February 29, 2012 … Is Our Worship Real?

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 14-15 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalms – Book 4 – Psalms 90-106 … To study these psalms, go to this link -

Numbers 14: 39-45: … [False Repentance] … 39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the LORD promised. Surely we have sinned!”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the LORD’s command? This will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”
44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD’s covenant moved from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

My Journal for Today: Today’s chronological read was rather voluminous, taking me beyond two chapters of Numbers and into a section of Psalms referred to as “Book 4,” where one of the songs of Moses, Psalm 90, is documented along with a number of other songs he wrote. And from this rather extensive read/study today, the section which God emboldened for me is copied above for your edification and meditation – if you’re so led.

Moses was dealing with a lot at this time in the history of God’s chosen people; and finally, as we read in Numbers 14, the people had seemingly come to a conviction of their sinfulness and decided to do something about their ill-begotten lack of faith and sinful decisions. However, as we read above, Moses recognized that the alleged repentance of God’s people was not the “real-deal;” and they were striking out – on their own – trying to make it right with God.

And since it was included in today’s reading plan, if you go to Psalm 90-106, you can read in a number of the Psalms attributed to Moses. But in Psalm 90, linked here, we read of Moses singing his plea that God will, with His mercy and grace, open the minds/hearts of the people so that they can see what real repentance is all about. But again, in our highlight passage above from Numbers 14: 39-45, we see that Moses discerns that the people’s enthusiasm for repentance is misdirected and they are going off on their own rather than following the God’s leading, which at this time is coming through Moses.

So, the people ignore Moses’ leading; and they rush off to worship God by exhibiting their worship in their own, self-conceived manner, not following the dictates of God’s direction – through Moses – to make their worship conform to God’s directions. Moses recognizes that the way the people are trying to worship will not be effective and God-honoring; and that, unfortunately, is the plight of many of us today who’re not living out our lives worshipping God as HE desires. We’re trying to build our own styles of worship, which conform to worldly designs of what worship is all about but do not present lives of living worship (see Romans 12: 1-2) before the Lord.

And is it NOT surprising that such self-directed pursuits of “worship” are met with worldly defeat just as we read happened to the Israelites. After going off to worship God in their own style, they were swept aside by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. Christians today want to set up their own forms and styles of worship to make them FEEL GOOD; and they attempt to do so in ways that are entertaining and exciting. But God sees through our “seeker friendly” and “selfishly designed” methods of worship; and we can see that God’s Church is losing out in many of its battles with the world. And I don’t think I need to document the reality of how the Christian world is being decimated in our culture in our warfare against the world’s big guns of p0rnography, drugs, gambling, abortion, and the ever-present search for worldly power.

How can mankind call themselves seekers after God by going off to their palaces of worship on Sundays, and getting a self-induced “high” from the delusion of worshipping God? And then these same, self-labeled “christians” go off on Monday and succumb to the world’s ungodly pursuits of pleasure and painlessness. BUT … God sees through it all; and unfortunately He’s going to let us die out in our misdirected and misled formats of worship and false-repentance just as the Lord let His chosen people die out in the dessert as they traversed to the promised-land.

But I am encouraged that God always protects the remnant of true believers, as he did with the families of Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, who remained true in their lives of worship to their God. And if we can retain true-hearts of worship, traveling through life (i.e., our wilderness) toward our promised-land of Heaven, God is going to direct and protect us just as He did the true believers and followers of the One, True God.

My Prayer Today: … Lord help us to worship YOU in Spirit and in Truth. Amen

February 27, 2012 … God’s Standards for Worship

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 8-10 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Numbers 9: 1-14: … [The Second Passover]… Use this link to review this passage for my comments below ...

My Journal for Today: Today I was reading through the three chapters in Numbers to which I’ve linked you above; and the segment in Numbers 9: 1-14 drew my attention for meditation and comment; but since that passage is a bit long to copy/paste above for my blog today, I’ve also linked it for you to seek out and read. And if you’re going to read along with me, I’d ask that you please review this passage carefully.

And when you do read through and meditate on this passage, you’ll see that God was giving His people follow-up instructions in the Passover worship and remembrance so that they would be able to properly worship the God Who had delivered them from Egypt. And their Passover celebration needed to have the preparation of purity and the reverence of holiness God had instructed them to carry out a year earlier, … this being the celebration of the second Passover since they had left Egypt (see also Exodus, Chapter 12 and Leviticus 23:5, 6).

