt God tugging at my heart to do the research and understand its meaning. I was truly amazed! Those that were observing Jesus and His disciples had the opportunity to ask Him about why He was so different than anything they had known in the past. Jesus basically told them here that regardless of what John the Baptist did, or the Pharisees did, they were now observing ‘the real thing’! Jesus came so that all the old myths and practices might be clarified, corrected or at least understood (if they led to Him). I see two challenges here in thinking about how this applies to us today:

  1. From the standpoint of the non-Christian – they will look at church activities and the ways that we represent Christ and they may wonder why we are so different. This is a challenge for them, because they are convinced that what they are doing is perfectly OK, so they will question why would Jesus do certain things or why would we do certain things that seem so opposite to what they believe;
  2. From the standpoint of the church/Christian – If we never change our ways and become more like Jesus, we are mismatching a ‘New’ way with our ‘Old’ ways and trying to make both ways work together. It doesn’t happen that way friend. We must separate ourselves from our ‘Old’ ways, because Jesus would have us follow Him, and I guarantee you that none of us were following Him and His example before we accepted Him as Lord of our lives. Furthermore, if we are to be the hands, lips and actions of Christ extended to a lost world, they will not be affected or touched by someone acting, doing and saying the same things that they do and say. If we claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and if we have accepted Jesus as Lord of our life the Bible says that His Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us, then we are to act, do and speak like Jesus would, and this would definitely be different to the everyday actions that are evident in our world. This is one reason why the church must be careful in trying to do things like the world is used to seeing them done, for if they see no difference they will see no reason to change. Yes, Jesus was different. Yes, we must be different if we are representing Jesus. He’s our mentor, our model and our example. Let’s truly follow Jesus so that our world may be impacted for Christ!

PRAYER

Father, thank You for speaking through Your Word, even when passages sometime seem hard to understand. May I be a true example of You today so that You may receive glory, and so that others may want to know the Savior that I love and adore. It is so easy to fall back into our old ways, but Father as we seek You daily I pray that You will create a clean heart within us and a renewed will to follow Your example and to show the world that there is a better way, and that they too can be a member of Your family and live the glorious life that is ours in knowing that You take care of our every concern and that this life only leads to a happier and more satisfying life to come – with You in Heaven.

Fishers of Men

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian, Evangelism, Faith, Follow Jesus, Obedience, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Luke5

OBSERVATION

Luke 5:5-8 ~ “Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t come near me! I am a sinner.”

APPLICATION

It’s funny how easily we doubt. We are no different to Peter. It sounds like he really thought that he wasting his time to go and gather his clean nets, venture out into the deep water where he caught nothing all night, but none-the-less throw his nets back into the water and expect different results. However, what we should learn from Peter is his obedience, as he followed through with what Jesus told him to do, because it was Jesus who told him to do it. Of course, the miraculous happened; the nets broke with so many fish. This created a humbling effect on Peter to the extent that he felt unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus. The Bible says that there are none who are righteous, no not one. So I am convinced that none of us are worthy to be called the sons of the Almighty, or to be considered ‘Holy’, or to boldly step into the presence of Jesus. But just as Jesus went on to tell Peter after he put his doubt aside and obeyed Jesus, that he (Peter) would become an even greater warrior (that he would now become a ‘fisher of men’), I believe that God would like to see enough faith in us that He could say to us, now go and be my disciples/followers and win the lost of Avon Park/Florida/United States/Bahamas/World for me. I must always remember that:

  1. I must never under estimate the power of God;
  2. I must always be obedient to what I discern God instructing me to do/say;
  3. I must be ready to move when God says so, in spite of the way things may look to others. I’m sure that Peter’s friends on that shoreline that morning must have stood with a slight giggle underneath, wondering about what response Peter would give to the command of Jesus. Surely Peter must have pondered that in his heart with every step that he took in getting his nets back into the boat, wondering if his friends would laugh at him in following through on what appeared to be a useless command, seeing that they caught nothing in those same waters the night before;
  4. I must always remember that God designed and made the universe and everything in it, so who am I to question any command that He might give to me. He loved me enough to send His son to die on Calvary for me, so I have confidence in knowing that He would do nothing to hurt me or bring harm to me;

I am reminded to stay close to my Lord, so that I would clearly hear/recognize His voice, then quickly follow His command in obedience so that I may be all that He would like for me to be.

