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Scripture Index
WORSHIP
The dialogue now
centres on WORSHIP. Pray tell, what in the world has worship
got to do with drawing water? Much in every way. You see,
WORSHIP DRAWS GOD. It not only draws God externally, it also
draws Him INTERNALLY.
Psalm
68:1 LET GOD ARISE, let his enemies be scattered: let
them also that hate him flee before him.
Psalm
22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the
praises of Israel.
Psalm
50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him
that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the
salvation of God.
An alternative
rendering to this verse is, "Whoso offereth praise and orders
his conversation aright, MAKES A WAY FOR GOD TO
WORK."
Nowhere in the Holy
Scriptures can this principle be more readily seen than in the
powerful illustration, of the magnificent king of Judah,
Jehosophat.
2 Chronicles
20:20-30 And they rose early in the morning, and went
forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth,
Jehosophat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah and ye inhabitants
of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall
established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And
when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers
unto the Lord, and that they should praise the beauty of
holiness, as they went forth before the army, and to say,
Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. And when they
began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against
the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come
against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of
Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir,
utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an
end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy
another. And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the
wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they
were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And
when Jehosophat and his people came to take away the spoil of
them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the
dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for
themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were
three days gathering the spoil, it was so much. And on the
fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of
Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name
of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto
this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and
Jerusalem, and Jehosophat in the forefront of them, to go
again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to
rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with
psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord.
And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those
countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against
the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehosophat was quiet:
for his God gave him rest round about.
The power of praise
is classically illustrated in this section of Scripture. It
must be remembered that the whole of Judah was completely
surrounded by the opposing forces, yet in the words of the
king, "O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no
might against this great company that cometh against us,
neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee..."
(verse 12)
Praise had indeed
made a way for God to work.
Many of the great
truths of God come in threes. Each successive application of
the triune pattern is greater than its former. This is clearly
seen in the teaching of the church,
the house of God, in its three major stages of development,
namely:
The Tabernacle (of
Moses)
The Temple (of
Solomon)
The Church (of the
Lord Jesus Christ)
THE
TABERNACLE
Exodus
40:34,35 Then a cloud covered the tent of the
congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the
congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory
of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
These verses are
recorded after the seventeen times (SPIRITUAL PERFECTION)
statement, "made as the Lord commanded Moses."
When all the
COMPONENTS of the tabernacle had been CRAFTED, and SET in
their RIGHT PLACE in this portable building, the GLORY OF GOD
FELL!
THE
TEMPLE
2 Chronicles
5 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house
of the Lord was finished: and Solomon brought in all the
things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver,
and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the
treasures of the house of God. Then Solomon ASSEMBLED the
elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief
of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to
BRING UP THE ARK OF THE COVENANT of the Lord out of the city
of David, which is ZION. Wherefore all the men of Israel
assembled themselves unto the king in the FEAST which was in
the SEVENTH MONTH. And all the elders of Israel came; and the
Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, and the
tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that
were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites
bring up. Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of
Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed
sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for
multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant
unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy
place, even under the wings of the cherubims: For the
cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark,
and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof
above. And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends
of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but
they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.
There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses
put therein at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the
children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. And it came
to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place,
(for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and
did not then wait by course: Also the Levites which were the
singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with
their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen,
having CYMBALS and PSALTERIES and HARPS, stood at the east end
of the altar. and with them an HUNDRED AND TWENTY PRIESTS
sounding with TRUMPETS:) It came even to pass, as the
trumpeters and singers were as one, to make ONE SOUND to be
heard in PRAISING and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted
up their voice with trumpets and cymbals and instruments of
musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his
mercy endureth forever: that THEN the house was FILLED WITH A
CLOUD, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could
not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the GLORY OF
THE LORD HAD FILLED THE HOUSE OF GOD.
Again, with
all the COMPONENTS of the house assembled, and the voluminous
oceans of PRAISE ascending to the Lord, the GLORY OF GOD FELL!
