Pure Worship ––– vs. Celebrity Music Culture “Golden Altar Worship Series,” Book III

Freddy Hayler

©2007 Pure Worship Whitaker House Final UNABRIDGED Version

GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 2

Pure Worship – The Golden Altar Series Book III

Contents

Introduction Sacred Passion ...... 7

Chapter One Pure Worship ...... 19

Chapter Two The Breath of God and Worship...... 31

Chapter Three The Holy Spirit and Pure Worship...... 45

Chapter Four “Chaste” Worshippers...... 75

Chapter Five Four Conditions for Pure Worship...... 85

Chapter Six Worship and Divine Eyesight ...... 107

Chapter Seven Unselfish Worship ...... 129

Chapter Eight Worship of the Bride...... 135

Chapter Nine Pure Worship and Rest ...... 147

Chapter Ten Offering Up Golden Altar Worship ...... 169

The Music ...... 177

Lyrics ...... 181

An Urgent Invitation ...... 195

Credits ...... 201

Appendix A “Old-Time” Worship ...... 203

Appendix B Does Holiness Injure the Soul?...... 221

Appendix C The Backslidden Worshipper...... 229

Appendix D Real Prophets ...... 247

Appendix E On Worship and Dress ...... 263

Appendix F The Coming Youth Revival...... 275

304 pages

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IntrodIntroductionuction Sacred Passion

The pursuit of perfection . . .

Some of us need to start celebrating God’s holy standards. If Jesus said “Be perfect” and the Greek word for “perfect” means “to be morally pure and spiritually mature” we should embrace this lofty standard which Christ Himself has set forth. Yet some today are subtly denigrating certain timeless notions and principles of holiness which God has set forth in his word. This is His eternal standard and not man’s.

The fact is, desiring to live in heavenly perfection (not that even redeemed humanity won’t make mistakes) is a certain standard for our worship lives. [Rom. 12:1-2] Joseph, Daniel, Paul, and others all strove for excellence in their worship life, and so should we. And although we will make mistakes from time to time, the Bible is clear that God’s grace and the blood of Jesus is more powerful than sin and temptation ever could be, and that there is no necessity for any born-again Christian to remain in sin.

When Jesus said “Be perfect” He didn’t mean that His followers simply were to become “mature” – especially in the sense that that word is used in today’s common language. All too many would-be worshippers fail at achieving a deeper place in the Lord simply because they have set the moral standard for the life too low. Many Christian leaders today arrogantly defy them. They have such low expectation of what a person can be in Christ. Their own sin and unbelief, lack of love, and lack of power – their own bias and conformity to narrow-mindedness blinds them to what they could truly become in Christ.

But the pure worshipper will lovingly defy anything that would hold them back from being all that God has called them to do. Those who are godly in Christ Jesus will set aside all prejudices and preconceived notions of what a Christian should be. Pure worshippers will seek holiness and purity with reckless abandon. They will totally surrender themselves on a daily basis to the love of Jesus and the presence of God. They hunger and thirst for God’s presence. They don’t think this is radical at all, but rather part of the “normal” Christian life. They can easily love their enemies and forgive all. They find no problem in obeying all the scriptures. As a matter of fact, it is a great joy for them to keep the commandments of the Lord and to not offend the Holy Spirit in any way. GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 5

My friend, Jesus wants you and I to become pure worshippers. He wants you to proclaim right now that this can be done. God wants you and I to exceed all the expectations that others may have or that we may even have of ourselves. He wants you and I to become a pacesetter and to live bold and to stand out for Jesus. The pure worshipper loves the perfect standard. But there is another thing that motivates a pure worshipper. Passion.

The sacred romance . . .

Pure worshippers are spiritual romantics at heart. They have learned the sacred art of passionately and unashamedly worshipping God. You see, there’s going to be a wedding in Heaven! The Bridegroom is coming! Pure worshippers will have plenty of oil left over in their lamps. The Lord’s heart is for His Bride to ready our hearts in passionate love and adoration of Him.

May the Holy Spirit fill us as He beckons us to enter the Holiest place in worship for this is the only sure place of spiritual safety. [Matthew 25:1ff] His presence is a strong tower and a place of refuge in these trying times. We are living in the days that Jesus foretold men’s hearts would wax cold and would fail them for fear of things which are about to come on the earth.

A place of victory . . .

