Let Us Go

 

 

LET US GO

Psalm 122:1

A Song of degrees of David. 

I was glad when they said unto me, 

Let us go into the house of The LORD.

Let us sing praises 

To The LORD Most High,

Let us worship and bow down

To His Holy Name.

Let us kneel in reverence

To Him,

Let us bring our worship

To His house.

Let us rest 

In His Holy Presence,

Let us open our ears 

And our hearts 

To hear and receive

The Word of The Lord

In His house,

That we may be able 

To live His Word,

Breath His Word,

Speak His Word,

Walk His Word,

Sing His Word.

Let us be people of praise

In spirit and heart,

Not just lips.

Let us come into

His Presence 

With singing, with joy,

With open hearts

To receive Him;

Open eyes to see His glory;

Open arms to embrace 
The Christ Who died for us, 

When we were still sinners. 

Come, let us go

Into the house of The Lord. 

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Worship The Lord

 

    Psalm 96:9

O Worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth.

    1 Chronicles 16:21

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.

    2 Chronicles 20:21

Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: "Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever."

    Psalm 95:6

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 

    Matthew 2:2

Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.

    Adoration. Loving devotion. Worship. God wants our worship. He tells us His Name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14) and that what He desires is for us to choose to adore Him. He commands His people to worship Him above all other gods, for the gods of this world are nothing (Exodus 20:1-6). 

    Come, let us worship The LORD our God in the beauty of His holiness. Let us clap our hands and shout! to The Lord (Psalm 47:1). Let us kneel down (Psalm 95:6). Let us raise our hands (Psalm 28:2; 1 Timothy 2:8). Let us play our musical instruments for Him (Psalm 98:5,6). 

CALLED TO WORSHIP

Come Let Us Worship & Bow Down - Steffany Gretzinger

Forever I Run - Elevation Worship

Here I Am To Worship - Israel Houghton 

Let It Rise - William Murphy

Worthy of It All - CeCe Winans

Only You Are Holy/Agnus Dei - Donnie McClurkin

LION - Elevation Worship

In The Beauty of Holiness - Robin Mark

Because of Who You Are - Vicki Yohe

Revelation Song - Chris Tomlin & Kari Jobe

Holy Is The Lamb - Oleta Adams

Adoration - Newsboys

Guard Your Heart - - Guard Against Idolatry (An Undivided Heart)

 

1 John 5:21

Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols - [false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God's place in your heart].

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1497

Idols: an image for worship, a false god

From the Greek word ' eidólon' (pronounced i'-do-lon). 

    From the time God set up the law defining Who should be worshiped and who should not, God's people (and many others who do believe) know their ten commandments; somewhat. 

    Exodus 20:1-6 is very specific about Who gets our worship and why. 

1. And God spoke all these words, saying, 

2. I am The LORD your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt, which delivered you out of the house of bondage,

3. You shall have no other gods before Me.

4. You shall not make for yourselves any graven images, or any likeness that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5. You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them: for I, The LORD, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the third and the fourth generation of them that hate Me;

6. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.

    To break this commandment is to turn our hearts from God. It's to turn our backs on God, to disregard His Word as unimportant in our lives, when, in point of fact, God's Word should be have the highest regard in our hearts and our lives. Our hearts are more than His dwellingplace, His home: our hearts are God's throne room. If The LORD truly reigns in our hearts, then we live to serve Him. 

    The person who does not live to serve The Almighty God is serving another god and has consigned themselves to His judgment and wrath. But there's hope (v 6). God shows mercy to the people who love Him and diligently keep His commandments, who guard His commandments in their hearts. 

    It's okay to say, "No" when someone invites you somewhere where the temptation to give in to sin will be hard to overcome. Pressure to disobey God is from the devil; escape from temptation is from God (1 Corinthians 10:13, 14). And we are to flee from idolatry. 

    It is both difficult at times and obvious at other times who is serving God with a sincere heart and who is not. This is why the believer needs spiritual discernment that only comes with being filled with God's Holy Spirit. He is the voice of caution, that sense of "I'm not sure I trust" feeling when we interact with some people. 

