Newsletter #251 - September 1999 - By Shepherds Chapel - http://www.shepherdschapel.com/

How are we to worship the Lord? How do we know whether our worship is such that we can expect to hear from Father? You should worship Gos as the Bible instructs. We are going to begin our study with Jesus speaking with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

Spirit is something that is difficult to describe. You can't see i or smell it; however, some can sure feel the Spirit. Truth is something unveiled or revealed. It is reality. Truth is factual, accurate and documented. Truth is our Father's Word. God seeks those out that worship Him in spirit and in truth. Has Father sought you out lately?

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

I didn't see the words maybe or should in this verse. We must worship God in spirit and truth. Father is a Spirit. He is in a different dimension than we are. That is the reason we must worship Him in spirit. You can't see Him, but those who love and reverence Him can sure feel Him. Our Father is very real to those who worship Him in spirit and truth. People must stop playing church. We have allowed prayer to be removed from our schools, and look what has become of our children. The church must become stronger. After all, our leader is the Power of all powers. The current situation cannot stand. It certainly cannot stand among God's election. Let's continue our study in Hebrews. This is basically looking to the 2nd advent.

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.

The just are those who are already justified, that is to say the elect. Draw back in the original language means to conceal. If you hide the truth inside you and don't share it with others, God doesn't like it one little bit. If you see antichrist standing where he ought not to and aren't ready to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you, the risk to the elect is even greater. Don't draw back! We must teach, plant seeds and witness.

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Perdition means destruction and death. This could be your death. I refer to the unforgivable sin, if you being one of the elect draw back at the wrong time. This is very serious, friends. Lets turn to Chapter 12. This verse actually should resume from the point of Hebrew 10:39 ends.

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

The Greek word from which "witness" is translated in this verse means "martus". Our English word martyr also comes from this word. That means that this large number (cloud) of witnesses are willing to die rather than change their belief or faith. Remember, only two will die, but the others would be most certainly willing. They don't draw back, because they are servants of the living God. They aren't playing Church. Don't forget, you must worship Him in spirit and in truth. You must be willing to put it all on the line for Him. Are you preparing to run the race that is before us and never quit? This is a spiritual race Paul speaks of. Are you in training?

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus, the Beginning and the End, endured suffering and humiliation on the cross for you.

Hebrews 12:3 For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Anytime you begin to think things are too difficult, think back on what Christ endured for you on the cross.

Hebrews 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:

God only chastises those He loves. When He chastises you, kiss the paddle and say, "Thank You Father".

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

The father that doesn't correct his children doesn't really love them.

Hebrews 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

If God doesn't correct you, He doesn't feel you are part of His family.

Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

Worship Him in spirit and truth.Humble yourself before Father and live eternally.

Hebrews 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

God corrects you for your own benefit. Chastising hurts; however, the results are worthwhile.

Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

You can't run the race to the best of you ability with your hands hanging down. The straight path is God's Word. Don't allow your path to be cluttered with other things. Be prepared to help your brothers and sisters that turn away from the straight path.

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Pursue peace. The opposite of peace is confusion.

Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

When you allow a root of bitterness to spring up in you, your whole family and you suffer. Doubt and jealousy are primary causes of those roots of bitterness. Nip them in the bud. Serving Father is much too important to allow them to grow.

Hebrews 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

The word fornicator in the Greek means a male prostitute. That is exactly what God thinks of those that are willing to sell that which He has given them.

Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Esau didn't seek repentance from Almighty God. His tears were to his earthly father.

Hebrews 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

They couldn't handle hearing the voice of God. As a result, He gave us the Living Word, Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

Moses himself shook in fear at the sound of God's voice.

Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

The names of the elect are written in heaven. Do you worship in spirit? Do you know that an innumerable company of angels is there even though you can't see them?

Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Abel's blood brought vengeance. The blood of Jesus Christ brought peace, grace and unmerited favor.

Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven."

That time is not too distant in the future, in my opinion. Father will destroy the evil elements with fervent heat as it is recorded in 2 Peter 3:10. Not one hair will be harmed of those who worship God in spirit and in truth. You are a servant who is willing and ready to witness.

Hebrews 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Can you be shaken? I hope not. We already have the victory. There is no need for you to fear anything or anybody, when you stand on the side of the Living God.

Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

It won't be necessary to shake the heaven and the earth after the next shaking. All evil and negative will be destroyed with fervent heat.

Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

That fire is the Holy Spirit that warms your very soul. That fire burns those that are in perdition. God expects serious witnesses that aren't playing church. He is seeking those that worship Him in spirit and in truth.

In His service,
Arnold Murray