Yet, as the Holy Spirit gently beckons us, His Bride, to draw close to Him, it is in this secret place of intimacy that we will find true spiritual immunity . It is in the secret place of intimate worship that we will find renewed strength, prosperity, provision, rest, peace, endurance, courage, healing, salvation, and deliverance. It is in this private place of prayer and worship that we will become more than a conqueror through Him who loves us. It is also from this secret place of power where God will empower His army with a Heavenly commission to win all the nations to Christ! God is longing to fulfill His destiny in you. And becoming a pure worshipper will help you fulfill God’s purposes and plans in your life.

Ardent love . . .

God wants to bestow His great love upon each of us. He also wants us to love His precepts. He wants us to be holy and to celebrate holiness. He wants us to truly admire and cherish all the laws of His love. There is abundant life in simply obeying His precepts . . .

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 6

as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psalms 119:13-16

He wants to trust us and longs to impart much revelation in our lives. He wants us to walk in communion with Him and unveil to us the countless mysteries as He did with Adam and Eve at the dawn of creation.

We are to be a Bride who is ardently in love with Him, a Bride holy and pure unto Him. Yet, my friend, God’s desire is to restore us in holy love even as His second Adam. You see the Father’s desire is to enlarge His celestial family by restoring us to the glorious gleaming sons and daughters of the new Eden – robed in His pure light. We are to continually dwell with Him in the garden of God as in the cool of the day.

The Father’s greatest desire is to restore us to moral perfection and purity. He does this as we yield to His grace. And the perfection He is talking about is not some misplaced notion regarding “maturity.” His grace conforms us to His own image if we allow it to do so. Jesus longs to recreate His own image in each of us and to restore us to the paradisiacal virginal purity that was lost through Adam’s fall and through original sin. And by His enabling grace, He can set us free from the temptation of sin or any desire of the knowledge or interest in it! Yes, my friend, there is such a place in Christ. Why not fully surrender to Him now?

Deliver us from evil . . .

Jesus prayed that we would not be led into temptation and that we would be delivered from evil. It is time for the Bride to become intoxicated with His love, to put on pure eyes, pure ears, pure thoughts and pure deeds – in short, to put on Christ-likeness. The supreme objective of the Father is to conform many sons and daughters into the image of His own dear Son. He must clothe our moral nakedness and fallen carnal nature with the righteousness and pure virginal light of Christ if we are to approach God with our worship.

From sin – not in sin!

Some say we are to approach God even when we are in sin but Jesus wants to save us from our sins so that we can be liberated to worship Him. God’s grace will meet you when you repent and humble yourself before the Lord. The choice is yours – yield to God’s enabling grace or resist and rebel. If you do resist, even though you may enjoy singing praise and worship songs, you will never be considered a true worshipper by the Lord.

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Correction is not easy . . .

This book more or less says what a lot of good Christian people would like to say but don’t want to say. Yet what the book says, truly needs to be said. I mean after all, it’s time for sincere believers everywhere to begin to demand revolution, change and reformation. If not, this whole Christian generation could become assimilated into the mainstream culture. Quite frankly, all too many Christians in the west are divinely frustrated by what they see on Christian television and what goes on up on the platform and behind the scenes of major Christian ministries.

Of course this is going against the tide. Most publishers want to print fluffy and happy books which teach others “How to have a happier and more purposeful life!” Don’t misread me here, I enjoy reading uplifting and inspiring books as well. But the fact is the body of Christ has gotten way overbalanced in the “fulfill your destiny,” and “realize your dream” message. The fact is, a lot of people aren’t even obeying the basic commandments of Christ.

It’s about substance, not style . . .

Most Christian books written and published today are produced with the primary purpose of reaching a particular “market.” This is a spiritually sick reason for writing a book about the Lord. Besides, most people in the church already are reading too many of these kinds of books. They don’t read their Bible enough nor do they apply the simple mandates of scripture to their everyday life. As a result, there is very little spiritual substance to them.

Most books and CDs written and produced today are 90 percent style and 10 percent substance. Nobody wants to offend anyone with the truth. Back-slapping, happy-go- lucky, cheerful, positive thinking is now the gospel of the New Age. But this New Age is of another kingdom. It does not represent the kingdom and rule of God. It does not truly represent the authority of Christ or His basilea. [Luke 17:21] Let’s face it, most people want to have their ears tickled and their fancies inflamed by positive prognosticators.

