PREPARED FOR WORSHIP

PREPARED FOR WORSHIP

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the
sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to
the Lord and offering in righteousness." Malachi 3:3

"The quality of our worship is not based on our ACTIVITIES but on our
CHARACTER. Churches can mistakenly assume that the better the music, the
more impressive the building, and the more eloquent the preaching, the
more worshipful the experience will be. Genuine worship, however,
originates within OUR HEARTS. It our relationship with God is not
healthy, all these things are nothing more than religious pageantry.

The Levites were the worship leaders of their day. Their task was to
offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. God declared that before they
could worship Him in righteousness, He would first refine them with His
refiner's fire, purging them of any impurities. Merely being members of
the religious profession, having official responsibilities in the
temple, and going through the rituals of worship did not guarantee that
their religious activities would be acceptable to holy God.

Today we tend to look to external THINGS to enhance our worship. The
true quality of worship, however, rests within us. If we have not
allowed God to purify us first, our worship will be void of His
presence. If we do not have a pure heart, we may give offerings, but
they will be unacceptable to God. Attending a religious service will not
automatically ensure and encounter with God.

If you are not satisfied with the QUALITY of your worship, don't be too
quick to blame your environment. Look first to your OWN HEART! Allow God
to refine YOUR HEART until it is pleasing to Him, and you will be free
to worship God as He intends." From EXPERIENCING GOD - THE DEVOTIONAL

Good words for this day when we gather together to worship HIM!

Great quote: In place of our exhaustion and spiritual fatigue, God will
give us rest. All He asks is that we come to Him...that we spend a while
thinking about Him, meditating on Him, talking to Him, listening in
silence, occupying ourselves with Him--totally and thoroughly lost in
the hiding place of His presence. -- Charles (Chuck) Swindoll