This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24, KJV.
I find my heart singing, bubbling, looking up to the Lord continually. This is a day for all of us to be especially alerted to encourage one another (I Thessalonians 5:8–11). Too many people are out of the services for a few weeks, and they are not aware of what is happening to them. They don’t realize that their walk with God must be constantly sustained and fed. It does not go well with us unless there is that constant flow by meeting together. We are warned in the Word not to cease the assembling of ourselves together, and so much the more as we see the day approaching. That day is right on us, so all the more we must come together.
And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24–25.
The days of the past saw us feeding ourselves individually and independently. But a Christian doesn’t really grow into what God is doing today, even if he is a good Bible student and has a good prayer life, by only getting off alone to pray and wait on God. He still will not do well, because this is the day of Body ministry (I Corinthians 12:18–28).
We are edified by one another (I Corinthians 14:26). And the prophecy, the anointing, the personal ministry, the Word that flows as the Body comes together are necessary ingredients for people who are to grow in the grace of God in this hour. Keep that in mind, because the day of the individual is giving way to the day of the collective Body of Christ.
One Body are we (I Corinthians 12:12–14; Ephesians 4:4–6). And because of that, you will not be sustained and fed by the individual processes of yesterday; it will be by the collective way of today. The flow, the ministry, and the love for one another eventually has to be—and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.
So much the more, as you see the day approaching, you assemble yourselves together; and worship is very essential. Joshua chapter 3 tells about the priests, carrying the ark of the covenant, coming down to cross over the Jordan River. It was during the time of harvest when it always overflowed its banks. How did they see these circumstances actually overcome? How did the miracle of deliverance really come to them? The priests carried the presence of the Lord right down into the flooded waters (Joshua 3:10–17).
You may come to a service, saying, “I need ministry,” but in reality, many of your circumstances might roll back as the waters of the Jordan did if you just start worshiping the Lord from your heart.
Many times people think they desperately need ministry, when what they need to do is open their hearts and really worship the Lord. The minute that they rise to that spiritual level in worship, it is amazing how many things they start dumping. The waters start rolling back, and they pass through on dry ground, carrying the presence of the Lord with them.
Actually, ministry is often only a temporary release anyway. The need for ministry can become an addictive habit of people who do not learn to walk with God, and they do not learn to worship the Lord. They must have a ministry-boost, because they have no way of drawing from the Body. But as you grow, and you learn to draw and learn to worship, a great deal of that need for individual ministry and help passes. You don’t really need it so much as you rise in the Spirit to the new things that God has for you.
People can be convinced that they need ministry when they do not. They need to accept the place that they have in the Body of Christ. They need to draw upon the life that is flowing from the Lord and worship and simply relate themselves to the whole Body.
Think about this: One thing that necessitates individual, personal ministry is the fact that you are retaining your individuality. The reason you need so much individual, personal ministry is that you retain your own individuality. The Lord has set us into the Body (I Corinthians 12:18). When we function as a Body, the Body makes increase of itself in love especially through that which every joint supplies, because it is in a right relationship of oneness.
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:15–16, KJV.
But the minute that a part of the Body becomes isolated, then it has to be given a booster shot, it has to be fed, it has to be taken care of because it is not in the general life-flow of the Body. The general flow of the Body usually takes care of every problem automatically. Isn’t that beautiful?
Does this mean that you are never to ask for ministry? That is not the idea at all. This Word is coming to teach that we can be mature and move into the will of God with all of our hearts. So we push aside individuality, and in its place we look to be that healthy, functioning part of the whole.
So much can be done for us, right as we worship. Do you know what the Lord is doing? The Lord is opening up Jehoshaphat’s march again, where appointed singers go before the army and worship the Lord. In II Chronicles 20:21–25 we read that while they worshiped, the Lord was doing a special thing; He was knocking the enemy off one by one. And when the men of Judah got to the multitude that was trying to cast them out of their inheritance, they found all the dead bodies, fallen to the earth. None had escaped. Imagine! They had completely wiped each other out. Not one soul was left, and they were three days gathering the spoil, there was so much.
The greatest warfare is accomplished by worship. Do you believe this? The greatest warfare is accomplished by worship! The enemy is thoroughly routed, and then we go in to gather the spoil. But we do not have to fight the enemy. What we have to do is worship.
