True Worshiper

Dear Friend,
How are you?
 
In David Pawson’s teaching on the book of Philippians, he shared what he heard about his grandfather who was a preacher. He said his grandfather always picked up bad fruits on a plate when they were shared. And one day, people asked him why he always picked up bad fruits, and he said, “If I wouldn’t, somebody else should.” And David said the story told what kind of person he was. At the end of his teaching, he said he read many books about holiness, but he learned holiness from people around him rather than those books. I noticed he got emotional for a second, fighting back tears. I thought to myself that perhaps he meant his grandparents and his late daughter. I couldn’t agree more with David. I think it’s really one thing to talk about holiness, and another to live it out.
 
I read a Derek Prince’s book, “Entering the Presence of God”, keeping “the fear of God” in my mind. He wrote in the book, “The word ‘Hypocrisy’ comes from the Greek word for actor. .....  You will find that many religious people use even a different tone of voice inside the church. When they pray, they take on an artificial, false voice.” I wouldn’t want to hear from the LORD in front of the Judgment seat, “You were a great actress!”  That would be the last thing I would want to hear.
 
I have been grateful to the Lord that He taught me through many faithful servants of Him that holiness is not about religious activity, and true worship is not lifting our hands, being emotional. But it’s all about obeying His Words. Two or three years ago, I listened to Pastor Lou Engle’s sermon online on “Nazarite Calling”. I smiled, feeling amused, when he said to the young, “Make your bed!” if they felt they were called. Wouldn’t it be true? Some Christians think they are doing the will of God by going to a mission trip or attending worship services or church conferences, while they are negligent at work, they don’t study hard at schools, they don’t help their family, or they don’t pay their debts.
 
Derek Prince wrote about worship in “Entering the Presence of God” and I found his explanation on frankincense very enlightening. “Frankincense is a kind of aromatic gum that comes from trees. In its natural state, it is usually white in color and has no particular attractive qualities. But when it is burned, it sends forth a beautiful and distinctive aroma that typifies the worship. In fact, in most instances in the Bible where you find the word describing incense or scent or aroma, it refers to worship.”
 
Dear Friend,
Do you want to be a true worshipper? I do. I realized that we must be sacrificed to be burned, just like frankincense, to be a true worshipper and live holy. We must pick up bad fruits in order to give good ones to others and we must make our bed and clean our toilet. We must come to the office early to serve others better.
I pray that you and I become holy and become true worshipers by our deeds and our lives, not by our words and rituals.
 
Have a bliss!
Yunee

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Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,  “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?  When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?  Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”
Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying,  “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’ (Zechariah 7:4~10)