And it’s interesting to note from this study that some of the men could not meet God’s ceremonial standards for the Passover feast; and since God’s standards of holiness and worship never change, these men were not allowed to carry out the Passover celebration at the designated time for that worship. But did God shut them out from their heartfelt desire to celebrate Passover? NO! God mercifully established for these men a “PLAN B” for Passover; and they were able to purify themselves and come back a month later and worship Passover in the way God had designed for their worship.

I think now of the instructions we, as Christians, are given to celebrate the Eucharist (i.e., Communion) properly. And the Apostle Paul gave such instructions for God’s Church in the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper in 1st Corinthians 11: 17-34. Let me link you there so that you can review these instructions from God’s word.

God doesn’t want to exclude any serious worshipper from worshipping Himself; but God does have standards for coming into His Holy presence for worship, especially those celebrations of remembrance which God, Himself, has established for His people – whether it be Old Testament or New. Therefore, we should – when we come to worship our Lord – purify our hearts and minds in preparation as we come to the Holy of Holies for remembrance and worship.

I believe many Christians take Communion at the Lord’s Supper without being in the proper state of mind/heart to do so. Sometimes it’s because Communion – in some denominations/traditions – is taken so often and there is no preparation or reminder for the believers to be in the right state of mind/heart to carry out the ritual which God Himself has established for His special times of worship. But all too often it’s simply a matter of the worshipper not being in the humble and pure state of mind which he/she should be to come before the Lord to celebrate and remember what God has done for us.

Therefore, I hope we all rekindle our remembrance of our God from this study … that those specially established ceremonies for worship, … like Passover for the Jews and Communion for Christians (and there are certainly others). Each of these special times of worship should be undertaken with the care and preparation which matches the standards of what God has done to deserve our remembering His glory, His mercy, and His holiness.

As Jesus, Himself, said at the establishment of the first Communion supper, “This [i.e., taking the bread and the cup] … do in remembrance of Me.”

My Prayer Today: … Amen and Amen!!!

February 20, 2012 … Purity in Priestly Practices

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Leviticus, Chapters 22-23 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Leviticus 22: 1 - 3 : … [Purity of the Priesthood] … 1 The Lord said to Moses,2 "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane My holy Name. I am the Lord. >>> … 3 "Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the Lord.

My Journal for Today: Here I am today, led to read in Leviticus 22 – 23 in my chronological Bible reading plan; and we have more instructions being chronicled in God’s Book of the Law, concerning the Priesthood and the Festivals of worship which the priests and the people were to carry out on an annual basis. And in these instructions, one cannot help but be impressed with how much detail God, through Moses, was giving the people, and especially His Priesthood, about their practices and principles of worship.

And I’ve singled out another of the instructions to Aaron and his descendents, concerning how serious it was that the priesthood be perfected in their worship practices because the royal Priesthood had to represent God to man and man to God. And the God of His chosen people wanted to insure that HIS people were called out to be separate from all the pagan people with whom His chosen ones would have to confront in their future. Worship of the one, true, living God … YAHWEH – JEHOVAH … was to reflect His holiness; and therefore His Priests had to be appointed and anointed to handle this worship with perfected practices. And the people were to come to the festivals of remembrance and celebration, outlined in Leviticus 23 with great reverence and very strict religious regularity and regulations.

Now I shift gears to remember, as I’m reading through the above passages, as well as the rest of the two chapters I was led to re-study today, that I AM PART OF GOD’S ROYAL PRIESTHOOD [documented for Christians in 1st Peter 2: 9-10, to which I’ll link you here for repeated reflection].

And by now, because I’ve brought it up several times during our read in Leviticus, we – who are gloriously under a NEW COVENANT – the perfect covenant from the perfect Lamb of God – our Lord, Jesus. And we must realize that, though we don’t have to live under the ceremonious religious practices of the Old Covenant, we do have to recognize that we are to be living reflections of God’s royal priesthood because God’s tabernacle is in the heart of Christians; and we are to be living sacrifices, worshipping our God by the way we live our lives. I’ve touted it before this month, dear ones; but have you memorized and/or internalized Paul’s instructions concerning New Covenant worship in Romans 12: 1-2, also linked here for those who don’t have it memorized.

