Worship is not the act of gathering with others to see how much God can entertain me. Rather it is acknowledging who He is and who you are as the object of His affection. There is an awesome danger when we would be compared to Him. Our reasonable act of worship (Romans 12:1) is the acknowledging of YHWH for being the one true and living Lord and the expression which comes from that intersection of created and creator. When we see Him as “all in all”, we worship. To see ourselves as having power over Him, in any way, is arrogance and devilish.
Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest thou lift up your eyes unto heaven, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
Psalm 29:2 Give to Jehovah the glory due to His name; worship Jehovah in the beauty of holiness.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.
4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Revelation 4:10 the twenty-four elders fell down before the One sitting on the throne. And they worshiped Him who lives for ever and ever, and threw their crowns before the throne, saying,
4:11 O Lord, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You created all things, and for Your will they are and were created.
Willingness to obedience is rare today. It goes to the heart of the issue and not just to the completion of the command. One might say I was obedient and did what I was asked while another could say I willingly accomplished it. While the word surrender is not found in the scriptures, the principle of laying aside your own wants and desires to obey the Lord is found throughout. Willingness might well be defined as wanting to be found pleasing to the Lord. The scriptures are clear; some men have pleased the Lord.
Isaiah 1:19 If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land:
2Corinthians 8:3 For to [their] power, I bear record, yea, and beyond [their] power [they were] willing of themselves;
Wisdom has two parts… having a lot to say & not saying it, or perhaps knowing when not to speak. Wisdom is often gained from making poor decisions and learning from the consequences. True Godly wisdom is the result of time spent with God, recognizing that the speaking is best done by Him and the listening by us. Wisdom is one of the seven spirits of God (Isaiah 11:2). Wisdom does not ascend from us unto heaven but rather comes down at His good pleasure. A man exhibiting Godly wisdom demonstrates his relationship with the Holy God of the universe.
Proverbs 1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all [men] liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Witnessing is what we do because of whose we are; often we hear people say “I don’t have a witness”. I respectfully disagree. Every person has a witness of what they believe of the Savior or if they believe Him at all. Your witness is either of His goodness and mercy or it is of your disbelief and mistrust.
A witness is *NOT Optional*; good or bad it is what it is…
Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses
1 John 5:10 He that believes on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believes not God hath made him a liar; because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son.