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Worship Is

Elijah B. Henderson
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Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wife, Alexandria

Sharise Henderson. Her persistence and diligence as

a worship leader has always inspired me. I am

thankful that God trusts you to stand before His

people and put your worship on display in song. You

have shown me what worship is through your love for

the Father.
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Acknowledgments

A great deal of inspiration for this book is the

people of God dispersed among all cultures and

diverse experiences. It is by my love for you that

I have been commissioned by the Father to write

these words. Id like to thank my family Sharise,

Avery, James, and Cdrick. I am most grateful to my

pastor, Mark Baker who has always spoken Gods

goodness over and into me. My team of readers,

Quinton L. Howard, Nicky Diggs, Larry Lecount,

Jason Henry, Kiara Williams, and Marcus Baker kept

me in the Word of God and constantly encouraged. A

great big thank you goes to my editor Ms. Rhonda

Wells. Thank you for lending your skill and your

smile. And most importantly, my heart is ever

thankful for the grace of God the Father born in

Jesus the Christ and made manifest through His Holy

Spirit. He is the true Author and thusly the

Finisher of this work.

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Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: In the Cool of the Day

Chapter 2: Understanding Self

Chapter 3: Deny Thy Self

Chapter 4: The Law of Sin

Chapter 5: The Burnt Offering

Chapter 6: Desperate for Grace

Chapter 7: Proper Wardrobe for Worship

Chapter 8: Access Granted; Enter In

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Chapter 9: The Experience of Worship

Chapter 10: The Life of Worship

Chapter 11: The Freedom of Worship

Chapter 12: Moving Forward

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Preface

Why now?

As I experience Gods people compared to Gods

presence, I am desperate to give assistance

wherever I can. Ministry is not where you go; its

where you are, so when I see a deficiency, I am

compelled to at least communicate my experience.

This book is merely an attempt to do just that.

I, by no means, am an expert. I mean, who can

consider themselves an authority on God? He has

dealt to each of us the measure of faith, and made

us particularly unique in our expression of that

measure. I do not consider myself of the chief

fabric of the Apostles of old, or the Fathers of

Faith of present; I am simply a worshipper who

feels we need not be anything greater to speak of

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worship. I feel we spend ample time focusing on

what makes us unworthy, which stagnates our

attention to our responsibility to impart into

others.

God has not made us islands to ourselves, but to be

closely knit, working together, fulfilling the

needs of each member. I feel the void in the hearts

of the Body; being filled with vanity and frivolous

acquisitions, ramblings, and vast acquaintances.

They yearn, but without understanding for what they

lack; all the while, God wonders (as if God

wonders) in the Garden looking for worshippers.

Our lives have become cluttered; filled with what

we feel are spiritual things. We have ritualized

prayer, carnalized the communion of the saints,

demonized interdenominational fellowship, and

scrutinized those who weep, those who run, and

those who reverence in silence; making our natural

ability the most confusing act known to man. If man

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is to worship, he must first recognize his

disconnect, and know that he is covered in fig

leaves. This disconnect has been equated with just

sin for so long that we are oblivious to true

fellowship with the Father. We believe if we focus

on not serving the desires of the flesh that we

have fellowship; convinced that by going to church

and singing the songs, worship has taken place.

When we walk away, we are diluted into believing we

have worshipped the King, but our hearts, outside

of these things, are left longing.

Have you ever noticed the depth of your worship

after you have sinned? You passionately pursue God

because you feel this disconnect. I contend, that

disconnect is more prevalent than we know, only we

are too busy notice it. Because our worship is

relegated to these moments, and mostly live our

lives naturally, not lead by the spirit.

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The Bible speaks in terms of high time, today,

and Now. It talks of the immediacy of action,

giving the impression that delay will leave us

unprepared for the Climax or Big Finally. I hear

the clock ticking in my spirit, and feel the

closure at hand, which has prompted an immediate

response. The day is far spent and we must exhaust

every avenue to reach Gods people before dawning

of a new day this is my avenue.

There are far more ways than writing a book. Some

say this is the greatest way to conceal

information, locking it between the forward and

bibliography, for only the most inquisitive of

intellectuals to ever breach the unlocked doors of

its cover; but in this age, there is a wave

sweeping the globe. People are gathering

information as if reaping a harvest; collecting

into their bosom the technologies that were never

accessible to the masses before.

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I believe, as the Church, we have a responsibility

to God, and His people, to take advantage of the

means, use them to glorify Him, and edify His

church. In doing so, we harmonize with Heaven by

the execution of Gods desire for worship.

All the day long, the angels cry holy, holy,

holy; therefore, let His will be done on earth, as

it is in Heaven, and lets worship the Lord our

God; for He is holy.

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Introduction

First let me exhort you for opening this book. You

have chosen it because you are intrigued about the

worship of the Father. I am thankful that you have

answered the Unction in your spirit, prompting you

to go on to know Him even the more. It is good for

us to know the Father more intimately than we do at

the present; therefore I am thankful that He has

chosen me, as a vessel of honor, to assist you in

your quest for a deeper revelatory experience in

your adoration of the Creator. I pray as you peruse

through these pages, it kindles a flame that burns

in conjunction with the passion you already have in

your heart.
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Secondly, I implore that you stop reading right now

and grab your Bible, as this is an aid to the Bible

and not an alternative to it. In like fashion, I

ask that before you continue, read Genesis chapters

1-3. It is here our study will begin and is the

centralizing theme of this writing. If you start

with these chapters, and keep your Bible handy, you

will get the full understanding of this work and

also your work in Him.

Lastly, as you read this book, do not conclude that

any portion is not applicable to you. If you are a

man, and I have mentioned Woman, do not imagine

that you are exempt from the information. As man is

born of woman, he is susceptible to the very same

failures of the first Woman. Likewise, if man is

the current subject matter and you are a woman,

please know that woman is born of the seed of man.

This book does not focus the blame, of the fall of

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man, on either man or woman singularly, but

recognizes that from their beginning they were one

flesh. They failed in their role towards one

another, thusly failing in their role towards God.

This book is intended to cross every line the Body

has drawn to create a separation between one member

and another. If you pray before and after each

chapter, you will, regardless of denomination,

culture, gender, profession, or position, grasp

hold of the same principles the Lord has required

me to write. This is not a conclusive or exhaustive

work, only a good start for your future development

in worship. Share it in your walk, study groups, as

a sermon series, with your children, and in any

other facet the Lord leads you to give it.

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My love for you is eternal and extends to every

person connected to you. I know you will use these

written words to impact your life, and the lives of

those surrounding you. Be of good courage and enjoy

the Word the Lord has spoken to me.

As always,

Peace and Blessings

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Chapter 1

In the Cool of the Day

In the beginning, man walked with God. God sought

man in the cool of the day for fellowship, a time

between Him and man in common union (Communion).

Being that anything unlike God can be in His

presence, one must understand that this fellowship

had to have to transpired in likeness and agreement

with God. There are no recorded expressions of

discontent by man, as if he was displeased with

this relationship, so one would assume that his

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pleasure and Gods were mutual; and there was

harmony in the relationship between God and man.

God, being all knowing, knew the task of tending to

the Garden was great, and He was aware that man

could not bear the burden alone. He even stated,

It is not good for man to be alone, considering

that man needed companionship and assistance to

help shoulder the responsibility of filling the

earth. All else He created was good, standing

alone, but man was not good without Woman.

Therefore God, intending to make all of His

finished work good, caused a sleep to fall upon

Adam (His complete work) and made a being

comparable to him. This being, joined together with

Adam, would be the completed, finished good work.

Adam called this being Woman. She was the

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completion of who he was, bone of bone and flesh of

flesh, and God established their unity as His

goodness. Since God had already given him naming

rights to everything in the Garden, Adam

established the limitations of all creation by what

he called it. In like manner, he established the

limitations of Woman by calling her bone of bone

and flesh of flesh; failing to inform her, that

while like him, she was just as much like God.

The serpent saw this failure to fully inform Woman

as an opportunity to create separation in what God

had made good. He told Woman God was a cruel God;

that God was unwilling to share His knowledge of

all things with her, and it was only by defiance of

His decrees that she would be like He was.

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Woman saw this as her opportunity to become more

than what she had known herself to be; seeking to

exalt herself to the equality of God. Her inner

turmoil led her straight into the jaws of

deception, and deception into the abyss of

separation from goodness. When she took and ate the

fruit, the birth of Self exaltation/idolatry

(worship) was born. The troubling fact is she was

already like God, except she did not know it and

did not ask. She consulted her own wisdom and not

the Source of all wisdom; operating according to

her own rule.

