Ejg, Amen and amen. Your statement encopasses all others on this subject. He alone deserves all the glory, and He alone should be the object of our worship. He inhabits the praises of His people. Personal praises, the kind in the closet. In His presence there is fullness of joy. Stand in the pulpit and look as I have for joy among church people. Their faces look like they are at a wake! They are dead because they have no personal relationship with God. They are there only to attempt to fulfill religious obligation. It is not worship. They are worn out from trying to manipulate God into being their servant and exhalting themselves instead of exhalting Him. They have not strength because they have no joy, for the joy of the Lord is our strenght. They know about Homer Simpson. They know about Family Guy. But they know not the living God. Jesus died that we might have fellowship with the Father once again. We, as His children have that right and privilege. Yet we would rather discuss "it" with our neighbor, than with the Father. Jesus said that He did not do or say anything without first talking it over with the Father, and receiving His Father's instructions so that He could obey them. His miracles were not of His own choosing. He was following orders from Heaven. He had the power of the throne of God supporting His every move, because He was obedient even unto death, death on the cross. Who among you is like Him? Surely not I. God forgive us all. Far too often I give up and rely on my own understanding, instead of trusting my God who cannot do else but love and have my best interest at heart. Oh God, forgive me. I seek the wisdom of other men, instead of the wisdom of God. I resort to short cuts to accomplish my goals, instead of patiently waiting for the leading of the Holy Spirit as our Jesus did.
Jesus was the center of attention everywhere He went. There was no CNN, no Fox News. Just word of mouth, and He had them all talking. Why? Because a city set upon a hill could not be hidden. He told His disciples, "so let your light shine before me, that they may see your good works, and glorify God".
The good works are not good preaching, not good singing, not good videos, not good books. It is charity.
See, in modern times here, we have become dupped by deceivers to believing that 1 Cor 13 is the "love" chapter. It's not the love chapter, it's the works chapter. Love is not patient, charity is patient. Love is not kind, charity is kind. Love does not endure all things, charity endures all things. Charity has a benevolent "work" attached to it. Not works of salvation, but works of love. Charity is agape, non conditional. When we start to do the works of the Father, you wont' have to advertise. You won't have to hold conferences. You won't have to by TV and radio time. It will all be provided, because we will be so different, they will be crowding us as people were in Jesus' crowding Him. Yes, the religious will be out to kill us too. Love is not something we have, but something we do. It is the demonstration of self sacrifice, our "reasonable service" unto God. It begins with the lowly, the down and out, not the Country Club or the pot luck hall of fame.
Oh, faith and worship are so different than what is portrayed in so called "churches" today. We have slipped a long, long way from Christ. The horror is that so few see it and understand it. Most think all is well. The great deception, and the great falling away is not coming. It is here and now.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
"0" _________________ Lahry Sibley
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