Again PRAISE had PRECIPITATED THE PRESENCE OF
GOD.
This is a powerful
principle for every Christian to learn and incorporate in his
growth and development, both corporately and
individually.
THE CHURCH
In this third and
most magnificent phase of the building of the house of God, we
have both seen, and will see, the glory of God descend on the
church in an unprecedented manner.
Acts
2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting.And there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat
on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance.
Acts
2:12,14-21 And they were all amazed, and were in
doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others
mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter,
standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said
unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all that dwell at Jerusalem,
be this known unto you, and harken to my words: For these are
not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of
the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet
Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my
servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days
of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders
in the heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood,
and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and
notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
saved.
It is at once both
interesting and vitally important to UNDERSTAND HOW this GLORY
(the PRECIPITATION OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD, the mighty BAPTISM
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT) came upon the church.
Multitudes of
explanations abound. But a careful study both of the events
and Scriptures related to the birth of the Christian Church in
glory, will surely clear this matter up.
There are
well-meaning believers who tell us that all gathered were
praying, both for God to do something, to and for one another
in a bout of confession of sins, to prepare for the descent of
the Comforter.
Peter apparently
confesses to Thomas, "I denied the Lord. Please pray for me,
brother." Thomas responds, "I used to be a doubter, pray for
me that God will make me a shouter." And on it supposedly
goes.
This may or may not
have happened. We are not told of this belief in the Bible.
Asserting that this event transpired in the upper room is mere
speculation. This is NOT established fact. What is fact,
however, is that these one hundred and twenty believers were
PRAISING and WORSHIPPING God. Thus once again establishing the
principle, praise precipitates the presence of God, or,
WORSHIP DRAWS GOD.
Luke
24:49-53 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father
upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be
endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as
Bethany, and he lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And
they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
And were CONTINUALLY IN THE TEMPLE, PRAISING AND BLESSING GOD.
Amen.
Ephesians
5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;
There it is! They
were constantly PRAISING God.
The Bible likens
being filled with the Holy Spirit to being drunk on new
wine.
Matthew
16:18 And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon this rock, I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell
shall nor prevail against it.
Ephesians
2:20-22 And are built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner stone; In whom all the building FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER
groweth unto an HOLY TEMPLE in the Lord: In whom ye also are
BUILDED TOGETHER for an HABITATION OF GOD THROUGH THE
SPIRIT.
1 Corinthians
6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the TEMPLE
of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own?
1 Peter
2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
SPIRITUAL HOUSE, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians
3:9-17 For we are labourers together with God: ye are
God's husbandry, YE ARE GOD'S BUILDING. According to the grace
of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have
laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let
every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man BUILD UPON THIS FOUNDATION, gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble; Every man's work
shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because
it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every
man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which
he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any
man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that YE
are the TEMPLE OF GOD, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye
are.
Luke
6:47-49 Whosoever cometh unto me, and heareth my
sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:
He is like a man which BUILT AN HOUSE, and digged deep, and
LAID THE FOUNDATION ON A ROCK: and when the FLOOD arose, the
stream beat vehemently upon that house, and COULD NOT SHAKE
IT: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and
doeth not, is like a man WITHOUT A FOUNDATION BUILT AN HOUSE
upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently,
and immediately it FELL; and the ruin of that house was
great.
John
17:21-23 That they all may be one; as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:
THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE that thou hast sent me. And the
GLORY which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be
ONE, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they
may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that
thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved
me.
Psalm
102:18-22 And the Lord will create upon every
dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies, a cloud
of smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night:
for upon all the GLORY SHALL BE A DEFENCE. And there shall be
a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and
for a place of refuge, and for a covert from the storm and
from rain.
Isaiah
40:3-5 The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in
the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be
exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and
the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places
plain: And the GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED, and ALL
FLESH SHALL SEE IT TOGETHER: for the mouth of the Lord hath
spoken it.
Revelation
12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a
woman clothed with the SUN, and the MOON under her feet, and
upon her head a crown of twelve STARS:
As surely as the two
former dwelling places of God on earth were filled with the
glory of God as soon as the components were fashioned and set
in their correct places, so also, when God's preparation of
His people (building material), is completed, and they are set
in the body of Christ where HE wants them, and are found so
functioning, the GLORY OF GOD will again descend and inhabit
His building.
That WORSHIP PRECEDES
REVELATION there can be no doubt. The precedent is established
in the Book of Revelation, immediately prior to the opening of
the seven seals.
Revelation 5:
1-14 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on
the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed
with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a
loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the
seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither
under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look
thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to
open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of
the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the
book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and,
lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits
of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the
book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.And
when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of
them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the
prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out
of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast
made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on
the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels
round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the
number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and
thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, WORTHY IS
THE LAMB that was slain to receive power, and riches, and
wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under
the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in
them, heard I saying, Blessing and honour, and glory, and
power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, AMEN. And
the four and twenty elders FELL DOWN and WORSHIPPED him that
liveth forever and ever.
Ezra
3:1-13 And when the SEVENTH MONTH was come, and the
children of Israel were in their cities, the people gathered
themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Then stood up
Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded
the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings
thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them
because of the people of those countries: and they offered
burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings
morning and evening. They also kept the FEAST OF TABERNACLES,
as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by
number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day
required; And afterward offered the continual burnt offering,
both of the new moons, and of all the SET FEASTS OF THE LORD
that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered
a freewill offering unto the Lord. BUT THE FOUNDATION OF THE
TEMPLE OF THE LORD WAS NOT YET LAID. They gave money also unto
the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and
oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar
trees from Lebanon to the seal of Joppa, according to the
grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. Now in the second
year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in
the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and
Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren
the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out
of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the
Levites,from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the
work of the house of the Lord. Then stood Jeshua with his sons
and brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah,
together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the
sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the
Levites. And WHEN THE BUILDERS HAD LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE
TEMPLE OF THE LORD, they set their priests in their apparel
with trumpets, and the Levites and the sons of Asaph with
cymbals, to PRAISE THE LORD, after the ordinance of DAVID king
of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and
giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy
endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted
with a great shout when they praised the Lord, BECAUSE THE
FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD WAS LAID. But many of the
priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient
men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of
this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice;
and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not
discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the
weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud
shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
Nehemiah
8 And all the people gathered themselves together as
ONE MAN into the street that was before the WATER GATE; and
they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the BOOK of the law
of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the
priest brought the law before the congregation of both men and
women, and all that could HEAR WITH UNDERSTANDING, upon the
FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH. And he read therein before the
street that was before the water gate from the MORNING UNTIL
MIDDAY, before the men and the women, and those that could
understand; and the ears of the people were attentive to the
book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of
wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him
stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and
Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left,
Pediah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana,
Zechariah, and Meshulam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight
of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when
he opened it, all the people stood up: and Ezra blessed the
Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, AMEN, AMEN,
with LIFTING UP THEIR HANDS: and they BOWED THEIR HEADS, and
WORSHIPPED the Lord with their FACES TO THE GROUND. Also
Jeshus, Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai,
Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the
Levites, CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LAW: and the
people stood in their place. So they read in the book of the
law of God DISTINCTLY, and gave the SENSE, and caused them to
UNDERSTAND the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha,
and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught
the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto
the Lord your God: mourn not, nor weep. For all the people
wept, when they heard the words of the law. And he said unto
them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send
portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day
is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry, for the JOY OF THE
LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH. So the Levites stilled all the people,
saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy: neither be ye
grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to
drink, and to send portions, and to make GREAT MIRTH, BECAUSE
THEY HAD UNDERSTOOD THE WORDS THAT WERE DECLARED UNTO THEM.
And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the
fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto
Ezra the scribe, even to UNDERSTAND THE WORDS OF THE LAW. And
they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by
Moses, that the children of Israel should DWELL IN BOOTHS in
the FEAST OF THE SEVENTH MONTH: And that they should publish
and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go
forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine
branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches
of thick trees, to make booths as it is written. So the people
went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths,
every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and
in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the
water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. And all
the congregation of them that were come again out of the
captivity made booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of
Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And
there was very great GLADNESS. Also day by day, from the first
day unto the last day, he READ IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF GOD.
And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was
a solemn assembly, according to the manner.
The following trilogy
of Scriptures and the accompanying diagram illustrate the
principle of PRAISE PRECIPITATING THE PRESENCE OF GOD, or
WORSHIP DRAWS GOD, or GOD INHABITS THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE.
Applying the natural
principle of the creating of rain, it is clearly identifiable
in its spiritual application as the POWER OF PRAISE. Where
there is the ascension of water vapour, there will be clouds.
When the clouds become full of rain they descend as showers of
rain upon the earth. This parallels in like manner the
presence of God.
There are occasions,
when, as in the natural realm, the heat of the sun causes
water vapours to ascend, so also, God will allow seasons of
heat and pressure to cause the spiritual vapour, (PRAISE), to
ascend from our lives.
Truly, we have seen
that WORSHIP DRAWS GOD. But it not only draws God externally,
it also draws Him INTERNALLY.
Psalm
68:1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let
them also that hate him flee before him.
Job
36:27 He maketh small the drops of water: they POUR
DOWN RAIN ACCORDING TO THE VAPOUR THEREOF: Which the clouds do
drop and distil upon man abundantly.
Jeremiah
10:13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a
multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the VAPOURS
TO ASCEND FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH; he maketh lightnings
with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his
treasures.
Ecclesiastes
11:3 If the CLOUDS BE FULL OF RAIN, THEY EMPTY
THEMSELVES UPON THE EARTH: and if a tree falls toward the
south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree
falleth, there shall it be.
Hosea
6:3 Then we shall know, if we follow on to know the
Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and HE SHALL
COME UNTO US AS THE RAIN, as the LATTER AND FORMER RAIN unto
the earth.
THE CREATION OF
RAIN
[Natural
and Spiritual]
Jeremiah
10:13
Ecclesiastes
11:3
Job 36:27
God longs to arise
within us. He longs for you and me to stir Him. All too often,
Christians fail to realise that God lives within them. As a
parallel to the days of Noah, the waters fell in abundance
from the heavens (EXTERNALLY), an in addition to this, the
FOUNTAINS OF THE GREAT DEEP WERE BROKEN UP (INTERNALLY). This
is the significant spiritual application of this truth,
referring to the DEEP within the believer's
spirit.
Seek God in all
earnestness. Endeavour to BREAK UP THE FALLOW GROUND, and He
will RAIN righteousness upon you. To explain that your heart
is hard and that it can not be changed is not only incorrect,
it is an excuse offered to refrain from seeking the face of
the Lord. YOUR SPIRIT CAN BE CHANGED!
Hosea
10:11,12 And Ephraim is an heifer that is taught, and
loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair
neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob
shall brake his clods. Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to
seek the Lord, TILL HE COME and RAIN righteousness upon
you.
Matthew
8:23-27 And when he was entered into a ship, his
disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great
tempest in the sea, insomuch that the SHIP WAS COVERED WITH
THE WAVES: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him,
and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he said
unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he
AROSE, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a
great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man
is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
Mark
4:35-41 And when they had sent away the multitude,
they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also
with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of
wind, and the waves BEAT INTO THE SHIP, so that is was NOW
FULL. And HE WAS IN THE HINDER PART OF THE SHIP, ASLEEP ON A
PILLOW: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest
thou not that we perish? And he AROSE, and rebuked the Wind
and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased,
and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye
so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared
exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is
this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Luke
8:22-25 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he
went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them,
LET US GO OVER UNTO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE. And they
launched forth. But as they sailed HE FELL ASLEEP: and there
came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were FILLED
WITH WATER, and were in JEOPARDY. And they came to him, and
awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he AROSE,
and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they
ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is
your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to
another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even
the winds and the water, and they obey him.