Now Adam, as the Bible states, was with her as she

ate. His witness was of unmitigated defiance of the

instruction that God had given. This would not have

been as damaging to his psyche had Woman suffered

the promised fate of death, as God had proclaimed,

but she did not die. In fact, she now gave him an
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opportunity to bask in the same state of

disobedience. His very own flesh was now tempting

him to defy God without consequence. After all, she

had been successful in proving God to be, at the

least, not all knowing, and at the worst, a liar.

If there was no death to his flesh, then God had no

rule over his flesh; so rather than obey the voice

of God, he submitted to the rule of his flesh. He

took, ate, and the worship of the flesh was born.

As their eyes were opened, the descent from good

beset them. They were now separated from Gods

goodness because they separated from common union

with Him. This was the fall of man and has ever

since been the failure of man.

This fall has had a long standing affect on man.

Still today the regenerate man faces these same

hindrances when finding his place in worship. His

spirit cries out for fellowship, but his experience

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leaves him wanting. He clings to forms of worship

shrouded in self and flesh, unable to visualize his

former status with God. The strain and struggle, to

embrace what was once his, is now a shadow, a faint

memory not clear enough to say "Yes! This is as it

was first intended!"

Man embarks on a journey to discover the Garden

Experience only to have his worship tainted by the

glorification of self and the exaltation of flesh.

There is a clear distinction between the two, self

and flesh, confirmed by the Scripture.

Self is the witness of oneself as great. Dominion

resides in us and constantly wars against the

knowledge of God. God made us in the Image of

Himself, but we falsely identify it as 'me'. We

ascribe to 'Self' glory, honor, and praise, which

are able to subdue all things, but are not subject

to its Creator. Self is the intellect of man. It

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tells him, as he explores the world, that it has no

need for God. Being independent of God it says,

"God is subservient to my will" or "God does not

have strength over me" or, the more fatal

conclusion, "God does not exist".

The flesh however, is an outward form of worship.

It is noun worship: People, Places, and Things. It

is our witness of the world being translated in our

imagination as being greater than God, and

therefore worthy of worship. We identify with the

world through our senses; but when coupled with

uninhibited contemplation, our mind begins to

create the idea that what we perceive is mystical

or illuminating, and our worship becomes consumed

by what we can grasp with our sensory receptors.

God then takes a backseat because we cannot witness

Him by the flesh. His role is diminished by all

that is contrary to His being.

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Although these are the inceptions or introductions

to alternative worship, there are many different

perversions of these same errors. I believe when we

fail to understand our present situation, and how

we have come to such a state of being, we should

always go back to the beginning to find the root of

the issue. The Bible often speaks of the root being

the strength of a fruit bearing tree, and we know

this to be true from agriculture and horticulture.

I believe breaking free from the stronghold that

imprisons pure worship comes by fully understanding

and terminating these roots of defiled worship,

also by understanding our created nature, and the

distance between here (limited, hindered worship)

and there (worship in spirit and truth), while

carefully navigating a charted path to get to our

desired state; oneness with God.

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Chapter 2

Understanding Self

And whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be exalted

Matthew 23:12

Examining this Scripture in context with our

subject, one should read it to say "He who humbles

his...Self". The Self is a very complex entity. In

it contains our personality, character, talent,

intuition, intelligence, and identity; seeming to

have a mind of its own. The Scripture tells us that

this Self must be contained, controlled, and in

some way made subject to the command of God; but

since The Fall, Self has become its own master and

has lost its ability to be submissive to the

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possessor. Self's impending affect manifests in

many different variations of the same affliction;

Self worship. By using our go back to the

beginning" principle, we can diagnose the

particular ailment, prescribe a regiment of health

bearing methodologies, and nurse Self back to a

healthy, perspective driven relationship with God.

In the beginning we learn how Woman experienced a

personality fracture. She had only a natural view

of her Self. Not understanding Gods imprint in

her, she was left plagued with curiosity. Curiosity

causes us to explore for information to define our

perceptions, and gain clarity about the unknown.

Man seeks wisdom as if grasping at straws, but in

all his getting, gets no understanding; or

misunderstanding without a firm hold of Godly

communion.
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The Source for this information should be the Word

of God (1Timothy 1), but keep in mind, the enemy is

still more cunning than any other beast. We are

warned to "be sober, be vigilant" knowing that he

lurks about (1Peter 5), and to gird up the loins of

our minds (1Peter 1); but still unaware of his

craftiness, we fall prey to his devices. Being

absent from an understanding of our created being,

we listen to his rhetoric and lift our Selves to an

exalted state; disconnecting our ability to worship

God because Self is now in the way.

Paul asked, "How can they hear without a preacher?"

The Ethiopian Eunuch asked, "How can I know except

someone should guide me? both declaring the

necessity of good and proper communication of

understanding, and acknowledging our Self

disconnect.
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The battle between the Light and the dark is ever

waged for copyright ownership of mans identity

(Self). The declared winner will either be the

Truth, or a lie cloaked in truth clothing.

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for

God, but not according to knowledge. For they being

ignorant of Gods righteousness, and seeking to

establish their own righteousness, have not

submitted to the righteousness of God.

Romans 10:2-3

Unfortunately, lacking the humility to accept the

Truth, we are more readily accessible to the lie

because the Truth destroys our exalted view of

Self; though being like God, were not seated as

God. Exalted, Self considers being independent,

isolated from God, or master, binging God

subservient to its authority; tending to dictate to

God rather than inquirer of Him, as if He is

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subject to our will. I believe the latter to be

more dangerous than the former.

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You

have given Me out of the world. They were Yours,

You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your

word. Now they have known that all things which You

have given Me are from You. For I have given to

them the words which You have given Me; and they

have received them, and have known surely that I

came forth from You; and they have believed that

You sent Me.

John 17:6-8

Christ exemplified the proper demonstration of

subservience in this passage. Being from God He was

yet still subject to God, willing to be crucified

at the will of the Father. Christ being humbly

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submitted to God slew Self in the Garden of

Gethsemane.

We know that we are a "Royal Priesthood", "the

apple of God's eye", able to tread upon... all the

power of the enemy", "the Seed of Abraham", "the

Called", and "the Chosen"; but are we the humble?

We use all of these titles and they become exalted

above the One who gave them. We use them to become

proud and privileged, all the while, were taking

of the fruit and eating; and with unbalanced

information Self becomes lofty. This is the

character of the children of The Most High God;

forgetting that they are but ...children.

Self lifts itself up. It is puffed up with pride;

so much that it strips from God the title of God.

Self becomes god and begins to create alternative

realities. Atheism, agnosticism, hedonism, anarchy,

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illuminism, freemasonry, and the like are all

products of Self. They say "I have no need of

authority. I am more intelligent than they that do.

Religion is a form of control. God does not exist

and those who say He does are fooling themselves

because they fear the unknown. I have mastered the

unknown by my own brilliance. I am my own

god"...The centralizing theme of Self is I.

I understand that it seems harsh comparing bold

Christianity to atheism, but the fact remains they

are of the same fraternal order. They lack the

humility necessary to become totally subservient to

the Almighty God, unable to worship Him in spirit

and in truth.
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Chapter 3

Deny Thy Self

Then He said to them all, If anyone desires to come

after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his

cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to

save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his

life for My sake will save it.

Luke 9:23-24

The denial of Self is difficult for one reason.

Self must be convinced that it is not what it has

come to be; wise. For the wisdom of this world is

foolishness with God 1 Corinthians 3:19

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Are we to assume that through experience,

education, and exposure, we are wiser than the "All

Wise God"? I think not! We are convinced, not just

by the world, but also by the Church and by the

Scripture as well. Now, I am not blaming the Holy

Scripture for our failure but our usage of the

Scripture befalls us. We have established a

privileged hierarchy, within the Body, that

suggests superiority over one another when we are

called to esteem others above our selves. We are

challenged to understand that the greatest of all

is a servant of all.

