ISAIAH 55:9 - "Higher Worship - Part 3"

"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21) So now: What is the role of our mind in worship to God? Quite Simply: Obedience! This is what we must make our minds to do, is to obey Christ. There is a three part process that we must train our minds to do when it comes to obeying Jesus Christ, and in keeping His commandments: we must acknowledge, approach and accept. How so? We must first acknowledge with our understanding that we are sinful and in need. In other words, we must make this determination in our minds that we are lacking the holiness to come into the presence of a Holy God. In doing so, we must approach Him as a child in need of His Father's love. This is how we must reach out to God initially, and then He will draw us up to Himself. (I had another interpretation for that Ax Head vision that God gave me; can you guess what it was. But it's mine and you can't have it.) Maybe we should look at that illustration of Peter walking on the water again to see what I mean. This story is found in Matthew 14:22-33. When the disciples first saw Jesus walking upon the water they thought that it was a spirit, and were afraid, and cried out for fear; but Jesus told them, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid". Then Peter answered Jesus, 'Lord, if it be you; allow me to come out to you, by walking on the water', (paraphrased). And then Jesus said, "Come". And then it says that Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. So, when Peter first knew that this was Jesus on the water, he acknowledged that he was lacking what was needed to come out onto Jesus, and thus the reason he asked Jesus to allow him to come out. Then as Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking to Jesus, he was as a child; just as a child would be, as he takes his very first steps; but this is where faith comes into play. Now for us, and the application for worship, we will need to go further than Peter did in this illustration; because even though he did the first two things right, when it came to the third, which was to accept, this is the part he came up lacking in. Why? Again, because of his mind; verse 30 says, "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, "Lord, save me." So how do we stop this from happening to us as we are trying to approach the Father? I like the illustration that Paul gives in 2 Corinthians 10:5: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ". Again, what is the obedience of Christ? To Love the Lord your God, with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. Now why is all of this really necessary to truly worship God? Because, as Jesus told the woman at the well: "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in Truth." Now, what I have been sharing so far is the spirit side of our worship of Him; which like I said, I really don't know how to explain it, and the effort I have made is most likely the best that I can do. But to worship Him in Truth; well that is all God; because this is the part where God will manifest Himself to us. And then guess what happens within our minds: Knowing; that's right! Knowing the Father!!! And why, oh why is this so vitally important as we go to His Word? Because we will know His Love Letter to us; individually and personally, that He is speaking to you. Can you see yet what I am saying? How do we know when we have reached the Father? Do you need to know that? Do you? Because it is really quite simple! Listen: All other gods are idols, but your God created the heavens; and who created the heavens? Do you need to know that also? Maybe you just need to be reminded? JESUS!!! "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him: and without Him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:1-3) So then, when we are Knowing the Father, whom will we know? How do we know? Just as He says at the end of the opening verse: "And I will manifest Myself to him"; (that means to you, for those of you that are in Shasta Lake). And guess what else will happen: There will be be confirmation. Really, and how is that? The Holy Spirit that is dwelling within us, that is how. The Holy Spirit will declare Him to be the One. And then guess what happens: You and the Father are One. How does that work? Okay, if you asked that: Because The Father, Son and Spirit are One, and as we worship Him in spirit, (which is our spirit), then our spirit and His Spirit are made One. Jesus died on the cross to give us access to the Father; and God is Spirit; we are really now spiritual beings, who just happen to be trapped within this mortal shell; so, when we have access to the Father, which is what Jesus died for, our spirit and His Spirit become One. Do you know that Oneness requires more than one? This is what His Love Letter to us is all about; from the very beginning to the very end. He will reveal Himself to you and to me, because that is what He wants to do!!! More than anything else, God the Father desires our fellowship; and Oneness does not consist of one. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If you had known Me, you should have known My Father also: and from henceforth you Know Him, and Have Seen Him. (John 14:6 & 7)