Worship

“The fourth edition of the United Bible Societies’ Greek Testament (1993) lists 343 Old Testament quotations in the New Testament, as well as no fewer than 2,309 allusions and verbal parallels. The books most used are Psalms (79 quotations, 333 allusions), and Isaiah (66 quotations, 348 allusions). In the Book of Revelation, there are no formal quotations at all, but no fewer than 620 allusions.”^[1]^ Furthermore, “the OT is quoted or alluded to in every NT writing except Philemon and 2 and 3 John.”^[2]

I find this statement from “Theopedia,” – “New Teatment use of the Old Testament very similar to what I have been taught in 3 different seminaries and read from studying the New Testament along with the old. Some of my instructors put it this way – “the old explains the new and the new explains the old.”

Here is my observation. Moses saw a burning bush that was not consumed and out of a great wonder at such a thing, he decided to investigate. As he approached, God called to him not to come close, in fact take the shoes off your feet because you are standing on Holy Ground. Now brethren, don’t be snarky or snide here. I don’t believe we worship at a burning bush, even though I believe there was an actual burning bush. I also don’t believe that we have to take our shoes off. Very simply, here is a principle, notice, principle being taught here. Where we meet God is a Holy place that deserves our reverence and respect.

How about Exodus 19:9-12. In preparation for the Lord coming to Mt. Sinai, certain spiritual requirements given, sanctify yourselves. Then there is a physical requirement, wash their clothes. Then he set bounds they could go to. They were not to touch the mount. From this, I know that God sets some spiritual standards, some physical standards and some boundaries for us.

So far we have reverence, respect, spiritual standards, physical standards and established boundaries.

Notice the requirements of the priest. Exodus 29:4-9. Notice the principle of dress that the priests are to adhere to. Once again I refer to principle. We stand as priests before God ministering to Him in praise, worship and prayers, sanctified to His service. They had certain clothes that they wore when doing the daily work around the tabernacle. Certain clothes for emptying the ashes. Then when entering the Holy place, they dressed with fine clothing. An example for us.

Exodus 29:43 says “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. Where we meet the glory of God is a place that is specifically designated. We don’t meet Him at the tabernacle but we meet Him where he designated on the first day of the week. Israel was called to the door of the tabernacle. We are called to the house of worship on the first day of the week.

Here is my summation: We are to revere the place where we have been called to meet and worship God. We have spiritual standard of preparation to meet God in that place. We also have physical standards that we should meet when we are ushered into the presence of God. I believe there are boundaries that we should not cross and these standards have been established by God. We don’t run in the sanctuary and we don’t drink in the sanctuary except to relieve a parched throat with a little water. It is not a social place but a worship place.

For those that built a fellowship hall first, you got it backwards. The tabernacle was not a place for fellowship it was for worship. Let us put a priority on worship and then build for fellowship. We can fellowship in homes. Sometimes we get our priorities mixed up.

APRIL 2 – God is to be Feared

APRIL 2 – God is to be Feared

Psalm 89:7  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

“In the Assembly,” God is greatly to be feared. What a head-scratching statement. Fear God” But God is all about love and forgiveness and sweetness, why should we fear? When we have a myopic vision of God that totally unbalanced and only one facet of God is spoken of, then we should fear God. We must understand that when an assembly is a scriptural assembly, God is there. That is the reason I cringe when excited people say, “God showed up today.” Sounds like this assembly never has the presence of God when they come together. What is worse is when they say, “God showed up and showed out.” When I showed out, my father applied the belt of education to the seat of knowledge. That is when I start ducking my head. When God’s saints assemble in a scriptural manner and worship, God is there.

There should be a fear when we assemble together. We should have a fear every day. In the assembly a fear or rather a healthy respect for the desires of God. Respect God’s design for worship, not our preference. God has no need for our carnal devices in His worship. If you love the Lord, you should be able to come together in a field under some trees and worship with psalms and hymns. Brush arbor meetings were simple and worshipful and many were saved.

Something that seems to be lost today is reverence. Reverence for where we meet God and it to be considered “Holy Ground.” Yes, I know some are going to make snide remarks about this. When Moses met God at the burning bush, God said, “take the shoes off your feet this is Holy Ground.” Joshua was instructed in the same manner. He was on Holy ground as related in Joshua 5:15. When Israel served God they had the same fear and reverence. I have attended the dedication of a few sanctuaries and some time during that service the sanctuary was set aside as the place we meet the Lord. How many have heard, “No running in the sanctuary.” “No food or drink in the sanctuary.” Because this is the place we meet God and worship Him on what we consider to be Holy Ground.

Where is our reverence today? We have lost it to convenience and carnal desires.

Can we, once again, make our sanctuaries a special place to meet God and worship Him in fear and reverence?

01 – Jan. 01, 1802 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God,”
 
Washington, January 1, 1802
Gentlemen,–The affectionate sentiment of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist Association, give me the highest satisfaction. My duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect and esteem.

Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802
Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert E. Bergh, ed. (Washington, D. C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States, 1904), Vol. XVI, pp. 281-282.  Dale R. Hart

Heresy and those that pervert it.

Just taking a look at email and ran across this article. What  are these people talking about. Heresy, defined from a Biblical stand, is deviation from the true doctrine that God has established. The assumption that heresy is choosing one’s own belief instead of what one is born into is spurious. Heresy is choosing one’s own belief instead of accepting God’s teaching. This man is a pretentious pretender as editor of a religious magazine.  He states that a “careful reader will discern that I have little patience with those who fling the word blasphemy at movies or books or magazines that portray Jesus in a way they don’t like.”

How pompous can one person be to indicate that anything is okay just as long as it carries the label “Christian.” This strikes me to be one that has a shallow understanding of the Old Testament and the reverence shown to God. We have lost that reverential fear today. We try to make God something He is not. He is so Holy that there are those that would make Him human so that they can be more comfortable around Him. This would then excuse their “heretical and pernicious ways” that God does not approve of.

In the Old Testament, some of those that practised heresy were swallowed up by the earth and some others were burned up by fire from heaven. How much of a warning does one need to know that if you disrespect God, He will disrespect you. Make your definitions that suit you and make your decisions that define you but be willing to accept the results that God will send whether blessing or beating (chastisement).

Can anyone tell that a few high sounding words that are used to explain ireverance of God and disrespect for His Son Jesus Christ causes me to have a large loss of patience. There is an explanation for ignorance – lack of knowledge. There is no explanation for stupid.Technorati Tags: Old Testament, pompous, heresy, God, reverance