PART 4 - WORSHIPPING GOD FOR HIS SOVEREIGN WAYS
In Exodus 32 to 34 we read of a difficult situation Moses encountered. Alone on Mount Sinai with God, the ten commandments written on two tablets were committed to Him. Meanwhile, trouble had broken out on the plain. The people had made a golden calf and worshipped it. This provoked God to great displeasure and He said to Moses: "Go down, because your people, which you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupted. They have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' I have seen these people," the Lord said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave Me alone so that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them." (Exodus 32:7-10 KJV)
When Moses saw that God's wrath was stirred against His people he entreated God for them, then went down to deal with the situation on the plain. Thereafter he ascended the mount again and in obedience to God's command hewed two stone tablets like the first which he had broken, and with these in his hand he went to the top of Mount Sinai where God made a solemn proclamation, "The Lord, the compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness and our sin." (Exodus 34:6-7 KJV) At this point, it would have been most appropriate for Moses to bow down and worshipped God: but it was after the second part of the proclamation that he did so, and the second part was totally different from the first. The earlier part spoke of God's compassion, and grace, and mercy and forgiveness; but the latter was this: "Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." (Exodus 34:7 KJV) It was when God had proclaimed His awesome majesty and holiness that "Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshipped." (verse 8). It is not merely grace that stirs worship; if we are to be worshippers of God we need to know His holiness.
Comparing verse 8 and 9 of Exodus chapter 34, Moses first worship, then prayed. He first acknowledged the sovereignty of God's ways, then he seeks God's grace. He does not beseech God on the ground of His compassion, and grace, and plenteous mercies, and readiness to forgive to reverse His decision. Our prayer would be like that. We are always trying to persuade God not to do what He has said He would do. Moses was different. He took his right place before God and bowed to His ways.
Beloved, have we been guilty of asking God to do what we knew was contary to His ways of working? Have we sought Him to forgive a certain brother and cease to chasten him even when we knew that His dealings with that brother were right? That is not worshipping God. How often our prayers amount to requesting God to change His ways! Without considering His ways we just open our lips and ask Him to remove the pressure here, the sickness there and the domestic problems elsewhere. To pray after this fashion is seeking grace and ignoring the ways of God. Prayer is the expression of our will but worship is the acceptance of God's will.
How we need to learn from Moses! God made His ways known to him and seeing His majesty and holiness, he fell down before God and worshipped. He did not reason with God about the consequences of God visiting their iniquity to the third and fourth generation. Let us not only learn to accept God's will and do His work, we must also learn to acknowledge His sovereign ways and accept all that He does are for His own good pleasure.
Twelve Basket Full Vol 2 - WWatchman Nee
Copyright (c) TPWC
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
WORSHIPPING THE WAYS OF GOD - PART 3
PART 3 - WORSHIPPING GOD FOR HIS SALVATION
In Exodus 12:27 (KJV) God instructed His people regarding the Passover - "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our home when He struck down the Egyptians. Then the people bowed and worshipped." When God's people saw how God would destroy the firstborn in all the houses of the Egyptians and He would passed over all the houses of the children of Israel; the Passover became a memorable event which invariably provoked worship
Similarly, the Breaking of Bread, like the Passover, is a memorable feast to recall God's mighy works in separating us from the world and it should cause us to worship Him. Each time we partake of the bread and the wine, we should be arrested by His amazing grace and His wondrous ways by which He has brought us out of darkness into His marvellous light.
Note that the Israelities' action was not the result of Moses' instruction. It was their spontaneous reaction when Moses mentioned the significance of the Passover. Worship is not the fruit of mental exercise; it is a spontaneous expression as we behold the ways of God.
Twelve Basket Full Vol 2 - Watchman Nee
In my last post I received a comment from a reader pointing out that it is not easy to put into practice to worship the ways of God; to which I agreed. He asked if there are tips to help us prepare for such a lifestyle of worship to which I answered that the key is in our CHOICE. Yes we choose to worship Him and silent the enemy with our praise.
