worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3)
Failure to live the Christian life is due to one's utter inability, but it is all governed by the Father.
Zephaniah tells us: He will be silent in His love. Spirit to spirit communion; yet He answered her not a word… But as we rest in His love; as we sit silently before Him and worship at His feet, He will bring that comfort and peace that only springs from resting in Him.
Wise and Foolish
Those who love Jesus, behold Him as precious Saviour; glorious Lord; gracious God – commanding rapt admiration, profound thanks and eternal praise and worship.
Universally there is religion; depraved and very low in many places, but universally there is the consciousness of standing in relationship to some supreme object of worship, demanding worship; and then men's minds or imaginations get to work to give some kind of expression to that consciousness, of that supreme object of worship, and the imagination produces that sometimes out of a tree, a stone, or in the heavenly bodies; somehow it is expressed, but it is the thing that is there, behind all the forms of expression which is universal.
Challenge to Faith
It is easy to worship and trust when immersed in the glories of His person and presence. It is more challenging, to remain faithful through the dark cloud of disappointment.
The resurrection of Christ deserves our most glorious worship and praise – for by His resurrection He also broke the power of death in the life of the believer.
O Worship the King…
O worship the King, all glorious above,O gratefully sing His power and His love,Our Shield and DEFENDER, the Ancient of Days,Pavilioned in splendour, and girded with praise.
Ineffable love!While angels delight to worship Thee above,The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise.
Blessed Saviour, Thou hast promised – Thou wilt all our burdens bear,May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayerRapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
Many seek to interpret His words and calculate the meaning behind His proclamations, but only a very small remnant worship at His feet and honestly want to know Him. There were very few that sat at the feet of the Lord Jesus – gazing upon His beauty at His first coming. And there are still very few whose deepest desire is to know this Perfect Man – this Divine Omnipotence. And yet to know Him should be the deepest desire of every blood-bought child.
The spirit of worship and reverence of a supernatural Trinity has all but vanished.
Time and Incentive
There is little time or incentive to be still and know the God of the universe.. and there are fewer who desire to fall in love with the lover of our soul. – and to worship as His feet in grateful thanks and reverential tears.
a misunderstanding of His methods to conform us into His image and likeness – and we ‘worship’ a god of our own perception, instead of the true and living Lord.
So stand calmly, bow down and worship in the gracious presence of the Son of His love, for our human 'righteousness' has been exchanged for His holy righteousness.
“Lord”
When we refer to Him as ‘Lord’ we recognise His glorious heavenly position, and how we need to worship at His feet, for He is Jehovah, the omnipotent God.
Almighty or All-Matey
Whatever happened to the worship of the true and living God Almighty? What has replaced the awe and wonder of the all-powerful, omnipotent Creator? What has been exchanged for the preeminent, omniscient, Lord of heaven and earth? What is this ‘God All-Matey‘ that has crept into the vision of so many today? He is indeed our Saviour and Shepherd; our Friend and Bridegroom, but His loving-kindness has been converted into indulgence. His powerful strength has been metamorphosed into soppy weakness.
Slipping Standards
How quickly the awe and wonder of the three Persons of the Trinity, Who demand the deep reverence of bowed worship and hushed prayer - where sinners and saints alike tremble in His glorious presence... how quickly the awe and wonder has been replaced with chattering clamour and musical merriment!!
Carelessness Conduct
As reverence towards the Almighty diminishes, so too the morals and laxity of those who worship – resulting in a carelessness of conduct and a slipping of standards.
We who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised.
It is the realization of the Person which is going to result, firstly, primarily, and for evermore, not in doing things, not in activities, not in rejoicing in truth, but in worship.
Worship is the first, the continuous and the final factor in the knowledge of God in Christ, and is basic to everything else in our relation to Him.
True worship only springs from a heart discovery of Himself.
God’s Declarations
And though God declared through Isaiah, I will not share My glory with another, Isaiah 48:11 He charged the heavenly hosts in the book of Psalms to: Worship Him all you gods – adore Him, all you his angels Psalm 97:7 – while the writer to the Hebrews quoting this verse, said: And when He brought His supreme Son – His firstborn Son – His preeminent Son into the world, GOD said, ”AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” Hebrews 1:6 Those who deem God’s Word as inerrant will indeed have their faith rewarded.
Trial and Difficulties
Thanksgiving is not always a sentiment accompanying a life of trial and difficulties. Praise and worship is not the first behaviour displayed in times of desperate need. Grateful thanks are hardly an emotion we adopt when we are in deep pain or trouble.
Should not we worship and glorify God for His grace and mercy as we humbly set about our daily duties day by day – sharing the good news with others that we meet… by the way?
Let us praise our gracious God for the BREADTH of God’s Superlative LOVE for God SO loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.Let us worship our Superlative God for the multiplied dimensions of His love.
It can very seriously affect his fellowship, his worship, his testimony, his usefulness, his spiritual enjoyment, the glory of the Lord Jesus as involved in his practical career.
The contrast is painful in the extreme between the uniform language of the New Testament about Christians as thus called to worship in liberty and joy and nearness to the Father, and that of liturgies ancient and modern; and this because the results of redemption soon became merged and hidden in Jewish forms, and the law was recalled to the place of the Holy Spirit, and man in the flesh intruded wholesale into realms which belong only to those solemnly accredited as God's Church, the Body of Christ. -W.K.
Some people add works of the flesh, works of the Law – self-imposed rules or Church regulations and a variety of ‘add-ons’ to the basic gospel of salvation by grace – through faith in Christ Jesus, while others insist on actions relating to eating or drinking – places of worship or times and seasons – spiritual fruit or gifts of the Holy Spirit.
He guards us from danger; He directs the way we take; He listens to our whispered prayer, and He hears our humble worship. The watchful eye of the Father is upon all those that reverence His name.
Wonderful Comfort
Is this not a wonderful comfort to know that God is ever watching His own – guarding us from danger; directing the way that we take; listening to our whispered prayer and hearing our humble worship?
There is anacknowledgment of God, there is a form of worship ofGod, there are rites connected with God; yes, there is arecognition in a greater or lesser measure of a kind ofdevotion to God, worship of God, acknowledgment ofGod, perhaps desire for God, but all short of a livingrelationship with God.
As we read through Scripture, we discover one here and we find another there… But in the fulness of time God sent His only Son in the form of man, in Whom would dwell all the godly attributes of Deity bodily – for He is the ultimate Man of faith and virtue, the perfect Man of prayer and praise, the godly Man of wisdom and worship, the loving Man of obedience and humility, the gracious Man so beloved of the Father, Who was chosen to be our Saviour for He is the true Man after God’s own heart.
When our Lord spoke of His body as the Temple, deliberately refraining from the fuller explanation because of the fixed prejudice of His hearers, He introduced the great truth of the transition from one dispensation to another, and the complete change in the nature of temple and worship.
If, according to John 3:16, salvation is a matter of whosoever, the Lord's presence and true worship, according to Matthew 18:20, is wheresoever.
Cain-worship has abounded through the religions of the world, and millions follow.
You see, Cain-worship is self-effort and self-worship.
Christ’s Atonement
The fleshly, carnal, egotistical Self – thinks man can draw close to God, but self-denial through the bloody sacrifice of Christ’s death is the only way, Praise and worship, and grateful thanks is all that man can offer to the Lord, but this can only be offered in full and clear intelligence that our sins are put away – and this can only be known by faith, in virtue of Christ’s accomplished atonement.
You cannot systematize the Cross of the Lord Jesus, you can only go on your knees and worship, conscious that you see something really far beyond your power to compass.
Christ’s Love
In Revelation chapter 3 we read 'indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
At our second, we will sit on His throne and they will worship Him, before our feet!