Accomplishment has long supplanted humility because

accolades and acknowledgements have become our

passion. The hunger and thirst for righteousness

has been quenched by the hunger and thirst for

fame. The clamor we have grown accustomed to is for

Self to be seen, noticed, loved, and adored; all in

all, to be worshipped.
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Christ found Himself stolen away to the quiet for

one last communion with God in prayer, as He had

once described as a closet. Not literally a closet,

but secluded from others, so that He could be in

the Presence of the Father, in the secret place of

the most High God. Rendering back all His fame and

glory to the One from Whom it had been issued from

in the beginning.

All that He had become known to be was consumed by

the Shadow of the Almighty God. Taking no honor,

but giving all honor to the Father, He put Self in

perspective. No matter how highly exalted He was to

become; He was not responsible for anything that He

had done. He could take no credit for any of His

actions. The disciples were not His. David said of

the Almighty, "For all things come from You, and of

Your own we have given You (1Chronicles 29:14);

Even the life of the Savior.

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Secrecy is reserved for the Lord, not private

meetings and groups and societies. "For what you do

in secret...;" but Self has used it to establish

back room dealings and call them superior knowledge

sects. The Lord has not called us to seclusion but

to the praise of His Name in the "Marvelous Light".

In the secret places The Most High is the supplier

of the Light. When we go in Him and in His name, it

is His Light that goes with us. As we carry that

Light, we are not to hide it or keep it to

ourselves, we are required to share it and expose

many as they are lead to it. We are nothing in our

selves, and only in Him are we all things glorious

and mighty. If I am a dignitary, I am nothing, if

a pastor, it is God's Word that I share, if I am a

scholar, God is the Father of all knowledge. All

that I gain is to be shared with the entirety of

the Body.
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Our boasting is not in accomplishments but in our

insufficiency to accomplish anything; His grace is

our sufficiency. Apart from God, who are we but

thieves and beggars; taking that which belongs to

God or inquiring of it from Him?

Woman had quickly forgotten that she was clay. She

did not understand that she was a formed vessel,

and all that she was, was from God; not apart from

Him. Adam, the possessor of this knowledge, stood

silently as calamity overtook the naive and hungry

Woman, and he watched as she fell. Will we, the

possessors of the Truth, do the same? I should hope

not. As my hope wars against my fears, I am

challenged, for fear is born of witness or

anticipated possibility. What have we bore witness

to in this hour?
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The exaltation of faithwhat faith does one have

that has not been given? "For God has dealt to each

one a measure" (Romans12:3).

We see the glorification of wealth but who has

gained wealth without the strength of God giving

them power to do so? "For it is He who gives you

power to get wealth." (Deuteronomy 8:18)

People cling to their intelligencewhat does one

know that cannot be stolen from him in the night?

"The thief comes but to steal..." (John 10:10)

We see talent being cherished, placed in front, and

given rule while the anointed are asked to submit

to ungracious, unmerciful, unknowledgeable heathen

like behavior because of the attraction that talent

drawswhat talent has not been given, from the

Lord, without repentance? (Romans 11:29) Are not

our health, our family, our culture, and our nation

all under the authority of God? Bring them all and

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lay them at His feet, as sacrifice, unto an all

powerful, all magnificent, wonderful and matchless

King, the Lord strong and mighty!

The wise men came supposing that they knew nothing

in the presence of a new born King, but only to

worship Him. Abraham went not considering the

outcome, to the mountain yonder, so he and the boy

could worship. David lay down his sword in the

Temple of God, oh that he could only worship. Kings

became peasants and scribes became children. Those

of authority became impotent and warriors became

slain in the Presence of God that they may bask

therein, and worship the true and living God.

Self has gained titles, fame, and glory. Self has

harbored up treasure, degrees, and notoriety. Self

has gone before men of distinction and left a

member of their ring of honor. Self has sung before

crowns with standing ovations, and debated amongst

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scholars being honored as one of their own. Self

has won battles and gathered unto itself a legion

of followers. Self has done well without true

worship because Self has worshippedSelf. All that

Self has and has done is but vapor, and is as the

wilting grass in the field. Therefore, it is time

for all accomplishments of Self to be brought into

perspective. "It is God Who has made us and not we

ourselves"! (Psalms100:3)

But what things were gain to me, these I have

counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count

all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge

of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered

the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish,

that I may gain Christ and be found in Him....

Philippians 3:7-9

Let us consider the Son as He poured out His heart

to the Father. That He had performed great

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miracles. Christ had done that which He had been

sent to do. But there was but one more task left to

accomplish; to lay it all at the Feet of the Master

in reverence of His majesty, and allow Self to be

reconciled back to Him from which He had come. All

to say, "You, oh God, are Lord over All".

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ

Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not

consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made

Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a

bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And

being found in appearance as a man, He humbled

Himself and became obedient to the point of death,

even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

Giving all back to God brings us back to the

beginning. The place where we are unconcerned with

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Self but anticipate our fellowship with the God and

Giver of our lives. We must minimize our being so

that God may be exalted. There is nothing that we

are or have done without His knowing. What we seek

is His approval that He graces us with visitation;

not that we should bring Him low to where we are,

but that we may be granted access to where He is.

We desire to be under the Shadow of His wings,

present with Him in the Spirit. Do not allow Self

to rebuild the torn veil. You may freely enter into

the Holy of Holies. Lay Self prostrate as you enter

in, and with holy hands, lift Self up surrendered

unto the Father. Deny Self opportunity to restrain

your life in Him. God is worthy. Give Self to Him

totally and He will sup with you in the Beauty of

Holiness.

After the fall of man, God placed an angel with a

flaming sword between them and the Tree of Life,

saying
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Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know

good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand

and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and

live forever

(Genesis 3:22)

If they had eaten from that tree they would have

remained in their fallen state without the

possibility of redemption. Redemption comes through

the death to Self and acceptance of the newness of

life. God does not desire that we remain separated,

but that we deny Self, embrace this newness, and be

reconciled back to Him.

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Chapter 4

The Law of Sin

And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have

you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you

that you should not eat? Then the man said, the

woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of

the tree, and I ate.

Genesis 3:11-12

Who hasn't heard this verse and said how shameful

it was of Adam to blame Woman for his own doing? We

look upon Adam with vehement indignation, scoff,

and scorn at his actions. Then we in turn blame him

for our own current ills; falling victim to the

same repugnant oblivion to our own decisions. The

sin of Adam plagues our very relationship with God

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to this day. It differs from the era of Woman

because we, like Adam, are fully knowledgeable of

who God is and who we are created to be. We have

the script of creation written in our very identity

and "suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans

1:18); but as Paul stated:

But I see another law in my members, warring

against the law of my mind, and bringing me into

captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Romans 7:23

The law of sin is hinged on the absence of

discipline to rule over our flesh. We grow

accustomed to living lives lead by our senses and

not by faith in God's Word; especially when we see

its legitimacy challenged by our observations of

the world. We behold the beauty of the night sky

and become mystified by astrology. We are intrigued

by the hearing of philosophers and become followers

of Buddhism. We are enamored by the sensation and

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scintillation produced by the culinary expertise of

Grandma and become gluttons. We are slaves to the

flesh and thereby slaves to sin. If worship is our

service to God, how can we serve two masters

(Matthew 6:24)?

Not fulfilling the desires of the flesh is not easy

because we embrace our glorious experiences in the

flesh. Who does not remember their first paycheck,

first kiss, first rock (or music of your

preference) concert? How did we experience them?

There was some exertion in the flesh or contact

with the flesh that produced stimulus that set the

synapse ablaze. It is entrained in the psyche for

eternity. We then judge every experience by that

one desiring the climatic impact of the first.

Not only do we battle with our own encounters but

also those of others. In the age we live in today,

the indulgence of the flesh is propagated by peers,

publications, television, and sometimes parents and

 45

pastors. Always bringing us 'into captivity' or

being influenced by the allure of the opportunity

to experience what has been deemed as life outside

the rule of God. While we have knowledge of the

Truth, what we experience is what we interpret to

be real. It draws us further and further into

shame; even to come before the Father. We live the

blame by failing to be accountable for our actions

against the Command; even to the point of calling

them God's system (it was the woman you gave).

Some of the greatest travesties of today are the

ramblings that those things that are contrary to

God are in fact agreeable with God. If there is no

deceit found in the mouth of God (1Peter 2:22),

then how can those things that are by His own

declaration opposed by Him, arbitrarily be declared

acceptable by Him? God decrees things such as

homosexuality, rebel rousing, covetousness (the

pursuit of things), and other works of the flesh to

 46

be a dishonor to Him and our own bodies (Romans

1:24). But man, in his desire to fulfill the lust

of the flesh, have created doctrine, built temples,

and drawn congregations in the acceptance and

propagation of this evil. These things, like the

watching Woman eat of the fruit, assume God to be

at least not all knowing and at worse a liar; and

because God does not immediately bring to

destruction those who practice such, man takes the

opportunity to be clothed in his unrighteousness

with fig leaves that hide him from the face of God.