Actually with regards to the ways of God, to be more precise we have NO CHOICE ... because Worship Belongs To God (see post dated July 7, 2006) .... and because God is God, He will do what deems is right ... His ways & thoughts are higher than ours (see Part 1 dated September 7, 2006 on What are the ways of God?). If our hearts are set to worship God, He will give us unique opportunities (i.e circumstances & situations) to glorify Him. I must say that this level of worship if of a different league because we will not be able see His ways unless we have learn to discipline our life (see Discipline of Worship - posted on June 2, 2006) to live as a lifestyle worshipper. In other words in your daily walk, are you a thankful person? Do you praise God in all circumstances? Do you dare to offer Sacrifice of Praise in adverse circumstances?
We will see in later Part 8 how the righteous man, Job choose to worship God's Way when he was suddenly stripped off of everything. But for now I would like to encourage you to go back to all my past posts to digest on the area of Thanksgiving (posted on June 9, 2006), Private Praise (posted on June 16. 2006) and Sacrifice of Praise (posted on Aug 5, 2006)
Blessings (c) TPWC
In Exodus 12:27 (KJV) God instructed His people regarding the Passover - "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our home when He struck down the Egyptians. Then the people bowed and worshipped." When God's people saw how God would destroy the firstborn in all the houses of the Egyptians and He would passed over all the houses of the children of Israel; the Passover became a memorable event which invariably provoked worship
Similarly, the Breaking of Bread, like the Passover, is a memorable feast to recall God's mighy works in separating us from the world and it should cause us to worship Him. Each time we partake of the bread and the wine, we should be arrested by His amazing grace and His wondrous ways by which He has brought us out of darkness into His marvellous light.
Note that the Israelities' action was not the result of Moses' instruction. It was their spontaneous reaction when Moses mentioned the significance of the Passover. Worship is not the fruit of mental exercise; it is a spontaneous expression as we behold the ways of God.
Twelve Basket Full Vol 2 - Watchman Nee
In my last post I received a comment from a reader pointing out that it is not easy to put into practice to worship the ways of God; to which I agreed. He asked if there are tips to help us prepare for such a lifestyle of worship to which I answered that the key is in our CHOICE. Yes we choose to worship Him and silent the enemy with our praise.
Actually with regards to the ways of God, to be more precise we have NO CHOICE ... because Worship Belongs To God (see post dated July 7, 2006) .... and because God is God, He will do what deems is right ... His ways & thoughts are higher than ours (see Part 1 dated September 7, 2006 on What are the ways of God?). If our hearts are set to worship God, He will give us unique opportunities (i.e circumstances & situations) to glorify Him. I must say that this level of worship if of a different league because we will not be able see His ways unless we have learn to discipline our life (see Discipline of Worship - posted on June 2, 2006) to live as a lifestyle worshipper. In other words in your daily walk, are you a thankful person? Do you praise God in all circumstances? Do you dare to offer Sacrifice of Praise in adverse circumstances?
We will see in later Part 8 how the righteous man, Job choose to worship God's Way when he was suddenly stripped off of everything. But for now I would like to encourage you to go back to all my past posts to digest on the area of Thanksgiving (posted on June 9, 2006), Private Praise (posted on June 16. 2006) and Sacrifice of Praise (posted on Aug 5, 2006)
Blessings (c) TPWC
Saturday, September 16, 2006
WORSHIPPING THE WAYS OF GOD - PART 2
WHAT ARE GOD'S WAYS?
WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO WORSHIP THE WAYS OF GOD?
Kindly read the answers posted on 7 September 2006
PART 2 - WORSHIPPING GOD FOR HIS CEASELESS CARE
In Exodus chapter 4 we read about the story of the Israelites in bondage in the Land of Egypt. When God sent Moses and Aaron to tell the children of Israel that He had seen their affliction and was about to deliver them from the bondage of the Egyptians, "they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped." (Exodus 4:29 KJV)
Do you see the people of God worshipping Him for His ways? But the situation recorded here is very different from the first example (read Part 1 posted on 7 September 2006). No change had actually taken place in the condition of God's people when they bowed their heads in worship. They had only been assured that God had seen their affliction and was going to deliver them. They were told by Moses and Aaron that God had not forgotten them those four hundred thirty years and it was this assurance that provoked worship.