We, my brothers or sisters, are PRIESTS – grafted descendents of Aaron’s Royal Priesthood; and everyday and in every moment of our lives, we are to be reflections of ALL of the festivals of worship described in Lev. 23. And as God’s royal priesthood, we are to take – VERY SERIOUSLY – what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 12: 1-2.

SO … self inventory time (as reminded we are to do in 2nd Cor. 13: 5)! And in asking myself, … “Bill, are you being an willing and able priest, representing God to all to whom you witness your faith; and are you leading a life which is a festival of worship to the One, true, and holy God?” … I have to admit that I’m not taking my duties as a PRIEST of God seriously enough. And when I’m honest, I must say that I need to come under the truth of 1st John 1: 9 and cleanse myself for my priestly practices of living worship today.

How about you?

My Prayer Today: … Lord, I come to the Holy of Holies, which You have opened for me as Your priest, wearing the Robes of Righteousness which You, Lord, give freely for me; and I’m an consecrated for worship by Your blood and my confession this day, ready to be Your priest of living worship.

February 16, 2012 … God’s Protection of Worship

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Leviticus, Chapters 11-13 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Leviticus 11: 24-25 : … [Purity for Worship]… 24 “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

My Journal for Today: As I read though Chapters 11-13 of Leviticus this morning, one could get the idea that God felt that those who touched unclean things, women who had babies, or people with skin diseases were sinful because of their circumstances and conditions. But that would be a misinterpretation of these very careful regulations God was imposing – through Aaron and the Priesthood – on God’s children and their worship in the Tent of Meeting, i.e. the Tabernacle.

No, what God was doing with all these careful instructions to protect the conditions of worship was to set the worship of their living God, Jehovah, apart from the worship of the pagan gods in the cultures surrounding God’s chosen people, the Israelites.

And immediately in reading these three chapters, I was drawn back – by the enlightenment of God’s Spirit, I believe - to instructions which the Apostle Paul gave to New Covenant worshippers, those who’ve come to the Living Tabernacle, Jesus Christ, in faith and desire to worship Him forever, having been purified by His blood on the cross. Jesus was/is the reason why we don’t have to have the same protections which are written of in these three chapters of God’s Book of the Law in Leviticus. And Paul exhorted us – Christians – how to prepare ourselves for worship, when God had him write in Romans 12: 1-2, ... 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

My memory also reflected back to the instructions to believers by the Apostle John’s vision, about preparing for the coming BrideGoom, our Savior, Who will be coming for His Bride, the Church, for the wedding feast of The Lamb. The instructions for the preparation of the Bride for the Groom (i.e., our preparations for the worship of the Lamb of God at the wedding feast) are found in Revelation 19: 7-10, where it says, ... 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) … 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” … 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

And by combining the exhortation of Romans 12 with the instruction of Revelation 19, we can glean God’s desire that we – His chosen Bride - be purified for worship … that we be prepared to bow before God with our lives, … purified by keeping our linens clean (i.e., living righteous lives and avoiding the impurities of this world). We are to live lives of “living sacrifice,” pure and undefiled, which was symbolized by the detailed instructions for purity given to God’s people as they prepared themselves – by their living the way God instructed – to avoid those parts of the world and their own flesh which would render them defiled for worship.

God simply wants His Bride – His chosen church (i.e., that’s you and me, fellow Christian!) – to be in a ready and purified state of “living worship” (as Paul wrote in Rom. 12: 1), having our lines clean and purified for the BrideGroom, Who will come to get His Bride for the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.

Are you ready for Him coming for you, my friend? Are we living lives, purified and prepared for worship on a 24/7 basis in life? I don’t know about you; but I could use some more cleansing of my linens as I prepare for my Groom to come for me.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me prepare for You today by cleansing my linens in the purifying blood of Calvary. Amen

January 24, 2012 … Big GOD or Little “gods” in our Lives

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Genesis, Chapters 35-37 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Genesis 35: 1-7: … [Getting Rid of All the Little “gods”] … 1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them. 6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
=======
Genesis 35: 11-14: … [Remembering God’s Promises] [And after Jacob [Israel] and God’s people arrived in Bethel] 11 And God said to him [Israel], “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

My Journal for Today: Well, in being shepherded through Genesis, Chapters 35-37, today in my chronological read through the Bible, there is much about which I could reflect and journal. Certainly the chronicles of how the teenage Joseph, which we read about in Chapter 37, and how he was sold into slavery in Egypt by all his jealous brothers, would be solid meat for discussion today; but right at the outset of Chapter 35, the discussion of old Jacob, after he had been renamed “Israel” by God was emboldened to my attention for my comments this morning.

