Sunday
May172009
Touching That Which Is Holy
Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 7:08PM
1 Chronicles 13: 1 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. (2) He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. (3) Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul." (4) The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people. (5) So David assembled all the Israelites, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. (6) David and all the Israelites with him went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim--the ark that is called by the Name. (7) They moved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. (8) David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.
(9) When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. (10) The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. (11) Then David was angry because the Lord's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. (12) David was afraid of God that day and asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?" (13) He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. (14) The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.
When I read this scripture again several weeks ago, something began to stir within me about worship without obedience. David and all of Israel's heart was toward God, it is even said that David was a man after God's heart. They knew to have the presence of God in their midst would bring blessings. To bring the ark back was a good thing.
They were excited and came worshiping with all their might. They brought all matter of instruments and I would imagine they were not only singing but dancing also. What they failed to pay attention to was that touching God's presence in disobedience is dangerous. We can jump, shout and dance before the Lord until the cows come home, but unless it comes from a pure heart it does not touch the heart of God. Worship is called the sacrifice of praise and worship is a good thing. But God says "obedience is better than sacrifice". God had given them specific instructions about moving the ark and yet David and the priests did it their way(a way that seemed right to them). Their way brought death and David got angry. However, once David decided to do it God's way the presence of God rested outside his palace where they worshiped day and night.
The last few weeks my spirit has been so grieved over some of the things going on in the body of Christ that it has made me physically ill. I think I am feeling the grief of the Holy Spirit.
I have known that exposure was coming, but you just never are really ready to hear about it. Just in this short period I have heard of a murder of a young wife and her children that appears to be connected to an affair of the father whom we worked with at large ministry, a group of young people who are up front dancing and "worshiping" at every church meeting and yet sleeping around between services, a son-in-law in a big ministry that was having an affair in every town he went and embezzled mega bucks, etc, etc.
"Christians" are living every day as the world and yet proclaiming to have found the way. Lying, cheating on income tax, cheating on their spouse, stealing, breaking their word, taking what does not belong to them and calling it a blessing of God. Romans 2: 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? (22) You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? (23) You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? (24) As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
We mistake God's mercy for His approval and we continue on the path we are on. Then we get angry when judgment comes and blame God or those who God uses to expose the sin. John the Baptist lost his head because he exposed the sin of Herod, the early Christians were martyred because they exposed the hypocrisy and powerlessness of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Religion and sin can stand together, Christ and sin cannot.
Are we trampling the blood of Jesus under foot? It is no wonder there is no power in the church. The presence of God cannot dwell in an unholy place. Matter of fact, to touch the holiness of God with unholy hands will bring judgment.
God is calling apart a remnant, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a bride. He has His eyes on those who dare to seek to live a separated life and become like Christ. Through this small core will come the power to bring in the last harvest.
Hebrews 10: 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, (20) by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22) let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (23) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (24) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (25) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (26) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, (27) but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. (28) Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. (29) How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
(9) When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. (10) The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. (11) Then David was angry because the Lord's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. (12) David was afraid of God that day and asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?" (13) He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. (14) The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.
When I read this scripture again several weeks ago, something began to stir within me about worship without obedience. David and all of Israel's heart was toward God, it is even said that David was a man after God's heart. They knew to have the presence of God in their midst would bring blessings. To bring the ark back was a good thing.
They were excited and came worshiping with all their might. They brought all matter of instruments and I would imagine they were not only singing but dancing also. What they failed to pay attention to was that touching God's presence in disobedience is dangerous. We can jump, shout and dance before the Lord until the cows come home, but unless it comes from a pure heart it does not touch the heart of God. Worship is called the sacrifice of praise and worship is a good thing. But God says "obedience is better than sacrifice". God had given them specific instructions about moving the ark and yet David and the priests did it their way(a way that seemed right to them). Their way brought death and David got angry. However, once David decided to do it God's way the presence of God rested outside his palace where they worshiped day and night.
The last few weeks my spirit has been so grieved over some of the things going on in the body of Christ that it has made me physically ill. I think I am feeling the grief of the Holy Spirit.
I have known that exposure was coming, but you just never are really ready to hear about it. Just in this short period I have heard of a murder of a young wife and her children that appears to be connected to an affair of the father whom we worked with at large ministry, a group of young people who are up front dancing and "worshiping" at every church meeting and yet sleeping around between services, a son-in-law in a big ministry that was having an affair in every town he went and embezzled mega bucks, etc, etc.
"Christians" are living every day as the world and yet proclaiming to have found the way. Lying, cheating on income tax, cheating on their spouse, stealing, breaking their word, taking what does not belong to them and calling it a blessing of God. Romans 2: 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? (22) You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? (23) You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? (24) As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
We mistake God's mercy for His approval and we continue on the path we are on. Then we get angry when judgment comes and blame God or those who God uses to expose the sin. John the Baptist lost his head because he exposed the sin of Herod, the early Christians were martyred because they exposed the hypocrisy and powerlessness of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Religion and sin can stand together, Christ and sin cannot.
Are we trampling the blood of Jesus under foot? It is no wonder there is no power in the church. The presence of God cannot dwell in an unholy place. Matter of fact, to touch the holiness of God with unholy hands will bring judgment.
God is calling apart a remnant, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a bride. He has His eyes on those who dare to seek to live a separated life and become like Christ. Through this small core will come the power to bring in the last harvest.
Hebrews 10: 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, (20) by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22) let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (23) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (24) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (25) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (26) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, (27) but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. (28) Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. (29) How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
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