Worship and Loyalty

It has been a long time since I have posted anything....things have been busy...and my thoughtfulness has gone other places...Here is something from a book I am reading that has really hit me though; I think it's a great reminder and challenge for all of us. It comes from the book "The Throne, the Lamb, and the Dragon" by Paul Spilsbury. (a former prof of mine)

"Worship is the appropriate response to God: wholehearted, awe-inspired, loving worship. In fact, Revelation implies it is the only authentic response. For in worship we rightly acknowledge the awesomeness of God and our total dependence on him. But worship is expressed in more than just songs or prayers; it is expressed in loyalty. Revelation speaks of a great battle between the One who sits on the throne and the dragon who aspires to that position himself. Revelation calls us to think deeply about what it means to be loyal to the One on the throne, even though the world seems dead-set against believing that he even exists. It challenges us to count the cost of being associated with God and his ways of working in the world--and the consequences of not being associated with God's great purposes for the history of the world."

-(Spilsbury, p.63)

Some questions that jump out from this:

-What does it mean to be "loyal" to God as an act of worship?

-Have you given thought to who God is, and what he desires from you?

-What are the costs of being associated with God and his ways...and what are the costs of NOT being associated with God's great purpose? Have you considered the costs?