Your pattern of worship will change, the watchman heard

A new pattern of worship has birthed, just as the Lord has foretold the watchman one morning in June when the Lord showed him the verse, “Your pattern of worship will change.” (Deu12:8)
In the micro house church the members from a few families range from seniors in their 70s and 60s to a junior of 5-6 years old. There is a representative variety of ages in between, including, 10s, 20s, 40s and 50s. the only missing age group is the 30s. The watchman observed.
Today’s gathering consisted of the older groups, as the younger ones are elsewhere. The worship, prayers in the Spirit and in understanding, and words went on for five hours. There was not one sick and not one feeble. (The oldest member who used to receive ‘infirm’ report, now walks about without support and she also raises her hands and says Amen and Amen as the Spirit of the Lord leads her when others pray. It is a weekly miracle as she sits through at least three hours and more of worship!)
The singing in the Spirit went supernaturally for a long time until there was a heavenly choir in training. The sound blended like the blowing of a gentle wind, rustling the leaves in poetic rhythm. The Bible verse, “He who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit with Him” came to reality to each of the participants.
As there was no fixed sequence or program, the Spirit led them to listen to the words of God first, followed by Holy Communion, and worship. By the time they listened to the message, they were merely continuing what the Lord had communicated to them through a pastor who was prompted to send some verses to the watchman on the previous day’s afternoon after the watchman had interceded and asked the Lord for the baptism with the Holy Spirit for the group who had earnestly sought the Lord daily now for a week. The pastor did not know this group. He was just led to send the verses to the watchman. After midnight he sent a third verse too. The three verses formed the basis of the day’s message. Amazing and awesome. They were all convicted by the verses and repented one by one.
After the five hours of worship, the group proceeded to watch the book of Acts in another brethren’s house for another two hours. As the young ones were elsewhere, the grown ups decided to eat up all the snacks of ice cream, fruits, chips and nuts. it was a wonderful Lord’s day, living the Holy Spirit way!
___________________Deuteronomy 12 (NLT)

The Lord’s Chosen Place for Worship

12 “These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live.
² “When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. ³ Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods!
⁴ “Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. ⁵ Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored. ⁶ There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your herds and flocks. ⁷ There you and your families will feast in the presence of the Lord your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the Lord your God has blessed you.
⁸ “Your pattern of worship will change. Today all of you are doing as you please, ⁹ because you have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. ¹⁰ But you will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you. When he gives you rest from all your enemies and you’re living safely in the land, ¹¹ you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.
¹² “You must celebrate there in the presence of the Lord your God with your sons and daughters and all your servants. And remember to include the Levites who live in your towns, for they will receive no allotment of land among you. ¹³ Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings just anywhere you like. ¹⁴ You may do so only at the place the Lord will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you.
¹⁵ “But you may butcher your animals and eat their meat in any town whenever you want. You may freely eat the animals with which the Lord your God blesses you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you now eat gazelle and deer. ¹⁶ But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.
¹⁷ “But you may not eat your offerings in your hometown—neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor any offering to fulfill a vow, nor your voluntary offerings, nor your sacred offerings. ¹⁸ You must eat these in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the Lord your God in all you do. ¹⁹ And be very careful never to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.
²⁰ “When the Lord your God expands your territory as he has promised, and you have the urge to eat meat, you may freely eat meat whenever you want. ²¹ It might happen that the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—is a long way from your home. If so, you may butcher any of the cattle, sheep, or goats the Lord has given you, and you may freely eat the meat in your hometown, as I have commanded you. ²² Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you do now with gazelle and deer. ²³ But never consume the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the lifeblood with the meat. ²⁴ Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water. ²⁵ Do not consume the blood, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what pleases the Lord.
²⁶ “Take your sacred gifts and your offerings given to fulfill a vow to the place the Lord chooses. ²⁷ You must offer the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat. ²⁸ Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord your God.
²⁹ “When the Lord your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land, ³⁰ do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’ ³¹ You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.
^32 [a]“So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 12:32 Verse 12:32 is numbered 13:1 in Hebrew text.

How to see God's power and glory?

the cross life

Psalm 63:1-5

New King James Version (NKJV)

Joy in the Fellowship of God

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
⁴ Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

Watchman’s Adventure: A Freedom Song for End Times

 The watchman sang one song in his spirit throughout the night. When he woke he realized it is Psalm 103. The verses he kept repeating are: verses 1-5. When he read the whole psalm he received it as a “flight to freedom” song. So he sings.