PRAYER

Thank You Father for the awesome work that You do in my life. Thank You for the plans that You have for me that You will reveal as appropriate. In spite of my weaknesses and shortcomings, yet You love me so much to not only accept me into Your kingdom, but also to use me in Your work while here on this earth. Like Peter, I stand back in amazement this morning, because even though I strive to do Your will each and every day, I know that I often fail and fall short of the ideals that You have set for me. Please be patient with me. Please don’t give up on me. Please show me Your ways daily, and give me the wisdom, strength and desire to follow that path that leads to righteousness in every word that I speak and every action that I take. Please help me to set self aside and live my life dedicated to You and in full obedience to You. You are an awesome God, to love me as You do, but I am forever grateful for that persistent love. May You be glorified in everything that I do and say today!

Instant Response to Prayer!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian, Forgiveness, Love, Obedience, Power of Prayer, Righteousness, SinLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Daniel 9

OBSERVATION

Daniel 9:20-23 ~ I was still confessing my sins and those of all Israel to the LORD my God, and I was praying for the good of his holy mountain, when Gabriel suddenly came flying in at the time of the evening sacrifice. …. and he explained: Daniel, I am here to help you understand the vision. God thinks highly of you, and at the very moment you started praying, I was sent to give you the answer.

APPLICATION

I admire the tenacity of Daniel in this chapter. After reading from his study of writings of Jeremiah the prophet that Jerusalem would suffer/lie in ruins for seventy years, Daniel showed his deep concern and sorrow by fasting and praying to the Almighty. He didn’t wait for the church to gather, nor did he wait to gather all of the other priests to join him in collective prayer for this news that would have a major impact on the history of this nation. After taking a personal stake in this, not just confessing his own sin, but begging God’s mercy on his nation, the angel Gabriel stopped by to encourage him and let him know that his prayer was heard by God. Wow! I know that we sometime feel like our prayers are hitting the ceiling, but to receive this kind of answer to his prayer must have been miraculous for Daniel. Two more things that God spoke to me on here:

  1. “At the very moment that Daniel started praying” is the actual quote from these verses. God knew the heart of Daniel way before he verbalized his concerns and petitions before God, but at the very moment that he (Daniel) did his part and prayed, God sent the angel Gabriel. This is very powerful! Awesome!
  2. I wonder if what Gabriel said to Daniel was a clarification of something that Daniel may have misunderstood from Jeremiah’s writings, or was it an answer to the prayers of Daniel. The duration of the penalty was reduced from 70 years to 70 weeks! I wonder if the verdict would have stayed as it was, if God didn’t see that at least one man cared enough about his nation that he took the whole concern on his shoulder and petition God for mercy. We were reminded last night that we often hear the Word of God and let it fly right over our heads, hoping that the individual behind us must be the intent of God’s wrath or challenge. However, a whole church, or even a whole nation could be impacted by our sin/stubbornness/rebellion. Conversely, a whole church or even a whole nation could be impacted if God’s people would get off their personal thrones/agendas and humble themselves and pray, because in 1 Chronicles God promises us that THEN He would hear from heaven and heal our nation.