An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.John 4:23-24
Alive unto God
It is only at the point of birth from above that our human spirit is made alive unto God. It is only believers that are capable of fellowshiping – or communing with the Lord: for God is Spirit and only the spirit of man can interact with the Holy Spirit of God, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. John 4:24
Historical Point
But Jesus told the woman at the well: an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.
The point in history, when man could worship God in spirit and truth, was the cross.
True Sacrifice
Temple worship and sacrifices, which pointed to Christ were set aside at the cross, and from that pivotal point in history, God would be worshipped in spirit and truth: for God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. Our heavenly Father regards those that worship in spirit and truth as true worshippers.
True Worship
How important therefore to worship the Lord our God in spirit and truth. How important that we worship in the only way that is acceptable to the Father. But how do we worship the Lord in spirit and truth? How can we know that we are worshiping in a manner that is acceptable to the Lord?
Only our new nature, born of the Spirit, can worship the Father in spirit and truth.
Spiritual Realm
Only our new nature can fellowship with the Lord. Only our new nature is alive. Only the new life can function in the spiritual realm and commune with the Holy Spirit. Only our new life in Christ is spiritually alive and can worship in spirit and truth, for God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
But when we come to the fourth thing, we move over a bit to another side; and I am sure that this first time of prayer in the case of Paul was a time of deep worship.
What does worship come out from?
What is it that leads us to worship?
What is the true nature and spirit of worship?
We only worship in the measure in which we appreciate the grace of God.... You remember that a favorite way to Paul of opening his letters was with three words: Grace, mercy, and peace, be unto you.
It was the prayer of deep worship for the grace of God, and that must have a place in all true prayer.
When we sit quietly and consider these words and the awesome and weighty meaning behind them, all we can do is fall at the feet of our Saviour and worship Him: To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever.
Let us join together and worship and glorify our Lord, for He alone is our God and Saviour: Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever.
While chapter 4 sweeps us into the heavenly throne-room of the great Creator God accompanied by angelic worship, chapter 5 turns our attention to the awful seven-sealed scroll, which none but the sinless Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world, is able to unseal.
Indeed, no act of thanksgiving nor any form of worship that does not spring forth from the inner being that loves the Lord is acceptable to Him.
Man may look on the externals, but God looks on the heart, and He knows the inner thoughts and the hidden attitudes of the mind, which can so often mask insincerity in the worship of a double-minded man.
Let us be those that glorify the Father through a sacrifice of praise as, day by day, we worship Him in spirit and in truth.
The proud king was so angry that Daniel's three friends refused to obey his royal command to worship his image, he ordered their execution.
His astonishment that they were saved from his great fiery furnace by a fourth, god-like person appearing in the fire with them, caused him to once again declare: Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, and would not serve or worship any god except their own God.
He knew that many blessings and benefits follow those who continue earnestly to pray in faith and for those who are vigilant in their worship, praise, and thanksgiving.Paul knew that it is God's will that His blood-bought sons and daughters rejoice in the Lord always, and so he encouraged each one to rejoice continuously, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks and praise to our Heavenly Saviour.But Paul also knew that prayer is a God-given privilege that has been awarded to every Christian, and those that walk in spirit and truth and pray into the Father's will, are assured that their prayers will be heard and answered, for His greater praise and glory.Paul therefore coveted the intercessions and prayers of these saints in Colossae.
Nowhere do we find God declaring to His created hosts of angels: Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Rather, we hear the Lord God decree: Let all the angels of God worship Him.
Attempts were made to incorporate Jewish rites into Christian worship, to confuse Israel with the Church, and to combine the programme God must carry out through His chosen nation, Israel, with the work He is currently undertaking through the Body of Christ.'Circumcision' was a special sign which God specifically gave to the nation of Israel, through Abraham.
Indeed, Scripture labels Jews as 'the Circumcision' to identify their physical link to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to differentiate them from 'Uncircumcised Gentiles'.HOWEVER, as Abraham was also the father of FAITH, Paul identifies ALL believers, both Jew or Gentiles, as 'the True Circumcision' who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.
Praise God that we have been called to worship the Lord in spirit and truth; to worship in the Spirit of God; to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord and put no confidence in the flesh.
In this short psalm of reverent worship, mighty men of the earth are duty-bound to give honour and praise to the great God of the universe.
David authored this majestic Psalm, calling on mighty men of the earth and great heavenly beings, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and ascribe to Him the honour and glory He is due.
The Lord brought the earth, and all created things, into being by the Word of His mouth, and the majestic display of a thunderstorm with its flashes of lightning and great reverberating thunderclaps, brought this man-after-God's-own-heart to his knees, in humble worship of God's astonishing greatness.
Should we not worship the Lord in the beauty of His perfect holiness, knowing that He alone is worthy of our worship and praise?
It is our spiritual worship and our reasonable service to yield our-lives, our-selves, and our-bodies to the Lord - to consecrate ourselves to Him each day.
And it is God's will that having trusted in Christ for salvation that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, which is our spiritual worship.
MY peace I give unto you.The amazing love of God, binds us together in worship and praise to our Heavenly Father Whose loves for us is so profound, that He gave His only begotten Son to become our substitute for sin, while the supernatural love of Jesus is such that while we were yet sinners, Christ died on our account so that we might be forgiven of our sin, receive a new life in Him, become united with Christ and abide with Him forever.Faith, enables us to worship in spirit and truth.
There are those that reject the true and living God, preferring to transfer their mindless worship onto other created life-forms, which in their foolish hearts are elevated into the status of a god.
But the Lord our God is One, and He alone is worthy to receive true worship, praise, honour, and glory, for He is unique in character, singular in integrity, distinct in graciousness, unparalleled in perfection, and eternal in power.
The fool has said in His heart there is no God, preferring to turn aside to the worship of false idols that are conjured up in mans' own unreasoned imagination.
David had proved that God is a faithful and forgiving God, and whether in prayer, praise, or petition, his song of worship and thanksgiving testifies of his trust in God and his acknowledgement that God is the Lord, and his hope is in Him alone: For there is no God like unto our God, nor are there any works that compare with His wonders.
Gentile believers were to become Jewish proselytes and were to be circumcised, adhere to the Law, participate in the feasts, keep the Sabbath day sacred, and worship the Lord in His holy Temple.New Testament believers, however, have been instructed to GO and share the good tidings of salvation with lost men and women, making disciples of all nations.
True worship can only flow from a heart of faith and does not consist of the actions we undertake, the outward behaviours we exhibit, or strict adherence to certain prescribed laws or imposed practices.
True worship emanates from a soul that is right with God.
True worship is an attitude that is conceived in the inner heart, which reflects Christ's beauty and grace.
Others like to twist this verse to imply that every human being is automatically a child of God or that all religions worship the same God, making Him Father of all people - but this is a false teaching for the Bible declares that ONLY those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ receive the right to become children of God - even to them that believe on His Name.
Abram was called from a world of lost sinners who had turned away from the true and living God, to worship and serve created things rather than the Creator.
To them belonged God’s adoption as a nation, and the glorious Shekinah presence of the Lord.They received the special covenant promises of God, and were also entrusted with the Law together with the temple worship – and God’s Word cannot be broken.
They had turned to the hypocritical religious practices of the surrounding pagan nations, integrating false gods and evil worship into the heart of their religion.
They did not give credit, thanks, praise, or worship to the Lord God of Israel Who was their Provider, Defender, Saviour, and Lord.
There is nothing we can do to repay God, but surely in the light of its eternal glories and benefits we can offer ourselves to Him in love and gratitude, by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, for this is our spiritual worship.
This is not a command, for God wants our love and service to be rendered freely and willingly, but in light of the inestimable riches of God's free grace which He has poured out in great measure on fallen sinners simply because we trusted in Christ as our Saviour, surely it should be our joy and delight to present our bodies, day by day, in spiritual worship as a living sacrifice - holy and pleasing to the Lord.