And if you’re reading with me here, you’ll note above in the text how Jacob (Israel) honored his LORD by establishing some boundaries and protocols on how God would be remembered and worshipped by his family and by God’s chosen peoples under his leadership. He set up a special altar in Bethel and made sure that the people were discarding any superficial or superstitious religious idols, jewelry, and/or trinkets, which was a common practice of the day, coming from a lot of the pagan superstitions and idol worshipping of the Bedouin cultures.

Today, a lot of young people wonder why it’s important for the worship of God to have church buildings and culturally-based religious ceremonies, contending that it’s not necessary to worship Christ (i.e., God) by coming to a designated “house of worship” and participating in corporate worship. BUT … today’s focus passage speaks to us and helps us answer that cultural trend today.

First … and foremost … our God is WORTHY of our WORSHIP! Jacob certainly recognized that; and God had reminded Jacob, being one of the sons of God’s covenant, that Jacob should lead His people by ridding them of all frivolous, small-g “gods,” which took the forms of superstitious jewelry and worthless personal idols. And so, Jacob (Israel) did exactly as God instructed him to do. He had the people shed all superfluous idols; and he set up a special altar – at God’s instruction – so that the people could remember Whom they were to worship and to be able to do so in a corporate – as well as an individual – manner.

Kids today do see through the superficiality of modern “religious practices.” And those criticisms and cultural revulsions about Christianity (or other religions) would be valid in my estimation. But when God’s people, … His New Covenant Church, … come together to remember what God has done for them in fulfilling the Old Covenant in the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus, they are coming together to signal their worship of THE GOD of the promises of the Old Testament [or Covenant] as well as to worship together THE GOD of the hope in Jesus Christ of the New Testament [or Covenant]. And such “religious” practices are much like those which were being established – under God’s command – by Jacob.

Certainly we need to rid ourselves of any use of idols in our lives and especially such religious practices as symbols or jewelry which we have in our lives to merely identify us as “christian” (with a small “c”). But if we wear a cross or put a “fish symbol” on our car to give witness to the God Who saves us; or we dress up and come to church on Sunday to remember and to genuinely desire to witness our faith practices in corporate worship of the living God, these practices are not only GOOD THINGs, they are a “Godly things!”

Yes, we do need to guard against religious practices which become legalistic and ritualistic, without having an “altar of purpose” which honors God and helps us to remember Who He truly is in our lives. Young people today would be right in criticizing and rejecting such practices. BUT IT IS NOT WRONG – in fact IT IS VERY RIGHT – for believers in the same God Jacob worshipped for us to have altars of worship in our lives which help us to worship the God of Jacob and the LORD of all with our lives. And we need to have these altars of worship in our lives 24/7 … as being the “living sacrifices” which Paul wrote about in Romans 12: 1.

So, I for one, being reminded and instructed by God’s word in today’s study, will continue to get dressed up on Sunday, to honor my LORD, and to come together with other like-minded CHRISTIAN worshippers on a traditional Sunday morning to sing praises to our Savior and to rekindle our remembrance of what He did for us in fulfilling the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob back in the days we’re reading about in God’s word today. And I pray that I’ll be able to eradicate any idols from my life which would detract from my lifestyle of living worship to my God.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, strip me of worthless idols and make me over into a living sacrifice of worship – everyday and in every way – for You. Amen

December 24, 2011 … A Call to Worship

Passage of the Day: Philippians 2: 10 - 11 [see highlight passage in bold/underlined] … 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

My Journal for Today: Yes, … same passage as yesterday; and any time a Bible teacher, like John MacArthur or yours truly, surveys a passage repeatedly, it will be for emphasis; and that is most certainly the case here. Studying Christology this month, MacArthur wants his Strength for Today readers [like me] to see the wondrous future which lies ahead for the unfallen Angels, for all redeemed believers whose spirits await glorified bodies in Heaven, and for all the living, who, like myself, worship Christ as Savior AND LORD.

