Thursday, March 12, 2015

Worship is - "God's idea".  It is a command, not a suggestion.  It is a verb, an activity, not a spectator sport..  It is sacrificial obedience.  The same thing that Abraham was called to....
 "We have a God... calling His child to an act of burning, refining, purifying obedience that will test him to the deepest reaches of his heart."  David Jeremiah writes.  Then he reminds us, " ... we have God who makes that same sacrifice, who puts His one and only begotten Son on the altar and offers Him in sacrifice - and this time the hand of execution is not restrained. So deep is God's love for us, so profound in His desire to bless all generations, that He Himself makes the sacrifice from which He finally stayed Abraham's hand."  
Rev. Jeremiah goes on to say, " God call us forward from the sofa, the pew, and the aloofness by which we keep a safe distance. He calls us, as He did Thomas the doubter, to step forward and feel the wounds in His Hands.  He calls us to confront the mystery of His manifestation. He calls us to take a central and dynamic role in the adventure, the lifelong quest of knowing Him.  It only happens when we take our worship not as a noun, but as a verb and get busy doing it. "

Deuteronomy 16

God commanded the Israelites to come to the " place where the Lord your God chooses" ( Jerusalem) 3 times a year - Passover ( The Feast of Unleavened Bread), The Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.  These feasts were to be observed and celebrated.  The people were to actively remember
"the day when you came out of Egypt".   They were also to remember that they had once been slaves.
They were to celebrate the blessings that God was giving them. And they were to be joyful.   " Every man shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. "

Verses 18-22 are a change of subject.   They talk of appointing righteous judges who will do justice.  Justice is not to be distorted by partiality or bribes.  " Justice and only justice you shall pursue, that  you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you. " 

Obedient worship to the Lord will follow the patterns set in Israel -
Worship includes sacrifice.
Worship includes remembering.
Worship includes specific times and places as the Lord chooses.
Worship includes rejoicing in the Lord's blessings.
Worship includes giving according to your means.
Worship includes true justice.

Father in heaven,  Your word tells us that You desire those who worship in "spirit and in truth".  We want to worship You will all of our hearts and all of our souls and all of our minds. We want to worship actively and obediently.  So here we are - presenting ourselves once again, as living and holy sacrifices, acceptable to You, which is our spiritual service of worship.  And we know that we can only be acceptable because of the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us.   It is His sacrifice on the cross that we remember, that we rejoice about, that we are thankful for.  Praise to You, our God and King.
Be glorified!  You are worthy of all our praise.  Amen

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