PRAYER

Father I pray that I will not be a stumbling block for the wonderful work that You could perform in the lives of my family, my church, my friends and my nation. Please help me to search deep within and stay so in tuned with Your Word that I would be corrected of tendencies to block Your work. Instead Father, I pray that, like Daniel, I would come to You daily and not just pray for Your powerful touch on my life personally, but also that You would touch my family, my church, my friends, my city, my state and my nation. Please convict us of all sin that separate us from Your will for our lives. Please speak to us in such ways that we would become a people deeply committed to You and reflecting You and Your love in very evident ways to a lost and dying world. I am reminded of a secular song, ‘I want to Be Just Like You’, and would apply that principle to express the desire of my heart today, for I want to be just like You Lord. Please forgive me where and when I fail at that, but please grant me the strength and tenacity to succeed at that each and every day, for it’s You oh Lord that I adore and want to see lifted up and magnified in my life.

My Responsibility

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, God Reigns, Humility, Obedience, Power, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Daniel 9

OBSERVATION

Daniel 9:3-6 ~ …… To show my sorrow, I went without eating and dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes. I confessed my sins and earnestly prayed to the LORD my God: Our Lord, you are a great and fearsome God, and you faithfully keep your agreement with those who love and obey you. But we have sinned terribly by rebelling against you and rejecting your laws and teachings. We have ignored the message your servants the prophets spoke to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and everyone else.

APPLICATION

Daniel had just studied the writings of the prophets who went on before him and understood why his country was going through such rough times. Then to show his sorrow he took action. What intrigued me about this is:

  1. Today we tend to look at a man gifted with prophecy as one looking to gain monetarily from his TV show or church, or we even say “well who does he think he is, God, to stand and tell us what’s in store for us?” Unlike this, Daniel acknowledged what this prophet of God had said and acted upon it;
  2. In acting upon the Word through the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel didn’t start a new political party to beat up on the nation for what they were doing, nor did he start a new church because he wanted to lead a group into turning the nation around from their evil deeds. Instead he went directly to the only one that could do anything about the situation, he went to God;
  3. Daniel didn’t go to God all pious and bringing condemnation on his nation, or even asking forgiveness for his wicked people, at least at first. He humbled himself before God in sorrow and through his dress and his spirit, showed his humble spirit and sought forgiveness for himself first, for he knew that he was no better than the folk around him. If he was, then he was not doing God any favors by preaching to them and encouraging or demanding them to turn from their wicked ways. As Christian leaders today, we must take full responsibility for all that is going on around us, for had we done our jobs in accordance with God’s will and direction, then our people would be sorry for their actions and seeking ways to renew a right spirit within them. In other words, yes we have a personal responsibility to keep a right relationship with God, but we have an even greater responsibility to “Go out into the world and preach the Gospel”; To tell people about their wrong doings; To show the people Christ so that they may be saved and find the ‘right’ way to act and live a Godly life. We are to represent God in our daily lives, not just so that God would be proud of us, although He would, but also do this so that others would see Christ in us and know that there is a better way for them too.

PRAYER

Father, let me first of all give thanks for the liberty of being Your son. Thank You for bringing me to this stage in my life. Especially today, I want to acknowledge the responsibility you have given to me as Your child, for my job is no different to the one that You gave Daniel. My country is in a mess. My church is lacking. Those that I come in contact with are living in sin, and I need Your strength, Your boldness, Your direction to be able to say with a clean heart that there is a better way, for there is a way that leads to eternal life with a loving and eternal God. A major part of that responsibility, is the part of keeping myself pure before You and, like Daniel, acknowledging that “

Celebrate “God” Day!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, God Reigns, Righteousness, Worship1 Comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Lamentations 3

OBSERVATION

Lamentations 3:22-24 ~ The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, “The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!”

APPLICATION

In the earlier verses of this chapter the prophet went through quite a discourse beating up on himself. He had quite a pity party, expressing how he felt like he had been placed in a corner and forsaken by even God. He was totally depressed. However, in these verses he thankfully came to himself and acknowledged the true God who had proven himself to him over the years. I believe that old Satan will often do this to distract us from the real truths and blessings of God. It is so important that we keep our minds fixed on Jesus. To achieve this, it is really important that we stay closely in the Word, and communicate with God on a regular basis, for without these efforts we are led by a wicked world and by Satan himself. Friend, Jesus is the one I serve and I trust that you will accept Him as Lord of your life and place your faith and trust in Him daily. There is no other like Him, whether you consider friends or mentors/leaders in your life. He is the only one that cares for, and loves us unconditionally and at all times. He knows our weaknesses, and can help us overcome and live victorious lives to represent Him in our daily lives, around those that really know us. Let’s let them see Jesus in us today, so that He may be glorified by all.