An uneasy controversy . . .

I’ll be frank with you. I like easy things too. Most all of us do. It’s much more fun to live a life in peace and tranquility with no divine confrontation or holy controversy. It’s easier to not defend the truth. It was not easy for me to write a book series which would seek to bring correction to the Body of Christ. In doing so you’re almost guaranteed that you’ll wind up becoming unpopular. Everyone wants to have friends. I know I do. But, if I don’t have any friends because of this kind of message, that’s okay. I mean nobody wants to be called self-righteous, legalistic, divisive, troublesome, etc. These are the usual labels which go with you when you write a book of correction.

They tried to hang Luther, stone Wesley, and incarcerate Fox. There will always be someone who will try to squelch a true message of repentance and correction. But I GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 8 would rather be more about substance than style. I would rather be more about being favored in Heaven than to be popular on earth. And I believe the truth is what is “relevant.”

A mirror of grace . . .

The Bible says that when we meditate on His precepts, there are divine reflections which show us who we truly are . . .

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror . . .

James 1:23 (NKJV)

In Calvin’s Institutes on Religions, he stated that when a person comes to know self he has the best chance of knowing God. This is why he said, “To know self is to know God.” This is because original sin has caused mankind to become selfish, egocentric and hateful. When an unredeemed person looks within, if they are honest, they should see that this is their nature. If they do this, and are humble, they will understand that they need a power greater than themselves in order to live holy. This will cause them to cry out to God for His grace.

But pure worshippers are unafraid to see themselves as they truly are in relation to God’s Word. They don’t want to “find” themselves. Rather, they want to see themselves.

Go “find yourself?”

So then, John Calvin believed that self-disclosure was the beginning of acquiring a true knowledge of God. This is what God wants to do in each of us. By His abundant grace we may simply yield to Him, asking Him for help so that we can attain without much difficulty at all! Your heavenly Father longs to see His Son reflected back to Him through the mirror of His redeemed people – even the Church of Jesus Christ.

But the false religious fire of vain ambition has darkened the mirror. There’s only one antidote for this. Let’s humble ourselves to Christ and yield ourselves to become partakers of His Divine nature . . .

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:4

Grace for purity . . .

Grace is God’s enabling power working within each of us both to do and to will of His good purpose. No one can live holy without God’s grace and no one can be a pure worshipper without God’s grace. God is merciful and it doesn’t matter what gross sin or GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 9 crime you may have committed up until now. Today you can repent. Today is the day of salvation, grace and forgiveness . . .

For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:2

His blood can cleanse you from any sin. God will never “wink” at your sin and attempting to redefine scripture to make it comply with self-centered, selfish desires will simply not work. People will tell you that “everybody sins and that no one can live perfect.” They will say that “life is tough enough and who needs a standard that nobody can keep.” Professed Christians who are licentious are always saying things like that. But the grace of God is more powerful than that!

May no one ever denigrate the power of the blood of Jesus or the work of the Cross. No longer should we think “small” when it comes to the power of the grace of God over sin. Paul wrote to the Romans that sin should not have dominion over them. Jesus did not die on the cross so that sin could dominate any one of His followers. The doctrine of entire sanctification and Wesleyan holiness – despite popular opinion – is a wonderful doctrine which should be embraced by this sin-sick generation of believers. The fact is, the Bible informs us clearly that it’s not “okay” to willfully sin. There is great risk of eternal loss to a soul who loves sin. But God’s grace is sufficient! Simply throw yourself at His feet and you will find mercy, help and grace in time of need . . .

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Priestly worship . . .

He is preparing many daughters and sons for a holy and priestly wedding ceremony. Yet many souls await the message of the good news of salvation and needlessly dwell in the valley of shadows. For Jesus our Emmanuel the Daystar from on high has visited us with His great light as He is searching diligently for His faithful, priestly Bride . . . GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 10

Morally clear . . .

It is utterly amazing what God can do if we simply yield to His Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit of God’s grace can make us pure. The Holy Spirit is the active person and power who enforces and empowers the laws of grace on a daily basis. Let’s become morally clear Christians – transparent Christians. Then the phos of God’s perpetual light can emanate and shine through us so that the glory of God will be seen upon our faces – to the end that many will come to Christ. [Isaiah 61:1-3]

A prayer for pure worship . . .

“Lord, in Jesus Name, You have promised that only the pure in heart will see and experience You in a new and fresh way. Oh God, grant that our worship be pure in order that we may begin to smell the sweet fragrance of Your dear Son. May we come into the divine presence like Esther and fellowship in the divine presence of the King – even the Rose of Sharon. Lord, grant that we might soar upwards into the brilliance of Your splendor in order that we might stroll with the angels and Jesus through Your heavenly botanical gardens in Paradise. And let us progress in our worship so that our prayers and intercession might ascend by golden sensors and rise even to the Temple of God. The lampstand in the Holy place represented the illumination of the Holy Spirit in our approach to God. May we soar in our worship past the altar of sacrifice and the table of showbread and wine. May we progress through the grace and illumination of the Your Holy and enter into a refreshing state of glorious golden altar worship.

As the distant shofar sounds and as the angels all around You bow; as You the King of all the universe mount Your white steed and begins to gallop at full throttle through the universe toward earth; as You descend from the highest mount of God to catch away Your holy Bride of passionate fire, let us say yes Lord! And may we not be found a stranger when You come. Even now, may no Christian anywhere on earth remain ignorant concerning true worship. May we learn to hear Your voice and love Your fire. May we all come to know the gaze of Your beautiful eyes and countenance. And when You come, You will heal every one of Your people of unbelief, hurt and pain and wipe away every tear. And I will ascend with You to the Crystal Sea and into the mansion that God has prepared for me.”

Saints, the time is short. Prepare your hearts, as the faithful obedient servants of the Lord. Spurn worldliness and all earthly idols and abandon yourself to His presence.

A sense of longing . . .

It’s not difficult to motivate the pure of heart to love God. A pure worshipper already longs for God’s presence. Our Lord longs to fellowship with you! Do you long to fellowship with Him? Jesus longs to anoint you and to deliver you from every sin, weight and bondage that would oppress you. He only desires for us to come to Him with GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 11 childlike purity and innocence and with a willing heart that longs for Him. He wants you to be restored and to become complete in Him in every area of your life [physical, psychological, emotional, financial, spiritual, marital, etc.] and anointed praise worship is the place where the song of deliverance will give you the breakthrough you have sought.

A heavenly wedding . . .

. . . Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

Revelation 21:9b (NKJV)

. . . that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:27 (NKJV)

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” . . .

Revelation 22:17a (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit within the true church is already lovingly longing for Jesus to come. Jesus is proposing to each and every one of us in this hour. He is asking each one of us to marry Him in righteousness. For the apostle Paul has promised the church that God will prepare Himself a Bride without spot or wrinkle.

The Greek word for spot is spilos which means – “one having no sin and without moral blemish.” And when Jesus taught us in the gospels to be perfect as His Heavenly Father is perfect, He was not just referring to our spiritual maturity but to the ability of His grace to produce moral perfection in His yielded children. For grace is God’s enabling power working within us to be what He’s called us to be and to do what He’s called us to do . . .

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure .

Philippians 2:13

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God . . .

Ephesians 2:8

The true Bride of Christ will be full of God’s grace. They will no longer have any desire for evil and their lives will be pure. GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 12

Righteous thirst . . .

Another condition in worshipping God more purely is to have thirst. Pure worship is righteous worship but only those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled. May God grant us a holy thirst. Jesus said, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” He says that there is a blessing for those who are thirsty. Many of you who are reading this book may feel like for the moment, you are in a dry place but you are still not thirsty. Ask God for supernatural thirst and He will give it to you. You may feel that you are weary and are in a wilderness. Many of God’s precious saints sometimes feel like they’re in a solitary place. This is not a problem. This is not as big a difficulty as they think. There is an answer at their doorstep.

There is an oasis and a cool stream of living water nearer to them then they think! God promises to visit us with His Presence wherever we are. He is only as far away as our own heart . It is not difficult to gently recall ourselves back to the oasis of His Presence. God loves you and eagerly awaits for you to return to Him. God promises in these days to create a Garden in Paradise for all those who love to worship Him and who seek His Presence . . .

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.

Isaiah 35:1-2

Not “sensing” the Lord’s Presence is not always because sin and unbelief are present in the heart. Our lack of awareness of His Presence is not always because of murmuring and complaining. Nor is it always because of we have pointed the finger at another with a critical spirit. For the most part, most believers endeavor to be forgiving and magnanimous. As we have seen, sometimes God Himself will strategically withdraw His own Presence in order to lovingly challenge us to seek and thirst for Him all the more and go yet deeper still in our worship.