Christ should be the centre and circumference of our worship and praise, for all the things that He has done for us during our brief sojourn on earth.
Should we not delight to worship Him in this world and rejoice that in the world to come we will show forth the immeasurable riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Knowing that my salvation is secure in His worthy hands, every facet that touches my life is equally under the protection of His mighty power, for He has become the foundational bedrock upon which my confidence rests and He is the ever-flowing fountain of living strength that infills my heart and overspills into songs of worship and shouts of praise to His wonderful name.
God, in His grace, makes it so clear to us Who He is, the Creator of the universe, Redeemer of the world Who formed us in our mother's womb, the one true, living God, the only one worthy of our praise and worship.
It begins with an exuberant call to worship and praise, but concludes with a severe warning against unbelief: Do not harden your hearts, Israel is warned, like your ancestors did at Meribah, in the day of Massah in the wilderness.
We are not required to worship on a specific day nor are we commanded to keep certain feast days, special festivals, or the many ordinances imposed by man; for as believers in the age of grace we are free from the bondage of law.
On the one hand, we should not be critical of those who choose to worship and behave in a certain way, but on the other hand we should also be careful that neither our actions nor our abstinences place us back under law!
As he shares the gospel of grace, Paul outlines the importance of not judging the behaviours of our Christian brethren, and specifically mentions what we eat and drink, what we wear, and how we worship, reminding us that Christ died and rose again to free us from the bondage of laws, codes, rituals, and ceremonies.
Did they continue to gaze up into heaven sorrowfully because their Master had been taken from them, or was their intent gazing into the clouds an act of astonished wonderment and reverent worship?
It is a trumpet call for men to glorify the name of the Lord and to lift Him up in a symphony of worship and praise, for He alone is worthy of our honour.
Employed in continual worship and joyful service of Lord almighty, these holy angels are often engaged to serve those that bear the image and likeness of the Lord, as well as being employed in the angelic conflict against the powers of darkness that seek to usurp the authority of God and slander His holy name.
These believers in John's day were surrounded on every side by objects of pagan worship and religious relics that were given equal importance with God or substituted for Him.
We read the following words from a well-loved hymn: The dearest idol I have known, whate’er that idol be, help me to tear it from Thy throne, and worship only Thee, which captures the essence of what comprises an idol in any age, for anything and everything, anyone and everyone that lays equal or greater claim to our affection for Jesus, is our own, personal idol.
Like Moses, Christ was faithful in all that God called Him to do... indeed, He is worthy of all honour, and glory, and worship, and praise... both in this life and in the ages to come.
No surprise that near the end of this letter to the Romans, Paul breaks into an escalating doxology of praise and worship as he cries out from the core of his being: Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
Perhaps more than any other worship song from Israel's great psalmist, Psalm 19 reminds us of the never-ending wonders of God's mighty works and ways, the glories of His creative wisdom, and His gracious acts towards the rebellious children of Israel.
The language of nature and the poetry of the heavens above and the earth beneath, pour forth a never-ending message of worship and praise, as it proclaims the wonderful works of God.
Words of worship that flow from a proud, rebellious, or unrepentant heart, are like an open sewer to the Lord, but worshipful words that flow from a life that is pure in thought and motive, word and deed, ascend to the Father as a sweet perfume.
And so, as David's exuberant praise for the Lord climbs into an ever-increasing crescendo of worship and exaltation, his heart is suddenly moved into a hushed prayer of submissive surrender and deep devotion, as he recognises his own human limitations in contrast to the magnificent glory of God and cries out to the Lord, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.
As the chapter unfolds we find the king ordering every subject in His realm to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar set up.
The moment the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, they were to fall down and worship the statue of gold.
The king soon forgot his outburst of praise to the Lord and craved the worship that belongs to Him alone.
He commanded the people of every nation and language to fall down and worship the gold statue that he set up, for Chapter 3 begins, Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits.
Let us refrain from the unrighteous anger that lodges in the hearts of fools and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness - and may it be the deep desire of our heart to do all to the honour of His name.
We note that it was the head of the fathers' family that took the initiative to worship the Lord with a cheerful disposition in giving their free-will offerings.
Mary of Bethany is found on three occasions simply sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus, communing with her Saviour, listening to His Word, looking to Him, learning of Him, loving to be with Him, and pouring out her worship to Him.
However, work should not be the sole focus of our life, but our work and witness for Him must be balanced with meaningful worship.
Ineffable love!While angels delight to worship Thee above,The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise.
Religious men often seek to worship God through symbolic acts, man-made rituals, fleshly works, or emotional outbursts, but God desires a worshipful heart that is clean before Him, dependent upon Him, submissive to Him, and full of humility and grace.
And so in the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to son-ship, be returned into fellowship with our Creator, and learn to worship our Father in heaven in spirit and in truth.
God is Spirit, and they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Worship does not require a series of religious rituals nor is it necessary to have an appointed place of worship: God is Spirit and they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
However, from reading the book of Revelation, we discover that their faith will be severely tested, for about three quarters of the entire world's population will be slain during this period.Although there will be a global slaughter during this terrible time, a great multitude will be saved for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, because they did not worship the beast, nor his image, nor did they receive his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands.Though not part of the Church, these saints of God will be resurrected when the Antichrist is defeated and Christ returns to earth to take up His rightful position as Israel's King.
Certain groups proclaim that we all worship the same deity while others promote a social gospel and embrace polytheism, eastern mysticism, transcendental meditation, centering prayer, or 'Chrislam'.
Indeed, the Jerusalem council was formally set up to clarify the fundamentals of the Christian faith.They agreed that Gentile believers could not be expected to adhere to Jewish rules, rites, and regulations, but too often, Jewish converts to Christianity clung fast to their former rituals, even though they knew that it was not the Law that justifies them before God, but faith in Christ.Although these early Jewish believers understood that salvation was by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, many of them, including some of the apostles, continued to cling to the Jewish Sabbath, Jewish sacrifices, the Temple worship, feasts days, and other Jewish observances.Time passed since Paul's first, brief visit to Jerusalem where he had met with Peter and a few Church leaders.
He appealed for scriptural separation from the ungodly, by contrasting the believer with the unbeliever, righteousness with lawlessness, light with darkness, Christ with Belial, and the holy temple of God with the blasphemous idol worship of pagans.
How appropriate, therefore, that despite the indescribable grief of our suffering Saviour Who willingly became sin so that all that trust in His name might be saved, the very next words of this beautiful Psalm that demands our eternal praise and worship proclaims, But You are holy - O You that inhabit the praises of Israel.
We glorify and praise the one and only God of heaven and earth - Father - Son - and Holy Spirit - Who alone is worthy of our worship, praise, and thanksgiving.
The temporary, old covenant was to be replaced with a new, everlasting covenant, and the symbols of earthly worship (the man-made Temple and the old priestly order), were to be exchanged for the kingdom of heaven, where Christ was to reign supreme.
The hour had indeed arrived when true worshippers of God would worship the Father in spirit and truth, not in temples made with hands or buildings constructed of stone, nor on the tops of mountains.
In that day, true worshippers of the Father would worship Him in spirit and in truth, as guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit and in utter dependence upon Himself.
But as the Son of Man Himself walked this earth in humble dependence upon His Father, He could also proclaim that now is the time when true worshipers would worship the Father in spirit and truth.
Let us choose to imitate the Lord Jesus in how He lived so that we too may worship the Father in spirit and in truth to His praise and glory, as we submit to the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit and trust in Christ Jesus, our Strength and our Redeemer.
Manifold are his mercies which are new every morning, and how pleasing it is to the Father to hear the reverent praise and grateful worship that comes from a heart that truly loves Him.