PRAYER

Father, I pray that You will be worshipped and adored today by each of us that were so craftily designed by Your hand, and loved so intently that you gave everything to help us enter the doors of heaven to be with You one day. There are so many ‘days’ celebrated anymore, ‘donut day’ or ‘chocolate day’ and any other day imaginable, but may this be YOUR day, celebrated by Your children so that those that need to know You as Lord will truly see You and know that You are God and that they too can know and serve You. Thank You Father for the awesome God that You are to me.

There is Power in the Blood of Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Blood of Jesus, Christian, Defeated foe, Peace, Power, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Revelation 12  

OBSERVATION

Revelation 12:10-12 ~ Then I heard a voice from heaven shout, “Our God has shown his saving power, and his kingdom has come! God’s own Chosen One has shown his authority. Satan accused our people in the presence of God day and night. Now he has been thrown out! Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God….”

APPLICATION

I believe that the part that really spoke to me in this passage is because of the blood of Jesus, because of His death (and subsequent resurrection), and under the written authority of the Holy Scriptures, God’s people (Christians) had power to, and defeated Satan. Wow! I believe that even today, with the power of God through His Holy Spirit that dwells within us, we have that same power and can defeat old Satan still. I don’t believe that God’s Holy Spirit and Satan could dwell in the same house. The Word of God tells me that when I accepted Jesus as Lord of my life, His Holy Spirit came and dwelt within me. So with Christ within me, Satan could only tempt me, he is not permitted to reside there! Praise be to God for the power that He gives to us to live holy lives that are acceptable to the Master! This passage has reminded me of the power that is truly ours, because of the blood (death and sacrifice) of our Savior, and I sing that age old hymn, “

Less We Forget

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Humility, Love, Obedience, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: 2 Chronicles 36  

OBSERVATION

2 Chronicles 36:14-16 ~ The people of Judah and even the priests who were their leaders became more unfaithful. They followed the disgusting example of the nations around them and made the LORD’s holy temple unfit for worship. But the LORD God felt sorry for his people, and instead of destroying the temple, he sent prophets who warned the people over and over about their sins. But the people only laughed and insulted these prophets. They ignored what the LORD God was trying to tell them, until he finally became so angry that nothing could stop him from punishing Judah and Jerusalem.

APPLICATION

If it wasn’t for the names and places mentioned in this passage, we may have thought that this was referring to Avon Park, or the United States, or almost any part of our current world, as it appears like we have become such an unfaithful bunch today. When I consider all that Jesus did for me at Calvary, and all through my life in the blessings that He has poured out on me, I should find myself at His feet worshipping Him most of the time, for who am I that a King should die for and sacrifice so much for? But this is yet another reminder that the sacrifice made on my behalf was out of such love for His child/children, because He wanted to create a way that I/we could have eternal life with Him. While I have accepted Jesus as Lord of my life, and am forever grateful, I look forward to the day that I could set aside the desires of this world and dedicate myself to living and serving Jesus in ways that would make Him proud of His child. Now having said that, I also believe that no matter how much I do I could never repay or show my gratefulness in things I do, but in and through the characteristics that I reflect when I speak, or when I react to circumstances – that I do it from a heart of God’s love. For becoming more like Him is my ultimate goal and my daily challenge, God being my helper. Ignoring the challenge to be more like Him could easily lead to following the evil ways of this world and Satan, and as we are reminded in verse 16, this could lead to God becoming very angry with us and in turn, punishing us like He did Judah and Jerusalem.