Why is worship so successful? When you worship, you bypass all the other steps by giving God the one thing that He is after (John 4:23–24); and you defeat the devil in the one thing that he is trying to stop. He wants to keep people from worshiping God. Suppose you stop worshiping, and instead, you battle the devil. The devil is very happy about that; he can keep you occupied in spiritual warfare for a long time. And even if he is ultimately defeated, look at all the time wasted when you were not worshiping the Lord. How much better to say, “Satan, our defeated foe, we choose to ignore you. We are worshiping the Lord!” Oh, does that make him angry, because in that he is defeated. He is defeated in that instant because God has what He is working for all the time: He has His worshipers.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23–24, KJV.
God’s ultimate purposes are accomplished, and the devil sees all of his purposes frustrated when you worship the Lord. We get the idea sometimes that our works are the things that please the Lord. Many people are working for the Lord, but right at a certain point, because they are not worshipers and are not really yielded to the Lord, the devil diverts their works and the whole enterprise goes sour. How many great movements have sprung up, how many missionary efforts have sprung up, how many great works has the devil diverted? But he cannot divert worship. Worship is the one basic thing that the Father seeks.
Oh, how He loves us! How concerned the Lord is about us. In Psalm 56:8 is the cry, “Put my tears in Thy bottle.” Isn’t that a beautiful thought? The Lord has bottled up all your tears. That is symbolical, but it means He remembers all of them. In the Oriental world, the tears have a special significance, especially in India where the dead are cremated. A person’s tears are kept in a bottle, and at the end of his lifetime his tears are thrown onto the fire with his corpse. There is something of self-pity when one preserves his own tears. But God has kept all our tears; that is a lot better. Just think: all your weeping, all your worship, all your love—God holds all of it.
Our Lord is touched by the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). How compassionate He is. What love He has. All of our ways, He knows and He understands. What tremendous compassion, as our High Priest, forever making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:24–25). We give worship to the Lord, and He is interceding on our behalf because we are coming forth to be worshipers of the Father. This is what our Lord wants.
PROPHECY
Prepare for the new day that comes to thee. For behold, it groweth brighter, moment by moment (Proverbs 4:18; Isaiah 60:1–3). And the Lord draweth near unto His obedient people that He might manifest Himself unto them (John 14:21). Yea, the Lord hath as great a desire to reveal Himself to thee as thou hast for the Lord to come and be made close to thee (Revelation 3:20).
The Lord shall bless thee. Thy heart shall be open to perceive how marvelous the Lord is, how greatly is the Lord to be praised in the midst of His people.
I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord: and thy saints shall bless thee. Psalm 145:1–10, KJV.
Oh, that you should exalt His name together, you should worship Him, and you should praise Him.
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:1–3, KJV.
But it should not be a thing forced from thee; it should come because thou hast come to know Him, whom to know is such a joy and a blessing and life eternal (John 17:3).
Let your heart exalt the Lord. For this is the day the Lord shall lift the veil, and that which hath been obscure shall be made plain (Isaiah 29:18–19, KJV). That which thou hast seen through a glass darkly thou shalt see face to face. That which thou hast known in part, now thou shalt come to know in full.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. I Corinthians 13:9–10, 12, KJV.
Behold, the days of His love cometh to His remnant; and thou shalt marvel and wonder that in the midst of wars and rumors of wars and hatred among peoples there shall come that overflowing, overwhelming love. Gird thyself about with the compassion of the Lord and be filled with His very love.
For the Lord shall be praised, and He shall be magnified; and He shall open up in Zion fountains of worship and praise that shall be a blessing.
And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. Isaiah 12:4–6, KJV.
The hungry and the thirsty shall seek thee out, for they shall be refreshed because of the joy of the Lord that strengtheneth thee (Isaiah 35:3–10).
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain Joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:3–4, 10, KJV.
In the Kingdom of God, the sons feed each other more than they feed their own selves.
The need for much personal ministry may be caused by a lack of flowing with the whole Body of Christ.
Are you an individual or a Body?
God’s ultimate goal is to create you as His Worshiper. Works without Worship eventually become dead works.