Several years ago when I was in church worshiping, I lifted my hands and began to cry. I believe then God impressed a question on me while I was crying. The question imposed to me was, "Are you crying because of your worldly sorrows or because I was in the reverence presence of God?" I immediately stopped crying and thought about the question.
In truth, I was crying because I was stressed out and yes life at that moment sucked (for a lack of better term). My mind began to ponder. I do not know if the question I asked to the Lord was either in the same day or led on a different day. But during worship I asked the Lord, "Am I even worshiping you in Spirit and Truth?"
After all, how do I know what that means? I remember people telling me to worship in Spirit and Truth. I remember religious people telling me this statement as well. I wonder now if they even knew what that really meant? Let us be honest, do we really know what that means? Is it to raise hands? Is it to look emotional? Is it to cry during worship? How many in church or even at home have even dropped on your KNEES to pray and worship? Now, I am not saying praying or worshiping on your knees is to pray or worship in Spirit and Truth but I am sure it is gets you closer to that reality.
Am I there yet? I am more there now than I was several years ago. Many of us are not fully there but the real question is are we heading toward that completion and reality? Are we growing in His Grace moving from Glory to Glory? Is our faith heading toward completion? Has our love grown into full completion? Is our salvation heading towards completion? If our faith begins like a mustard seed, then it needs to grow into a mature fruit producing tree.
God's people saw the Red Sea part, they received manna from heaven, they received water from a rock, they saw many miracles, and they worshiped and prayed to God yet at the end most did not find the promise land. In fact, scripture says, most of them did not find His Rest but His wrath instead.
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and FULLY COMPLETE) YOUR OWN SALVATION with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
Hebrews 6:1 THEREFORE LET us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the COMPLETENESS AND PERFECTION that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God,
James 2:22 You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was COMPLETED and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.
Colossians 1:28 Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom ( comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may PRESENT EVERY PERSON MATURE (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One).
1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [COMPLETED] salvation,
1 John 2:5 But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:
Even in life here, it is not necessarily how one starts something but rather how one finishes.
Fire of God!
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