Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (part three)

The irony of truth is, despite the fact that Jesus Christ Himself made a clear distinction between the church (the body of believers) and the world, people refuse to make this distinction, assuming a more loving, compassionate, and pitiful attitude than Christ Himself Who said; “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:14-19).

 Believers have been duly forewarned to come out from the system to which the dragon (Satan) has given his power, his throne and great authority. They have been forewarned saying; "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

For all the nations have drunk (deceived) of the wine (doctrine) of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (Revelations 18:2-5).

Remember that Jesus Christ did not come to destroy either the law or the prophets, and to one of the prophets the Lord said, “The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 

Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain” (Ezekiel 22:25-27).

And to another prophet, this is what the Lord said concerning those who enter the gates to worship Him; "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD” (Jeremiah 7:8-11).

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Lucius Joseph

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (part two)

Since we are to worship the Father in the beauty of holiness and holiness signifies the absence of sin, how can the church therefore are regarded as a sanctuary for sinners?

Is the Church a sanctuary for sinners?

I recently watched a television program, and the Host asked the participants the question, “Where do you find most sinners?” The first participant replied, “In the church”, and she scored a hefty twenty nine (29) points. Another participant was asked the similar question, and he replied, “In hell”, he scored only six 6) points. Then the host said, “Church was the number one answer”.

 I have just read an article where a so called minister encouraging fornicators, drug addicts, gays and lesbians, and anyone with an addiction or anything whatsoever to go to church anyway! Churches he said are hospitals for the broken. Even people saved are not perfect.

 Really! What a travesty! The result of this survey and this article is a clear indication of how people generally perceive the church. Most people perceive the church as a sanctuary for sinners. But is the church in the true sense of the word a sanctuary for sinners?

The church is indeed a sanctuary, but is it a sanctuary for sinners! Or is it a sanctuary for the sacred (holy) things of God?

 First of all Jesus Christ established His church by giving directives to Peter saying; “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19).

The church in the true sense of the word is the body of Christ, as clearly explained by the apostle Paul who after explaining about the unity and diversity that should exist in One body wrote; “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1Corinthians 12:27).

It is clearly stated that Jesus Christ, “is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

Now since the church is the body of Christ, in whom we are told, “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and that we are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” The logical question is, how can the church be a sanctuary for sinners?

When, in order to have fellowship with one another, which incidentally is also with the Father and the Son, we have been duly admonished saying; “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10).

So I beg to ask the question, are not the adulterers, fornicators, gays, lesbians, and drug addicts walking in darkness? So how does that square with the fact that, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth? 

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Lucius Joseph

 

The sixth vital component of true worship

 

6.  Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Holiness is the absence of sin, and the way one becomes holy is stated as follows; “Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy” (Exodus 29:32-33).

Those who do not regard themselves as priests of the New Covenant should not be present during a holy convocation for it is stated quite clearly, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1Peter 2:9, 10).

Those who stumble at these instructions are those who are being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed, because our main duty as priests is to offer to the Lord the food for His offerings, for it is written; “They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy” (Leviticus 21:6).

For this reason the church is duly admonished saying; “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?'

“And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God as God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore " Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Therefore, since we are to worship the Father in the beauty of holiness and holiness signifies the absence of sin, how can the church therefore are regarded as a sanctuary for sinners? 

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Lucius Joseph

Fifth vital component of true worship (part two)

The way of sanctification under the old covenant we are told; “was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience ---concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.”

The animal sacrifices were insufficient to sanctify the worshiper in that, they were a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. If they were sufficient to sanctify the worshiper, then they would not have ceased to be offered! For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year: For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 9: 9-10; 10: 1-4).

And so when Christ came into the world He said; “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come ---In the volume of the book it is written of Me ---To do Your will, O God.' "Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10: 5-10).

This once and for all, signifies that, once and for all there is an offering which can present the worshiper perfect, sinless, blameless, and irreproachable in the presence of God. Remember, if animal sacrifices could present those who approach the presence of God perfect, they would not have ceased to be offered. But because they could not, God took away the first, which were the animal sacrifices and established the second, which is the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

One important thing that has eluded the minds of many professing believers especially those who do not follow the protocol for true worship is that, God’s dealing with the children of Israel was symbolic a shadow and copy of the reality: When Moses was about to build the tabernacle the Lord instructed him saying, “And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain” (Exodus 25:40).

And the apostle Paul echoed a similar sentiment with regards to the new priestly service, for he wrote; “For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain" (Hebrews 9:3-5).

What we are to learn from that is, the necessity to appear before the Lord at His appointed time is still relevant and has not become obsolete, but has rather been reformed as confirmed by Jesus Christ when He came into the world, and said; “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:8-10).

So, instead of animal sacrifices, burnt offerings and offerings for sin God prepared a body for Christ as replacement or the real offering for the atonement of sin, and so, when the Lord spoke to Moses saying: “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time' This real offering is the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, which is in essence what Jesus Christ means when He says; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Numbers 28:2, John 4:6).

It is therefore imperative that we have a clearer and deeper understanding of what Jesus Christ meant when He said; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” and how to practically apply this principle in order to get to the Father.

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Lucius Joseph

Fifth vital component of true worship (part one)

 

5.       Bring an offering and come before His courts

What is the rationale for bringing an offering when appearing before His courts? The answer is quite simple and straight forward; it is the main objective for having a holy convocation in order to sanctify the worshiper and grant him/her access to the throne of grace to serve the Lord.  For we have been instructed saying; “These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day -- besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD” (Leviticus 23: 37-38).

