Web Analytics
The Prophetic Messenger - March/April 2000 - Are You Prepared For Worship?

The Prophetic Messenger


A Newsletter From Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries
March/April 2000 - Volume 2/Issue 2

Are You Prepared For Worship?

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4

When you enter into church, are you prepared to worship God?

1. What Are The Preparations For Worship?

The Holy Bible shows us that we must prepare ourselves before we enter into God's presence to worship Him. In Exodus, it shows us an example of how God's people had to prepare themselves before they entered into the presence of God. Exodus chapter 19 shows us that after the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt, the Lord told Moses to sanctify the people for two days and on the third day the Lord would come down in the sight of all the people. In Exodus 19:10-11 it says "10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai."

Just as the children of Israel did when they were preparing to come into the presence of God, we as Christians must sanctify ourselves in preparation for worship. How do we do this? By the Word Of God and the Holy Ghost. When I say the Word Of God the Old King James Version is the only True Word Of God (see Memory Verses below if you have questions). The apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5:26-27 "26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." In John 15:3 Jesus said "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." In II Timothy 2:15 it says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." We must not only study the Holy Bible but also put the Word Of God in our hearts. As Psalm 119:11 says "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." In John 15:7 Jesus said "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." We as Christians must daily study and put the Word Of God in our hearts and renew our minds with the Word Of God. In Romans 12:1-2 it says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

When I said the Holy Ghost sanctifies us, first we must understand that we must be baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 19: 1-6 It says "1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." (See "Have You Received The Holy Ghost Since You Believed?" for details about how to receive the Baptism in the Holy Ghost). In Romans 15:16 it says "That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost." and in I Corinthians 6:11 it says "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." As we pray in the gift of tongues and in English daily, the Holy Ghost and the Word of God will purge us and bring us closer to Jesus Christ.

2. God Created Us To Praise Him

God did not create us so that we could live a selfish life but that we would give praise and honor to Him. In Genesis chapter 1, it shows us that God created man on the sixth day in His image. In Genesis 1:26 it states "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Jesus said we must deny ourselves to follow him. Jesus said in Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Jesus said we must seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Also, in I Corinthians 6:19-20 Paul tells us clearly who owns us. In I Corinthians 6:19-20 it says "19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

3. What Praising God Will Do

1. Praise Gives Us Joy: In Nehemiah 8:10 it says "Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength." But how do we get that joy? In Psalm 16:11 it says "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Notice "in thy presence is fulness of joy", To really praise God we have to get our minds off of ourselves and everthing around us and just focus on the LORD. Then we can really enter into His presence. In Psalm 134:2 it says "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD."

2. Praise Or Thanksgiving Will Help Our Prayers To Be Answered: We must praise or thank Jesus Christ for the answer to our prayers. The apostle Paul confirms this in Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

4. How Sin Can Hinder True Worship

The reverence and godly fear is missing today and sin is out of control in many churches. In Exodus chapter 20 it shows us a example of godly fear. In Exodus 20:18-20 it says "18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." Notice how the people wanted Moses to speak to them but Moses said in verse 20 "And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." In Hebrews 12:28-29 it says "28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire."

Many are praising God with their lips only. In Matthew 15:8-9 Jesus said "8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

5. God Is Seeking True Worshippers

In John 4:19-24 it says "19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." God is seeking true worshippers with pure hearts and who will serve him in spirit and in truth. In closing, in I John 3:7-8 "7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." If you are convicted by the Holy Ghost from this message, you must repent and begin to walk in truth of God's Holy Word.

Coming Up In The Next Issue

Is Communism Dead? Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.

Memory Verses

As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: Psalm 50:14-15, Matthew 18:19, Jeremiah 1:5, Hebrews 4:16, Psalm 133:1, I John 5:4, Amos 3:3, Matthew 24:13, Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, Luke 10:19. Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)

Join Us For Service

We invite you to join us for service. For details on where we meet click here.