Think on it, … meditate on it, … and celebrate it in this Advent season! For all rational humans who “confess” (i.e., affirm and/or acknowledge) the exalted Christ as Lord AND Savior will be able to worship our Lord in perfect and glorified closeness for all eternity (see that clearly stated in Romans 10: 9 – 13). However, for all rational beings who do not confess Jesus as Lord, there awaits the horror of bowing to worship The Christ as Lord in the eternal pit of separation, darkness, and the fires of hell.

Yes, ALL rational created beings will bow the knee of worship to the risen and exalted Christ, … the King of kings and Lord of lords. And I pray that whomever reads this has completely surrendered to the Living Lord, declaring in faith that HE is your Savior AND Lord. And I pray, on this Christmas Eve, that your life joins mine in celebrating the Advent birth of our risen Lord with our lives of sacrifice and service, … lives of living worship (see Romans 12: 1-2 which can be our only gift to Him for His gift to us, … the greatest gift of all.

No more words really need be written here about Christ; but there is more … so, yes, … stay tuned; we still have one more week in this current devotional study about Christ – and then a whole lifetime, actually an eternity, to get to know Him more closely!

My Prayer Today: May we all worship Your Holy and exalted Name, dear LORD. Amen

December 16, 2011 … Seeing the Majesty of Christ

Passage of the Day: Hebrews 1: 1 - 14 … [see highlight passage in bold/underlined] 1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and He will be my Son"? 6 And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship Him." 7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire." 8 But about the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set You above your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy." 10 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But You remain the same, and your years will never end." 13 To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

My Journal for Today: Today’s devotional by John MacArthur in Strength for Today, taking a departure from the first chapter from our study of Philippians 2, moving to that of Hebrews, Chapter1, which expresses a truth that is all too absent in the world today, and one which is sorely wanting even among Christians; and that is a surrendered awe for the majesty of the exalted Lord, … our Savior, Jesus Christ. Certainly the so-called “secular” world shows no reverence for Christ. Rather, there is a growing disdain for even His Name to appear in our culture as we see a growing movement to have the concepts of “Christ” or “God” stripped from all public venues. And all too often we find Christians trivializing our Lord with public or verbal references such as “The Man upstairs” or “the big guy in Heaven.” I even balk a bit when I hear someone pray to “Papa God,” though I know that there is some Biblical precedence for this reference in the phrase “Abba Father.”

As I read, study, and meditate on today’s text from Hebrews 1 suggested by MacArthur, I’m reminded by God’s word that Christ is the “Heir of all things” and the unique Son of God; and from Revelations 5: 1 – 7 [linked here for your study] we see that He is the “Lion of Judah” and the “Radiance of God’s glory,” … the One and only One, Whose blood was shed as the “Lamb of God” so that you and I, as believers, could become Kingdom Priests to serve God as Heirs to His throne. Now is that not an image that needs to be lifted up and given a lifestyle of worship in our culture?

Why then do men mock Him and crucify Him socially in our culture? Why do we Christians have a tendency to humanize our Lord so much and so often. Of course, we can see how a world devised and led by Satan would be blinded to and or in antipathy of Jesus; but why do we Christians want to bring Our Lord down to human level, trivializing the exalted Name of Christ? As we’ve been studying this month in Phil. 2, God, the Son, was exalted and re-coronated unto His throne in Glory by God, the Father; and He has provided the way, through His Spirit, for our eternal glory as His heirs. The least we can do is to worship Him in the Glory and with the Name He deserves. He is our LORD!

Don’t you agree that we, as Christians, should (no, I say we “must”) elevate Christ’s image in our lives to reflect the truth of the One we serve and worship? Only by doing so with the worship of our lives, our 24/7 witness to His Name, … a worthy walk of faith, … will we reflect His radiant Light into the dark world for all to see Him in us and to be able to glorify our Father in Heaven (see and mediate on a verse that you probably have memorized, Matt. 5: 16).

This morning I’m convicted to the bone; so I look forward to the remainder of our series to elevate the Name of Christ in my heart and mind. That’s why again I say, “Stay tuned.”