O man, declare your sin to be sin that your worship

may be restored! The fellowship with the Father is

nearer to you than your own understanding has

allowed.

We have witnessed the sudden exponential decline of

man to the point of reprobation. He is convinced

that his unrighteousness is in fact righteous. Our

worship has deteriorated into a fragment of its

 47

possibility and we are satisfied with temple

worship instead of a life experience in worship;

because we worship the temples as the Pharisee

(Luke 21:5-6). As Man heeded the voice of Woman, we

are heeding the voice of false doctrine, false

prophets, and fraudulent saints. Pastors stand

before the people holding true worship hostage to

their sermons, parading themselves as flamboyant

dictators, and gathering unto themselves a faithful

following. Television personalities, under the

cloak of calling themselves Christians, declare the

truths of God to be outdated. Men proclaiming to be

the new age prophets dupe believers into following

them as they declare specific dates, denoting the

Second Coming of Christ. As the Scripture reveals:

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long

ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly

men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness

and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus
 48

Christ.

Jude 1:4

These are presumed to be entrusted with leading of

the Lord's sheep into the divinity of worship, but

the sheep are wooed by the entreaty of promises of

fleshly indulgence, as if strict adherence is

maintained, to the gospel they preach. They amass

the great sweltering flock, and reach deeper into

the darkness because rather than study (2Timothy

2:15), they are flattered by the appeal of sitting

in the midst of a congregation without the need to

renounce sinful living.

If possible, even God's elect would be fooled into

accepting this dilapidated state of the Church.

(Matthew 24:24) We laborers must rush to the

threshing floor; rush into the harvest. We must

rush into the Presence of God, and cry out with

unified voice, so that we shall no longer live by

the dictates of our flesh but pursue the heart of

 49

God in the divinity of true worship. We must

identify how our flesh has defied God's Law and how

the law of sin has manifested in us as congregants

and congregations. Without a return to true worship

we will indeed be continually lead astray to

paganism and idolatry.

We have lifted man up to this glorious state and

have become attracted to them instead of lead by

them. Our desire is to be like others instead of

like Christ. Man has taken the place of God in our

hearts, either as those we endeavor to be like, or

as those from which seek fleshly satisfaction for

ourselves, so that we no longer recognized the Law

of God to be pertinent.

The strength in the Law of sin is the ease of

accessibility to gratification. It ensnares us by

its presentation of reality. We then crave its

promised reward of satisfaction but once trapped by

its intriguing allure, we are carried away from the

 50

possibility of fellowship with God. At first, we

can immediately feel disconnected but further

indulgence dulls the senses to the existence of

God. Our only reality is the pleasure sin produces

and not the death that waits (James 1:15).

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin

is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the

victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57
 51

Chapter 5

The Burnt Offering

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies

of God, that you present your bodies a living

sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your

reasonable service.

Romans 12:1

The worship of the flesh, for a believer, requires

a sacrifice of that which has been purified. The

hearing purified by the hearing of the Faith

(Galatians 3:2), the hands purified by the Blood

washing and Baptism (Romans 6:3), the sight

purified by the removing of the scales, once blind,

now see through the eyes of Christ in the newness

of life. (Acts 9:18) The mouth purified by the

 52

confession of sin and the Word of Faith (Romans

9:8-9), and the nostrils purified the taking of an

awakening breath, breathe by the Spirit of God into

the living soul, and by the aroma of worship unto

the Father as sweet smelling incense (Job

32:8/Leviticus 17:6/Romans 12:1).

Which of these would you freely defile so that the

indulgences of the flesh may be satisfied? Yet we

fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) by

committing our members for use by that which is

unholy, instead of meat for the Master's use.

(2Timothy 2:21) Some with full knowledge, but most

without the awareness, that what they have given

over to uncleanness should be given for the service

of the Lord. We willingly carry about through life

without regard for our action or inaction towards

God. We serve God unconsciously rather than having

our minds stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3/Romans 8:5).

 53

If we walk according to the flesh at any time then

we walk without consciousness towards God. We have

taken a portion for ourselves without rendering it

to God first.

There is no part that is reserved for us. We are

required wholly to be holy. The giving of our

entire body is the giving of it for worship.

Also, before they burned the fat, the priests

servant would come and say to the man who

sacrificed, Give meat for roasting to the priest,

for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.

And if the man said to him, They should really

burn the fat first; then you may take as much as

your heart desires, he would then answer him, No,

but you must give it now; and if not, I will take

it by force.
 54

1 Samuel 2:15-16

As seen here, flesh that would wholly be sacrificed

was partially consumed for personal satisfaction,

thereby rendering the entire sacrifice unholy. This

is the very similitude of our lives as believers.

We often take our portion first. We commit our

sensory receptors for the use of uncleanness such

as gossip, ungodly music, sexual immorality,

addictive substances, bodily exercise to the point

of vanity, and many other forms of flesh worship;

while fully expecting our Divine Worship to be pure

and acceptable. This is the definition of being

luke warm (Revelations 3:16) and thereby utterly

detestable to the Father. Our reasonable service is

giving of the body wholly, to be consumed by the

fire of God, so that all that remains is for His

service and His praise; not only acceptable to Him

but also desired by Him.

 55

Paul's plea is that we escape worldly conformity so

that Godly acceptability may be attainable. He

understood that righteousness is not born of works

but of belief in the Son of God (Romans 10:10). He

understood that inward consumption corrupts outward

confession and therefore produces internal

corruption (Luke 6:45). Our only escape is that we

confess our unrighteousness that the works of the

flesh may be blotted out (Acts 3:19). Let us take

this time now, before moving on, to consider,

consult, and confess, that we may be found

blameless when we worship God.

Oh, God our Father. It is You and You alone that is

holy.

We declare unto You now our own unrighteousness,

unworthiness, and uncleanness. We are flesh to be

consumed for Your glory. We consider ourselves

liars that You should remain true. As Your Word has

instructed us, we confess our wretched state to be

 56

true. We hide nothing from You. We retain no part

of our lives. We renounce the hidden things of

shame before You now. Consume our lives and fill

our hearts. Be God and Ruler. Be King and Almighty.

Let us be found by You now, acceptable in Your

sight. It is by the Spirit of Jesus the Christ we

declare this prayer to be faithful and true. Amen.

Adam's greatest sin is not that he disobeyed but in

that he failed to confess. He trusted in the system

of the flesh and was put to open shame. He hid

amongst all that he had been given to rule over in

an attempt to conceal his self rather than confess

himself. I declare of you today: COME OUT FROM

AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE! (2Corinthians 6:17).

Step out of the shadows and bring your shame. The

guilt of your sin is good. It means that you have

not been given over to uncleanness (Romans 1:24)

and that God still reigns; not your flesh. Present

your body a living sacrifice, a whole burnt

 57

offering unto the Lord. No portion reserved for

yourself. That He may have you totally. Bring all

that you are for the Lord will answer by fire

(1Kings 18:24), consume you, and all that remains

will be freshly renewed and purified for Him

(Numbers 31:23).
 58

Chapter 6

Desperate for Grace

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and

that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:8

Our state of depravity has left us desperate for

the promise of grace. We are children in want of

grace but rather find restitution in the

exploration of our flesh. Though we are longing for

the affection of God's grace, we are satisfied with

earthly gratification instead of a divine encounter

with the all wise God, who is able to satisfy our

mouths with good things (Psalms 103:5). We

transcribe deliverance from the sinful indulgence

of the flesh into the soothing comfort of what this

 59

world has to offer, eventually leading to a

complete disconnect from the riches of His glory

(Philippians 4:19). Those who mind the things of

the flesh have carnal expectations of a God, who is

Spirit, and is unconcerned with their fleshly

desires (Galatians 5:17).