    In 1 Corinthians 5:11 Paul is writing to the believers, the church, to be careful of those in their congregation who claim to be brothers in Christ but whose actions prove otherwise. And that these are the idolaters that they are to avoid associating with. The same holds true for us today. To you who say we are not to judge one another, the Word says, "For what is it to me to judge those outside? Do you not judge those within? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13. 

    We must rid our churches of wolves in sheep's clothing: people who pretend to be brothers and sisters in Christ whose only object is to divide the church and overthrow it. But in order to do so effectively, we must fill ourselves with The Word of God and be filled with His Holy Spirit that we may discern the truth and rise up against that which is unholy in our midst. 

    The wedding garments of the bride of Christ must be unblemished and unstained; she must be pure and holy. Idolatry and idolaters are spots and blemishes on her garments. We must surrender our hearts fully to God and we must do so with loving hearts: hearts that desire to worship and serve God the way He wants to be loved and worshiped. 

    When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness to worship Satan, He replied with The Word of God, "It is written". The verses of Scripture to which Christ was referring are in Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20. James reminds us here in chapter 4 verse 7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 

    We who desire to serve God faithfully, who love Him with all of our hearts, and our minds, and our souls have turned from idol worship to God worship. We have repented of the wickedness of our hearts in serving other gods and surrendered our hearts to God: we want Him to rule over us. 

    You think you haven't been serving other gods? When you could take time out of your busy day to read and pray over God's Word but don't, what are you doing instead? When you could go to a church that preaches the full gospel of God's Word and not some sprinkled down, nit-picking preaching, where are you? When you could be spending time in your prayer closet, your war room, so to speak, but you aren't, to whom are you voicing your complaints, your desires, your drama? 

    Idols are everywhere. Saints cannot answer prayer. Statues cannot answer prayer. Social media cannot give you wise answers in response to your seekings. Church, we need to come to God and come quickly, to rid ourselves of the idols we have set up. We need to tear them down and burn them to ashes. As they who obeyed God in the Old Testament did. It is time to fall down before God with humble hearts and rise up against wickedness in high places in the church.

    Many churches are splitting from their global parent because they are choosing to follow God's Word faithfully. And are being come against for their conservative stance in this unhealthy, sinful world. They are removing the blemishes and stains from their garments, their congregations. I would hope they/we are doing so with love and mercy, as well as integrity and faithfulness to the Word of God. 

    Psalm 86:9-11

9. All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name.

10.   For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God.

11. each me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.

HEART OF WORSHIP MEDLEY

    

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Gifts For The Gift

 

Matthew 2:11

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1435

Gifts: present, sacrifice {offered to God}, something not coerced, spontaneous, offering

 From the Greek word 'dóron' (pronounced do'-ron). 

(cf) Matthew 5:42 "leave your offering at the altar"; Luke 21:1-4 "the widow's mite" (sacrificial offering).

THE FIRST GIFT

The first gift given was their time. They used their time in their homeland to research the birthplace of the King they had come to know in their studies of old manuscripts and they watched the night skies for the star that would rise in His honor.

THE SECOND GIFT

The second gift the wise men gave the Christ was their worship. They fell down, kneeled, prostrated themselves before him (face to the ground) and worshiped Him. Not His mother. She was the vessel of honor by which He came into this world, but worship is given to her Son Jesus Christ. Worship is an act of humility, it is humbling ourselves before the King of kings and giving Him our all: our hearts, our lives, our bodies; for His service, for His glory, for His honor. Out of their hearts the wise men gave. Out of their treasuries they gave. So, too, should we be prepared to come into the presence of God with our worship. Before we ever get to church our hearts need to be ready to receive what God has to give. And we need to be ready to give what God desires of us.

THE THIRD GIFT

The third gift they gave was gold. A precious commodity no matter what age you live in. It acknowledged His Kingship and Authority to rule. This gold was an offering, a sacrifice, a parting of their wealth to render unto the King what was due Him. We, too, need to render a monetary offering unto God. We call it tithing and love offerings. Because we love Him, we want to give Him everything, even our monies, which, while God does not need our money, He still requires us to be obedient in giving to Him. 

 

THE FOURTH GIFT 

The fourth gift given was frankincense. A costly fragrance used in the making of incense. The incense God instructed Moses to make included frankincense. It was laid before the the Most Holy Place before the priest could enter.

Exodus 30:34-37

34. The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures,

35. and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.

36. Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.

37. You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD.

THE FIFTH GIFT

The fifth gift they gave Him was myrrh. This was common spice used to anoint the dead, that their bodies would not stink while decaying. 

(cf) Mark 16:1 "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint the body of Jesus." 

Also, myrrh was a fragrant perfume used to anoint the king's wife (Esther 2:12), or the king himself (Song of Solomon 3:6). A precious oil reserved for precious beloved people. 

All the gifts given to Jesus not only acknowledged who He is, but foretold what would happen in His life. 

Time: He only had a short amount of time to make the biggest impact during His three year ministry. John 12:35 "Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going."

Worship: John 4:23, 24 Worship God: "But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

Gold: In heaven pure, unadulterated gold is used for  pavement and building material in the new city which God has prepared for His people. Revelation 21:18, 21. 

Gold is also the crown which Christ wears: Revelation 14:14 "And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand."

Frankincense: A bitter, pungent fragrance used primarily for incense. 

It was placed on the table of gold near the showbread in the temple of the Lord (Leviticus 24:7) as a memorial portion, an offering to the Lord. 

Myrrh: Used as an ointment (to heal wounds), a burial spice and a burnt offering (releasing a sweet odor/aroma). John 19:39 "Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds." In their love for Him, Joseph and Nicodemus received permission to remove His body from the cross to bury Him properly. Even though they believed He would rise again, the nearness of that rising was hid from them. Therefore, Jesus needed to be buried in a clean place and anointed with fragrances that would keep Him pure for awhile. 

In today's market value that much myrrh is estimated to cost $150k. Whoof. Pricey. And yet worth every penny. Yet these gifts do not even compare with the Gift which God has given to mankind.

THE BEST GIFT

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 6:40

"For it is My Father's will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:8-10

8. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

9. that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

THE GIFT OF GRACE

Now is the time to receive God's gift. Now is the time to open your heart and believe. Now is now, later may be too late. 

Many say we are living in the last days. So, too, did the disciples of Christ in their day in the beginning of the age of the church. Do not delay your day of salvation according to your timetable. Until Christ returns, every day is the last day. Only God knows the hour in which He will send His Son to gather up His bride, the church (Matthew 24:36; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). 

This is not manana time. There is no tomorrow to plan for. Today is your day of salvation. Today is the day you should open God's gift of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah. 
We beg you to reconsider your decision and not walk away. We implore you to come to the altar now. To humble yourselves  and kneel before God in repentance, to receive His forgiveness and grace. 

Ephesians 2:6-9

6. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

7. in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9. not by works, so that no one can boast.

COME WORSHIP THE KING by Michael W. Smith, Shane & Shane

REFINER'S FIRE (Purify My Heart) by Vineyard Wordship

I GIVE YOU MY HEART by Hillsong 

 

Thanks Be To God - - For His Songs

 

Psalm 42:8

Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 7893

His Song: worship song, lyrics with musical instruments

From the Hebrew word 'shiyr' (pronounced sheer)

Used 90 times in the Old Testament

There are many styles of music making, even in the hearts of God's people. Music is from God and music given back to God glorifies God when it comes from deep within a worshipful heart. Who defines what a worshipful heart is? God, of course. For only God can see a person's heart; therefore, only God can determine whether or not the song being sung belongs to Him. Who are we to judge which songs are worthy to sing or write; which instruments can be used to make music?

But His Song, His Song is the song we sing when we declare His Name, when we proclaim His deliverance; when we testify of His saving Grace. His Song is the song we write when the Spirit comes upon us and moves us to write words which come from our hearts and not just our minds. Sometimes His Songs are written by one person, sometimes His Songs  are created on a collaborative basis. I've done both. 

This word 'shiyr' could refer to both His Song and His Singers, His Choir of Worshippers. God pours Himself into us (Romans 5:5) through His Holy Spirit and we shout out, cry out, sing aloud with everything within us back to Him. 

What a mighty God we serve! A God who looked on us and had compassion towards us, so much so that He took His Word, as only God can do, and wrapped it in flesh and bone; and called It "Jesus" because this Word is the Word of Salvation: 

Matthew 1:21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

This HOLY JESUS is why we sing the songs we write about Him. This HOLY GOD is why we sing the songs we write for Him. This HOLY SPIRIT is why we welcome the presence of the LORD into our hearts, our lives, our churches, our sanctuaries. 

I love to sing. I love to write. But it is God who creates His Songs in me. It is God who receives glory and honor and praise from me. There is no other Name worth worshiping. 

No other Name died for us. No other Name took our sins upon Himself and became sin for us. No other Name could ever love us as much as God loves us. No other Name has God honored by raising Him up and setting this JESUS on high! His Songs resound throughout the whole world, though many have tried, and still try, to silence His Songs. But His Name will prevail and overcome. 

Dear God,

Thank You for the gift of music. Thank You for creating it and giving it to us. Thank You for giving us Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ, for washing my sins away through the blood of Your Lamb, as John stated. Thank You for forgiving me and making me holy by the power of Your Holy Spirit. 

You are eternal, God. You are my God forever and ever. I am Your child, Your servant, Your friend. Continue to guide me and lead me through Your Word. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might overflow and bless those around me. 

May they see this Name, JESUS, when they see me and know that You are near. Open the eyes of the blind that they may see You. Tender the hardened hearts and break them open for You. Whatever it takes. 

In Jesus' Priceless Name, I pray,

Amen

Name Above All Names by Eddie James

Thanks Be To God -- Thanks & Worship Forever

 

Revelation 4:9-11

And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.”

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2169

Thanks: from the Greek word eucharistia (pronounced yoo-khar-is-tee'-ah), which means "thankfulness, giving of thanks, gratitude, thanksgiving; the giving of thanks for God's grace"

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4352

Worship: from the Greek word proskuneó (pronounced pros-koo-neh'-o), which means "to do reverence to; properly, to kiss the ground when prostrating before a superior; to worship, ready "to fall down/prostrate oneself to adore on one's knees" 

THANKS TO THE ONE SEATED ON THE THRONE

2 Corinthians 9:11, 12

(11) You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, so that through us your giving will produce thanksgiving to God.

(12) For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Ephesians 5:20

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 47:8

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.

Isaiah 6:1

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.

Ezekiel 1:26, 27

(26) And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 

(27)  And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

WORSHIP HIM WHO LIVES FOREVER

Matthew 2:1, 2

(1) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

(2) Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.

Matthew 4:9, 10

(9) "All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me."

(10) “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”

FOREVER

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 165

Forever: from the Greek word aión, (pronounced ahee-ohn') which means "an age, a cycle (of time), especially of the present age as contrasted with the future age, and of one of a series of ages stretching to infinity. Further study tells us: Example: Christians today live in the newer age (165 /aiṓn) of the covenant – the time-period called the NT. It is characterized by Christ baptizing all believers in the Holy Spirit, i.e. engrafting all believers (OT, NT) into His mystical body (1 Cor 12:12,13,14) with all the marvelous privileges that go with that (Gal 3:23-25; 1 Pet 2:5,9). 

While this word "Forever" is defined differently within the context of verses in which it appears, the basic definition remains the same: eternal, without end, without the confines of time, continual, perpetual, always.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 166

Forever: from the Greek word aiónios, pronounced ahee-o'-nee-os), which means: age-long, and therefore: practically eternal, unending; partaking of the character of that which lasts for an age, as contrasted with that which is brief and fleeting. 

aiṓnios (an adjective, derived from 165 /aiṓn ("an age, having a particular character and quality") – properly, "age-like" ("like-an-age"), i.e. an "age-characteristic" (the quality describing a particular age); (figuratively) the unique quality (reality) of God's life at work in the believer, i.e. as the Lord manifests His self-existent life (as it is in His sinless abode of heaven). " Eternal (166 /aiṓnios) life operates simultaneously outside of time, inside of time, and beyond time – i.e. what gives time its everlasting meaning for the believer through faith, yet is also time-independent. 

does not focus on the future per se, but rather on the quality of the age  it relates to. Believers live in this eternal life right now, as a present tense of having eternal life.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5769

Forever: from the Hebrew word 'olam' (pronounced o-lawm'), which means: antiquity, long duration, futurity; everlasting, forevermore permanently

Psalm 52:9

I will praise (yadah) You forever, because You have done it. I will wait on Your name—for it is good—in the presence of Your saints.

Psalm 136:26

Oh, give thanks (yadah) to the God of heaven! For His mercy (loving devotion) endures forever.

Psalm 146:5, 6

Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keeps truth for ever. 

Dear God,

I worship You and adore You, for You are a holy God. Had You given me only life, I would still praise You. But You have given me not only life, but the provisions of life required to sustain me, cover me and protect me. 

You have given me freedom from the chains of sin by the sacrifice of Your perfect Lamb, Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who was tortured and crucified for my benefit: to wash away my sins and make me clean. He who rose from the dead and walked out of the grave is now my Savior and my Friend. You did that and You did it for me, because I believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord of All, even me.

You have given me Your Holy Spirit, who sanctifies me internally that I might shine like silver and be purified like gold: in the flame until You see Yourself in me. Be glorified, O God, by my thoughts, my words and my actions. 

Help me to truly know You and ever draw closer to You. 

In Jesus' Beautiful Name, I pray,

Amen

Isaiah 6 by Todd Agnew

Forever by Michael W. Smith

Intentional Worship -- Job

 Job had just lost everything: his cattle and servants, his sheep and the shepherds, his camels and the servants who took care of them, his children: gone in a day.

Job 1:20, 21

Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Job himself is struck with boils from the top of his head to the soles of his feet (Job 2:7).

But does he deny God? No, even yet, Job worships God and testifies to his wife of God's wisdom.

Job 2:10

“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job had three friends who came to grieve with him in his time of loss. They sat quietly, not speaking, for seven days on the ground beside him. Until Job spoke. In their efforts to comfort him, they ended up speaking against him. 

Job 4 & 5: Eliphaz rebuked him for his lack of faith.

Job 8: Bildad accuses Job of being less than perfect before God and that God was asleep while these calamitous events occurred.

Job 11: Zophar accuses Job of hypocrisy and having hidden sins; he wants God to speak against Job.

Job reiterates his trust in God.

Job 13:15

Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain my own ways before Him (defend myself, plead my cause). 

Job's response to his accusers is classic: Job 16:2 "I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are you all." (italics mine) 

I would think that with friends like those I'd much rather grieve alone. Wouldn't you?

But they didn't get up and leave; they stayed with Job the entire time. In verse 7 he tells his friends that they have made him feel 'desolate'. In verse 8 he tells them their words 'have given him wrinkles' (aged him). In verse 9 he is even more graphic in how their 'comfort' has made him feel: tearing at him, gnashing upon him with their teeth, focusing their gaze upon him. The scorn they feel for him in his hour of grief is so evident that it feels to Job as if they were wild beasts and enemy archers coming against him to tear him to pieces. (v. 10-13). 

In verse 30 he hoped for a true friend, for a  friend who would intercede for him before God, but he did not have one. 

Job begins to believe that there is no wrong in his heart, that his righteousness is great and that he does not deserve what is happening to him. (Job 19-31) But then Elihu speaks up. Who is this fourth man who is not introduced in the beginning of our saga? 

He is the grandson of Nahor (Genesis 22:20, 21), Abraham's brother, making him Abraham's great-nephew. But who is he to Job? One of Job's young friends, who also thought Job needed to repent for some wickedness in his life which he believed was the reason Job had lost everything and was stricken with this illness (the boils). But Elihu, too, was mistaken. 

For we know, having read in the beginning that God had challenged Satan, that Job had done nothing wrong, that sin was not why he was being tested. We know that Job's faith and trust in God was at stake. And we see that Job came through these spiritual waters and fires with his faith intact. 

Job 38-41 The LORD speaks to Job regarding Job's ignorance of God's ways; God blesses him and Job repents. The LORD also speaks to Job's friends regarding their wicked words against his servant Job and has Job intercede for them. 

This, too, is intentional worship. Job not only heard the LORD, but saw Him (Job 42:5). After Job prayed for his friends, the LORD reversed the tragedies against him and increased his losses doubly, except for his children. He didn't give him twice as many children, but He did give him another brood (v. 15) to raise. He did right by his daughters and gave them an equal share of the inheritance. 

Job 42:16, 17

"After this lived Job 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. And Job died, being old and full of days."

A generation is 40 years. After the LORD gave him children, he lived to see his sons mature and have children of their own, and he saw their children and their children's children. That's a long time to live. And in all those days I believe Job shared what the LORD had done for him with all of his family. 

Intentional worship is to worship God with all of our hearts, our minds, our souls (Mark 12:30; Deuteronomy 6:5). It is loving the LORD God with everything within us even when we don't understand the why of what is happening to us at the time it happens. As Job said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

 

Intentional Worship -- Daniel 6

 Daniel 6:10 

Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

In Daniel's day once the king had written a law and enforced it, the king could not rescind that law. He could, however, make a new law voiding the wrongful law. Until then the bad law remained in effect, especially on the first day it's put into practice. 

Knowing this document, this law, was now in effect Daniel deliberately with full intention of disobeying the unreasonable law prayed three times a day to God. His enemies were always watching him to see if they could catch him doing something illegal. Knowing that Daniel prayed three times a day to his God, they purposefully created and suggested to the king that he enact a law to thwart Daniel's time with God.

Daniel 6:4-8

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, "King Darius, live for ever. 

All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

In Daniel 6:9 we read that the king signed this egregious document, this outrageous law. And now we get to the heart, the meat, of our study: Daniel's intent. 

In the privacy of his own home, in the room he had previously chosen to pray in, Daniel knelt three times a day and prayed to God, thanking Him. 
Can we do that? Knowing that laws have been written against us, laws which will throw us in prison, laws that will attempt to thwart our relationship with God, laws that when enforced will take our very lives? Can we thank God then? How can we thank God then, if we aren't thanking Him now? 

Our worship towards God needs to be intentional, on purpose with purpose. God knows our hearts. If our hearts aren't right with God, then He can't hear our worship: it falls on deaf ears. We must get our hearts aligned with His that He may be glorified in our worship. After all, the purpose of our worship is to love and adore on Him. 

"O Come Let Us Adore Him"  is a call to worship God, first sung by angels at Jesus' birth. But it's more than just a 'Christmas Carol', it's a pleading call to "come and adore God and the Son of God." "Adoration" is fervent (intensity of spirit, burning, enthusiastic) and devoted (zealous, passionate) love, reverence and respect. 

It is impossible to intentionally worship God under these definitions if our hearts are not right with God for our worship comes from our heart, from our souls. What is our soul? Our mind (our thoughts and how we think), our attitude (how we portray what we think and believe, our emotions), our will (putting our thoughts into action, speaking or doing said actions). 

When a person believes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation, their soul becomes saved. We are Saved out of the darkness of sin which separates a person from God. We sincerely and intentionally repent of the sins which we have committed against God and His Word; and He forgives us. We pray for His Holy Spirit to live in us and mold us into the people created us to be, discarding the uncleanness that is in our hearts and replacing it with the Word of God, which we read and study daily that it might be written in our hearts by God. 

Psalm 95:6

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

We who have walked out of the dark and into the His Light rejoice for the mercies of God on us, for His compassion and lovingkindness towards us! How can we not thank Him for all He has done for us? We bow now, we kneel before Him INTENTIONALLY and ON PURPOSE, WITH PURPOSE. 

Isaiah 45:23

By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone out from My mouth, a Word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.

Romans 14:11

It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God."

Philippians 2:8-11

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Daniel's faith in God, his love for His God, was greater than any law that the king could produce. Nonetheless, Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, where he remained safely, for the Lord God had shut the lions' mouths and kept them from killing Daniel, which was the intent and purpose of the men who rose against him. And then they were thrown into the lions' den and received their intent upon themselves. 

Daniel's faith was counted unto him as righteousness. He is mentioned once more in the Book of Hebrews, in 'The Hall of Faith': Verse 33: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions (Daniel 6:22= "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.” )

Again I ask, is your worship intentional? Are you and I purposefully, with a righteous heart, worshiping God? We can only answer these questions truthfully when we allow the work of the Holy Spirit to convict us when we have done wrong in God's sight and bring us to repentance when we kneel before Him with humble hearts, seeking His face and eagerly listening for His voice.