He saw that these four astonishing creatures worshipped the Lord Almighty unceasingly, day and night, lifting up their united voices of praise to the Lord with a never-ending anthem of worship and praise, that will one day be on the lips of every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth: Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come.
The role of these amazing beings was to worship the living God with continuous and incessant praise, as together they sang without ceasing, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts - the Almighty God, Who was and Who is and Who is to come.
The hatred and antisemitism that has spread like a cancer throughout the world will cease, as Gentiles stream to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and cry: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.
He was the One Who was anointed by God to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Who alone is worthy of worship and praise.Then, opening their treasures, these great sages from the east presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
This was the place where he built an altar to worship the Lord and this was the place where he purchased a cave, in which to bury Sarah his wife, after her death, This was the place that Abraham was buried and the place that Isaac, the son of promise was also laid to rest.
The generations of idol worship and spiritual apostasy that followed, was considered as the time of Israel's spiritual adultery, likening them to an unfaithful wife.
It was during his second missionary journey, while staying in the city of Athens, that Paul taught certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers about the gospel of God and His great salvation – which is through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.On his arrival at Athens, Paul's spirit was provoked within his breast, when he saw that the city had been given over to the worship of idols and false deities.
Jesus could legitimately say to this Gentile woman: You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is of the Jews.
This dear Gentile woman had a partial but limited understanding of the truth of God, the worship of God, and of God's great plan of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Let us worship the Lord in spirit and truth.
Let us worship the God who ordained from the beginning His glorious plan of man's salvation by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
One such instruction, which follows a call to worship the Lord in spirit and truth, is: To abstain from all sorts of evil.
Our worship should not be to indulge in an emotional experience or for personal pleasure, but should be to the glory of God where our conscience is quickened by His holy righteousness.
When the man or woman of God seeks to abstain from all appearance of evil for the right reasons, our times of worship will not only glorify God, but also rejoice our heart.
May we thank God that He works all things together for His good purpose and may we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and live a life that honours Him, for His greater praise and glory.
He established the Law of Moses, defeated their enemies, sustained all their bodily needs, and provided them with their Tabernacle for the worship of God.
This verse in Hebrews, quotes Psalm 95 which is a call for God's redeemed to worship Him.
Rather, may we press on to spiritual maturity and worship the Lord our God all the days of our lives, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Our worship, praise, and thanksgiving, will resound throughout the eternal ages to come because God had graciously called us out of the darkness of sin and death, and a life without Christ, into the glorious light of His holy presence and eternal light and love.
As Israel fell into apostasy, it is likely that the pot of manna and shepherd's rod became objects of worship, which would have devalued the significance of the Mercy Seat which covered the broken Law and all it meant for sinful man.
It is probable these objects diverted the people's attention away from the incredible significance of the gospel of redemption, and became a focus of worship causing Israel to fall into idolatry!
The northern kingdom of Israel had already been sent into Assyrian captivity due to their apostasy, and Jeremiah pleaded with the southern kingdom of Judah to repent of their wicked ways, to turn from their sin, to renounce their idol worship, and to come back to the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.
May we never forget that anything and everything that takes the place of God in our Christian lives becomes a vain idol and a false god, which dethrones the Lord of our life, the Saviour of our soul, and Who alone deserves our honour and worship.
To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises; and holy men of Israel penned the Scriptures for our learning.
Though some see the woman's question on the place and purpose of worship as evading the sin-issue at hand, others see her response as a genuine, heart-enquiry of how she might be forgiven of her sins and brought back into sweet fellowship with the God of Israel.
But the shadow of the Cross fell over this conversation, as Christ told this woman that a day was soon coming when worship of God would take place: Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
True worship would no longer be limited to Mount Moriah or the Jewish Temple: An hour was coming (and is now here) when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, and the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.
The time was fast approaching when there would be a new and perfect sacrifice, a new living Temple made without hands, a new birth, a new creation, a new dispensation when those that worship God would worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus knew that when He was lifted up, all earthly temples, buildings, and mountain tops would become inconsequential, for men would worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
Despite their miraculous escape from Egyptian bondage, as they crossed the Red Sea, and in spite of the many signs and wonders that followed the children of Israel in their wilderness wanderings, the Lord was not pleased with them because they exchanged the worship of their Creator God and great Redeemer, for idol-worship.
And so we find Paul using this Old Testament example of rebellion and idolatry to warn the believers of his day to flee far from idolatry and paganism, to turn away from all forms of occultic worship, and to abhor anything connected with the pagan practices of the day.
He warned them not to have dealings with anything which might entice them back under the satanic yoke and idol worship from which Christ had set them free.
Our bodies are a temple of God and should never become yoked to an idol or fall into subjugation with idol-worship.
When God is 'blessed' by psalmist or apostle, by prophet, priest, or king, it is a call for His creation to bow low before Him in adoration and worship.
When His children are called to 'bless the Lord' we should kneel in humble reverence before His glorious majesty and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
As the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we worship our great Creator.
As the God and Father of mercies, we worship before His throne of grace, acknowledging that without the spilt blood of Christ alone we would be eternally separated from our God and Saviour.
Having gone through terrible times of trouble and great tribulation, and despite seeing their Holy City captured, it's wealth taken, it's people enslaved, and the rebuilt temple of God desecrated by the man-of-sin, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship - Zechariah gives God's people a wonderful message of hope.
We are instructed to cast all our anxiety upon Him because He cares for us, but we are to do this with a heart of thanksgiving and an attitude of worship.
It was her Son, not Mary, to Whom angels were to bow down and worship with reverence and awe.
Indeed, we note in this meeting between Mary and Gabriel, that nowhere did this great angelic being offer worship to Mary, as is erroneously taught today.
Worship only God, was the quick rebuke which the apostle John received when he fell down to worship at the feet of the angel in the book of Revelation.
I will not share my glory with another. The Lord Jesus Himself also cried out in His temptations: You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only, and throughout the holy Scriptures, we discover the severe admonishment to worship no one but the Lord God of Israel - the Creator of heaven and earth.
Zachariah continues the theme of worship and praise as he opened his 'Benedictus' with the words: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and redeemed His people.
While God is the One Who pours out His blessings on man, it is man who is caused to exalt and worship our Creator God by blessing the Lord and praising His holy name.
Whether it was seeking refuge from His enemies, in deep repentance for His transgressions, or to worship and glorify God, the foundation upon which the prayer and praises of David rested, was the righteousness, faithfulness, and goodness of God.
During the coming Millennial rule of Christ, Gentiles will be commanded to come up to the holy city of Jerusalem to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Israel and Lord of Hosts.
Any who survive the Great Tribulation will be required to go up to Jerusalem from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the feast of Booths.
Today we often find life to be difficult and encompassed about by many problems, but we should take note of this call to praise and worship and lift up our hearts by praising the Lord, for He is highly to be praise and His greatness is indeed, unsearchable.
However, it appears that the trigger-point for Jesus to make His astonishing announcement: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, took place when a little group of God-fearing Gentiles, who had come up to Jerusalem to worship God at the feast of Passover, came seeking the Lord and said to Philip, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Whether we stand to pray or sit, kneel, or lift up a silent plea as we go about our daily business, a humble heart that overflows with reverence, praise, worship, and thanksgiving is the identifying mark of a man or woman whose prayers avail much.
But prayer as always needs to flow from a humble heart that overflows with reverence, praise, worship, and thanksgiving.
Her name was Jezebel, a self-appointed prophetess whose actions were reminiscent of the wicked wife of king Ahab who corrupted the children of Israel with her satanic practices and worship of Baal.
Rather than being the means towards spiritual maturity and a closer walk with God, man-made procedures and practices like 'do not touch' and 'do not taste', together with the worship of angels, obligatory attendance at certain festivals, Sabbath days rules, or new moons regulations, are legalistic practices that will only place us back in bondage.