Are you in a dry land? Sometimes, David found himself in dry places but stirred himself up to seek the living God . . .

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Psalms 63:1-2

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As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Psalms 42:1-2

Even if you feel neglected, separated, lonely, oppressed or burdened – this is a wonderful opportunity for you to seek the Lord. For in your desperation you are a prime candidate for a fresh visitation from God – if you will allow pure praise and worship to flow from your heart. If we pray both individually and corporately for a revival of God’s holy Presence surely He will visit us. It is true that sometimes God allows draught or famine to come into our life because there has been little or no praise, worship or prayer life. Are you in dire need of provision? Rejoice! Rejoice in a dry land for God is about to bless you mightily with deluges of His Spirit from on high. Begin to seek His presence and be willing to learn of His ways of pure worship . . .

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, an d the dry land springs of water.

Isaiah 41:18

— Freddy Hayler Golden Altar Publishing GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 15

ChChChapterCh apter One Pure Worship

The Golden Altar

If we are going to offer up pure worship, it is important that we understand what the Father desires in our worship life. In studying some of the aspects of the earthly Tabernacle of Moses, there is a great lesson for each of us. Within that Tabernacle was a piece of sacred furniture called the Golden Altar. As we have seen in Book I (Golden Altar Worship), the Golden Altar represents a pure form of worship – the kind of worship that God has commanded His people to offer up. Of course, the Golden Altar wasn’t the original idea of Moses.

There is a beautiful temple in Heaven, the original, unspoiled and perfect archetype of all temples that would ever be built to His glory on earth. The Tabernacle of Moses was simply a pattern of the heavenly. So too, our worship should pattern that which is holy in Heaven. In Revelation 8:3-5, the Bible says that the Golden Altar of the Temple of God is still in existence in its perfect heavenly form. It stands before the very Throne of the living God in Heaven as an eternal testimony to pure worship . . .

Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake .

Revelation 8:3–5 (NKJV)

In the Old Testament, the people of God would bring their peace offerings and animal sacrifices. They would give their best portion – they would give their “all.” As they stood in line and approached the priest at the brazen altar with their offering, they anticipated the inevitable, supernatural, intervention of the shekinah glory. They came GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 16 with great expectation and hope knowing that the living God would come down to meet them in response to their worship.

It is God’s ardent desire to visit His people with His presence. God longs for His people to be revived and to return to their first love. When the hearts of God’s people begin to realign with God’s conditional promises, the supernatural fire of God will fall once again as it did in the days of Moses and Solomon. Studying some of the aspects of the Golden Altar will be of invaluable service in helping all of us to get to that place in our worship lives where we all long to be.

Sadly, today many who attempt to approach God are not experiencing His presence in the assembly as they once did. Many have become disillusioned as a result of the hypocrisy and moral failings of Christian leaders – not to mention the lack of holy and vibrant corporate worship on the platform. Because of the absence of pure worship in the assembly, demonic activity has increased and as a result, the people of God have suffered greatly.

A spiritual vacuum . . .

Pure worship attracts God’s presence. And God’s presence will chase away any demonic entities which would hinder the free flow of His spirit. But whenever the presence of the Lord has been withdrawn, a spiritual vacuum is created. If God’s people do not keep themselves filled with the Spirit and filled with the Word, sooner or later calamity and evil will fill that vacuum. In these last days, a lot of hearts have grown cold and have essentially become spiritual vacuums. What God does not fill, the devil will . . .

When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

Luke 11:24-26 (NASB)

Sadly, many churches and congregations practice their praise and worship with a shallow outward display of emotional singing – but inside their hearts have become hard and oppressed because of unchallenged spiritual warfare and compromise with sinful and demonic influences. Even if the folks pack large mega-churches and put on a good show before the TV cameras, without purity and humility of heart, even their best production of praise and worship becomes like clanging brass and tinkling cymbals to the Lord.

A sinful generation . . .