The focal point of
this miracle has traditionally been the Lord Jesus speaking to
the winds and the waves and those elements obeying Him. All
three references in the Gospels are cited here that a
compiling and blending of all the facts may be seen and
clearly understood.
The main point that
is so readily overlooked is the word of the Lord Jesus, the
Son of the living God, "Let us go over unto the other side of
the lake." The word has been spoken, yet, as with so many
modern day disciples, as soon as the storm arises, the spoken
word of God is forgotten. As far as Jesus was concerned, He
was crossing over to the other side of the lake in this ship,
and that's all there was to it! Upon the strength of that
which was SPOKEN, Jesus went to the aft of the vessel, PUT HIS
HEAD ON A PILLOW, AND WENT TO SLEEP. That was that! The rising
of the storm was to Him, purely coincidental. Irrespective of
how strong the wind blew, irrespective of how savage the seas
became, irrespective of how full the boat became of water to
the point of almost sinking, irrespective of the lives of the
disciples being in jeopardy, JESUS REMAINED ASLEEP. HE WAS
OBLIVIOUS TO IT ALL. Here is the epitome of peace. He was
sleeping like a baby in the midst of a life-destroying storm.
THIS is the major point of the miracle. JESUS HAD ABSOLUTE
FAITH IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM THAT HE WAS GOING OVER TO THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE. It was a LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN HIS
WORD that drew the statement from the master, "Where is your
faith?" "Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith?", and,
"How is it that ye have no faith?" He had not rebuked the wind
and the raging sea at this specific point in time.
Though there is an
exercise of faith in speaking to the wind and the sea, though
the words are uttered, "What manner of man is this? Even the
winds and the waves obey Him", the focal point of the miracle
is the ABSOLUTE FAITH JESUS SHOWS IN THE WORD!
This illustration
shows the vital importance of believing and resting upon the
Word of the Lord.
And what of us? Are
we really any different from the disciples of old? We have the
same spoken word of God - WE ARE GOING THROUGH. However, when
the storms of life arise against us, it is all too common for
our eyes and attention to fix our gaze upon this, and
subsequently relegate the Word of the Lord to the background.
But what is the Christian to do in
real-life situations as this? He is to emulate the apostles
before him. Call the Master! Stir the Master on the vessel.
Wake the Master. Shake the Master. Our vessel is ourselves.
Oh, how Jesus is waiting for His people to STIR HIM when they
find themselves caught in the storms of life. Master, carest
thou not? Master, do something! He will, if we will but wake
Him, and stir Him into action.
TRUE
WORSHIPPERS WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND
TRUTH
THE FATHER
SEEKETH SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM. GOD IS A SPIRIT, AND THEY THAT
WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND
TRUTH!
We are not told of
many things in the Bible that the Father (God), seeks. We know
that the Good Shepherd will leave the ninety and nine in the
safety of the fold, and go after that which is lost until He
finds it. The stress upon the importance of Evangelism is here
clearly seen.
Luke
15:3-7 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he loose one of
them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness,
and go after that which is lost, until he find it. And when he
hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And
when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and
neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have
found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more
than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance.
Luke
19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost.
God the Father
clearly seeks WORSHIPPERS that will render TRUE WORSHIP. The
only acceptable form is, worship in SPIRIT and
TRUTH.
Philippians
3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in
the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh.
Ephesians
5:18-20 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is
excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all
things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ;
1 Corinthians
14:2,14-16 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men,but unto God: for no man understandeth
him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. For if I
pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my
understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with
the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: will
sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding
also.
Jude
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.
To any open-minded,
unprejudiced person, praying in the spirit, singing in the
spirit, talking in the spirit, in the light of these verses of
Holy Scripture, is doing so in TONGUES. It is virtually
impossible to worship God in the spirit without being BAPTISED
IN THE HOLY GHOST!