We can compromise our faith by allowing unbiblical doctrine, legalistic practices, a works-based salvation, a watered-down gospel, angel-worship, and a plethora of extra biblical practices, including Chrislam to influence us OR we can behave like Nehemiah.
And it causes us to worship our Father in heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ Who shed His blood so that condemned sinners might be made perfect before His face: And so we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory.
Both at the start and the close of His earthly ministry this act of Temple-cleansing was necessary, for priests and people alike were holding too lightly the sacred things of God, causing crooked commercialism and ungodly trafficking to replace holy conduct and godly worship.
The seven-fold glories in this verse are sung in resplendent praise and worship to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the precious Lamb of God.
It is in praise of Him that this wonderful chorus of rejoicing and worship will resound throughout the universe, when the enemy of our soul has been routed, and the gracious plans and wise purposes of God, (in establishing Christ in His rightful position on the throne of the universe) will be finally accomplished.
John tells us that He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne. No surprise that the entire heavenly company began to worship and adore Him, for justice was about to be meted-out on God's enemies, after six thousand years of angelic conflict.
While most of Paul's epistles instruct us on how to live our Christian lives, his letters to Timothy and Titus explain how we should behave when we meet together for public worship or join together in our local church fellowships.
In First Timothy, we are given some important instructions on how to conduct ourselves in public worship and how to treat people in a church setting.
How foolish to allow all we have in Christ to be compromised by those who delight in ascetic practices, worship angels and heavenly beings, who claim access to certain visionary realm and inflate their ego without cause, as too often happens in Christendom today.
Indeed, there is an increasing fascination today with angels, aliens, heavenly forces, and divine messengers which can become an all-consuming obsession: Worship God alone, we are instructed, not angels, saints, Mary, or any other created being.
May we take heed to Paul's warning and be careful not to allow anyone to defraud us of our prize, by acting as an umpire and declaring us unworthy, disqualifying us for the prize, insisting on their own self-abasement and the worship of angels.
May we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, for this should be our spiritual worship and eternal delight.
The first milestone the returning exiles reached, was the reinstitution of worship in the holy city of Jerusalem.
However, the sacrifice of prayer and praise and the offering of thanksgiving and worship to the Lord, at the break of day, in the cool of the evening, and at other times, should be a joy for each of us, together with the knowledge that we can boldly approach the Throne of Grace any time of the day or night, for mercy to find grace in time of need.
Israel was to tell the Gentiles about God and proclaim the good news of the coming Kingdom of God on earth, bringing believing Gentiles into the camp so that they could also worship the Lord God of Israel.
The psalmist desires that his prayers are well-pleasing to the Father - and that his humble petitions and heart-felt praise rise up to into heaven as a sacrifice of praise and a sweet-smelling savour to God, as hands are lifted up in worship, thanksgiving and pleading supplications.
His was a life of faith, a life of prayer, a life of praise, a life of worship - a life of sacrifice.
Christ demonstrated that God's children are to live in spirit and truth, to walk in spirit and truth, and to pray, praise, worship and reverence our Heavenly Father in spirit and in truth, in love and in grace.
The Lord Jesus demonstrated that we too can be set forth as incense before Him, if we too live, work, worship, and pray into the will of the Father, through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 113 is the first in this collection of worship songs.
'Hallel' is a short form of the Hebrew word 'Hallelujah' and is a call to all the people to praise and worship the Lord our God for His goodness, grace, mercy, and His plan of redemption.
It is also Jesus to Whom the indwelling Spirit of God directs our gaze, and it is Jesus Who demands our worship and praise, our adoration and grateful thanks – for just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so that all who looked upon that bronze serpent would live, so Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour, was lifted up on the Cross of Calvary so that all who look to Him would be saved by grace through faith and have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.In this passage, we are exhorted to look away from all things that hinder or halt our spiritual growth and to turn our gaze trustingly, intently, and purposefully toward the lovely Lord Jesus.
It was David that first lifted up these words of entreaty to the Father, as he sought to worship the Lord in spirit and truth, and to offer his life as a living sacrifice of praise, holy and acceptable to Him.
Pharisaic adherence to rules and regulations, behaving legalistically in the keeping of feast days and fast days, a mechanical attitude towards worship and religious ordinances, and the meaningless repetition of prayers or invocations, are futile and the Lord will not accept such hypocritical behaviour.
The Lord is not interested in empty words, shallow worship, frigid feelings, superficial service, or legalistic rituals.
Worship and praise should be on our lips from morning to night, for the Lord our God is with us in every season and situation of life.
There is no partiality with God and there should be none on our side either, for whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, young or old, bond or free... the Lord alone is worthy of ALL our combined praises and worship and His name should be lifted up in continuous prayer and never-ceasing jubilation by those that are called by His name.
When the Lord has stolen our heart and saved our soul, it should be the desire of everyman to unite their voice together as one in jubilant songs of worship and exultant psalms of prayer and praise.
We have been made a new creation in Christ and have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb... and as saved saints, we should not be content to simply worship the Lord in the isolation of our own hearts, but should desire to rejoice in spirit and truth together with others who have, in like manner, been rescued from the pit of destruction and securely placed into the family of God.
God is long-suffering and full of loving-kindness and mercy, and it is not His desire that any should perish, but that all men should repent and turn to Him, but when wickedness and evil is multiplied, when superstition and immorality abounds, when idolatry and idol worship has contaminated a society, and the repeated call to repent is ignored and ridiculed, there comes a time when God must carry out punishment on an evil and perverse generation.
Following the judgements in Eden, the flood, and the tower of Babel, man continued to rebel against the Lord and delighted to serve and worship the creation rather than the Creator.
And to the tiny nation of Israel, God made a covenant that if they would worship Him, trust Him, and serve Him alone, He would bless them abundantly, but if they rebelled against Him and worshipped false gods, they would be punished.
Her yearning was to worship at the feet of the one and only God Who had proved His faithfulness to her despite her many misfortunes, and so she firmly rejected forever the idols of wood and stone that she had grown up with in her childhood in Moab.
We have been permanently indwelt by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit of God, the One Whom angels worship and adore.
Let us worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness and bow down in awe and wonder before our glorious, thrice holy God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Who loved us so much that He sent the Lord Jesus to die in our place.
We have nothing in common with unbelievers for they are dead in their sin and we are alive in Christ, and the holy sanctuary of God can have no association with idols or any form of pagan worship.
They did not bring up their children to meditate on the Law of the Lord, and rejected the headship of men within their individual families and in their collective worship.
But God in His long-suffering, loving-kindness, and great mercy, has extended the period of His gracious forgiveness to include you, and to include me, and to include all who will turn from their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, Who alone deserves our eternal praise and worship.
To them was given the Priesthood, Temple worship, the feasts of the Lord, and the promise of a Messiah Who would come through the patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.
For instance; the Son directs our prayers and worship to the Father, and the Father honours the Son, while the Spirit points us to Jesus Who is the only Person in the Godhead Who became flesh and blood and suffered for the sin of mankind.
We read: Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.' At the same time, the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God, will fall on their faces and worship the Lord their God saying, 'We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.' These loud and joyful voices are announcing that the long-awaited reign of the Lord Jesus Christ over the world is on the horizon.
He is infinitely more significant than the angelic host, for He sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high and all the angels of God worship Him. Christ Jesus is the eternal Son of God and omnipotent Creator of the universe.
Paul's spontaneous outburst of worship and praise in this passage, came after he had pronounced a truth that should rejoice the hearts of all God's children: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen.
In the early days of the Church, many Jewish Christians who had trusted Christ as their Saviour, were being drawn back into Temple worship, Mosaic observances, and practicing, customs and traditions of the elders, even though they had been replaced when Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.
