I came across this article ( see below) in a paper my husband gets called " Pulpit Helps", and haven't been able to get it off my mind. I have to tell you that I am troubled by some of the things I see going on in our churches these days in the name of religion and worship. I know worship comes in different forms. Some people raise their hands and praise God in services...I have no problem with that. Many churches have testimony services...don't have a problem with that either...some sing hymns...others praise and worship songs...I love both! However, there are things going on and people with attitudes about who Jesus is and how we ought to worship that are not scriptural.
So many times I see so little reverence in churches and among God's people.
God is holy...He is not a " good old boy" the way some people would like to portray Him. He's there for us 24 hours a day, but many seem to be misled or misunderstand that He is still the God of the universe. He is still holy.
I have a problem with the "head banging" ( so called Christian rock) music that many of our youth are listening to. I taught the youth class at our church for several years and this is what I told them about their music. ....If it appeals to the flesh I can't see where it would be of God. If it appeals to the spirit...then yes, I would say it is from God. God teaches us to be different from the world. If you walk like a duck, and quack like a duck...then you must be a duck. I want to walk and talk like Jesus. I want to be different than the people who associate themselves with the things of this world. I know He loves us even when we're not so lovable ( which, many times, is pretty often), but we are to strive to be like Him.
Jesus is my Savior...and yes, my friend. But when I think of Him and all He did for me at Calvary and all He does for me each day of my life...I want to fall at His feet and worship Him...He's my friend, but He's not my buddy. I love Him and adore Him and worship him! He is worthy of all honor and praise! Let's give Him our very best!
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JESUS IS NOT JUST A BUDDY
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We are living in a day when men think they can rush into the presence of God and treat the Lord Jesus as if He is just a buddy. May I say to you that He is high and holy and lifted up. If He should appear in your church next Sunday morning, nobody would rush up to Him, nobody would become familiar with Him. Everybody would go down on their faces before Him. That is the picture the Word of God gives. No one was as close to Him on earth as was His disciple, John. John would come to Him and make suggestions. The Lord Jesus never asked for advice, nor did He follow man's advice, but John was there to give it. Then in the Upper Room, John even reclined on His bosom. He was familiar with Him. But, my friend, when he saw the glorified Christ on the Isle of Patmos, he fell at His feet as if dead( Rev. 1:17) He did not rush into His presence.
You and I deal with a holy God.
From Isaiah -His Call and Commission
by J. Vernon McGee~Thru the Bible Radio
5 comments:
I've been very alarmed at the movement to see Jesus as your best buddy. I am doing Breaking Free right now, and as Isaiah has his vision of seeing the Lord, his first observation is the seraphim crying "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, is the Lord" and his immediate response is he is a man of unclean lips. Oh that in the Light of His Holiness, I would fall before Him and know my sin, that He might touch my lips and make me pure. Can you tell I'm still stuck right there in that beautiful and HOLY image of our Lord? It is a good place, but a terrifying one at the same time. Way too much for a first comment, but here I am. Anyway, I thank you for your visit to my blog today and hope you return. I will be stopping back here also. Take care, annie
Annie, thank you so much for your comments and for visiting my blog...if you can call it that ~smile~. (I am so new at this, I guess you can tell, huh?)
Anyway...I know many don't hold my views concerning some of the music we hear in the name of
religion these days...so I have half expected to get some negative comments from anyone who might chance to pop in and read this particualr post.
I love the Lord with all my heart and it hurts me to see so many taking Him so lightly....He truly is Holy! One of my favorite songs is an old one entitled " I Bowed on My kness and Cried Holy". I am actually anxious to be in His Presence face to face! But I know I shall be like John....face down before Him!
Again, thanks for stopping by! (I am still reading over at 'your place'!)
I came over here from Annie's blog and read your post a little while ago. I stopped by to visit some other blogs and yours is still on my mind so I decided to come back again to thank you. I needed to be reminded about how Holy our Lord really is. I might be one of those people who love the kind of music you were talking about. Not sure exactly, I love contemporary Christian music and don't know the difference between that and the rock you were talking about. Anyway... more important is how I think about our Lord. When I've heard the song, "I Can Only Imagine" I really do wonder how I will handle it when I see His face. Thank you for the simple reminder... HE is HOLY and that's it! Sorry to ramble, but God must have wanted me to hear this today!
Much Love,
Angie
Thank you, Angie, for visiting me here...and as I told you in my email to you, I really think the contemporary music you enjoy and the so called Christian rock I am speaking of are 2 very different kinds of music.
I hope you'll stop by again from time to time and visit me again!
I certainly agree that Jesus is our friend and not our buddy. That being said our behavior when we come before Him should reflect reverence. It should demonstrate an awe and a humbleness.
In the Bible many people when in the presence of the Spirit of God would bow, or take off their shoes as a demonstrative effort to show how awesome God is and how much we are in need of Him.
Many people even our youth are in different stages of relationship with God. Some fear him but don't love Him. Some know about Him but don't really know Him. I think that the ways in which people choose to worship the Lord can be a reflection the relationship that they share with God.
BTW, thank you for visiting my blog. It has been awhile since I have seen you visit but I didn't forget you. I recognized your blog name immediately since it is uniquely written.
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