UNDESIRABLE WORSHIP

God loves to receive our praises and worship; He is pleased when we give Him offerings, when we fast and pray, and do other acts of worship: but be informed that there are times when He is not pleased with any of such. There are Christians today who think they can actually bribe God; they live as they please, and do whatever they want, contrary to God’s will, and then they worship, give offerings, tithes and other sacrifices, thinking God will be appeased by that. No! At such times worship from such a person is unacceptable and undesirable to God. The Israelites were once like that. Here’s how God described them: “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.” Isaiah 1:4. And the Lord asked, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me... And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” Then He said to them, “Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:11-17. This is not a message to get you jumping, shouting and clapping; you know yourself more than anyone else, and you can tell if you are like the Israelites were; living in sin and in disobedience to God, and yet pretending that it is well with you and God. This is a call to repentance. Understand that God doesn't delight in offerings and in other things more than He does in us living in love and in holiness. Everything we do in this faith must be done on the foundation of love and holiness; else we would be wasting our time and resources. If you are in such state, then here’s God’s word to you today, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Shalom. Follow @PastorChinae