It is also the medium by which members of the body of Christ become one with one another and have fellowship with the Father and the Son as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1Corinthians 10:15-17).

Therefore, bringing an offering is the pass to the presence of the Most High  or the prerequisite to the presence of God as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote ;“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ,by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:19-25).

This prerequisite is also the formula by which one becomes holy and acceptable before the Father, for this is what the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ' By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' "(Leviticus 10:3).

Now the way one regards the Lord holy is by being holy themselves, for we have been duly admonished saying; “as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy” (1Peter 1:14-16).

Now, the process by which one attains holiness is through the same process that the Lord ordained for the children of Israel. One should not forget that the Lord’s dealing with the children of Israel was simply a shadow or copy of the reality, but now what is in effect is the reality itself which includes the tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacrifice being offered.

And so, under the new covenant, in the heavenly sanctuary, we have been instructed saying; “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:11-14).

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Lucius Joseph

Fourth vital component of true worship (part two)

Now, what is the rationale for the Sabbaths! How do they ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name? The rationale for the Lord's Sabbaths is that they commemorate significant events which the Lord performed for the salvation of man.

See for example how much effort, money, time and sacrifices people exert in commemorating events such as, D -Day, Labor Day, independent day, mother’s day, father’s day and all other national, global and personal events such as birth days and anniversaries which are all pale in significance to what the Lord has performed.

For example, the Lord's Sabbaths and appointed times which the Lord has ordained for His people to appear before Him and offer to Him the food for His offerings and show and express their gratitude and appreciation to Him for what He has done consist of the following:

·        Morning and Evening, known as the regular offering as the Lord instructed Moses saying: “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.' The rationale for the morning and evening offering is as described by king David who wrote; “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night” (Psalms 92:1-2).

·        The seventh day weekly Sabbath commemorates the creation of the world, and glorifies the Lord as the Creator. It is also the sign to confirm when the end of the week is and that the following day is the first day of a new week. Therefore, it is a perpetual sign to indicate when the end of a week is and when is the beginning of a new week. By disregarding, rejecting or alerting this basic principle is a major cause for dissensions and confusions allowing everyone to walk after the imagination of their evil heart and doing what seems right in their own eyes. So, do not be surprise when sooner than later, Monday be regarded as the first day of the week instead of Sunday.

·         The New Moon according to the law which governs the universe commemorates the beginning of a new month, a law and practice that will be upheld even when the new heavens and the new earth will be established as we have been admonished saying: “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me," says the LORD," So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD” (Isaiah 66:22-23).

·         The Passover and days of Unleavened bread, commemorates man's deliverance from sin and death, and glorifies the Lord as our Redeemer and Savior.

·         The Feast of First-fruits/wave sheaf offering, commemorates the ascension of Christ to heaven after His resurrection, to present Himself to the Father on our behalf, and glorifies Him as the Resurrection and the life.

·         The Feast of Pentecost commemorates the arrival of the Holy Spirit, and glorifies the Lord as our Helper, Comforter. Teacher and Guide.

·         The Feast of Trumpets commemorates the giving of the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations, and glorifies the Lord as our Conqueror and Deliverer.

·         The Day of Atonement commemorates Jesus Christ as our sin bearer, and glorifies Him as our High Priest and Advocate

·         The Feast of Tabernacles commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, and glorifies Him as the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

·         The Eighth Day commemorates the circumcision of our Lord, and glorifies Him as the Eternal God.

It is important to be reminded at this juncture that the true worship of God is not out of compulsion, coercion or legalism, but something perform from one’s own volition as we have been duly admonished saying; “One person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day alike: Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it” (Roans 14:5-6).

It is something one does out of love, gratitude and appreciation for what the Lord did for humanity on that particular day which far exceeds in significance the worldly and personal anniversaries that we esteem so dearly. And the sad thing about it is that, there are very few people who knows about them, and even those who knows about them are paying little or no respect to them.

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Lucius Joseph

Fourth vital component of true worship

 

4.      Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name

The way one ascribes to the Lord the glory due to His name is by observing His Sabbaths. For thus says the Lord; “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord”. It is for a fact that there is no other God but One; but it is also the fact that, other nations have their own gods; and therefore, we have been instructed saying; “there is no other God but one.  For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (Leviticus 19:30; 26:2; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6).

Now the only way one makes a clear distinction between worshiping the one true God, and the one Lord Jesus Christ from the many other so called gods and lords, is by observing His Sabbaths, which glorifies Him as the Lord, and ascribes to Him the glory due to His name. For this is what the angel (messenger) with the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people has been instructed to say; "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water" (Revelation 14:6-7).

 Now the way the One who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water instructed us to worship Him is as follows:-

·         Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20: 9-11).

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people” (Exodus 31:13-14)..

Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them...I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God” (Ezekiel 20:12, 19-20).

 " If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 58: 13-14).

“For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me," says the Lord, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22-23).

Appearing before the Lord on days other than the Lord's Sabbaths is an abomination, for thus says the Lord; “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies --- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:12-15).

And to ignore them, is profanity. For thus says the Lord; “Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them” (Ezekiel 22:26).

No wonder Jesus Christ said; “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." And remember that, Gentiles are to glorify God with His people, because, “Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: " For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name." And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!"

And again: "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” Therefore, the instructions given to the children of Israel are applicable to the Gentiles as well (Romans 15:8-12).

Now, what is the rationale for the Sabbaths! How do they ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name? The rationale for the Lord's Sabbaths is that they commemorate significant events which the Lord performed for the salvation of man.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph