The Lord is speaking to His chosen remnant today. By revelation and prophecy His Spirit assures us that our Lord has endowed us with divine authority to fulfill now the ministry of judgment and exploits.
Our awareness of our destiny is growing. Our absolute acceptance of His promises is essential. We are to be His tried and tested servants in this generation.
We must be aggressive in faith, diligent in spirit, relentless in spiritual conflict. We are His warriors and worshipers, His warring priesthood, expressing our faith by our worship.
Isaiah 50:7–19; 54:1–3, 11–17.
WORSHIP AMID DELAYS AND DISTRACTIONS
Scripture Reading: Genesis chapters 12 to 22.
By his worship, Abraham expressed his faith in God’s promises, in spite of many delays and distractions.
1. By Abraham’s fear, he placed his wife in a humiliating position. Was this faith or just a mistake? Genesis 12.
2. Abraham had problems even with his relative Lot. Genesis 13. But Abraham believed and worshiped God. “And he built an altar unto the Lord.”Genesis 13:14–18; 12:6–7.
3. Abraham had battles, but he believed to be blessed by God, and not through his own struggles. Genesis 14, especially verses 21–23.
4. Yet Abraham tried to fulfill God’s promises in the flesh and he created great problems for himself and his descendants. Genesis chapters 16 and 21:1–21.
5. Abraham’s faith was tested severely even after Isaac was born, but he wavered not. Genesis 22; Hebrews 11:17–19.
6. Abraham worshiped and believed God, so in spite of his blunders and mistakes, God counted his faith for righteousness and blessed him as He does every believing worshiper in spite of their mistakes. Genesis 15:4–6; Romans 4:17–25.
When we receive a promise from the Lord, let us build our altar and worship.
WORSHIP DURING WARFARE
Scripture Reading: Exodus chapter 17; I Timothy 2:8.
Moses’ worship and faith brought God’s victory in battle.
1. Genesis 17:1–7 shows that Israel did not deserve to be blessed in battle. Are any of us worthy of God’s blessing? See also I Corinthians 15:55–58.
2. Moses’ faith before God was the deciding factor in the battle. But even the strongest spiritual leader needs ministries of helps. Exodus 17:8–13.
3. Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord is Our Banner.” Exodus 17:14–15. He is always with us in our battles. God’s end-time warring priesthood will fight many battles, but in their worship and intercession they will prevail. See I Timothy 2:8.
WORSHIP AMID TRIALS AND MALIGNMENT
Scripture Reading: Job chapters 1, 2, 19, 38 through 42.
Job expressed his faith through his trials and malignments by his worship and trust in God.
1. We must worship the Lord whatever the trials may be. Job chapters 1 and 2.
2. We must worship the Lord with unswerving faith whatever others say of us. Job chapter 19, especially verses 23–27.
3. We must worship the Lord in all things, for there are many things we cannot understand. Job 38:1 through 42:6. Note especially 40:3–5 and 42:1–6.
4. We should trust God to bring us to the ultimate victory. Job 42:7–17; James 5:7–11.
WORSHIP AMID CRISIS AND APOSTASY
Scripture Reading: I Kings 17:1–24; 18:1–46; James 5:13–18.
Elijah rebuilds the altar of worship as he believes for restoration and judgment.
1. Will God’s end-time ministries have the same powers as Elijah? I Kings 18:1–15. What a means of transportation!
2. Note also in I Kings 17 his miracle preservation in the times of judgment. Will this be true of us during the tribulation before us?
3. How long will the nominal Christian go “limping between two sides”? I Kings 18:20–21.
4. Is not Elijah a type of the remnant? I Kings 18:22.
5. The apostates and unbelievers serve in their own blood a god who gives no answer to their prayers. I Kings 18:23–29.
We serve a Lord who has given His own precious blood and answers us while we are yet speaking.
6. Lord, let us restore Thine altar which is thrown down. I Kings 18:30–32.
7. God doesn’t want us to make it easy for Him. He desires to be glorified in us. I Kings 18:32–35.
8. God’s answer to Israel’s apostasy was fire, blood and rain. The fire of approval on the remnant’s sacrifice, the blood of judgment in slaying the false prophets, and the rain of blessing on the repentant. I Kings 18:36–46. Will this not be the pattern of things in the last days also?
9. Let us also pray fervently as did Elijah. Is it not the time of latter rain? James 5:13–18.
WORSHIP AMID PERSECUTIONS
Scripture Reading: Daniel chapter 6.
Daniel expressed his steadfast faith by his consistent daily worship, even at his own peril.
1. How great is God’s blessing on the man with an excellent spirit. Daniel 6:1–4.
2. If only we could serve God so faithfully that the only fault the world could find in us would be the way we serve God. Daniel 6:5.
3. The evil plot and the law of man must not cause the heart of God’s remnant to waver in their worship. Daniel 6:6–10.
4. When all efforts to evade the apparent tribulation fail, will not God deliver us through it, as he did Daniel? Daniel 6:11–18.
5. Did God allow His servant to go through this tribulation in order that he might bring to judgment His enemies? Daniel 6:19–24.
And so shall it be in this hour.
6. Is it not God’s purpose that He shall be “glorified in His saints, and marvelled at in all them that believed”? Daniel 6:25–28. 2 Thessalonians 1:10.
WORSHIP WHEN AFFLICTED FOR THIS WALK
Scripture Reading: I Thessalonians chapters 1–3.
1. We too receive God’s Word today in power, and in the Holy Spirit, in much assurance, in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Spirit. I Thessalonians 1:5–6.
2. We too should “sound forth the Word of the Lord” as did the early church. I Thessalonians 1:8–9.
3. We too have received God’s Word for the hour as a “trust”—as stewards of what God has to say to the world. I Thessalonians 2:4.
4. God’s Word works effectively in us, when we receive it as His Word, and not as the word of man. I Thessalonians 2:13–14.
5. We too must expect to be afflicted for the sake of the Word that God has given us. I Thessalonians 3:2–7.
6. May God perfect that which is lacking in our faith. I Thessalonians 3:8–13.
We have a trust from God—His Living Word for this hour.
WORSHIP AT THE ALTAR OF GRACE
Scripture Reading: Exodus 19:1 through 20:26; Exodus 24:1–18; Exodus 31:18 through 34:35; Luke 22:14–20; Hebrews 12:18–29; Hebrews 13:10–17.
1. God made a covenant of Law with Israel.
Exodus 19:1–20:26.
2. God sealed His Covenant of Law in blood.
Exodus 24:1–18.
3. Although God manifested His glory and showed His loving-kindness to them, His people failed to keep His Covenant of Law from the beginning. Exodus 31:18 through 34:35.
4. Our Lord sealed a New Covenant of Grace for us with His own blood. Luke 22:14–20.
5. How much greater is this New Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Law! Hebrews 12:18–29.
6. Let us therefore worship at our Altar of Grace with the “sacrifices of praise to God continually.”
Hebrews 13:10–17.