What a wonderful yearend this has become!
______________________________

Psalm 103

A Psalm of David.

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;


And all that is within me, bless His holy name!


2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,


And forget not all His benefits:


3 Who forgives all your iniquities,


Who heals all your diseases,


4 Who redeems your life from destruction,


Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,


5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,


So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


6 The LORD executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.

8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

9 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

_________________________

15 As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.[a]

17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

18 To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven,


And His kingdom rules over all.



20 Bless the LORD, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.

21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,

You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

22 Bless the LORD, all His works,

In all places of His dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Footnotes:

1.Psalm 103:16 Compare Job 7:10

Watchman’s Adventure: One night journey from Lamentations to Revelation!

After midnight, while in a hotel room, the watchman could not sleep so he got up and read the Bible. He was led to read the following passages. It was like he was led through the whole salvation plan. He started from Lamentations wherein the poet prophet mourned the sad state of his nation and cried to God for help as he still had hope in the Lord’s mercy and grace (undeserved favor). Then he was led to read Mark on the full passage towards the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth: the humiliation He went through in the hands of human, His crucifixion, death and burial, and then His resurrection and the power and authority He gave to all believers to follow His footsteps.


After that he was led to read a warning message to a church urging repentance, as in Revelations 3:14-22. By the time he finished praying and proclaiming the word, he thought it was over and he could get to bed. But the Spirit said, carry on and read Chapter four. so he continued, ignoring his body and soul being drawn to sleep by then.

However, it was a wonderful surprise as he read on. Chapter Four brought him to the heavenly realm: “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” It was all about worship in heaven! So the watchman was elated. He has always wanted to go up there like John did and see! He prayed and was told he could ask about things for himself. So he did. At the end of his prayer he thought he saw a vision of the Lion of Judah in his room.

He was told by the Spirit to continue to read Chapter Five, and to his amazement and great joy, he found verse 5 says, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne,has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Then he was led to read descriptions of his ‘job specifications’: ‘prayers of the saints’, ‘redeemed to God by His son’s blood’, ‘kings and priests to our ‘God’.

One final bonus for his night journey: he started to hear unusual sound. It sounded like rushing waters or winds or rustling leaves in the most pleasant ways. He thought it was rain as it originated from above and outside his window. He went to the window and looked out but there was no rain. The night was quiet and still. He listened for a long time and wondered what it was. When he decided to sleep, it stopped. The next morning he read the passage again and realized that it could be the sound of a mighty heavenly choir (made up of hundreds of thousands of angels, living creatures, elders in heaven, creatures on the earth, under the earth and in the sea)! (Rev.5:11-13)

Indeed, it was a very awesome night journey for the watchman in the Holy Spirit!

Lamentations 3 Hope in the Lord’s Faithfulness
1 I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
8 And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers.
58 Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case! For you have redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong they have done to me, Lord. Be my judge, and prove me right.
60 You have seen the vengeful plots my enemies have laid against me.

(The watchman says: Indeed the Lord has taken up this petition. He has heard and adjudicated. He has even paid the penalty for all who believe in Jesus! Jesus alone has borne the rod thirty nine strokes of whipping on His back.)

Mark 15:16-47 Jesus was mocked, crucified, buried
16 The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters 18 Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 24 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. 31 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. 46 Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb.

Mark 16 The Resurrection
but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! 15 And then He (Jesus) told them (the disciples), “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

(The watchman says: The risen Lord has given His believers power and authority to do the work He has done on earth, even greater ones. This is the Kingdom on God on earth.)

Revelation 3 The Message to the Church in Laodicea
14“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

(The watchman says: This church is in deep trouble, being held bondage by a spirit of deception and a host of other evil spirits! Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) is outside and not inside. Can they hear His voice? Will they open the door? Are they willing to be corrected and disciplined? All these are the conditions set in this passage… O resist the devil and submit to God! Stop fooling yourself that you are already victorious if there is no Jesus (God) with you!)

Revelation 4 Worship in Heaven

1 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever).

(The watchman says: He always wants to go up there!!!)

Revelation 5 The Lamb Opens the Scroll

5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne,has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne…He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God 8 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song with these words:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it.

For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus: …13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: …14 And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

End Times Witnessing: How a love-thirsty woman received the Holy Spirit!