No Worries, Be Happy Christian!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Heaven, Peace, Resurrection Day, Righteousness, Worry no more, WorshipLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Revelation 7 

OBSERVATION

Revelation 7:14-17 ~ …  Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

APPLICATION

Wow, wow, wow! Here are some exciting notes about what will happen to Christians after this life is over on earth:

  • We will stand in front of God’s throne – imagine how awe inspiring that will be;
  • We will serve Him day and night – To be in the presence of the Almighty will be breathtaking! To serve Him non-stop will be our heart’s desire, truly multiplied many times over the joy we receive from serving Him here on this old earth!
  • We will be protected by the living God! – We rest so much more comfortably when we are sheltered; imagine the peace in knowing that much like a chicken that protects her chicks under her wing, so will it be when God spreads His arms of love and protection over us. That’s ultimate love and protection!
  • We will never be hungry or thirsty! – Now the Word doesn’t say that we will gorge ourselves with food day and night, but rather we will never huger or thirst again. With the wellness program that I am blessed to be a part of right now, I have learned how much less food we really need when we only eat when hungry. I don’t think for a moment that we will be starved, I just believe that our minds will be so centered on loving, serving and worshipping our Lord and Savior, that food will not be a concern.
  • We will never be scorched by the heat of the sun! – Praise God! Because I suffer so much in the heat from today’s outdoor work and activities. The Word says in another place that Jesus will be the light, not the sun, so this is exciting to be reminded that our environment will be much more inviting and comfortable.
  • The Lamb, Jesus Christ, will be our shepherd! – No worries like today when a loved one loses a husband, dad or life leader, for our Shepherd will be Jesus!
  • He will lead us to springs of life-giving water! – Jesus said that He gives us water that will cause us to never thirst again. This is the water that some today will charge thousands of dollars per ounce for, because they could advertise that it produces ‘Life’! This is the water that Jesus will lead us to daily!
  • God will wipe away every tear! – Today we may cry over death in our family, disappointments over certain acts by loved ones, mourning with a friend because they hurt. Whatever it is, there will be no need to worry any longer because God will be in control and He will give us such assurances and love that we will have nothing to mourn over. Oh, Happy Day!!

PRAYER

Wow, what power-packed verses, Lord Jesus. Thank You for giving me a hope! Thank You for providing such a home for me to look forward to! Thank You for providing a means today that gives me assurance of a place in glory with You! Thank You for forgiveness of sin! Please continue to speak to my family and friends so that they too may all join me around Your throne when You see fit to call us home.

Our Personal Responsibility.

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Faith, Heaven, Love, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Ezekiel 18

OBSERVATION

Ezekiel 18:4 ~ For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.

APPLICATION

So often we hear folk talk about how a child is suffering because of the sin of their parent(s), and like in this chapter, we often use scripture to try and support us in thinking that a child will be punished for the sin of their parent(s). However, in this chapter God, through Ezekiel, goes into a lot of detail explaining how we each stand alone before God and will be judged for our own sin. In fact as I meditate on this I realize that I probably have so much on my own slate to be judged for that I can only hope and trust that God will not look back on previous generations and hold me accountable for their deeds also. The neatest thing with this passage that I am reminded of today is that in and of our own selves we are so weak and sinful that there is every reason why God would not allow us into His kingdom, HOWEVER, praise God that He realized this and did something about that. He brought His one and only son into the world in a very miraculous way for a specific reason, so that He would not only have opportunity to demonstrate while on earth how we should love, act, speak, care for and sacrifice for others, but that through His death on the cross God ultimately demonstrated His love for all those who accept Him as Lord, that they would have opportunity to live eternally with Him in heaven. No conditions, just plain love for us that caused Him to find a way, the only way, for us to know that we would have eternal life in heaven. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have never seen love like that demonstrated in any similar fashion here on this earth. Only a God like mine would be so loving, so kind, so thoughtful, so sacrificial to create a being, provide and care for the beings, see them turn from the source of their life and support and follow another god yet, because of His undying love for mankind, provide another means for us to return to Him and gather around His throne in glory.