We live in a fallen state. Oh, that God would raise

us up from the depths of our grave, that we might

cohabitate with Him. There is such a way. It is the

life not imaginable to the carnal mind, but

promised to those who are led by the Spirit (Romans

8:14). The life born of the death of Christ on the

Cross, is the life clothed by the grace it drew

from the power of God to forgive sin and exonerate

us from the guilt of sin. It grants us the right to

offer utterance unto God without the defilement of

our unworthy flesh. Christ's death broke the seal

on the separation between God and man by the

tearing of the veil (Mark 15:38). It is the

 60

operation of man in this death that grants his

access to true worship.

And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,

Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you;

do this in remembrance of Me. In the same manner He

also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is

the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as

you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often

as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you

proclaim the Lords death till He comes. 1

Corinthians 11:24-26

This is Communion, or as stated before, common

union with God; the acceptance of the death of

Christ as your own death. Do you not know that no

flesh can enter the Kingdom, nor can any stand

before His presence? In the accepting of Communion

(not to deify or legalize (make law) Communion), we

embrace the love displayed by the Christ in His

 61

crucifixion; It is no longer death but by love we

grasp hold of grace.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only

begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should

not perish but have everlasting life. For God did

not send His Son into the world to condemn the

world, but that the world through Him might be

saved.

John 3:16-17

For if there is no death, then there is no love.

Love is the laying down of life (John 15:13). It is

willfully offering our flesh as sacrifice to the

Almighty God of salvation. As self died in the

Garden by yielding to the will of God as final,

flesh died on the Cross by the sacrifice of life in

the communication of His love. To approach God in

any other way is to fall short of worship.

 62

Our only recourse to access God through our worship

is by grace. It extends beyond the capability of

the most capable because even in the abundance of

their effort, it is useless and fruitless for

worship. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags

(Isaiah 64:6) and our own heart is most deceitful

(Jeremiah 17:9). To attempt to approach the Throne

of God in boldness without grace is to welcome the

penalty for failure to reverence the King (Esther

4:16). Grace gives us boldness, in the strength of

the Blood of Christ, to cover our sin. Even so that

no one can question our presence before Him

(Revelation 7:9-14). So rather than boasting in the

flesh, we boast in infirmity and insufficiency as

we come before our King, crowned by His love;

making us worthy to access His glory and be found

by Him.
 63

Chapter 7

Proper Wardrobe for Worship

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them

beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The

garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That

they may be called trees of righteousness, The

planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3

I have watched during services and seen people

stand at the cusps of worship, but because life has

broken them down, they realized their guilt and

shame, and they cannot break free of it. I weep for

those who cannot worship for their shame. The

aforementioned Scripture is God's reassurance that

 64

He will neither leave nor fail those who call upon

His name. Salvation, restoration, redemption, and

forgiveness are all just one cry to Him away.

God takes no pleasure in sin but all of Heaven

rejoices over the sinner that returns to Him (Luke

15:10). The enemy sifts us that He may keep us

focused on our unworthiness of the affection of God

(Luke 22:31). Just as his conversation with Woman

caused her to feel disconnected from God, he

whispers to us that God desires to be separated

from us. Jesus warred with this same contemplation

to the point of blood and tears. On the Cross He

cried, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is

translated, My God, My God, why have You forsaken

Me?" (Mark 15:34)

Sin creates that separation, but God desires to

embrace us as sons returned home. Romans 8:19 says

"For the earnest expectation of the creation

eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of

 65

God." And that same chapter referring to that cry

of Christ from the Cross states "For you did not

receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but

you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry

out, Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)

I believe it then becomes a responsibility of those

that have broken free into the glorious liberty of

Christ's redemption to encourage and pray for those

who weep; reminding them that there is no shame, no

hurt, no guilt that the wounds of Christ cannot

heal. I have witnessed from across the room the

guilt ridden face, of a would be worshipper, break

into the promised joy of the Lord, by the slight

touch of a neighbor on the shoulder. It is just

enough to push them off the edge and into the deep

that cries out to them (Psalms 42:7).

Many times we can get so focused on our personal

relationship with God that we forget that we are

one Body. The water that flows forth from the

 66

worship of one may just be enough to overflow on to

another to refresh their soul. As Christ cried "I

thirst"; I believe it was from the lack of the

quenching drink of the water of worship (John

19:28). The water of worship flows from the heart

(John 7:38) and is only stayed by separation of the

Tree from the River (Jeremiah 17:8). Separation

comes by sin and produces death, the same death of

Adam. When Adam sinned, he hid because of shame. He

clothed himself with a spirit of heaviness, the fig

leaf.

Oh, that we should give Him continual drink from

our fountain. The man should worship the Father Who

clothes us with righteousness and satisfies the

thirsty soul. Oh, that we should allow His praise

to ever be on our lips disquieted by the stain of

sin, but yet aroused by the cleansing process of

confession and forgiveness. Oh that men should see

 67

us worship our God and be provoked to jealousy by

our uninhibited pursuit of His Presence.

We shall be disrobed from the spirit of heaviness

so that He may inhabit our praise (Psalms 22:3).

The time has drawn nigh for worship. Sin has laid

Him to open shame (Hebrews 6:6) and He thirsts for

you. As water washes over us to cleanse us, let us

offer our worship to the One that cleanses. The

proper attire for worship is nakedness. We are

called before Him to bring all that we are, all

that we've done, and lay it before Him. Not to be

hidden by our shame. Not to quiver in our fear. Our

call is complete openness. There is nothing that He

does not know. Our fear is that we will not be

received but He says that we will be received; find

Him to be true, gracious, merciful, kind, and

faithful. (2Corinthians 6:17) Not only will we

find Him but well be found by Him. He searches for

you according to the Scripture:

 68

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him,

Where are you?

Genesis 3:9

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout

the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf

of those whose heart is loyal to Him.....

2 Chronicles 16:9

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true

worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and

truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship

Him.

John 4:23

Do you not know how the Father loves us? He

rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). He

is married to the backslidden. To remain separated

by your shame is to abide in the death of Adam. To

accept the garment of praise is to abide in His

 69

love. Let us not keep Him waiting; searching for

us. Be found oh man! God's longing for you is

greater than your longing for Him. It is the deep

that beckons the heart to cry out and pant as the

deer for the water (Psalms 42:1). Don your attire

and be found.
 70

Chapter 8

Access Granted; Enter In

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have

peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom also we have access by faith into this

grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the

glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2

Christ stands at the door and awaits your entrance

into Him, while simultaneously establishing a

cohabitation to abide in you (Revelation 3:20); but

there is only one way to enter in....by faith.

 71

But without faith it is impossible to

please Him, for he who comes to God must believe

that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who

diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

Entry into His divine pleasure and the comfort of

His embrace requires that you come in the

confidence of faith; that He is and His reward is

assured. As He told Abram, "I am your Shield, your

Exceedingly Great Reward" (Genesis 15:1), there is

no reward other than God. Again, our reward is

common union with God, but without faith there is

no worship. We stand on the opposite side of the

door, as Christ knocks, with it locked if we do not

have faith. Our path must lead us to the knowledge

that as insufficient and plagued as we are, as

plagued with human error; His grace is yet still

sufficient.
 72

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the

abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh

was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me,

lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this

thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it

might depart from me. And He said to me, My grace

is sufficient for you, for My strength is made

perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will

rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of

Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

God becomes unconcerned with your sin as soon as

you confess it and asked forgiveness; for He is

faithful to forgive even as you are full of faith

to ask (1John 1:9). He begins to exalt you as soon

as you lower the estimation of your Self in

humility (1Peter 5:6). Because He is not a man that

He should lie, as He has spoken, so shall it be

(Numbers 23:19). God asks nothing more than what He

 73

has given: the totality Self, the crucifixion of

the flesh, and to come to Him in love. Do these and

you will be received in love. These things are only

possible by faith that He is.

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then

Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen,

then our preaching is empty and your faith is also

empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of

God, because we have testified of God that He

raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up if in

fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not

rise, and then Christ is not risen. And if Christ

is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still

in your sins!

1 Corinthians 15:13-17

He is risen! You are redeemed from the guilt of

sin. Your faith is full. You have access to His

Throne. You have access to His rest. You have

access to His Being. You have access to His Love.

 74

You have access to where He is. You have access to

fellowship with Him, in the cool of the day, as

Adam once did in the Garden. God's promises are

"Yes and Amen" (2Corinthians 1:20). Surely He will

not forsake those who forsake all to follow Him.