We are often unable to worship God because in our trials we think He has forgotten us. We are cast down because of prolonged domestic difficulties; but whose domestic difficulties have lasted four hundred thirty years? We have been sick and have long hoped for healing; we have been out of employment for months and still cannot find a job; the same old harrassing circumstances remain. So we come to the conclusion that God has not taken note of all our trials and has left us to our own resources. How can we worship Him? Our lips are silenced.
But a day comes when we see God and understand His ways, and immediately we know that He has never forgotten us. In that day our silenced lips are opened and with bowed head we acknowledge that all that we have gone through has been working for our good. (Romans 8:28) We see God's grace in everything and we worship His ways!
Extract From Twelve Basket Full Vol 2 - Watchman Nee
It is an easy thing to worship God in a mass gathering because there is no cost attached. What if one day, our circumstances are against us? Can we still give thanks and offer sacrifice of praise?
God is still seeking for worshippers who dare to worship Him in all His ways upon their lives. We must come to a point where all our entire future hinges on the matter of our worshipful acceptance of all His dealings with us. We must come to a stage where we worship Him for everthing it pleases Him to give and for everything it pleases Him to take away.
When we have really seen Who God is, we will fall before Him and acknowledge that all His ways with us are right ways, and we will worship Him because He has done all things well.
Copyright (c) TPWC
WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO WORSHIP THE WAYS OF GOD?
Kindly read the answers posted on 7 September 2006
PART 2 - WORSHIPPING GOD FOR HIS CEASELESS CARE
In Exodus chapter 4 we read about the story of the Israelites in bondage in the Land of Egypt. When God sent Moses and Aaron to tell the children of Israel that He had seen their affliction and was about to deliver them from the bondage of the Egyptians, "they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped." (Exodus 4:29 KJV)
Do you see the people of God worshipping Him for His ways? But the situation recorded here is very different from the first example (read Part 1 posted on 7 September 2006). No change had actually taken place in the condition of God's people when they bowed their heads in worship. They had only been assured that God had seen their affliction and was going to deliver them. They were told by Moses and Aaron that God had not forgotten them those four hundred thirty years and it was this assurance that provoked worship.
We are often unable to worship God because in our trials we think He has forgotten us. We are cast down because of prolonged domestic difficulties; but whose domestic difficulties have lasted four hundred thirty years? We have been sick and have long hoped for healing; we have been out of employment for months and still cannot find a job; the same old harrassing circumstances remain. So we come to the conclusion that God has not taken note of all our trials and has left us to our own resources. How can we worship Him? Our lips are silenced.
But a day comes when we see God and understand His ways, and immediately we know that He has never forgotten us. In that day our silenced lips are opened and with bowed head we acknowledge that all that we have gone through has been working for our good. (Romans 8:28) We see God's grace in everything and we worship His ways!
Extract From Twelve Basket Full Vol 2 - Watchman Nee
It is an easy thing to worship God in a mass gathering because there is no cost attached. What if one day, our circumstances are against us? Can we still give thanks and offer sacrifice of praise?
God is still seeking for worshippers who dare to worship Him in all His ways upon their lives. We must come to a point where all our entire future hinges on the matter of our worshipful acceptance of all His dealings with us. We must come to a stage where we worship Him for everthing it pleases Him to give and for everything it pleases Him to take away.
When we have really seen Who God is, we will fall before Him and acknowledge that all His ways with us are right ways, and we will worship Him because He has done all things well.