After the Cross the old way became redundant, so adopting the old form of Temple worship was futile as it could not save nor could it cover sin as had been the case in the past.
Like so many of David's psalms, the clarion call of this canticle is that God alone is the source and sphere of David's need, and God alone has the right to demand our own undivided trust and worship.
It was through deception and deceit, that Balaam tempted Israel to fall into sin, to worship of Baal, to commit sexual sin with the pagan women, and to dishonour the name of the God of Israel.
How important that we hold this world's wealth and wisdom, together with position and power very lightly, for what we treasure in our hearts will become that which we worship.
When we treasure the things of this world, our heart is far from the Lord, but when He becomes the greatest Treasure of our lives, our heart will worship at His feet in grateful thanksgiving and praise.
Instead of it being a day of divine worship, where body and soul were refreshed, it became a day when even the simplest tasks were sharply condemned.
Those who choose to do so are at perfect liberty to worship on the Sabbath, and those who choose to worship on a Sunday are also at liberty to do so, but neither are legal requirements for Christians in this Church age, and we are not to judge those who DO or those who do NOT.
In addition to the 10 commandments, which are so familiar to us all, there were laws on boundaries, cities of refuge, and court witnesses, together with rules connected with war, unsolved murders, idol-worship, and sexual violations.
And in these verses, Paul strongly condemns Mysticism and the worship of angels, with its emphasis on extra-biblical dreams, visions, feelings, experiences, and new revelations as being required for true salvation and spirituality.
He warns against those who engage in false spirituality, by adopting an ascetic life-style or developing a passion for a fabricated humbleness and the worship of angels, which sadly robs believers of their heavenly reward.
John was not told why this period of awesome silence will happen with the breaking of the last seal, but no doubt there will be a deep sense of anticipation, for even the never-ending worship of God, which a multitude of angelic beings started when time began, will be hushed.
How we should raise our hearts and voices in praise and worship as we proclaim the wonders of His name, the splendour of His majesty, and the riches of His grace towards us who have been called His children.
The fruit of a holy reverence for our Lord develops our deeper understanding of His beautiful attributes and eternal character and will burst forth into praise and thanksgiving, worship, and reverential love from those that fear Him.
Israel had a covenant relationship with the Lord, but until they fulfilled the terms of the covenant and obeyed His laws and statutes, which included the reinstatement of Temple worship, they would remain out of fellowship with God, and their blessings would be withheld.
Prayer is warmed by worship, petitions are perfected by praise, promises are claimed through a grateful heart, and intercessions are offered in the solemn acknowledgement that we have an audience with the King of kings and Lord of lords.
There is nothing more obnoxious to the Lord than the worship of graven images and idolatry surrounding false gods.
From the beginning, men started to worship the creation instead of the Creator.
You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.
We are to worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth, for our Heavenly Father seeks worshippers who live by faith, walk in spirit, trust His Word, and worship only Him.
We are to remember that God will never share His glory with another and no holy angel nor angelic messenger of the Lord, has ever accepted worship from men, as we are reminded by John in his Revelation of Jesus Christ - for He is the incarnate God Who alone is worthy of all worship and praise and honour and glory.
The Lord is glorified in the praise and worship of His people, and what joy and rejoicing there was on this momentous day of great gladness in the city of the God when the Ark of the Covenant was finally brought back into the midst of His people, after decades of absence.
He describes the worship and witness of a restored and converted Israel, when the earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.
The people were obviously impacted by Joshua's impassioned plea, because they replied as one man: We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods.
This call to worship in the 'Old Hundredth' is a call for every Christian to worship our Saviour in the beauty of holiness, for we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Although the unsaved have the opportunity to worship and serve the Creator, those that choose to reject God's gracious offer of salvation will be judged on the good works that they carry out in their life.
For the believer, the fear of the Lord comes from a humble heart of worship which has a reverential respect, a holy fear, and a thankful heart for all that our Lord Jesus is and all that God has done for each of His children.
Jesus is the foundation upon which our knowledge is founded, and He alone commands our reverential fear, humble worship, and eternal devotion, for in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and we are positioned in Him.
The book of Revelation tells us that through false signs and lying wonders the seed of the serpent, who will come as the 'anti-christ' and the 'beast', will cause many men to follow after a satanic lie - and they will worship the beast instead of the one and only Creator of heaven and earth.
Indeed, all that dwell upon the earth will wonder after the beast and worship him.
It is not only into the corridors of governments that corruption has crept, but false teachers, doctrines of demons, and the controlling spirit of Jezebel has slipped into many pulpits and is being taught in most theological colleges, congregations, places of worship, and denominations.
In Christ, we have become partakers of a heavenly calling and are to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for He has given us the Holy Spirit of life and truth, and we worship One God and Father of all Who is over all and through all and in us all.
And so on one very special day, one unique moment in time and eternity, God was able to announce: Let all God's angels worship Him, for Christ is all in all.
As believers, we are the corporate Body of Christ, and when two or more members of Christ's Body are united in prayer or praise, thanksgiving or worship, we are in a small way fulfilling Christ's high priestly prayer: That we may be one, even as He is one with the Father.
But the religious leaders had become proud and rebellious, and instead of it being used for its hallowed purpose of worship and prayer, the holy Temple of God had become a profane place of ungodly merchandise, dishonest trading, and gross malpractice of unprecedented proportion.
Each one was saying, 'I am of Paul' or 'I of Apollos' or 'I of Peter' or 'I of Christ'. Had this attitude not been quickly corrected by Paul, or had any of these leaders allowed such foolish hero-worship to continue, the Church could have fragmented into many different sects.
Indeed, this should also be our continuous prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ – that our love increases and abounds, as we worship our heavenly King, grow in grace, and develop a more intimate knowledge of God.
O worship the King, all glorious above.
O measureless might, ineffable love, while angels delight to worship above.
He started to worship God, with these words: Long ago You established the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
We can learn much from the psalmist's change of heart, for when a man takes steps to remember his God and turns his heart to true worship, he starts to remember exactly Who our Father is and what God has promised His children.
The prayer of a frightened man that started with a focus on self and his own mountainous problems, concluded with a prayer of assured faith and worship of his God, the Creator of the world – the Maker of heaven and earth – the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, all-wise, loving, righteous God of the whole universe – Who knows each of us by name and cares enough to take the difficulties of life to cause us to turn our focus on Christ and not on ourselves.
Wise men had travelled from the east to worship Him and had asked King Herod, where is He that is born King of the Jews? Indeed, the religious leaders quickly supplied the correct answer from their holy Scriptures, In Bethlehem of Judea, they proudly announced, for this is what has been written by the prophet, Micah: 'and you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the princes of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.' But why didn't these knowledgeable Scribes and Pharisees join the wise men in their holy search and rejoice with them that Micah's great prophecy had finally been fulfilled.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Whom we worship and adore, for He has redeemed us by His blood and removed us forever from God's eternal condemnation.
He applauds their stand on adultery, idol worship, and other important moral issues, but then questions whether they adhered to their own exemplary teachings or whether they too could be charged with spiritual adultery and moral degradation.
But as the final seal is broken, we read: There was silence in heaven for half an hour. Since their creation, holy angels of God are never silent in their continuous worship of God. Day and night, they never cease to cry: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is, and is to come.
What a joy it was for the apostle Paul to see that the Christians at Thessalonica had turned away from their worldly ways and worship of idols, and were looking to Christ.
His wrath will be poured out upon prideful sinners who, of their own volition, resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit within and refuse God's free gift of salvation, in preference to indulging in worldly trifles, fleshly lusts, legalistic practices, and idol worship.
When David penned these words, they were in every respect a song of thankful worship to the Father that pointed to the coming Messiah Who would be sent from heaven to become our sacrifice for sin.
But however glorious our salvation and privileged our service, our calling first and foremost is to worship at His feet, to delight to do His will, to treasure His Word in our hearts, and to remain in the centre of His will for the rest of our life.
May our lives be a sweet-smelling savour of thankful worship and reverential praise so that we may live and move and have our being in the centre of His will.
God's never-ending love-story for His people continues... but today, as the Body of Christ, we wait for that glorious event when we shall be taken into heaven to be His Bride... for His love-story for the Church is equally wonderful as His love for Israel... and is deserving of our praise and worship.
God permitted them to prevail, as a punishment for His erring people, who had rebelled against the Lord, broken their covenant with Him, adopted pagan practices, and even started to worship the evil gods of their wicked neighbours.
The full council of God, the deity of Christ, sound doctrine, the non-negotiable truth, the coming judgement, Christ as the one and only way to God, and repentance of sin, have been replaced with extra-biblical revelation, religious talk-shows, dreams and visions, ungodly worship, transcendental meditation, a desire for some self-induced emotional experiences, and a happy, prosperous life now.
From their formation, Israel in particular and the Gentile nations in general, forsook the truth they knew from the beginning, and turned their backs on the God Who created them. All were descended from Adam and all knew the truth - but they all turned from the true and living God to worship idols of wood, images of stone, and false god's who usurped the sovereign Lord.
The psalmist considers the miraculous development of the unborn child, from conception and birth, right on into manhood and old age, and David recognises that God deserves both praise and worship, for the miracle of his own conception and development.
The day is coming when together with Mary we will all stand around the throne of grace and worship the Lamb that was slain for our sins, but in the meantime, we too can join in her psalm of exultation and sing, My soul exalts the Lord, my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour, for He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-slave.
He tore his mantle in anguish of heart, shaved his head, as a sign of mourning and was beset with inner turmoil... yet he fell on the ground in order to worship the Lord, and cried out, saying, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there.
He reacted to his woes with worship, and to his devastating losses with reverence and humility of heart.
Godly devotion, saintly worship and reverential fear of our heavenly Father is not perfected through multiplied blessing, but is often fine-tuned through the long night of doubt and sorrow, or during painful times of trial and tribulation - for it is often when we are in pain that we hold fast to our heavenly Creator.
There should be no arguments on what to eat or what to drink, what day to worship, or what ordinances to follow, for whether we live or die, eat or speak, we are to do it to the glory of God.
From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, may we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and bow down before Him, for His name is greatly to be praised.
Individuals from other tribes who preferred to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, also aligned themselves with Judah, rather than using substitute places of worship that were erected in Samaria.
Submissive worship of God is the essence of prayer, and the self-glorification of those hypocritical Pharisees was denounced by Jesus, Who taught that prayer to our unseen, heavenly Father, should be carried out privately.
A magnificent song of praise bursts forth from the pen of the anonymous psalmist as he summons together the host of heaven with all those that dwell on the earth to worship the Lord, to praise His name, and glorify Him with exultant shouts and great rejoicing of the heart: Hallelujah!
Rather, we are catapulted headlong into joyful worship and reverent praise that thunders forth from this heavenly choir.
The call to worship is given to the vast angelic host and the various heavenly beings, for all were created by the Lord.
He set them there forever and ever and gave a law, and not one transgresseth it.If such a resounding call to praise and worship God as Creator is given to angels and the heavenly host, how much more should our worshipful praise and humble thanksgiving be offered to the Lord Who not only created us, but has also redeemed us by the blood of Christ Jesus, His dearly beloved Son.
One group will be condemned because they did not believe the witness of nature, for the heavens declare the glory of God, but men worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator.
All those that have been born from above and have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ our Saviour, are called by our great Creator God, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, to sing joyful praises to Him with our lips and in our hearts.
Their disgusting ways were an abomination to the Lord, and His people were never to engage in these despicable things which included child sacrifices, witchcraft, divination, sorcery, cannibalism, and the worship of demons - to name a few.
May we be given godly wisdom and the gift of discernment, so that we may live and work to God's eternal glory - as we watch for the any day return of our God and Saviour, Who alone is worthy of our praise and worship.
The lawless attitude and rebellious actions of this 'son-of-perdition' will not only oppose the true and living God and all He stands for, but exalt himself above every religion, including Christianity, and every other form of worship... worldwide.
His pride glistens like a necklace, as he opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship.
This verse gives a graphic description of the ungodly disposition of the coming antichrist: Who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
From the beginning, the spirit of antichrist has been working towards Satan's goal of opposing God, bringing the world under his total control, and receiving men's undivided worship, but the 'man-of-lawlessness' about whom Paul is writing, has yet to be revealed.
No doubt, they were also the chosen words that fell from the lips of many Christians in those early days of the Church, when they gathered together for worship, teaching, the breaking of bread, and prayer.
When we really grasp this amazing truth, all we can do is worship and glorify our precious Saviour and occupy our time, redeeming the days as we wait expectantly for His blessed appearing.
The Lord even identified the craftsmen who would construct and decorate the Tabernacle and detailed the pieces of furniture that would be used in their worship services.
Despite all the miraculous things that transpired, the people of Israel grew weary of waiting for Moses during his encounter on the mountain, and so using gold jewellery and other ornaments they had plundered from Egypt, they urged Aaron to fashion a golden calf for them to worship, and began to make merry, saying, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!
The collective worship of believers around the broken bread and communion cup is an expression of communal Christian unity and oneness in the Body of Christ.
Israel had a covenant relationship with God and the re-instituting of the sacrifices, feasts, Mosaic Law, and Temple worship were necessary if they were to honour the Lord and obey His Word.
David had left very specific instructions about Temple worship and how to praise the Lord with trumpets and cymbals.
The sacrifice of personal praise and the uniting together for public worship is a vital part of spiritual renewal and growth.
Although He is a God of great goodness and grace, He sends rain on the fields of the unrighteous who blaspheme His name as well as the righteous who worship Him in spirit and truth.
They opposed Paul's teachings and successfully convinced many Galatian Christians to revert to Judaism and incorporate many Jewish rites, rituals, and religious practices, into their Christian worship.
This was due to the intense intercession and persevering prayer of Moses on their behalf, when by Gods' grace only days after their miraculous delivery from Egypt's 400-year long bondage, they started to worship the golden calf and called it their god!
God in His grace, also promised to provide Moses with evidence that His Word was true and that He was a faithful God: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.
The Lord God of Israel is vastly superior to the little idols they worship, both the graven images they fashioned with their own hands, and the heavenly bodies they saw moving across the skies.
How foolish to worship the sun, the moon, and other heavenly bodies, when the true Creator has made Himself known to His people.
Indeed, worship and reverent homage is often the central ingredient adopted by God's people in honouring the LORD as directed by David, Solomon, and other great kings of Israel.
But just as Israel discovered that praise and worship is a fundamental key in fulfilling God's work, and discouragement and fear are tools the enemy uses to prevent spiritual effectiveness, we must also recognise this truth and take steps to deal with it.
No surprise that we are exhorted to worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness, for even the trees of the forest sing for joy and clap their hands together because the Lord is coming to judge the world in His righteousness and His people in His faithfulness.The Church is His Body, and we are now the holy temple of our faithful Lord, for we were created in Christ as a new creation, sanctified as His peculiar people, set apart as His representatives on earth, and we have been given a glorious song of grace to sing of the One that shows forth the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness towards us, in Christ Jesus.
The more we learn of our wonderful Saviour and the deeper our understanding becomes, the more the desire grows to simply praise and thank Him, and to worship Him for Who He is.
Is there a more beautiful expression of worship than to lift up holy hands in humble adoration and love for our Lord while singing songs of praise to glorify His name?Let us join together and sing unto the LORD a new song of praise and thanksgiving, and proclaim to the earth His wonderful salvation.
He had reminded them that this evil person would oppose all that is good and would exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship; even to entering God’s sanctuary and proclaiming himself to be God.
May we, as the Body of Christ, be trustworthy, honest, honourable, and generous... both in our individual lives and in our corporate worship - to the praise and glory of our Father in heaven.
When confronted with insurmountable barriers or when our very lives are threatened, may we be quick to cast ALL our cares on Him and in everything by prayer and supplication - with thanksgiving and faith, call on the name of the Lord, and when our Father gives us the answer, may we never forget to give Him ALL the praise and worship - for He alone is worthy.
It was in the midst of all the hustle, bustle, to-ing and fro-ing on His final week, that some Greeks were among those who went up to Jerusalem to worship at the festival, but they came... seeking JESUS.
This is also our model of prayer that embraces praise, worship, petition, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving, and fellowship with our Father in heaven.
We are to worship Him in spirit and truth, and glorify His name.
We should take the pearls of His speech and the jewels that encrust the glorious messages of salvation, and shower them down in blessed teachings and wise counsel over the heads of those that are His kingdom of priests, His royal nation, a people set apart for the Lord to serve Him and to worship Him in time and through eternity.
Three times a year, the men of Israel would set out for Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts of the Lord and to worship their God at the Holy Temple, which stood majestically at the top of Mount Zion.
Indeed, the Lord continued to explain to Solomon: But if you turn aside and forsake My statutes and My commandments, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land; the land that I have given them.
But His life was also lived in order to set an example to His followers of How to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord: How to become a living sacrifice to the glory of God; How to worship the Lord in spirit and truth; First the Cross and then the Crown.
He knew that this was no ordinary heavenly visitor, for the Commander accepted the worship that Joshua offered.
God will not share His glory with another, for God alone is worthy of worship.
Yes, Joshua knew that the Warrior Who stood before Him with a raised sword in His hand was the Lord God... for he fell to the ground to worship Him.
He paid homage to the One Who had protected and provided for Israel during their 40-year long sojourn in the wilderness. Joshua was one of two men, still living, whom the Lord had redeemed from Egypt, who crossed the Jordan to enter the Promised Land and he knew the Stranger in his midst was deserving of worship.
The apostle John was about to receive a preview of the future, which began with a vision of heaven in chapter 4 and moved to the worship of the Lamb of God in chapter 5.
As he looked, John was introduced to four living creatures who worship God day and night, and 24 elders who were clothed in white raiment with crowns of gold on their heads.
The vison of the throne-room of God, the worship of the Lamb Who was slain, and the presentation of a seven-sealed scroll, which no-one but Lamb could break, are all part-and-parcel of the heavenly vision John saw in chapters 4 and 5.
The United Kingdom of Israel divided in two after the death of Solomon, and only Judah, Benjamin, the priests and Levites who served in the Temple, and a little remnant from a few other tribes, chose to remain in Jerusalem and worship in the Temple, until they were enslaved by Babylon.
Praise God that we can approach the throne on grace boldly, and give over to Him all of our anger, anguish, resentment, and malice, making the way clear for us to life up holy hands and pour out our praises, petitions, and thankful worship to the One Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
The Son of God is so much greater than the angelic host of heaven and every other class of angel, principality, and power, causing the Lord God Almighty to write of Christ Jesus: Your throne O God is forever and forever, and let all the angels of God worship Him.
And the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that these mighty angels of God worship Him day and night: All ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.
The main theme of this first chapter of Hebrews is the elevated status of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ Who alone is worthy of all honour and worship, for He is greater than Moses, greater than David, greater than Solomon, and greater than all the vast host of God's angelic hosts: And His throne is forever and forever and His sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of His kingdom.
The Jews may have returned in their land, built their panelled houses, and planted crops, but they were incapable of keeping the Mosaic Law because they had no Temple in which to worship the Lord and no alter on which to offer sacrifices to Him, as the Law commanded.
So often, we see that in times of trials and difficulties, the Psalmists lifted up their voices in hymns of thanksgiving and praise, calling on the righteous to be joyful in the Lord, to rejoice in the God of their salvation and to sing to the Lord with thankful hearts, for praise, worship, and thanksgiving from the man or woman who loves the Lord, is beautiful and beneficial.
When we meditate on these things, we cannot help but break out in songs of praise and worship to our Lord.
But even in that terrible seven-year period, which will follow the any-day Rapture of the Church into heaven, Isaiah writes of a remnant that will bow their knee to the Lord and lift up their voices in joyful praise and worship to God, singing: O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You; I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
In the same way, we should never forget that no matter what trials and tribulations we face in this Church Age, let us be part of today's little flock who trusts God's Word, believes His promises, gives glory to His name, and lifts up our voices in joyful praise and worship: Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.
A great chorus of praise and worship is offered up in Psalm 148, from every corner of the cosmos.
From the day they were created, the four living creatures cry holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, and into the eternal ages to come this great chorus of praise will continue to reverberate throughout the visible and invisible universe, in reverent worship of the Lord God of heaven and earth.
Let us worship before the throne of grace, and offer Him our unending thanksgiving and praise for sending Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sin, and the Firstfruit from the grave.
May we be faithful to our calling and render our service willingly and faithfully to Him, for we have an ever-faithful God Who is faithful to keep us and to fulfil all His promises, and He is worthy of all our worship and praise.
May we trust our Heavenly Father in all things and not lean on our own, limited understanding, but give Him the glory and praise to which He is due - and worship Him in the beauty of holiness.
This is no self-centred, superficial form of worship, but a yearning desire deep within that is overwhelmed by Who God is and what He has done for all who trust in the Son of His love.
When we consider our wonderful Creator, our heart is filled with awe and wonder at His mighty power and the vastness of His great wisdom; but when we consider the nails that pierced His hands and feet, the crown that tore His head, and the sword that thrust His side all for love of His own, and when we consider that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, to make her holy, to cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, is it not our glorious privilege to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, bow down before Him with our whole body, soul, and spirit, and praise our mighty Saviour and King for ever and ever?
Cyrus did not worship the God of Israel, nor did he believe in Him, and yet God used this man to shepherd His people, Israel, back to their native land.
The prophetic voices of holy men of God had proclaimed His coming throughout Old Testament Scriptures, wise men came from the east to worship Him, and Zechariah rejoiced that the Lord God of Israel had visited His people and provided redemption through Jesus Christ.
And what a wonderful doxology at the end is a glorious hymn of worship and praise to the Lord God Almighty: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.
However, instead of repenting and doing the works of God, by caring for widows and orphans and following the righteous Law given by Moses, they continued to abuse the poor, indulge in extravagant lifestyles, worship other gods, engage in immorality and unjust slavery, economic exploitation, legal injustices, and self-gratification.
In this verse, Moses gives the listening congregation his concluding exhortation, which is a call to total commitment to the Lord their God, all the days of their life: And now, Israel, Moses concluded, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul?
And so they were given a definitive call: To fear the Lord, walk in all His ways, to love Him, and worship Him with all their heart and soul.
O come let us adore Him forever, is the heart-cry of the psalmist, who sees continuous praise and continuing worship of the Lord to be the core cry within the depth of our inner being.
The writer of this psalm understood that God alone is worthy of such exultant worship.
We are called to encourage those that are struggling, to pray for those that do not know Him, and to sow eternal seeds of hope, joy, and rejoicing in the hearts of all we meet so that together we will one day rejoice as we stand and worship our great King of kings and loving Lord of glory.
Reverence and godly fear for the Lord should be the unquestionable delight of all believers, but how sad when God all-mighty degenerates into God all-matey and the respect and honour due to our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ deteriorates into self-indulgent 'worship' or irreligious behaviours.