Today the watchman has found wonderful fresh revelations in how patiently and determined Jesus is when bringing even a maritally broken (five times divorced) and sinful ‘lawless’ living Samaritan woman to salvation and in-filling of the Holy Spirit! Many want to receive the Holy Spirit but are still outside, thirsting and wondering why they are not in. But a thirsty woman has received by faith on her first encounter with Jesus. How did she do it? (or rather, how did Jesus evangelize?)


The Scripture: (comments from watchman are in bracket)
John 4:7, 9-14 (NLT)

7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”

(Jesus took the initiative to approach the woman voicing out her need for her, “Please give me a drink.” He wanted her to ask Him!)

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

(The woman was just like any natural human, absorbed by what she saw in the physical realm, her past experience and traditional culture and religious practice)

10Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

(But Jesus was not distracted from what He has intended to give her. He wanted to give her a gift, the Holy Spirit in-filling; He also wanted her to ask for this gift!)

11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

(The woman’s response to Him in her physical realm was no surprise. In hind-sight we can all see how she continued plodding away at the wrong track. But don’t we all?)

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

(Jesus, undeterred by this Samaritan-Gentile woman mindset, continued to address her spiritual thirst, and explain patiently what the Holy Spirit is like and how He will meet her unquenchable thirst in her when she is filled! This is further described in the next section of the Gospel of John when Jesus was addressing the multitude of Jewish temple worshippers in Jerusalem)

John 7:37-39 (NIV) 37[ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.]

John 4:15-26 (continue the discourse between the Samaritan woman and Jesus)

15“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

(The Samaritan woman’s attention was finally turned to what Jesus could give her and she asked Him for that supernatural Gift!)

16“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

(Jesus wanted truthfulness from the spiritually thirsty woman. She was looking for love in the wrong places to quench her thirst which can only be met by God in her!)

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim,where our ancestors worshiped?”

(The woman’s response and attention turned to that of God, religion and worship. Despite her marital problems and then ‘lawless’ living, she knew about the key Jewish and Samaritan religious physical difference. Now she wanted to know more and how to worship God correctly. What a change!)

21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the One you worship, while we Jews know all about Him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

(Jesus came to the point of true worship: 1. Know the God-Person Whom you worship, not the place or physical church or congregation group; 2. Know God in the Spirit, and therefore could worship-join to Him, in spirit and in Truth-His word.)

(1 Cor.6:17 (AMP) 17 But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”)

John 4: 25The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”

(The Samaritan woman was thus saved! Her spiritual eyes were opened when she turned to the matter of knowing the true God and true worship, and she recognized and accepted Jesus as the Messiah, her Savior!)

(What a journey Jesus has taken to save just one thirsty soul! Of course, after her salvation, seeing and hearing her testimony, encountering Jesus themselves, many of her countrymen were saved.)

Watchman’s Adventure: how does a watchman encounter God?

The watchman attended a meeting for three days during which he witnessed the presence of the Lord. On the three days of the meeting he was totally engrossed in worshipping God. When the heavenly worship choruses, from Revelations 4:8b and 11, Revelations 5:9, 10, 12, 13b were sung, his spirit soared and he could not help but worship with the heavenly company of angels. Indeed, every time he attended worship by true worshippers (in spirit and in truth), his spirit knew and joined in the worship with awe and reverence. The presence of God is real. He is awed. At the end of the session, he made a very important decision in obedience to the Lord.


When giving testimony after the session, a man testified that he saw angels and gold dusts flowing with the speaker when she spoke on the altar and walked about while preaching God’s words. The watchman took heed even though he did not see them.

He returned to his own church (Prayer House) the next morning. Another participant shared her conviction and decision as a result of the intercessors’ meeting. The watchman translated and shared his own testimony briefly. In the afternoon he conducted a teaching session on Acts 8 (as led by the Spirit). At the end of the session, a participant told him that she saw gold dust on his right temple. Later, another person who was not in his class but attended the morning worship, told him she saw gold dust on his head in the morning when he was testifying for the Lord Jesus.

The gold dust signifies the presence of the Lord.

The sign was an important confirmation to the watchman. He has not expected such a visual sign this time but he takes heed the message. He believes he needs to share this testimony and encourage many other watchmen like him. The following are some of what he believes processes leading to such a manifestation of the presence of the Lord in an ordinary watchman’s life. (Please note that this is just one watchman’s personal experience. You may have your own different ones!)

summary of the watchman’s faith in action processes

1.Praying and asking the Lord to fill him with His glorious presence.