His goodness leads sinners to repentance (Romans

2:4) and issues them into His presence. Yes, God's

grace is sufficient and you may enter by it. Your

faith produces the substance of what you hope for

(Hebrews 11:1). Do not be ashamed, but rejoice in

this hope that He has invited you into Divine

Fellowship; that He will come in and dine with you.

You shall be as a child embraced by the warm

compassion of a Father.

Worship calls us to be sons in whom He is well

pleased, if we walk in by faith. Faith draws grace

from the Cross and covers us by His blood. We pass

from death into life in Him by faith. For we were

 75

saved by grace (Ephesians2:8) and have obtained

grace by faith.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer

I who live, but Christ lives in me; and

the life which I now live in the flesh I live by

faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave

Himself for me."

(Galatians 2:20)

Grace is the end of our ability and the beginning

of God's, which has no limitation. By your faith be

it granted unto you.

Adam had no faith that he could possibly stand

before the Lord in his nakedness. He had no faith

that he could still stand before the Presence of

God. The reward of God was impossible for Him to

imagine because he focused so intently on his

shame.
 76

"So he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and

I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid

myself."

Genesis 3:10

God, seeing that we would all come to this

conclusion, created for us the path back to Him

(Galatians 3:23). We could never be justified by

our own accord, but we are justified by the faith

that preceded and proceeded from the Law (Galatians

3:11). The Law defined our nakedness but faith

defines our being. It is by faith that we abide in

Him and He in us. It is by faith we come before His

throne to receive mercy. It is faith alone that

grants us access to grace. And it is by faith we

walk; not by the sight of our nakedness.

The fact is we are unrighteous, unholy, unworthy,

and unable to cleanse ourselves; but we do not live

by the facts...we live by the faith. Faith removes

every inability and makes us strong and mighty to

 77

call those things that are un (not) as though they

were (Romans 4:17). By faith we renounce the sin

of Adam and by faith we receive the newness of

Christ. By faith we enter into His Presence with

thanksgiving, and by faith we open the door,

knowing that same Spirit that raised Christ from

the dead will abide and make alive these mortal

bodies (Romans 8:11). By faith we worship God.

 78

Chapter 9

The Experience of Worship

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true

worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and

truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship

Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must

worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:23-24

As Abraham traveled with Isaac, his intentions were

to go to worship. The Lord had required of him to

leave where he was and go to Mt. Moriah, the place

where he would worship the Lord with his sacrifice

(Genesis 22). It is now the Lord has called us to

bring our sacrifice, our bodies, to where He is for

worship. Worship is a place of transcendence. It is

 79

a place where the familiar fades as the unknowing

becomes known. Worship to this point has been the

journey up the mount, and the hope of fellowship

has captivated the heart as we have removed all

unrighteousness, and died to who we have considered

our Selves to be. What we know now is only that He

is, and He is our reward. All else is not even

worthy of contemplation. The time for worship is at

hand. Our flesh is cast off as we ascend in spirit.

We have reconnected, even for a brief moment, with

the Creator of our being in Divine Fellowship in

the spirit of the day.

In the place of worship, God reveals Himself to the

believer. As Moses inquired of the Lord on Mt.

Sinai, he caught only a glimpse of the Lord and His

glory shone on his face so brightly that it needed

to be veiled (Exodus 34). It is this very

brilliance that strolled through the Garden in

search of Adam that made him afraid. All that

 80

stands before Him trembles in awe and become

radiant by His glory.

In the place of worship, God speaks and we hear.

His Word fills our knowing with understanding and

floods our hearts with His love. The thirsty soul

is watered by the experience of worship because of

His never ending, ever flowing Fountain (Jeremiah

31:12). It is the baptism by His Spirit that

lavishes the worshipper. A heart of stone is made

into a heart consumed by love. Worship takes the

willing vessel to the resolve of unbridled

yielding. Some say, when worshipping, there is

nothing but you and God. I say, when in worship,

there is just God and all of Him that resides in

you.

David was a man fashioned after the heart of God

and a worshipper by design. He understood God's

character, purity, and requirements for holiness.

Therefore, David was unhindered by self inflicted

 81

circumstances to restrain his worship. He would

quickly recant and retreat back into the Presence

of God when displaced by his actions.

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my

sin is always before me. Create in me a clean

heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within

me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do

not take Your Holy Spirit from me. The sacrifices

of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite

heart These, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51:3, 10-11, 17

The place of worship was dear to him. He understood

the vanity of life without it. To come before God

in worship is a precious gift that should not be

taken for granted. David realized that we are

broken vessels, never to be restored, and that

God's grace may make us sufficient for worship.

 82

Paul worshipped until he was caught up into the 3rd

Heaven seeing inexplicable things beyond his

natural comprehension and above his earthly dialect

(2Corinthians 12:2). Worship is not a place where

intellect garners favor, for God puts to shame the

wisdom of the wise. He is Omniscient and all

knowledge bows before Him. We are not heard for our

many words nor is the extent of our vocabulary

factored into the depth of our worship. In fact,

God by His Spirit will change the language of

worship at His bidding. As Paul eluded to the

tongues of angels differing from the language of

men, he expressly declares that while in worship,

any word of knowing can be transformed into a

completely untranslatable dialog, between God and

His Spirit, dwelling in the heart of man

(1Corinthians 13:1/Romans 8:26-27); all so that man

can better proclaim the praises of the Father.

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Adam, while in worship, heard clear instruction in

how the order of society in its current form should

be governed (Genesis 2). Noah, while in the

Presence of the voice of God, heard of the baptism

of the Earth, for cleansing was at hand (Genesis

6). Moses received the Law that would carry God's

people toward the Cross (Exodus 31). Jesus was

strengthened for that task to secure the salvation

of the world (Mark 14). And I, while in worship,

was commanded to write the very words you read this

minute.

The experience of worship is life altering and

refreshing. It lifts the burden of life, and places

the burden of Christ as a mantel upon the shoulders

of the worshipper. It is confirmation of a

consecrated moment with the Father, being graced by

His Presence. It is the Jerusalem and the Mountain.

It is Bethel and it is Shiloh. It is as He is,

anywhere and everywhere. It is not confined to any

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location because it is as spontaneous as Paul's

experience on the road to Damascus, or as

deliberate as Elijah's prayer and fasting for days

on end. The worship experience is the pinnacle of

the Christian experience. Oh to taste and see the

goodness of the Lord and abide in the Shadow of the

Almighty God. The instant translation from man to

spirit is beyond the writing of words.

Let us not forget that worship is common union with

God. It is the agreement with the Person of God and

the will of God, in the Spirit of God. As Jesus

stated that He and the Father are One, we must

unify with Him as well; if we are to be where He

is.

For there are three that bear witness in heaven:

the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and

these three are one. And there are three that bear

witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the

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blood; and these three agree as one.

1 John 5:7-8

Just as there is no disagreement within Him

exemplified here, there is no disagreement with Him

in worship. God makes known His will and gives

instruction in worship. All 3 Covenants represented

here were birth in worship as the will and

instruction of God. The Spirit is the Abrahamic

Covenant, the Water is the Noahic Covenant, and the

Blood is the Mosaic Covenant or the Law. When Jesus

died on the Cross, blood and water issued from His

side, and He gave up the Spirit; all three working

in agreement and harmony with Christ. Worship is

elating but its also designed with the purpose and

that purpose to communicate, to the worshipper, the

will of God. It is not an event filled with vanity

to puff up those who consider themselves to be

worshippers. All things in God are with intent and

divine purpose. He woos us only to fill us with His

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will. Just as with Adam, worship still delegates to

man his purpose.

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Chapter 10

The Life of Worship

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits

nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit,

and they are life.

John 6:63

We have all heard the clich, "Worship is a

lifestyle"; but have we heard of what that

lifestyle should consist? It is easy to throw

phrases together to make a message memorable, but

the true issue is the relevance of the message. We

often give people acronyms, catch phrases, witty

sayings, and plays on words that have people

quoting every word, as if it were the Gospel

itself. Our plight it not to be memorable, but our

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assignment is to give instruction for life

(Ephesians 4:11-15). I often feel that we get

trapped into entertaining the people rather than

leading them. Even as a worship leader you have the

responsibility to not put on a performance, but to

show forth the evidence of worship. If you are not

inclined to respond in the same manner you are

demanding from the people, then the Spirit has not

made an impact on you. How can you be judgmental of

the people? We then go about acting and not living

because the experience of worship has been

counterfeit.

