Word & Prayer ~ February 8, 2012

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I have witnessed countless worship services over the course of 35 year of ministry and I have had occasion to just sit back and observe the behavior and attitudes of different churchgoers. Most are very respectful of the house of worship and demonstrate an attitude of solemnest and reverence toward the worship experience. However, in recent years I’ve noticed an increase in irreverence and a careless attitude toward the worship experience and the worship of God. There seems to be a sense of casual impertinence among some of our adults and teenagers. The culture of entitlement, immorality, grunge and licentiousness has found a comfortable seat in the church.

What makes me say this is the number of times I’ve noticed churchgoers texting on their cell phones, listening to their iPods, playing games on their phones or handheld devices or reading a novel during worship service. In addition to these offenses, I’ve noticed less and less attention is given to the kind of apparel one comes to worship in. Sagging pants, t-shirts, tight see-through and skimpy dresses, seductively high and revealing skirts and extra low-cut blouses appear to show up more and more in our churches. I am not one to judge a person by what kind of clothes they have on but I do wonder if this brazenly presumptuous behavior is representative of someone who loves and honors God (1 Timothy 2:9 & 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I must ask the question, “Do these kind of behaviors show respect for GOD? Do They honor God?”

When approaching a bank teller’s window, we are expected to end all cell phone conversations before we are served. When buying stamps at the window of the Post Office, we are expected to end all cell phone conversations before we are served. We paying a bill at the power company, we are expected to end all cell phone conversations before we are served. When watching a movie in the theatre, we are asked to silence our cell phones out of respect for others. When going to a job interview, we dress in our very best and we pay attention to what is appropriate and what isn’t. Our cell phones are off and our attention and focus is on what pleases the potential employer. We pay close attention to the appropriateness of our clothes and we try to avoid any semblance of disrespect toward a person of power and authority.

However, when it comes to worshipping God, many of us are indifferent, unconcerned, careless and negligent. It appears that we give more respect and honor to mortal men than we do to an all-powerful God. We have our priorities mixed up. Many of us seem to be insufficiently aware of our lowly state of being relative to the majestic Power and Glory of God. We act as if God is just any old person.
We need to be reminded of our true condition and of God’s rightful reverence so that we might give appropriate response and respect to God.
In the year that king Uzziah died, Isaiah saw “the Lord” sitting upon a throne. Heavenly creatures stood above The Lord crying, “Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.” In the presence of such majesty the prophet felt his exceeding sinfulness, hence, he declared: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts” (Isaiah 6:1-5)
When we come before God we should instantly be reminded of the awesomeness of His Glory and render unto Him all praise and thanksgiving with fear and tremblings – remembering that we are unworthy to be in His presence yet He chose to be in ours. Amen.
Today’s Word
¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” ~ Isaiah 6:1-5 (NIV)
Today’s Prayer
Father, I pray to You today in the name of—*YeHoWsHua HaMashiach – Jesus the Christ. I pray that You would forgive me for all the times that I have come into Your presence without reverence and awe. Please forgive my attitude of entitlement. I know that I am not worthy to be called your child for I was born into sin and shaped in iniquity. I live among people who love sin and iniquity. Please forgive me O God. I repent of my earthly birth and I desire to be born-again. Save me Father from this generation of godlessness. Empower me to live a life of continual worship and praise – one that brings glory and honor to your name. Help me to always respect Your house of worship and give due reverence to the presence of Your Holy Spirit. Guide and direct me in the ways of holiness that I may not sin against You. This is my prayer today in the name of the LORD YeHoWsHua* (Jesus) the Christ, Amen.

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Footnote:
The Hebrew spelling of the name of Christ is used in this prayer for educational purposes. Yehowshua is often shorten to Yeshua but out of respect for my Lord I chose to use the spelling of His proper name to demonstrate that His name s above every name and that even the spelling of His name is relative to the spelling of The Father’s name – remembering that there were not any vowels in the Hebrew alphabets. Thus, YHWH (Yahweh) and YeHoWsHua (Yahweh is salvation) are grammatically and uniquely related.

For more information of the authentic name of God, please follow the link below:
http://www.therockofmontgomery.org/Yahweh.html