My Prayer Today: O Lord, as ever, I stand in awe and bow before Your majesty. Amen

June 12, 2011 … True Integrity Worships THE God

Passage of the Day: Daniel 3: 1 – 3 … 1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

My Journal for Today: Moving to Chapter 3 of the book of Daniel in my study of Christian integrity, we can see that Nebuchadnezzar certainly fits, in the context of today’s text, the “double-minded man” referred to by the Apostle James in James 1: 7 – 8 …

SCRIPTURE: James 1: 7 – 8 ... 7 That man [who prays to God asking for and expecting wisdom] should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel, Chapter Two, had just described Daniel’s God as the “Lord of Kings” (see Daniel 2: 47); and yet, in today’s passage Nebuchadnezzar has a 90+ foot statue built to test the devotion of his people to himself. Now, as mature Christians, we would probably judge the king and say, “How foolish!” And we would likely label this as blatant idolatry. But before we do, we need to look in God’s mirror of truth to see if we have built idols into our lives which can (or could) potentially separate us from our worship of the one, true, and only God. Therefore, before we point our fingers of blame at Nebuchadnezzar, let us look deeply and honestly at our own lives to see if there are any cultural magnets, personal habits, or worldly “stuff,” which are prioritized in our lives to draw our allegiance away from God or to dampen the intensity of our covenant relationship with our Lord. If so, we have a “statue” which we need to bring down which stands between us and God. We have an idol in our lives which diminishes our Christian integrity.

As the Apostle Paul wrote in Col. 3: 5, we need to be vigilant to bring down any or all things which draw us into self/sin and away from our Savior. And the beloved Apostle John said that any lust of the flesh, of the eyes, or of pridefulness could keep us from showing our love of God [see and MEMORIZE 1st John 2: 15 – 16].

As I write this, I’m taking stock of my life to see if any “statues” are building in my life to take my eyes off of God and thereby diminish my integrity or life worship as a Christian. Perhaps it would be wise for you, my fellow worshipper of the one, true God, to do the same.

My Prayer Today: I love YOU, Lord; and I pray that my life has no idols to distract me. If so, reveal them clearly so that I can set them aside as I attempt to worship you with the way I live. Amen

February 4, 2011 … God is One

Passage of the Day: Deut. 6: 4 – 5 … 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

My Journal for Today: God’s word declares it in today’s passage found in both the Old and New Testaments as well as in God’s Law (see Exodus: 20: 3) … that “…you shall have no other gods before Me (the one true God, Jehovah)!” The Old Testament is replete with God’s warnings to His people to this effect; and yet repeatedly they ignored their God, becoming recalcitrant, disobedient, and even outright defiant. And then came Jesus with the New Covenant, which likely confused most Jews, as this man who performed miracles claimed to be God in the flesh, yet telling the people they must worship the one and only true God in heaven (see Mark 12: 29-30 – NIV) …

SCRIPTURE: Mark 12: 29-30 - "The most important one [command]," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

And then when Jesus stated [e.g., in John 10:30], “I and the Father are One …;” many Jews, especially the Pharisees, felt that He had stepped over the line into blasphemy. They had been taught, by tradition from God’s Law, that there was only ONE God; and He was “Jehovah,” the un-namable, unspeakable Sprit-God. And when they could not grasp their Messiah in the humanity and person of Jesus, they could not abide His claims of deity.

But now that we, in this age of grace, have seen God’s plan unfold in the Person of Christ and we have God’s word canonized for our edification, we must see, as Paul taught in 1Cor. 8: 4 - 6 (below), that when we worship God, the Father, in the Personhood of His Son, Jesus Christ, we do, by God’s grace, imparted by God, the Holy Spirit, worship the One True God just as God commanded Israel in today’s verse.

SCRIPTURE: 1st Cor. 8: 4-6 - 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

And in our worship, we cannot let any worldly, fleshly, or spiritual idols separate us from becoming a living sacrifice to our God, the One and only God. (see Romans 12: 1-2 - linked here for your study/meditation)

My Prayer Today: Lord God, may my life be a worship to You and You only! Amen

2010 – September 28 – Why Do We Worship?

Study from God’s Word… Zechariah, Chapters 7 & 8; Ezra 6: 14 – 22 … Passage for Reflection: Zechariah 7: 5 – 6 … NIV Ask all the people of the land and the priests, “When you fasted can mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?”

My Journal for Today: Today’s highlight text, where God – through Zechariah – poses a pertinent/powerful question to God’s people, also poses an equally poignant question for all of us.

Why do worship our God?

Dr. Smith, in his devotional today, gets right to the essence of this challenge by asking me (and you who read here); and I paraphrase Dr. Smith, ”Over the span of our lives, many of us have been going to church one, two, or three times a week; … why do we do it?” And he asks us to think back to this past Sunday – if we attended one or more services, to ask ”Did we go out of habit, or to be seen, or …did we go because we had great anticipation that we were going to church to be with our fellow Christians, worshipping God Almighty, … worshipping with an anticipated opportunity to show God how much we praise Him and desire to be with Him in His honored House of worship?”

