 In Ezekiel 46:9, the Israelites were directed not to leave from worship through the same gates that they entered. In Exodus 34, after Moses spent 40 days on the mountain with God, his face shone and he had to wear a vail. When Paul and Silas turned to worship in their beaten, imprisoned state in Acts 16, chains broke off and the prison doors flung open. True worship will bring us to the presence of God and being in the presence of God will change us!
In his book "Sharpening the View", Rev. J. Mark Jordan pleads to the church of today by writing “Our worship must lead us to the true God, not just to a sense of spirituality” and he continues by saying “We are not called to entertain.” There is a lot of talk in the church world today about worship. We have worship service, worship leaders/pastors, and praise and worship music. But it seems that many times the actual activities under the guise of worship are not worship at all. Worship is a time of sincere, personal communion and fellowship between man and his creator. It is during this time of humility, sacrifice, and obedience that attention should be brought only to God and not to man. No flesh should glory in true worship. To worship the Lord in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) is to realize who we are (sinful, mortal, undeserving), and who He is (Holy, righteous, merciful, kind, pure, infallible, omnipotent, etc.). Worship isn’t about what makes us feel good; in fact, our flesh may often be uncomfortable in true worship. Worship isn’t about our talents and abilities. It’s about a loving, amazing God that deserves all the praise, adoration, and attention that we can give Him. Let us return to true worship; bringing glory to the Savior and not to man. Let us humbly come into the presence of God where we can become more and more like him with every visitation. Let us revive TRUE worship in our lives and in our churches and let us be changed! Patrick A. Thomson
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 Rev Brent Brosam tweeted recently:
"True biblical separation is not isolation, but insulation. It is living IN the world as a believer without being OF the world" Jesus said in John 17:14-16 - "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." When we receive salvation and are rescued from this world there should be nothing in this world that we want to add back into our lives. It is possible to live in the world without being of the world and the Lord has given us his power to do that very thing. We do not have to compromise what we believe! We do not have to hide away from all that are around us! We do not have to alter the lines of separation that are protection for the church! We can live in this world without being of this world! Insulate your life by knowing God's word, praying for God's will and being obedient to God's direction. Insulate, don't isolate! Richard Hoffman Pastor, First Pentecostal Church |
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