Copyright (c) TPWC
Thursday, September 07, 2006
WORSHIPPING THE WAYS OF GOD - PART 1
If we truly intend to be worshippers of God, then a day must come in our lives when we realise that merely knowing Him as our Father and ourselves as His children is totally inadequate. We need to know God as God and ourselves as His bond servants. Until this revelation breaks upon us, we will not be able to experience the reality of worshipping Him in truth. Such a revelation of God will cause us to fall down before Him and it will lead us to acknowledge that His ways are higher than our ways; and we are but His subject called to accomplish His will.
WHAT ARE GOD'S WAYS?
His ways are His method of doing what He decided to do. And in relation to us they are His dealings with us whereby He accomplishes His purpose concerning us. His ways are higher than our ways and they leave no room for our choice. He deals with one person in this manner and with another person in that manner. Many Christians are often perplex with God's ways and His dealings; they usually ask: Why? For example when we read in the Bible the story of Jacob and Esau, our natural reaction would ask: "Why did God love Jacob and not Esau?" Jacob was a deceiver, yet God says, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hate." (Malachi 1:2-3)
To question why God loved Jacob and not Esau proves that we have not seen God as God. Those who have seen His sovereign right will simply acknowledge that God is God and He does what He does because He is Who He is. God's ways are the expression of His choice and the manifestation of His desire. What He has determined to do He does in the way that will secure His end. Hence His providential dealings with men vary according to the purpose He has for each life.
WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO WORSHIP THE WAYS OF GOD?
In order that we may learn this truth, let us consider a few of the Old Testament saints who, as true worshippers, learned to worship Him and His ways:
PART 1 - WORSHPPING GOD FOR A PROSPEROUS WAY
The first example is found in Genesis chapter 24. This is a story of Eliezer, Abraham's servant, who was given the responsibility to find a wife for His master's son, Issac. Abraham was then living in Canaan and to reach Mesopotamia involved crossing two rivers and a stretch of desert in between. It was a difficult task for Eliezer to travel to a distance strange land and to persuade a young woman to accept this offer of marriage.
But Eliezer was looking to God. He prayed, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See I am standing beside this spring, and the daughter of the town people are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says,'Drink, and I will water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." (Genesis 24:12-14)
Abraham's servant had not even finish praying when Rebekah arrived at the well, and in detail all his requests were transpired (imagine the time taken and amount of water needed to feed ten camels). But what if the girl was not of Abraham's family? So Eliezer asked about her connections. As soon as he was assured that Rebekah was a relative of Abraham, he "Bowed his head and worshippied the Lord." (Genesis 24:26)
Do you see the ways of God? if you request Him to do certain thing and begin to trust Him, and then things fall out as you asked, you will adore Him for His ways with you. What does it means to worship the ways of God? It is to render all glory to Him. When you are faced with some difficulty and He carried you through, do you just rejoice in the prosperity of your way? It was not with Eliezer, He did not even stop to talk to Rebekah, he straightaway worshipped. He did not feel embarrassed but instantly bowed his head and blessed the Lord.
There is a connection between glory and worship. To bring glory to the lord is to worship Him and it is our bowing before Him that is true worship. The proud in heart cannot worship Him because they will find it difficult to bow to Him. When their way is prosperous they attribute it to their own ability or to chance; they do not give glory to the Lord. To be a true worshipper is to offer without reservation all the thanksgiving, praise and worship to Him for everything we meet. At every turn Abraham's servant did so. When he went with Rebekah to her home and explained his mission and found Laban and Bethuel willing to let Rebekah go at once, again his instantaneous and spontaneous reaction was to adore the ways of God. "He bowed himself down to the ground before the Lord." (Genesis 24:52)
As worshippers, we must not only learn to recognise His works, but we must learn to acknowledge the way He works. Apart from from worshipping Him for Who He is, we must learn to worship the ways of His working in our lives. If our hearts are set to be worshippers of God, He will give us more and more opportunity to worship Him. God will orders all our affairs so that we may brin Him the worship that He desires. At times He will make our way so prosperous that we have to acknowledge it is He alone Who did it, and all the glory goes to Him.
