All tagged worship
In my devotional reading this morning Pastor E.M. Bounds wrote of the early churches that had no heat in their buildings to keep them warm in the winters during services. He said "that the flame in the pew and the fire in the pulpit must be sufficient to keep them warm." Of course, Bounds is talking about the spirit of The Lord, and our burning desire for Him. Then to further make his point he used verse 2 from Psalm 141, and added verse 8 as well.
This morning I was moved by the Spirit into a time of passion and devotion that led me into a special time of prayer. Passionate prayer brings us close to God and allows us to feel his power and glory like nothing else. Every hair on our body stands up when this happens, sometimes we cry, sometimes we laugh, and sometimes we simply can’t speak at all or just moan in prayer. If there are some among us who need an example of passionate worship we can turn to Revelation 4 where we find an illustration of passionate worship and praise. Do you worship, praise, and pray passionately to the Lord?
When we read scripture that tells us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, or to give thanks in every situation, do we worry about being able to do these things? Are we concerned about becoming distracted, losing interest, or eventually becoming tired as we stand chanting, worshipping, and praying in the presence of God? Do we find ourselves failing at these things now after short periods of time and grow concerned about disappointing God, not making it to heaven, or failing miserably once we do get there? Do we worry about how long eternity lasts, and our ability to do these things faithfully forevermore? Well you are not alone, but do not fear.
Do you have your body under control? Have you let yourself separate your spirituality from the physical manifestation of that faith by which your body represents itself? By this I am not asking if you treat yourself as a narcissist, but do you do those things that are godly and good with yourself, and treat your body as a temple of God? Our spiritual and physical portions walk hand in hand in faith, and in our bodies we find the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
In the darkest seasons of our lives when we find ourselves wandering aimless with outstretched hands what is it that we are searching for? What are we hoping to find? Are we desperate to find something, anything, firm to hold onto, or are we following the voice and scent of God to His house where we can worship and bless Him? It is easy, and natural for us to worship our Lord when light surrounds us, and we are receiving the gifts He provides, but when night falls on us do we continue to call His name, and seek Him, or do we enter the first door that opens for us and call its owner our lord? When frightened, hungry, thirsty, lost in the darkness, and there is no relief in sight, do we continue to praise God, and call out the name of Jesus?
Do we worship, honor, and obey God above all else as we should? When the laws of men ask us to disobey His commands and commandments, are we courageous enough in our faith to say no? Would we be willing to abandon our home and become aliens in a foreign land if that is what it takes to remain righteous? God abhors sin, and just because we are told to honor our leaders, we are still subject to God. Sometimes the penalty for disregarding man’s law can be great, and when this is the case then we face a decision that tests our faith to its very core. This is when we must determine who we serve… will it be God, or man?
We are in need of many perfections of faith, and so often we can’t see in ourselves what we are lacking. Our spirit feels the presence of the void, and yet we can’t put that emptiness into words. As we kneel to pray, in the presence of such wounds, there is only unsettled silence because we are at a loss for words to express our inner suffering, and in that moment of despair and heartbreak, when our soul feels like it is being rent in two, the tears and groans well up in us, and the Holy Spirit begins to pray for us. He is our helper, and in merciful intercession, He prays in ways that we alone find ourselves unable. Does this sound familiar? Have we wrongly recognized a spiritual hole within ourselves as being human depression?
What will our reaction be when we see Jesus face to face? Will we fall to our knees because we are unworthy? Will we fall to our knees and praise Him? Will we kiss his face, or maybe we will wash his feet with our tears? Any of these might happen, but there is always the possibility that we will be so overcome with emotion that we will faint, or that we might not recognize Him at first. How do you think you will react, and will it be in shame, tears, joy, or utter disbelief that He has come to you at last?
We are flighty creatures that lose interest in things easily, and move on to the next big one that catches our eye. For us to remain engaged in something, even the glory of God, we need unending motivation, and to constantly have our interests renewed. If we know this about ourselves in this life, and see it as a weakness, then do we fear all the more our ability to worship God for eternity? Can we possibly demonstrate a faithfulness that will allow us to love, praise, and bless Him always?
For those of us who have come to see even a glimmer of the glory of God through Jesus, we find it inconceivable how someone could not worship Him, and yet so many refuse His call. How is this possible, and how could they be so blind to the truth that is God’s glory? They have become blinded by the gods in the world which they have concocted for themselves... how rampant runs human selfishness that men will lose their soul for a few bobbles of earthly wealth and pleasure.
Do we desire to be more intelligent, wise, and in control of our lives than we ever dreamed possible? If so the secret to accomplishing this is in studying, and meditating on the Word of God, and specifically on the commandments He and Jesus give us. In doing this we find new depth in the simplest sounding precepts, and sweetness rather than drudgery in obeying them. Then by using the fruit of our meditation in worship, we find that it wears smooth the rough and cutting sharpness of the hardest and most edgy commandments, and lifts our faith to new heights.
We are told to go into every nation delivering the good news of Jesus Christ, but at the same time we are warned not to practice our righteousness before others; does this sound like a contradiction to you? How should we go about telling people of God, and Jesus without presenting ourselves as righteous? The answer is twofold, and rather simple... don’t make the message you are teaching, or preaching, appear to be about yourself, and secondly, conduct your personal life of faith in secret.
How do we worship God? Is it by chanting, and singing certain hymns and songs? Is it by placing ourselves in a particular posture? Do we worship by reciting ritual creeds and prayers, or perhaps by performing certain ceremonies and liturgical acts? No, although these things might help us reach a state of worship they are not worship in themselves. Jesus tells us in scripture what it means to worship God... we must do so in Spirit and truth.
How should we begin our days as Christians? There are so many verses in the Bible that give us instruction regarding our faith as dawn approaches, and as we look towards the life of Jesus we find that He rose early each morning to pray, and was resurrected in the predawn darkness as well. So how should we meet OUR new day? Well, we should use the example set by our savior, and the songs of Psalms whose lyrics, and melody, are the sounds of early morning worship.
Are we enamored with the pomp and circumstance within our church? Do we make the liturgy we follow more important than the Word of God, or the gospel of Jesus Christ? Sometimes we lose sight of who we really worship as the procession of priests enters the sanctuary, the elements of communion are doled out as if they were a reward, or in some churches, the choir and performers become the focal point of the service. Let’s step back from what we have “always done”, and refocus our praise and worship on God and Jesus alone.