WORSHIP GOD AS YOU ARE

[joaniemarie]

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[TD="class: yiv6415352195mcnTextContent, align: center"]that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:27[/TD]
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[TD="class: yiv6415352195mcnTextContent"]- FEBRUARY 4 -
WORSHIP GOD AS YOU ARE

[HR][/HR]Have you been to a worship service where you stood with your hands raised, ready to worship God, only to hear the worship leader say, “Before we worship God, let’s all search our hearts”? Then, as you search your heart, before long, you dig up something that you don’t like. The next thing you know, your hands are no longer raised and soon, you find yourself sitting down—you don’t feel good worshiping God any more.

My friend, I have good news for you. Come and worship Him as you are. Come into God’s presence Jesus-conscious, forgiveness-conscious and grace-conscious! Come into God’s presence bringing only Jesus the spotless Lamb of God as your offering.

Your worshiping God is like the times God’s people in the Old Testament brought their offerings to the priest. The priest examined the animal sacrifice to ensure that it was without blemish. The priest did not examine the sinner. If the animal was without blemish, God accepted the animal sacrifice as well as the offerer who brought the animal.

So when you come into God’s presence, don’t do any self-examination and be discouraged when you find faults in your life. God does not examine you. He sees you through the full value, and all the loveliness and acceptance of His Son. (Ephesians 1:6) He sees you holy and without blemish!

Remember the woman who was referred to as a sinner, possibly a prostitute? She went to the house of the Pharisee who was hosting Jesus and wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. (Luke 7:36–50) That was her act of worship.
She came to Him as she was. Yes, she knew that she had sinned, but she worshiped Jesus first because of who He is. She was Jesus-conscious. Then, she heard Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48) She received the forgiveness she needed from Him.

Whatever you need from the Savior, come to Him as you are. Worship Him for who He is and then you will hear Him say, “Go your way. Your restoration has come. Your provision is here. You are healed. You have been made whole!”

Destined To Reign Devotional by Pastor Joseph Prince.


This is such good news for Christians and good news that many believers don't take advantage of. Jesus has already given us His righteousness and it's on that alone we stand. When we come to God and worship Him we no longer have to do as they did in the old covenant of law. Awaiting a sacrifice to come that we had to get with our hands. Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God who took away our sins and our focus must be on Him when we fail.

It's like when we take communion. Many of us were taught to "get right with God" so if you were anything like me., my guilt and shame of my sins and my self reflection and the defeating emotions that went with that made me feel unworthy to take communion. I felt I couldn't get right with God in this short amount of time before the communion came. I needed time to deeply regret my sin in a fresh way., feeling the pains of guilt and proper shame as if a helpful payment for my sins. I foolishly believed this pleased God to show Him just how sorry I was. So I sadly passed when they offered it to me. THAT WAS SOOOO WRONG!!!

What I now know to do is REJOICE that those sins ARE FORGIVEN because of Jesus and His righteousness is on me and I receive communion based on His finished work not my self righteousness. It's not my works that makes me worthy, it's His. So I receive again that grace that puts me in right standing with God IN Christ. My works or lack of them does not give me standing before the Father., Jesus does! That is something to rejoice in and to empower us to move forward in victory.


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[joaniemarie]

There is an old Hymn that came to mind just now and it goes like this;

"On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand."

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name.,

"

When He shall come with trumpets sound Oh may I then in Him be found
dressed in His righteousness alone faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.

 

[p_rehbein]

Umm........hmm........well, yes......and.........no

Matthew 5:23) Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 .) Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

1 Corinthians 11:26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 .) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 .) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 .) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 .) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 .) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.


A couple of Scriptures to consider concerning this subject.............there are more..........

 

[beta]

Yes we can come to God/Jesus 'as we are'

but we certainly can 'not stay as we are' !

 

[joaniemarie]

Umm........hmm........well, yes......and.........no

Matthew 5:23) Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 .) Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

1 Corinthians 11:26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 .) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 .) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 .) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 .) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 .) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.


A couple of Scriptures to consider concerning this subject.............there are more..........

There is nothing between us and the Father anymore when we understand and take (by faith) the finished work of Christ for us. There is no going to your brother first in order to go to God. There is no going to anyone first before going to the Father when we are IN Christ. The veil was ripped in two. Knowing the new covenant is vital to understanding the verses you posted.

 

[joaniemarie]

Yes we can come to God/Jesus 'as we are'

but we certainly can 'not stay as we are' !

Yes, and He promises to take us from one place of understanding to another having the mind of Christ. It is called repentance in the proper sense of the believer when we repent we have our minds changed to agree with God and our actions follow.