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River of Life Weekly Summary
April 20, 2001
Pastor Francis Frangipane
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GOD'S ARMY OF WORSHIPERS
When the Scriptures refer to the "heavenly host," we usually think of
"choirs of angels." The word "host" in the Bible meant
"army" (Luke 2:13). Let us perceive that the hosts of heaven are
worshiping armies. Indeed, no one can do warfare who is not first a worshiper of
God.
The Central Issue in Tribulation: Worship
One does not have to penetrate deeply into the Revelation of John to discover
that both God and the devil are seeking worshipers (Rev. 14:7; 7:11; 13:4;
14:11). Time and again the line is drawn between those who "worship the
beast and his image" and those who worship God.
Let us realize beforehand that in the last great battle before Jesus returns,
the outcome of every man's life shall be weighed upon a scale of worship: in the
midst of warfare and battles, to whom will we bow, God or Satan?
Yet, while this warfare shall culminate in the establishment of the Lord's
kingdom on earth (Rev. 11:15), we must realize the essence of this battle is the
central issue in our warfare today. Will we faithfully worship God during
satanic assault and temptation? True worship must emerge now in the
context of our daily lives, for no man will worship through the great battles of
tomorrow who complains in the mere skirmishes of today.
You will remember that the Lord's call to the Israelites was a call to worship
and service before Him in the wilderness (Ex. 5:3; 7:16). Indeed, when Moses
first spoke of God's loving concern, we read that the Hebrews "bowed low
and worshiped" (Ex. 4:31). But when trials or pressures came,
they fell quickly into murmuring, complaining, and blatant rebellion. Their
worship was superficial, a form without a heart of worship.
This same condition of shallow worship prevails in much of Christianity today.
If a message is given that speaks of the Lord's great care for His people, with
eagerness do we bow low and worship. But as soon as the pressures of daily
living arise or temptations come, how quickly we rebel against God and resist
His dealings! The enemy has easy access to the soul
that is not protected by true worship of God! God's purpose in the wilderness
was to perfect true worship, which is based upon the reality of God, not
circumstances. The Lord knows that the heart that will worship Him in the
wilderness of affliction will continue to worship in the promised land of
plenty.
Without true worship of God, there can be no victory in warfare. For what we
bleed when we are wounded by satanic assault or difficult circumstances is the
true measure of our worship. You see, what comes out of our hearts during times
of pressure was in us, but hidden, during times of ease. If
you are a true worshiper, your spirit will exude worship to God no matter what
battle you are fighting. In warfare, worship is a wall around the soul.
Protecting Your Heart Through Worship
Most of us understand the basic dynamics of the human soul. We have been taught,
and rightly so, that the soul is the combination of our "mind, will, and
emotions." Generally speaking, when the enemy comes against the church, he
targets any of these three areas. We must see that the
protection of these areas is of vital importance in our war against Satan.
To further illuminate the nature of this battle, let us add something to our
definition of the soul. Generally speaking, the essence of who we are is made of
events and how we responded to those events. Who we are today
is the sum of what we have encountered in life and our subsequent reactions.
Abuses and afflictions hammer us one way, encouragement and praise inflate us
another. Our reaction to each event, whether that event was positive or
negative, is poured into the creative marrow of our
individuality, where it is blended into the nature of our character.
What we call "memory" is actually our spirit gazing at the substance
of our soul. With few exceptions, those events which we remember the most have
shaped us the most. Indeed, the reason our natural minds cannot forget certain
incidents is because those experiences have literally
become a part of our nature!
We are what the past has made us. Yet, we are commanded to not look back and to
"forget . . . what lies behind" (Luke 9:62; Phil. 3:13; Heb. 11:15).
With God, this is not impossible, for although the events of our lives are
irreversible, our reactions to those events can still be changed. And as our
reactions change, we change. In other words, although
we cannot alter the past, we can put our past upon the "altar" as an
act of worship. A worshiping heart truly allows God to restore the soul.
All of us receive a portion of both good and evil in this world. But for life to
be good, God, who is the essence of life, must reach into our experiences and
redeem us from our negative reactions. The channel through which the Lord
extends Himself, even into our past, is our love and worship of Him.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those
who love God" (Rom. 8:28). The key for the fulfillment of this verse is
that we become lovers of God in our spirits. When we are given to loving Him,
all that we have passed through in life is washed in that love. It is redeemed
and becomes good within us.
Therefore, it is essential to both the salvation of our souls and our protection
in warfare that we be worshipers. For the ark which safely carries us through
adversity is worship.
Psalm 84 expresses in praise to God the wonderful effect worship has upon the
soul. "How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are
the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca [weeping], they make it
a spring, the early rain also covers it with blessings" (v. 5-6). If you
are "ever praising" God (v. 4), your worship of God will transform the
negative assault of the enemy into a spring of
sweet waters which will refresh you. No matter what befalls a worshiper, their
"valley of weeping" always becomes a spring covered with blessings.
You cannot successfully engage in warfare, nor pass safely through the
wilderness of this life, without first becoming a worshiper of God.
Worship: the Purpose of Creation
We were created for God's pleasure. We were not created to live for ourselves
but for Him. And while the Lord desires that we enjoy His gifts and His people,
He would have us know we were created first for His pleasure. In these closing
moments of this age, the Lord will have a people whose purpose for living is to
please God with their lives. In
them, God finds His own reward for creating man. They are His worshipers. They
are on earth only to please God, and when He is pleased, they also are pleased.
The Lord takes them farther and through more pain and conflicts than other men.
Outwardly, they often seem "smitten of God, and
afflicted" (Isa. 53:4). Yet to God, they are His beloved. When they are
crushed, like the petals of a flower, they exude a worship, the fragrance of
which is so beautiful and rare that angels weep in quiet awe at their surrender.
They are the Lord's purpose for creation.
One would think that God would protect them, guarding them in such a way that
they would not be marred. Instead, they are marred more than other men. Indeed,
the Lord seems pleased to crush them, putting them to grief. For in the midst of
their physical and emotional pain, their loyalty to Christ grows pure and
perfect. And in the face of persecutions, their love and worship toward God
become all-consuming.
Would that all Christ's servants were so perfectly surrendered. Yet God finds
His pleasure in us all. But as the days of the kingdom draw near and the warfare
at the end of this age increases, those who have been created solely for the
worship of God will come forth in the power and glory of
the Son. With the high praises of God in their mouth, they will execute upon His
enemies the judgment written (Psalm 149). They will lead as generals in the
Lord's army of worshipers.
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The preceding message is taken from the book, The Three Battlegrounds, by
Francis Frangipane. This best selling book will soon be available in its
entirety through electronic mail. More information next week.
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