Remarks - look out for the Part 2 - Worshipping God For His Ceaseless Care
Extract From Twelve Baskets Full Volume 2 - Watchman Nee
Copyright (c) TPWC
WHAT ARE GOD'S WAYS?
His ways are His method of doing what He decided to do. And in relation to us they are His dealings with us whereby He accomplishes His purpose concerning us. His ways are higher than our ways and they leave no room for our choice. He deals with one person in this manner and with another person in that manner. Many Christians are often perplex with God's ways and His dealings; they usually ask: Why? For example when we read in the Bible the story of Jacob and Esau, our natural reaction would ask: "Why did God love Jacob and not Esau?" Jacob was a deceiver, yet God says, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hate." (Malachi 1:2-3)
To question why God loved Jacob and not Esau proves that we have not seen God as God. Those who have seen His sovereign right will simply acknowledge that God is God and He does what He does because He is Who He is. God's ways are the expression of His choice and the manifestation of His desire. What He has determined to do He does in the way that will secure His end. Hence His providential dealings with men vary according to the purpose He has for each life.
WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO WORSHIP THE WAYS OF GOD?
In order that we may learn this truth, let us consider a few of the Old Testament saints who, as true worshippers, learned to worship Him and His ways:
PART 1 - WORSHPPING GOD FOR A PROSPEROUS WAY
The first example is found in Genesis chapter 24. This is a story of Eliezer, Abraham's servant, who was given the responsibility to find a wife for His master's son, Issac. Abraham was then living in Canaan and to reach Mesopotamia involved crossing two rivers and a stretch of desert in between. It was a difficult task for Eliezer to travel to a distance strange land and to persuade a young woman to accept this offer of marriage.
But Eliezer was looking to God. He prayed, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See I am standing beside this spring, and the daughter of the town people are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says,'Drink, and I will water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." (Genesis 24:12-14)
Abraham's servant had not even finish praying when Rebekah arrived at the well, and in detail all his requests were transpired (imagine the time taken and amount of water needed to feed ten camels). But what if the girl was not of Abraham's family? So Eliezer asked about her connections. As soon as he was assured that Rebekah was a relative of Abraham, he "Bowed his head and worshippied the Lord." (Genesis 24:26)
Do you see the ways of God? if you request Him to do certain thing and begin to trust Him, and then things fall out as you asked, you will adore Him for His ways with you. What does it means to worship the ways of God? It is to render all glory to Him. When you are faced with some difficulty and He carried you through, do you just rejoice in the prosperity of your way? It was not with Eliezer, He did not even stop to talk to Rebekah, he straightaway worshipped. He did not feel embarrassed but instantly bowed his head and blessed the Lord.
There is a connection between glory and worship. To bring glory to the lord is to worship Him and it is our bowing before Him that is true worship. The proud in heart cannot worship Him because they will find it difficult to bow to Him. When their way is prosperous they attribute it to their own ability or to chance; they do not give glory to the Lord. To be a true worshipper is to offer without reservation all the thanksgiving, praise and worship to Him for everything we meet. At every turn Abraham's servant did so. When he went with Rebekah to her home and explained his mission and found Laban and Bethuel willing to let Rebekah go at once, again his instantaneous and spontaneous reaction was to adore the ways of God. "He bowed himself down to the ground before the Lord." (Genesis 24:52)
As worshippers, we must not only learn to recognise His works, but we must learn to acknowledge the way He works. Apart from from worshipping Him for Who He is, we must learn to worship the ways of His working in our lives. If our hearts are set to be worshippers of God, He will give us more and more opportunity to worship Him. God will orders all our affairs so that we may brin Him the worship that He desires. At times He will make our way so prosperous that we have to acknowledge it is He alone Who did it, and all the glory goes to Him.
Remarks - look out for the Part 2 - Worshipping God For His Ceaseless Care
Extract From Twelve Baskets Full Volume 2 - Watchman Nee
Copyright (c) TPWC
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