The opening Scripture says that the Words given by

Christ are spirit and life, they are instruction

for living. If He, His Word, and His Spirit are

One, then we must walk in agreement with His Words

(1John 5:7). Life must be lived according to and in

agreement with the Spirit; therefore life is lived

in common union with God; or in worship. In order

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to manifest such a life, we must systematically

approach living rather than meandering from

experience to experience with no lasting effects of

our spiritual encounter. The Lord has led me to

term this approach to the life in worship as, The

Process.

The Process consists of a progressive discipline to

walk according to the life the Spirit gives. First

of all, when we experience worship, as stated

previously, we are given God's instruction for

living. Just as Abraham, Moses, and Noah received

the covenants as instruction when they encountered

God, God speaks to us just the same to direct our

lives beyond the experience of worship. Our first

responsibility is to believe. Abraham believed and

it was accounted to him as righteousness (James

2:23). We are the Seed of Abraham and required to

mimic his works (Romans 4:16). Secondly, we must

grow in understanding about what we have believed.

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We study, meditate, and pray about what we have

heard; confirming God's instruction (Psalms

1/Joshua 1:8). Next we apply our understanding to

our lives by faith. Faith is action applied to

belief. Then, in agreement with God's writ Word, we

must endure the testing of our faith and therefore

be strengthened thereby. Lastly, once we have

persevered, we experience God's glory revealed in

our living. Thusly, The Process is Belief -

Knowledge - Faith - Strength - Glory. This is a

life of worship.

BELIEF

Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted

to him for righteousness. Galatians 3:6

Belief is having the mental acuity to hear and

receive God's Word as instruction. Belief accepts

God's Word as true. Often time in the worship

experience we do not allow our minds to engage

because of the emotional climate of worship. This

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is the assured path to defeatist living. We get

into the Presence of God and leave our ability to

hear Him speak His will toward us outside. This is

the definition of living without vision (Proverbs

29:18). We must grope for God while in His Presence

that we might grasp hold of His will (Acts 17:27).

If we don't, then our only recourse for living is

either back to the very blindness God has healed us

from, or attempting to live as someone else;

leading to "keeping up with the Jones" or "monkey

see, monkey do", and the former leads to perdition

(Hebrews 10:39).

Now this is not to be confused with imitating or

marking the perfect man, as the Word instructs

(Hebrew 6:12; 13:7/Psalms 37:37); but failing to

hear God for ourselves puts us in danger. If we are

His sheep, we should hear His voice (John 10:27).

Even in imitation and marking we should still hear

His voice. It is the first step towards walking

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according to the Spirit. As Jesus spoke at the

well, "They that worship MUST worship in spirit and

truth". If you cannot hear what the Spirit says to

the church (you) (Revelation 2:29), then how can

you worship beyond an experience? We must hear God

and believe His Word spoken to us in worship.

KNOWLEDGE

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His

mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 2:6

Once we have heard the Spirit, we must test the

Spirit by the Spirit (1John 4:1). Again, God and

His Word agree. The writ Word of God contains all

the information we need to confirm whether any Word

be from the Lord. We study to show ourselves as

workman (2Timothy2:15), those entreated to walk out

instruction. We meditate on God's Word to insure

our success (Joshua 1:8). We cling to God's Word to

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have a defense against the evil one (Luke 21:15).

And we know God's Word to stand ready to give an

account for the hope that we have (1Peter 3:15).

Also, never forget the importance of your pastor.

Their specific design is to feed you proper

instruction for growth (Jeremiah 3:15). They give

spiritual council aligned with God's Word, and

through prayer in the Holy Spirit, lay hands on you

to confirm your destiny in God (2Timothy 1:6). They

are sent by God to bring clarity to your hearing.

Knowledge of God's Word lights our path in life. It

illuminates our mind and hearts (Ephesians 1:18).

Our study proves that we are serious in our pursuit

of life in Him. It is our approval stamp by the

Father. Knowledge builds our Word inventory so that

we are intelligent in our approach to life and not

just "winging it". It solidifies that God has

spoken His will and it is agreeable with His Word.

It becomes our new language in life (2Corinthians

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4:13). All things we speak are from the Word

Resource we have built.

FAITH

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the

word of God. Romans 10:17

Faith moves in the direction God has ordered. It

accepts God's Word and applies it as life's

principles. It takes hold of God's Word as a

placeholder for what He has promised (Hebrews

11:1). As with Abraham, he went into the wilderness

only on the promise God had spoken (Hebrews 11:8);

his faith was his going. In the absence of proof,

faith moves until manifestation. It is undeterred

by facts or fear because it has established it own

reality in accordance to God's Word. Neither our

belief nor our knowledge is what pleases God; only

our faith (Hebrews 11:6). While the other two are

necessary, we can receive all sorts of prophecy and

revelation and be mentally astute with regard to

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its relevance; without movement thereupon, there is

no faith and we displease the Father.

Faith confirms our trust in the spoken Word of God.

By it we communicate an understanding that God's

Word is authoritative and final. In other words, we

let God know He is Lord and Ruler of our lives, and

that we view what He has shown us as guaranteed. It

is the display of absolute and unwavering trust

that draws us closer to Him because we can no

longer depend solely on intellect for guidance. We

must walk by faith!(2Corinthians 5:7).

STRENGTH

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into

various trials, knowing that the testing of your

faith produces patience. But let patience

have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and

complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4
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Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord shall

be your strength. For that reason I have always

read this Scripture to say "My brethren, count it

all 'strength'...." The Scripture tells us to be

strong in the Lord. This is not good advice but

firm instruction. The testing of our faith is how

we overcome by His blood (1John 5:4). Through all 3

Covenants there was a testing period. Noah was

tested through the building process and 40 days of

rain, Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness, and

the coming of the Christ was several hundred years

from the days of Abraham. All Covenants made sure

and strong by their period of testing.

Just as they were tested, so are we. This is the

building upon our holy faith (Jude 1:20). The Power

of God is manifested in our holding fast to our

confession, through the inevitable attacks of the

enemy (Hebrews 10:23). It is here that our ability

is completely stripped away because of its futility

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and our dependency upon grace is cultivated. It is

here where God is proven strong and we are made

sufficient (2Corinthians 9:8).

GLORY

Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your

righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the

Lord shall be your rear guard. Isaiah 58:8

Glory is the manifested proof of the existence of

God. Jesus said that while here on Earth, He proved

the existence of God, and asked that the Father now

prove that He was from Him (John 13:31). As we

venture out on the promise that God speaks to us in

the worship experience, we intend that in the end

God will prove the Word was from Him. We have hope

that the crescendo of our efforts to walk out His

instruction will culminate in His manifested proof,

that He is and He was with us throughout our

endeavors in Him. Even the book of Revelation ends

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with all kings bringing glory to the Lamb

(Revelation 21:24).

The glory resting upon us is the declaration to the

Earth that our God reigns eternally and internally

in us. It says that as the deep cried out while in

worship, the Lord spoke, we heard and believed, we

learned, we acted, were made strong, and proved

that God is real in our lives.

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Chapter 11

The Freedom of Worship

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall

make you free. John 8:32

While walking according to the Spirit is a portion

of worship, of no less requirement is to worship in

truth. The truth is shown here to declare freedom

to those who know it. To know anything is to

experience it. By this we can conclude that freedom

is guaranteed to those who experience the Truth.

With that being said, they that worship must

worship in spirit and in freedom. It then becomes

our challenge and command to discover and live in

that freedom.
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First, let us understand that the liberty found in

Christ is unlike the liberty found in the world.

The world would have you believe that lawlessness

is equitable to liberty, but on the contrary,

lawlessness is bondage disguised as liberty (Romans

6:19). Life without restraint has consequences

unforeseen until the harvests of those sown lawless

deeds come to fruition. People feel that they can

harbor any type of lifestyle and remain in the

glorious liberty of Christ. Those same deeds, done

in what was first imagined to be freedom, now have

warranted the wrath of God because of His refusal

to be found a liar. No one can mock God and intend

to stand indignantly in His Presence (Galatians

6:7). For these reasons, the very repentance that

brought you to worship must be constantly relived

and repeated so that we may live a life of purity

before the Lord.

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Let us now dichotomize the Truth to which Christ

speaks here with the understanding that it will

become a constant staple in our life of worship.