Acts
24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the
way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my
fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and
in the prophets:
Galatians
3:1-3 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you,
that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus
Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you, RECEIVED YE THE SPIRIT by the
works of the law, or by the HEARING OF FAITH? Are ye so
foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect
by the flesh?
Sincerity alone is
not enough. You can be sincere, but be sincerely
wrong!
1 Corinthians
5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old
leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but
with the unleavened bread of SINCERITY and TRUTH.
What is
TRUTH?
That question was
asked the Saviour two thousand years ago. The answer?
John
18:38 Pilate saith unto him, WHAT IS TRUTH? And when
he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith
unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
John
17:17 Sanctify them they truth: THY WORD IS
TRUTH.
John
14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, the TRUTH,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me.
John
16:13 Howbeit when he, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, is come,
he will guide you into ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and HE WILL SHOW YOU THINGS TO COME.
CONCLUSION
Worshipping in SPIRIT
AND TRUTH is unveiled by our Lord in this deeply, personal
interview with the Woman at the Well. The two dominant words
that emerge from the dialogue, are: DRAW and DEEP. DRAWING is
vitally connected with WORSHIP, for as we have seen in a most
comprehensive manner, WORSHIP DRAWS GOD.
The word DEEP is
inseparably connected to TRUTH. God desires that truth be
found in the innermost recesses of the human
spirit.
THE FATHER SEEKETH
WORSHIPPERS. Worshippers in SPIRIT and
TRUTH.
Determine that you
will become a TRUE worshipper. Apart from love, it is the only
thing a human being can offer to God. Be honest and sincere.
Be true to yourself and to God. Seek the mighty baptism of the
Holy Spirit, that you might truly bring an offering to the
Lord Jesus Christ in Spirit and Truth.
SCRIPTURE INDEX
Reference
Genesis 7:11
Genesis 37:5-11
Genesis 49:22
Exodus 40:34,35
2 Chronicles 5
2
Chronicles
20:20-30 40 (12)
Ezra 3:1-13
Nehemiah 8
Job 2:10
Job 36:27
Psalm
22:3
Psalm 42:7
Psalm 50:23
Psalm 51:6
Psalm
68:1
Psalm 102:18-22
51
Psalm 105:17-19 10
Ecclesiastes 11:3 59,60
Isaiah
40:3-5 51
Jeremiah 10:13 59,60
Ezekiel 47:5 23
Hosea
6:3 60
Hosea 10:11,12 61
Matthew 8:23-27 61
Matthew
16:5-12 17
Matthew 16:18 48
Matthew 16:21-27
35
Matthew 21:44 37
Mark 4:35-41 61
Mark 10:17-22
32
Luke 6:47-49 50
Luke 8:11-15 27
Luke 8:22-25
62
Luke 14:25-35 36
Luke15:3-7 65
Luke 16:19-31
22
Luke 19:10 66
Luke 24:49-53 48
John 3:1-13
13
John 3:16 11
John 3:34 25
John 4:5-24 05
John
6:31 -58 15
John 7:2 25
John 7:37-39 12
John 10: 10
23
John 14:6 68
John 16:13 69
John 17:17 68
John
17:21 -23 50
John 18:38 68
Acts 2:1-4 46
Acts 2:12,
14-21 46
Acts 4:31 24
Acts 24:14 67
Romans 5:15
Romans 6:23
Romans 8:32
1
Corinthians 2:9-14
1 Corinthians 3:9-17
1 Corinthians 5:8
1 Corinthians 6:19
1 Corinthians 14:2, 14-16
1 Corinthians 15:46
2 Corinthians 9:15
Galatians 3:1-3
Ephesians 2:1
Ephesians 2:8
Ephesians 2:20-22
Ephesians 5:18
Ephesians 5:18-20
Philippians 2:7-11
Philippians 3:3
1 Timothy 5:6
1
Peter 2:5
Jude 20
Revelation
5:1-14
Revelation 12:1
Revelation 20:14 |
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