LEARNING TO WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
After many years I traveled to Broken Arrow, OK to reunite with my old pastor. When I walked into his office I asked him a question:
“Pastor Jerry, if you had only a week to live, what would be your final message to us?”
This book is the fruit of that question. He departed to his reward before he could see the finished product.
Recently and I Face-timed him a few days before his departure and had a precious time of fellowship on the phone with him. We’ll never forget it.
He spoke to us about what a battle it was to get this book published. Satan contested this message and there was resistance from the publishing company. But I am so happy to say that it is now being published.
A MOVE OF GOD
There is a move of God that must be passed on to the next generation. For the last two decades this has been my consuming passion and I have written much about it myself.
Someone asked Dad Hagin before he went to heaven if he had any regrets. Dad said he wished he had taught more on the importance of being continually filled with the Spirit. You see, that is God’s New Covenant plan for every believer.
We talk about revival a lot. It’s a big buzz word and I’ve written about it and preached on it for years. But not too long ago the Spirit of God posed a question to me that arrested me and made me ponder this theme. He said, “Did you know that revival is not a New Covenant word?”
In my mind I quickly went through the New Testament and realized that the word revival appears in only one place. Paul spoke about the revival of sin that came through the knowledge of the Law (Romans 7:9). Think about that.
Then the Spirit of God, who is our teacher and counselor, and who leads us into all truth, according to the Word, began to expound on this truth.
REVIVAL IS REALLY FOR SPIRITUALLY DEAD PEOPLE
Revival means to come back to life. I know this will make some people mad, but revival is meant for spiritually dead people and those who are backslidden. Under the New Covenant, God’s plan and standard is for believers to live a Spirit filled life and to never need revival. That may come as a shocker to many, but it’s the absolute truth.
A big part of true worship is to speak and sing Spirit-inspired utterances in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs according to Ephesians 5:18-19, Colossians 3:16, James 5.13b, and cultivating a life of thanksgiving and praise. It’s the life we are meant to live. Combined with our daily responsibility to walk in Romans 12:1-2, there you will find true worship.
TODAY’S CHURCH KNOWS VERY LITTLE OF TRUE WORSHIP
The contemporary church of today knows very little about true worship. Many Christians mistake emotionalism for the true anointing of the Spirit. If we don’t like the beat or the style of music we turn it off. They didn’t have music styles and beats in the Early Church. They didn’t have celebrity musicians and worship leaders. They supplied their own lyrics from their inward life with God. They were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit even during times of persecution and opposition.
“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52)
Today we ask for personal prayer whenever we are going through difficulties. And there’s nothing wrong with that, of course. But the Word also instructs us to pray for ourselves.
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” (James 5:13a)
Even in the prison house with their feet in stocks and their backs bleeding Paul and Silas prayed (Acts 16:25), and they sang praises. In other words, in the worst of circumstances, they prayed themselves and praised God. That’s New Covenant Christianity! It’s a life of faith!
It’s time for the body of Christ to grow up and mature by saturating themselves with the Word and learning to be continually filled with the Spirit, so we can enter into true worship.
PS Please add these two books to your collection to continue to feed your spirit with this theme.
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