Bible League: Living His Word "God is spirit, so the people who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."— John 4:24 ERV In the testimony of the Samaritan woman at the well we have an example of "religion" being one of the most common excuses in refusing the true God. Whether it be from a moralist such as Nicodemus or an immoralist such as the Samaritan woman, people want to justify sin by saying they are religious. "I go to church; I'm good with God" is a feeble expression of religion and they know not what they truly worship. In John 4:23, Jesus says the time has come for true worship—a reference to His deity and the way of salvation, truth, and life. And verse 24 takes the Samaritan woman's false religious theology out of the realm of time and place and makes it a matter of the heart with God. The woman was using her worship of God as a cover for her immoral life. But it was not a true worship of the heart. True worship of God will move from an action of the flesh to an expression of the heart, creating a sense of reverence and fear that will turn from immoral actions. Job is described as one who feared God and eschewed evil (Job 1:1). One's true worship of God will compel a reverent fear of God giving one a corresponding fear of evil. Jesus said, "Fear not those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). To worship God is to worship Him in "spirit and truth." To worship in spirit is to worship from the heart. Not from carnality, or a form, or a religious service or action, but in fear and sincerity from the heart. To worship in truth is to worship in and through the true way of God. True worship is not a religious activity, but rather a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ who is the only mediator between God and believers (1 Timothy 2:5). And to worship in "spirit and truth" will result in a healthy and glorious fear of the awesome God. So beloved of Christ, check your worship. Is it in spirit and truth? Make sure it is personal in relationship with Jesus Christ; spiritual in heart; intellectual; and emotional in fear and reverence. Worship that is manifested in sincere responses of adoration, praise, love, sacrifice, and obedience demonstrates a life lived in God through Jesus Christ our Lord. By Pastor David Massie, Bible League International staff, California USA Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 79, 80, 81 Psalm 79 -- They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 80 -- Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 81 -- Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Romans 8:1-18 Romans 8 -- No Condemnation for those in Christ Jesus; We Are More than Conquerors NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment.”Insight Jesus says that those who believe in him have (not will have) everlasting life. Challenge To receive eternal life is to join in God's life, which by nature is eternal. Thus, eternal life begins at the moment of spiritual rebirth. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Thessalonians 2:18 Satan hindered us.Since the first hour in which goodness came into conflict with evil, it has never ceased to be true in spiritual experience, that Satan hinders us. From all points of the compass, all along the line of battle, in the vanguard and in the rear, at the dawn of day and in the midnight hour, Satan hinders us. If we toil in the field, he seeks to break the ploughshare; if we build the wall, he labors to cast down the stones; if we would serve God in suffering or in conflict--everywhere Satan hinders us. He hinders us when we are first coming to Jesus Christ. Fierce conflicts we had with Satan when we first looked to the cross and lived. Now that we are saved, he endeavours to hinder the completeness of our personal character. You may be congratulating yourself, "I have hitherto walked consistently; no man can challenge my integrity." Beware of boasting, for your virtue will yet be tried; Satan will direct his engines against that very virtue for which you are the most famous. If you have been hitherto a firm believer, your faith will ere long be attacked; if you have been meek as Moses, expect to be tempted to speak unadvisedly with your lips. The birds will peck at your ripest fruit, and the wild boar will dash his tusks at your choicest vines. Satan is sure to hinder us when we are earnest in prayer. He checks our importunity, and weakens our faith in order that, if possible, we may miss the blessing. Nor is Satan less vigilant in obstructing Christian effort. There was never a revival of religion without a revival of his opposition. As soon as Ezra and Nehemiah begin to labor, Sanballat and Tobiah are stirred up to hinder them. What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hindereth us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord's side, and are doing the Lord's work, and in his strength we shall win the victory, and triumph over our adversary. Daily Light on the Daily Path Matthew 22:42 "What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David."Psalm 24:9,10 Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! • Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah. Revelation 9:16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 1 Peter 2:7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," 1 Corinthians 1:23,24 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, • but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Philippians 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, John 21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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