PRIVATE MATTERS
Feeling strange? Maybe a little odd? Out of place? Uncomfortableness comes when we do not practice private worship at home, and then in public gatherings we try our best to make a go of it. It could be compared to being roommates with someone you do not really know. You have no intentions on really knowing them or getting to know them, yet you find yourself attempting to appear to others as if you are actually friends, but the awkwardness only gets worse by trying to engage that person in surface conversations. It happens every day. Worship is 24 hours a day. In thought, in word, in actions. Who and how we are in public reflects on who we really are when we are alone with God in private.
Worship flows out of genuine relationship. Heartfelt service and love for others comes from true intimacy with God. Without genuine relationship and true intimacy with God, all that we have is just 'stuff,' and all that we do is just 'show.'
Please read the articles below written by: Chuck Missler at Khouse.org
There is an old proverb that says, "We only prepare for what we think is important." And, it's so true. If we don't feel that the subject at hand is important, then we certainly won't prepare for it. However, if the issue is something that matters greatly to us, then we'll conscientiously do whatever is necessary to make ready for it.
The "key" to God's presence and the "secret" to true joy and happiness. Without being worshipers, we'll not be able to enter God's presence; and without His presence, we'll have no joy (Psalm 16:11); and without joy, Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, we'll have no strength. Truly, worship is the "key" to being able to stand in these end times.
But, there are some conditions or stipulations to entering God's presence and worshiping Him in the spirit. We must first have clean hands and a pure heart. In other words, cleanness is the "key" to being able to worship. Thus, the saying "we only prepare for what we think is important" also applies to entering the Lord's presence. If we think worship is important, we will prepare for it; if we don't, we won't.
Read Psalm 24:3-4 with this preparation in mind:
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? Only he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
James 4:8 expresses the same principle: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands...and purify your hearts..."
These Scriptures tell us that the only path to the Holy Place (and God's presence) is having clean hands and a pure heart - i.e., being in the beauty of His holiness. By continually confessing and repenting of anything that is not of faith, the Lord cleanses our soul (clean hands) and gives us a pure heart. Scripture says that these two things are the only tickets inward!
Remember Psalm 66:18, which tells us that "if we regard iniquity in our heart, the Lord will not hear us." The reason He can't hear us is because sin separates, destroys, corrupts, divides, robs, perverts, damages, distorts, blinds, weakens, ruins and kills. If not addressed, sin can become an obstacle, a barrier and a wall between us and prevent our fellowship.
Now, we won't lose our salvation when this happens but our communication with the Lord will be affected. Therefore, repentance - the desire to turn around and follow God - is the key to holiness. It's what allows us to truly worship the Lord in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24) True repentance awakens a hatred of sin in our lives and results in a genuine fear of the Lord. Consequently, only confession and repentance will give us a clean heart, a renewed spirit and restored fellowship.
Thus, a person who is holy is simply one who is totally surrendered to God. (Exodus 40:15; Deuteronomy 18:5; Leviticus 21:6-8) Holiness simply means "one who is set apart unto God's service. It does not mean continual purity (only Jesus could maintain this), but a constant recognition of one's sin and the choice to deal with it.
Holiness has everything in the world to do with our proximity to the throne.
Worship is the highest expression of our love for God. It's simply the paring down of our motives to "love" alone. Only love and holiness have access to the Lord's presence. Holiness means being cleansed enough to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and a vessel of His Love to others. Just as the priests reflected God's glory when they came forth from the Holy Place, we too should reflect the Lord's holiness after we have been with Him.
Worship flows out of genuine relationship. Heartfelt service and love for others comes from true intimacy with God. Without genuine relationship and true intimacy with God, all that we have is just 'stuff,' and all that we do is just 'show.'
Please read the articles below written by: Chuck Missler at Khouse.org
There is an old proverb that says, "We only prepare for what we think is important." And, it's so true. If we don't feel that the subject at hand is important, then we certainly won't prepare for it. However, if the issue is something that matters greatly to us, then we'll conscientiously do whatever is necessary to make ready for it.
The "key" to God's presence and the "secret" to true joy and happiness. Without being worshipers, we'll not be able to enter God's presence; and without His presence, we'll have no joy (Psalm 16:11); and without joy, Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, we'll have no strength. Truly, worship is the "key" to being able to stand in these end times.
But, there are some conditions or stipulations to entering God's presence and worshiping Him in the spirit. We must first have clean hands and a pure heart. In other words, cleanness is the "key" to being able to worship. Thus, the saying "we only prepare for what we think is important" also applies to entering the Lord's presence. If we think worship is important, we will prepare for it; if we don't, we won't.
Read Psalm 24:3-4 with this preparation in mind:
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? Only he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
James 4:8 expresses the same principle: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands...and purify your hearts..."
These Scriptures tell us that the only path to the Holy Place (and God's presence) is having clean hands and a pure heart - i.e., being in the beauty of His holiness. By continually confessing and repenting of anything that is not of faith, the Lord cleanses our soul (clean hands) and gives us a pure heart. Scripture says that these two things are the only tickets inward!
Remember Psalm 66:18, which tells us that "if we regard iniquity in our heart, the Lord will not hear us." The reason He can't hear us is because sin separates, destroys, corrupts, divides, robs, perverts, damages, distorts, blinds, weakens, ruins and kills. If not addressed, sin can become an obstacle, a barrier and a wall between us and prevent our fellowship.
Now, we won't lose our salvation when this happens but our communication with the Lord will be affected. Therefore, repentance - the desire to turn around and follow God - is the key to holiness. It's what allows us to truly worship the Lord in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24) True repentance awakens a hatred of sin in our lives and results in a genuine fear of the Lord. Consequently, only confession and repentance will give us a clean heart, a renewed spirit and restored fellowship.
Thus, a person who is holy is simply one who is totally surrendered to God. (Exodus 40:15; Deuteronomy 18:5; Leviticus 21:6-8) Holiness simply means "one who is set apart unto God's service. It does not mean continual purity (only Jesus could maintain this), but a constant recognition of one's sin and the choice to deal with it.
Holiness has everything in the world to do with our proximity to the throne.
Worship is the highest expression of our love for God. It's simply the paring down of our motives to "love" alone. Only love and holiness have access to the Lord's presence. Holiness means being cleansed enough to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and a vessel of His Love to others. Just as the priests reflected God's glory when they came forth from the Holy Place, we too should reflect the Lord's holiness after we have been with Him.
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