How should we worship God? #14 True worship

It might have looked strange that we brought up so many points when talking about worshipping God.
We hopefully could make it clear that to worship the Divine Creator there are some essential points to take into account.

Today we come to the concluding article, bringing forwards the most essential part to come to the True Worship of God. This is namely that first of all a person has to accept the Only One True God as his or her God. One can not have a proper worship service nor proper prayer to God when one has also other gods or saints next to that God, to whom one prays or hopes for that they would tackle the matters.

As said in the first article in this series, one has to have the right Appreciation for God. A person willing to worship God has to recognise Him as the Divine Creator and has to know His Name is Jehovah. Worshipping God is as coming in the presence of God and lifting up the voice to the One Who one recognises as the Maker of all things. Wanting to bring a proper worship one has to know the Name of the One to Whom one wants to bring worship. That One God His Name is Jehovah Who does not franchise His glory and doesn’t endorse the no-god idols.

To bring a proper worship one has to recognise the Elohim Hashem Jehovah as the One and Only High God on earth. The One to be worshipped should be recognised as the Highest and His majesty acknowledged.
Not only has the worshipper to know the Name of that Only One God, he or she should also fully respect that set apart (or holy) Name. This means the worshipper shall never be using the name of God in curses or silly banter. Jehovah, God won’t put up with the irreverant use of His name.

“ But it is good for me to draw near unto God: I have made the Lord Jehovah my refuge, That I may tell of all thy works.” (Ps 73:28 ASV)

“ And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:” (Ac 4:24 ASV)

“ I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.” (Isa 42:8 ASV)

“ Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name; Worship Jehovah in holy array.” (Ps 29:2 ASV)

“ That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah, Art the Most High over all the earth.” (Ps 83:18 ASV)

“ Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Ex 20:7 ASV)

Like God is no human being but a spirit, people should come to worship that unseen eternal Spirit Being according to a right spiritual mind, bringing Spiritual Worship.

“ Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Ps 90:2 ASV)

“ Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.” (Job 36:26 ASV)

“ No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (Joh 1:18 ASV)

“ And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live.” (Ex 33:20 ASV)

To bring true worship a person may not have any other gods opposite Jehovah. The Nazarene man Jesus, who was seen by many, is taken by lots of so-called Christians taken as their god and also worshipped as their god and equal as God. Such worship is against God’s Wishes, because giving praise to someone else, even when that person was the beloved of God, His son Christ Jesus.

“ and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them.” (Ex 6:3 ASV)

“ Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: Cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts; His name is Jehovah; and exult ye before him.” (Ps 68:4 ASV)

“ I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.” (Isa 42:8 ASV)

“ Thus saith Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of Jehovah that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.” (Isa 49:7 ASV)

“ Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” (Joh 16:32 ASV)

“ For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called.” (Isa 54:5 ASV)

To bring the right worship there has to be the faith in that One God and in His Word. at the same time one should allow that Word of God, given in the Book of books, the Bible, be a guide for life and a helping hand to bring worship in the right way. The believing person should also allow that Word to enrich Spiritual Transformation. By faith, trusting in That Only One True God, the person should be willing to allow the Holy Spirit, the Force of God, to transform his or her being. Opening oneself in prayer to the Most High shall give that opportunity of transformation of mind and character, making oneself into a new person, going on in a new life.

Only when one is prepared to let the world for what it is, not worshipping the idols and gods of this world, one can come to true worship. Those who let their minds be blinded by the “god of this system of things” will perish, worshipping what they know not. People have to put the “god of this system of things” who has put before each generation of mankind false things to worship, aside. It is impossible to serve the gods of this world or to serve Mammon and to serve Jehovah the Only One True God. When one prefers to keep to all the heathen festivals, like Easter, Halloween, All-Saints, Christmas, and keep enjoying all those human traditions in remembrance of the seasonal gods, it shall not be possible to have acceptable good worship of God. Worshippers of God have to make up their mind and worship what they know, recognising that salvation originates with the Jews, but that the sent one from God has provided salvation for everyone so that all people can come up to God to present themselves as a child of God. That is what one has to do to bring true worship. Without the willingness to be a child of God, God cannot, or better: shall not, accept you as his child. People have to know that time passes and that there shall come a time when it shall be too late to turn to God. The hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship Him. God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.

“21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father. 22 Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Joh 4:21-24 ASV)

As lovers of God, people are requested to behave as children of God and living according to the Laws of God. Jehovah God does not want special burnt sacrifices and certainly no empty rituals from His children.

“ And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1Sa 15:22 ASV)

Being religious, acting pious, having a frenzy of sacrifices, doing lots of things others can notice, so they would think you are very religious — that’s not what God is asking for, though He wants us to allow Him into our hearts, opening our ears and heart, to become part of our very being, which opens its mind to God for worshipping Him in spirit and truth. Running here and there, doing this and that, a lot of commotion in the place provided for worship, lots of rituals and striking processions or events are not what God demands. He even let us know to quit worship charades, Him not standing man’s trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings — meetings, meetings, meetings — He can’t stand one more!

“6 Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; Mine ears hast thou opened: Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I am come; In the roll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Ps 40:6-8 ASV)

Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production, because a flawless performance is nothing to Jehovah God.

“16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Ps 51:16-17 ASV)

“11 What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies, — I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” (Isa 1:11-15 ASV)

Religion, while you go right on sinning can not bring forth true worship. when people do not act to others, showing the love of Christ nor showing the love of God for His creatures, they shall not be able to present acceptable worship.

Those willing to tarnish: An article about some examples of certain Christians going against other Christians, who don’t mind calling others all sorts of names, from childish ones to more awful unchristian ones (even using F-words), or so-called Christians very easily calling others cults by referring to others who did not like that denomination and turned against their previous church group or by accusing other thinkers of being captivators through philosophy whilst they do not follow tradition but follow the Bible.

In Christendom we can find several so-called Christians who call other Christians names or even dare to judge them and dare to wish them to be tortured in flames of a hell forever. This can not be the right Christian attitude, nor make it that such a person would be able to bring proper prayers before God. those people should look at their own heart and question how they can stand up before Jehovah and show proper respect to the high God. They should remember that God requires to do what is fair and just to your neighbour. To bring right worship a person has to live according to the Will of God and to be compassionate and loyal in his or her love. Very often we find so-called Christians who think they are smarter or more intelligent than others and who think they are the only ones living according to God’s Will and belonging to the only right denomination. They forget that God demands us to take ourselves not too seriously but to take God seriously.

“6 Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? 7 will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic 6:6-8 ASV)

Those who love have to come together to do it God’s way, the way it’s described in His Book, accepting that God’s rules and wishes are much more important than man’s rules.

“ Praise ye Jehovah. Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah, That delighteth greatly in his commandments.” (Ps 112:1 ASV)

“ But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.” (Ac 5:29 ASV)

“ But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;” (Ro 6:17 ASV)

“2 Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1Jo 5:2-3 ASV)

“ And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it.” (2Jo 1:6 ASV)

“6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: 7 Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. 8 Saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein (the which are offered according to the law), 9 then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.” (Heb 10:6-9 ASV)

To bring true worship a person is best to be in unity with Christ and to walk like Jesus did, not being enslaved to this world and its traditions, but formed by the Word of God.

“ he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.” (1Jo 2:6 ASV)

“ And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Ro 12:2 ASV)

At the same time there is no place for an attitude God unworthy. There is expected that the old self when we were in the old grooves of evil, doing just what we felt like doing, because we didn’t know any better then, we now should be obedient children, letting ourselves being pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s examples, a life energetic and blazing with holiness, not comparing ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. The beauty of God’s creation is that there is so much variety, each of us being an original.

Those loving God should always be are alertly, unswervingly … in hard times, tough times, bad times, be with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love, willing to share the love of Christ with all people around him, be them, believer or non-believer, white or dark-skinned. When wanting to bring true worship there is no place for calling names, dirty talk or backbiting, profane talk, hatred, bad temper or anger, irritability, meanness, profanity, It is known that most people shall turn against lovers of God but it is God’s will that by doing good, those lovers of God might cure the ignorance of the fools who think they are a danger to society.

“14 as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance: 15 but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; 16 because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” (1Pe 1:14-16 ASV)

“ Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Ga 5:26 ASV)

“ but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,” (2Co 6:4 ASV)

“ in pureness, in knowledge, in long suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,” (2Co 6:6 ASV)

“ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice:” (Eph 4:31 ASV)

“ For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.” (2Ti 1:7 ASV)

“ but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth:” (Col 3:8 ASV)

“8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing. 9 For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit the land.” (Ps 37:8-9 ASV)

“ For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:” (1Pe 2:15 ASV)

In order to follow Christ Jesus, not avoiding worshipping together, prayers have to be done to Jehovah God, the heavenly Father, praying very simply, daring to call Jehovah God your “Father in heaven”, and daring to reveal Himself who He is.

“ not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.” (Heb 10:25 ASV)

“ After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Mt 6:9 ASV)

Coming together in Christian Congregations, where preachers and teachers can help or assist in the worship service by the love of one another, everybody can contribute to bringing a good nice congregational worship.

Instead of worrying, all can come together to pray whilst always keeping to a Christian behaviour, letting petitions and praises shape their worries into prayers, letting God know their concerns.

“ In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Php 4:6 ASV)

“1 «For the Chief Musician; with the Nehiloth. A Psalm of David.» Give ear to my words, O Jehovah, Consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God; For unto thee do I pray.” (Ps 5:1-2 ASV)

Having renewed the mind, with a willingness to live as brothers and sisters in Christ, also showing love to those with other ideas of us, real followers of Christ should not only come to share their love with others but should unite and remind the Breaking of Bread. In good relationships, together sharing a New Life in Christ, the love for the others should make them to be part of our prayers and goal to preach to the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.

“ And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mr 11:25 ASV)

“ with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,” (Eph 6:18 ASV)

True religion is actually an ever-expanding intelligent worship of Jehovah as guided by God’s holy spirit. The true religion is based on a series of heaven-originated communications of truth that have been made known and recorded from Adam’s time to that of the apostle John. These communications from heaven make an appeal to the mind and heart of the true worshiper and hence are essentially spiritual.

It might be said that between the covers of our Bibles in many languages we have translations of the captured sayings of the holy spirit. Truly, what an amazing treasure we hold in our hands when we take up the Holy Scriptures!

“ But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1Co 2:10 ASV)

It is that Book of books that can guide us to come to the only one true worship of the Only One True God, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, Who is One. It only takes courage and faith to believe the Biblical Truth and to put away all false worship and pagan rituals. Only by doing away of false gods, idols, worship rituals, feasts, paganism, wrong attitude, we can come to true godly worship.

Therefore let us not forget: