“…they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks…”
John 4:23
Today is “Leap Day”, February 29th, which only exists on our calendars every fourth year. I believe it was instituted as a sort of synchronizing tool to bring some sense of coordination to our “time measure” versus the planets orbiting “time measure” (can you tell I am not a scientist?) Anyway, I can’t recall any wars being fought over the instituting of Leap Year.
Historians out there can feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
It would seem that most everyone agrees we should be on the same page when it comes to our clocks. Yet when it comes to the subject of one of the most important questions we will ever ask – How and Who do we worship? – there have been untold numbers of disagreements, fights and wars.
I have no lofty held belief that today’s blog will end any of that.
Instead it will probably rile a few more people.
Jesus said it best in the Gospel of John Chapter four, verses 23 and 24:
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Religion can bring form and rigidity to our “worship”.
The Spirit of God can bring freedom and truth to our worship.
Here’s the question of the day – from whom do we receive instruction on worship?
If we rely only on the traditions of man handed down through the generations is that correct?
Does practice make perfect, as the old adage says, or does it simply make us skilled?
When it comes to worship, I can be very skilled at practicing what has been handed down to me but if that same tradition is void of the Spirit of God what good is it?
Or perhaps the more appropriate question is:
Is it worship that pleases the one to whom it is directed?
Yesterday I said to you that: “The expressions of our love and devotion to God reach His heart when they originate from our hearts.” Please understand that I am speaking of a heart made new through the new creation birth spoken of by Jesus. Apart from the Spirit of God – that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead – we have no understanding or desire to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
There are so many wonderful things that happen when we are born again (far too many for one blog) but perhaps nothing more relevant to our current topic than a radical change in whom and how you worship. I hope you take a little of the “extra” time given to you on Leap Day to worship the one who breathes life into every one of your “24/7’s”.
John 4:23
Today is “Leap Day”, February 29th, which only exists on our calendars every fourth year. I believe it was instituted as a sort of synchronizing tool to bring some sense of coordination to our “time measure” versus the planets orbiting “time measure” (can you tell I am not a scientist?) Anyway, I can’t recall any wars being fought over the instituting of Leap Year.
Historians out there can feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
It would seem that most everyone agrees we should be on the same page when it comes to our clocks. Yet when it comes to the subject of one of the most important questions we will ever ask – How and Who do we worship? – there have been untold numbers of disagreements, fights and wars.
I have no lofty held belief that today’s blog will end any of that.
Instead it will probably rile a few more people.
Jesus said it best in the Gospel of John Chapter four, verses 23 and 24:
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Religion can bring form and rigidity to our “worship”.
The Spirit of God can bring freedom and truth to our worship.
Here’s the question of the day – from whom do we receive instruction on worship?
If we rely only on the traditions of man handed down through the generations is that correct?
Does practice make perfect, as the old adage says, or does it simply make us skilled?
When it comes to worship, I can be very skilled at practicing what has been handed down to me but if that same tradition is void of the Spirit of God what good is it?
Or perhaps the more appropriate question is:
Is it worship that pleases the one to whom it is directed?
Yesterday I said to you that: “The expressions of our love and devotion to God reach His heart when they originate from our hearts.” Please understand that I am speaking of a heart made new through the new creation birth spoken of by Jesus. Apart from the Spirit of God – that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead – we have no understanding or desire to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
There are so many wonderful things that happen when we are born again (far too many for one blog) but perhaps nothing more relevant to our current topic than a radical change in whom and how you worship. I hope you take a little of the “extra” time given to you on Leap Day to worship the one who breathes life into every one of your “24/7’s”.
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