2.Worshipping and praying with a group of similar worshippers full of zeal for the Lord’s glorious presence, worshipping in spirit and in truth as commanded by the Lord.

3.Take heed the Spirit’s reminder and obey the Lord’s command to cast off the weight that hinders his race in faith (Heb.12:1b “Let us lay aside every weight, and sin which so easily ensnare us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”)

4.Take heed the Spirit’s guidance, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2a)

5.Believe the crucial verse: Heb.11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

6.Practices faith in action based on the Bible: seek the Lord, ask and knock, spend more and more time in the presence of the Lord, continue to listen to the Holy Spirit and repent as and when convicted, carry out Biblical prophetic acts as led by the Spirit. Pray and sing in the Spirit (Col.3:16) in every possible time (in quality and quantity).

7.Attend meetings with other like precious faith people to seek and worship the Lord and listen to His messages from other senior godly watchmen. Be mentored by godly seniors who fear the Lord.

8.8. Pray and ask for the manifestations of the spiritual gifts of discernment, word of knowledge and word of wisdom.

9.Feed (in quality and quantity) on the word of God, read the Bible, believe and obey the word of God. Be cleansed and sanctified!

10.Be faithful (devoted) to the Lord.

After the above encounter, the watchman perceives in his spirit indeed the significant upward changes in his spiritual discernment. His prayers have been transformed as he could feel a deep sense of peace and rest in his soul. Reading the word of God opens heaven for him! He has never felt so close to the Lord before. Each day he wakes to see another glorious day with the Lord. Now he knows what it means to worship in spirit and in truth and how real it is! Indeed the test of one’s relationship with the Lord is this worship reality. 1 Cor.6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

God sees the heart. Take heed to guard our hearts, watchmen!

John 4:23-24 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Take heed the word ‘NOW’!

The following are the watchman’s favorite choruses. His whole being sings as he sings them. For those who do not know how to sing these, sing as the Holy Spirit leads you and give you music!)

Heavenly Choruses from the Book of Revelations

Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“ Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!”


Revelation 4:11 “ You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created.”


Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“ You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,


Revelation 5:10 And have made us[a] kings[b] and priests to our God;

And we[c] shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice:

“ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”


Revelation 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“ Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

WHAT IS TRUE WORSHIP?

THE CONTENT OF WORSHIP

“I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). “I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders. I will be glad and exult in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High” (Ps. 9:1 2). “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Ps. 19:1). “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns” (Rev. 19:6).

(John 4:23 24). Jesus told the Samaritan woman: “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Psalm 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 81:9 There shall be no foreign god among you;Nor shall youworshipany foreign god.

Psalm 86:9 All nations whom You have madeShall come and worshipbefore You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.

Psalm 95:1 [ A Call to Worship and Obedience ] Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
Psalm 96:9 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

Zechariah 14:16 [ The Nations Worship the King ] And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worshipthe King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

Acts 24:14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
1 Corinthians 14:25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
Colossians 2:18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Revelation 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ¹¹ “ You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Revelation 22:7-9 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

⁸ Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. ⁹ Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

End Times Witnessing: A king talks with God

TODAY’S REVELATION FOR WATCHMAN:

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

^{1 Kings 8:22} Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven ²³ and said:
“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. ²⁴ You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
²⁵ “Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.‘ ²⁶ And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
²⁷ “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! ²⁸ Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. ²⁹ May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. ³⁰ Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
³¹ “When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, ³² then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence.
³³ “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, ³⁴ then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers.
³⁵ “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, ³⁶ then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
³⁷ “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, ³⁸ and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- ³⁹ then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), ⁴⁰ so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.
⁴¹ “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name- ⁴² for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, ⁴³ then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
⁴⁴ “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, ⁴⁵ then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
⁴⁶ “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; ⁴⁷ and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; ⁴⁸ and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; ⁴⁹ then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. ⁵⁰ And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; ⁵¹ for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.
⁵² “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. ⁵³ For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt.”
⁵⁴ When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. ⁵⁵ He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
⁵⁶ “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. ⁵⁷ May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. ⁵⁸ May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. ⁵⁹ And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, ⁶⁰ so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. ⁶¹ But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

The Dedication of the Temple

⁶² Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. ⁶³ Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings ^[a] to the LORD : twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD.
⁶⁴ On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.
⁶⁵ So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo ^[b] Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the LORD our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. ⁶⁶ On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.