Okay, search deep with me, as God challenged the Jews of Zechariah’s day to see what was in their heart as they went through almost 70 year of worship rituals, RELIGIOUSLY, since they had been in the House of God (i.e., Solomon’s Temple). And have you thought about it, “What is our religious worship all about, anyway? … Is our “worship” only what we do to honor God on Sunday and Wednesday nights; or is WORSHIP more about how we do life, trying to praise and honor God by the way we live, … not just by how, religiously, we show up in the pews for Sunday’s corporate worship services?”

You’re going to have to answer that one for yourself; but as I pondered this one, … in this one instance, I think I’ve come to realize that “worship” is more about the way I live than about me showing up every Sunday and doing the “worship gig” on Sunday (e.g., see Romans 12: 1-2). But when I do come for religious recognition on Sundays, I’m coming to the place in life where I dress up for God. I come to be with my brothers and sisters in Christ so that we can raise our voices and hands, together, anticipating that our God will be smiling as He knows that there are those present who are truly trying to praise our Lord and to show Him how much we love Him. And in answer to some of Dr. Smith’s challenging questions today about worship, I do think that I come away from our church services on Sundays having just had a time with God in the place that was built to honor and glorify His Name. And I hope that I never lose that very real sense of worship.

BUT … even more, … I hope I never lose sight of the fact that how I live my life – 24/7 – is my real living definition of worship; and as I’ve sited God’s charge of worship in Romans 12: 1 – 2 above, I pray that I’m becoming a “living sacrifice” of worship for my Lord by the way I live my life … FOR HIM.

How about you?

My Prayer for Today: Lord, may my 24/7 life be my worship of/for You. Amen

2010 – June 21 – The Faith Roots of Social Justice

Study from God’s Word… Amos 5: 1 – 27; Amos 6: 1 – 14; Amos 7: 1 – 9; Amos 8: 1 – 14; Amos 9: 1 – 15 … Passage for Reflection: Amos 5: 23 – 24 … NIV 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

My Journal for Today: Martin Luther King, Jr. said many things back in the 60s which were invoked to rail against the social injustice of the day, as racism was rampant in our nation. His “I have a dream” speech is often quoted at the height of Dr. King’s powerful rise in influence in our land. But one of the phrases he used often in speeches came right from the devotional highlight verse today, when he was quoted as saying, “Let justice roll like a river,” a phrase which cried out for his country to let his people go from the racial injustice being perpetrated in that day.

And Dr. Smith points out that there is a connection between that prophetic statement, made by both the Prophet Amos to ancient Israel and Dr. King in our day with the immediate previous statement which proclaimed the emptiness of traditional Godless religious ritual. God was saying, through the Prophet Amos, that He will not listen to the songs of “religion” when that so-called “worship” allows for injustice; and that was what was going on in Dr. King’s day. We certainly know that the most violent of the injustice perpetrated against our African-American brothers/sisters in the 50s and 60s was being carried out in the deep South, … the so-called “Bible-belt” of our nation. And to this day it is said that the most segregated hour in southern American can be found on Sunday mornings. As Dr. Smith exhorts in his devotional today, ”… if we think we can honor God by going through the motions of worship ritual while dishonoring our fellow man, we’ve missed the (i.e., God’s) boat. (AND) When that happens, justice is never like a river, but only a stagnate pool.”

Besides, “worship” is more than religious ritual. It is the way we live our lives, “24/7,” demonstrating, by the way we live, our devotion to our Lord/God through our life being lived out for others, rather than self. As our devotional title today implies, true “worship” has it’s faith roots in social justice. And that is why Jesus’ prime command, summarizing all of God’s Law in one statement was, ”Love one another.” [see John 13: 34-35, a New Covenant restatement of the Old Covenant in Leviticus 19: 18]

Any “worship” that we have in our churches becomes meaningless to God if we cannot and will not live it out in life by loving one another as God has loved us. So, Dr. Smith’s question at the end his devotional this morning burns with conviction as he asks, ”If I have don’t nothing to promote social justice lately, what kind of meaningless religion am I practicing?”

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that my life is worship which reflects Your light, shining in this ever darkening world. Amen