Christ informs us that He is the Truth, the Way,

and the life (John14:6). We understand that passage

into the Father is by Him. Now, being consistent

with our understanding we conclude that Christ is

passage into common union with God, knowing that

His death on the Cross created a gateway into the

Presence of God, tearing the veil (Mark 15:38). The

veil was the only thing that separated us from His

Presence and the strength of the veil was the Law.

The Word of God informs us that the Law brought us

all into bondage and also alienated us from the

commonwealth of Israel (Colossians 1:21). This

being known, we also know that no man can begin in

the Law and remain in Christ (Galatians 3:11-12).

To take upon yourself the yoke of the Law is to

disassociate yourself from the grace of the Cross

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(Galatians 5:4), even a portion of the Law is not

lawful for those purchased by grace. Our

observances of feast, moons, and years are

therefore declared unlawful (Colossians 2:15-17).

Just as Christ moved outside of the annual stirring

of the water, we must operate outside of the

enticement of the Law. I say enticement because it

gives the illusion of righteousness and

spirituality by its legalistic structuring, but in

Christ, it is to no avail because it is in fact

BONDAGE. It is just as dangerous a bondage as the

bondage of sin. In fact, the strength of sin is in

the Law. Why be once again entangled by such a yoke

when Christ has liberated us from it?

The bondage of sin creates an imprisonment. It

takes hold of the mind of the believer, bringing

him into captivity (2Corintians10:5). It enslaves

us by constantly communicating to us our lack of

worthiness of His Love, and the truth is that we

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are not worthy! It is the power of grace that

presents us faultless. For when we were yet still

in sin, Christ died. Not considering Himself, but

those that would afterwards believe, He died. For

the sake of the unrighteous not being capable of

righteousness, He died. Cast off every weight and

take upon yourself His yoke. His care is beyond

reproach and is more than adequate. Stand fast in

the liberty in which Christ had made us free

(Galatians5:1).

With truth being translated liberty or interposing

truth for freedom, know that the absence of freedom

is also the absence of truth and therefore the

absence of the possibility of worship. Being freed

from strongholds, requires us to identify their

potentialities within the Body. Often times we are

trapped by erecting a place of worship and

delegating worship to those edifices. Whether they

be churches, alters, cities, or familiar

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atmospheres, they present the same potential for

enslavement. It is mostly because after the

experience of worship in these places, we leave not

continuing in worship. We wait until we return to

these environments in anticipation of worship and

forget that we are to live outside of them in the

same worship. By doing so, we establish a law that

we should live by as it pertains to worship and

cannot abide in the glorious liberty of Christ

eternally, as He is eternal.

Even to declare that the anointing of God resides

only on a particular people, song, sermon, or

ministry presents the same danger of ensnaring. God

is Lord over all and therefore has not limited His

glory to that which we can readily identify.

Because some worship in the atmosphere of hymns and

others contemporary music does not speak that one

is more anointed than the other. It is my opinion

that we completely misinterpret His anointing more

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often than many other things in Christ. Considering

that His anointing is simply operating in agreement

with His Spirit, I would conclude that worship is

operation in His anointing. Can a song have faith?

Can a building translate from natural to spirit?

Does a sermon repent and be converted? Then I would

conclude that they are not anointed. Only the

people of God possess the ability to be anointed

and buildings, sermons, songs and the like become

the tools and vehicles of worship for worshipers.

For this reason, Jesus confronted the idolatry of

Israel and Samaria with the declaring of places for

worship, the absence of a life of worship by both

people (John 4:21-22).

Worship is to be free and unrestrained by clothing,

days of the week, denominations, economic status,

in hunger or in fullness, in trial or in victory,

in sickness or on one's death bed. Even on the

cross the thief was drawn into worship (Luke 23:40-

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42). Even while being stoned Stephen worshiped

(Acts 7:59). Even in exile John worshiped

(Revelation). In the palace and in the dungeon

Joseph worshiped. While at the side of the King and

in the lion's den Daniel worshiped. And you, being

knowledgeable of the Presence of God, worship in

spirit and truth.

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Chapter 12

Moving Forward

After these things Jesus showed Himself again to

the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this

way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called

the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons

of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were

together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going

fishing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus

stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know

that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to

them, Children, have you any food? They answered

Him, No. And He said to them, Cast the net on the

right side of the boat, and you will find some. So

they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in

because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that

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disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the

Lord! Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the

Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had

removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the

other disciples came in the little boat (for they

were not far from land, but about two hundred

cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon

as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals

there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said

to them, Bring some of the fish which you have just

caught. Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to

land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-

three; and although there were so many, the net was

not broken.

John 21:1-11

Notice that this encounter with Christ at the Sea

if Tiberias is after He has been witnessed risen

from the grave. Also, notice that the same men, who

walked with Jesus, drifted once again into the

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lifestyle they had prior to their initial encounter

with Him. Its a sad thing to have known the Power

of God dwelling among you and you return to the old

habits you possessed prior to what you have

witnessed. Here we have the Disciples of Christ,

whom He had already told to go a do ministry,

become fishers of men, once again fishing for fish.

Was the Majesty of God of so little effect? Were

the parables of Christ to no avail? Was the

resurrection from the dead just a common occurrence

of man? Was His death on the Cross in vain?

Let this serve notice to us all that after we have

learned of Him, we do not return to our former

state. Let us not draw back to perdition but let us

venture deeper from here; possessing a greater

knowledge of worship. Let us receive the full

benefit of our enlightenment. He has come that our

joy may be full. Let us bask in His presence where

there is fullness of joy.

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This book has been written so that we may know Him

more intimately than we have ever experience. And

that we may live that experience daily. Again, this

is not a tell all for all things pertaining to

worship but just a brief overview; a starting point

to which we may all gain direction henceforth.

I pray that moving forward you are able to use this

book as a tool to gauge and guide your worship

experience into a full life of worship. My meager

effort is to create an epiphany, to spark a flame

that if fanned by study, prayer in the Holy Ghost,

constant meditation, and persistent pursuit of God,

that will begin as embers but end as an all

consuming fire leaving nothing but that which is

useful for the Lord's work and yielded to His will.

As I stated from the beginning, I am no expert. I

am only willing that the Lord use me to further His

Gospel and proclaim His glory. It is necessary that

we know the expectations of Him that called us that

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we should grow in our spiritual intellect and

remove the veil from our minds. He has given us the

ability to make what is mystery to most, common

knowledge to His people.

As I close this book, I ask that you join me in

this prayer:

Holy One of Israel and Lord of our lives, we ask

that from this day forward You define Yourself in

us. Help us to find the point and degree of

separation that we have established as commonplace

living, outside of Your Presence. Lord, show us our

fault lines, the traces of our old nature that

erupted into sinful living. Create in us a clean

heart and strengthen us to live in Your Image. Give

us the epiphany of hope that springs forth into

pursuit of You. Lord we acknowledge that we have

lived part time in worship of You. We know that

this living is not Your expectation nor is it

acceptable to us anymore. We desire the fullness of

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joy promised by our residence in Your Presence.

Lord, give us drink from the ever flowing fountain.

Enlighten us that we may pour it all out to You in

worship. Give us grace for our weakness oh Lord and

give the chastening of Your Love as correction. We

desire to live disciplined and rich lives before

You; born from Your wisdom. We diminish the value

we have placed on our Selves by sacrifice of our

being. We offer our flesh as a burnt offering. Lord

be pleased with our worship. Lord be lifted up in

our lives. Draw us ever closer to You, oh God.

Quench our hunger and thirst for Your Presence.

Extinguish our passion for the things of this

world. Let our hearts burn for You. God, You are

the source of all love, all strength, and all life.

Our broken state requires only what You can supply.

Give us our daily bread Father. We know that

without You we are destitute, but in You we are

full. We yearn for You. We long for You, and we

cling to Your promise to never leave nor forsake

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us. We thank You for a mind to serve you with

gladness. We thank You that You have fashioned us

as vessels of honor, and we cast off every reproach

that has shamed You in Your calling us by Your

name. We accept Your burden, Your mantel, and Your

Spirit with joy. Breathe life into us and we shall

live. Anoint us and we shall be free. Charge our

lives and we shall run for You. We give all to You

for one purpose alone; to worship You. Our words

are the words You have given us. Our prayer is what

You have spoken. And we come to You by passage

granted to us by the death of Christ on the Cross.

We access Your throne by the name of Your Son,

Jesus. And we pray to You by faith that Your words

are truth.

AMEN!