Sadly, we live in a very wicked and sinful generation. This is nothing new. There have been wicked generations upon the earth since the beginning of history. Noah lived in the GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 17 midst of a sinful generation, as did Jonah. God called them both to call His people to repentance. That was the simple solution. He didn’t call them to hold conferences and institutes on worship. He didn’t call them to preach a message which described the sinful culture as a “generation in crisis.” To put it bluntly, our generation isn’t in a crisis. It simply is a wicked generation which loves sin. It’s that simple. We need a Heaven-sent revival which alone can change this generation for the glory of God.

Hostile worship . . .

The church is filled up with too many double-minded hearts which will not be Spirit- formed. These unyielded, unteachable hearts continually refuse to fully surrender their worship lives to God. They keep holding back. This is why the presence of God has been withdrawn from many congregations. It is also one of the reasons why, in many cases, church has become a spiritually “hostile” place – a place where godly families have come under attack. It should surprise no one that there is so much sexual scandal today in both the Protestant and Catholic churches. Anyone who does not totally surrender to the Lord and stay in the Word – anyone who does not take authority over the devil through the blood of Jesus on a continual basis – will not be able to stand in the coming days. Churches that are full of compromisers are also full of mischievous people who are motivated by the devil and who will destroy a marriage or family if given the opportunity.

Bad fruit . . .

Divorce, personality cults, outright rejection, ridiculing cliques, inner circles of vain persons, exclusivist groups, pride, gossip, scandal, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, pornography, idolatry, selfishness, greed, bondage, loneliness and depression, false doctrine, backslidden pastors and staff, division and church splits – not to mention worldly youth groups (where often times young people have become more corrupt by joining!) are the result of a famine of the word of the Lord and an absence of the presence of God in the contemporary church today. It is sad and burdensome to recount how many Christian leaders we know of who are privately in bondage to things like Internet porn and blue cable and dirty talk show radio channels. These things have done more to hurt the spirit of pure worship in the church than anyone will ever be able to calculate.

Religious hype . . .

It doesn’t matter how hard or emotionally you sing the latest Australian or American praise and worship songs – if you are not surrendered to the Lord in your heart on a daily basis, your singing will not truly attract the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hype is no substitute for the holy presence of God. Man’s ingenuity is no match for God’s supernatural power.

People who are into “hype” make for poor worshippers. They make for surface worshippers. They make for shallow Christians who are ill prepared to face an enemy GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 18 who has assembled a huge army of evil spirits – a virtual teeming hoard of demons who have arrayed themselves against them. Most Christians in the West have no soul weight or character. The evil culture in which they live has penetrated too deep within the fortress of their minds. The minds and imaginations of many professed believers have been overrun by legions of unclean spirits. Their wills have been over-washed with a torrent of lust, greed, deception, and materialism. So many souls have been pulled downward into a tornadic vortex of evil which has originated from the regents of Hell.

As a result, American Christians in general have become petty, self-centered, jealous, competitive, envious, self-centered, egocentric, idolatrous, and lovers of celebrity. Sure there are some bona fide ministries which reach out to the poor and needy and which have a servant’s heart at their core. But too many churches have become a cliquish group of folk. They have become spiritualized suburbanites who always keep their eyes glued to the Baal box even while they isolate themselves from others who are in need.

Self-centered worship . . .

They are so self-centered and in bondage that they can’t even reach out to new people who come into the church. They cannot possibly disciple anyone into Christlikeness because they themselves are so shallow and spiritually lacking. They may think they’re being “relevant” but being relevant according to the bible means a believer has a servant’s heart which is full of the love of God. A relevant Christian is one who continually reaches out to others with mercy and kindness.

What is relevant worship?

In the book of Acts Stephen and Dorcas are clear examples of what a “relevant” Christian should be like. They were also examples of pure worshippers. The people who are always trying to be “relevant” most of the time seem to be the most worldly and the most self-centered. They are always afraid of appearing “religious” so they don’t want to show their love of God too much. In place of a passionate worship and a holy love of God, they use hype. My friend, the church is irrelevant but not for the reasons you say. The church is irrelevant because it is not different enough from the world. As the old saying goes, the world is too churchy, and the church is too worldly! We need less hype and sloganeering in the church and more pure worship. Then we will be able to promote true revival amongst the people.

Being relevant according to the Bible means being filled with the Holy Spirit and doing good works like the early New Testament Christians did in the book of Acts. But those Christians knew how to lay hands on the sick and how to cast out devils! Today most professed believers wouldn’t even know a devil if it bumped right into them.

Because of a lack of sincere and genuine worship in the church, the atmosphere for fellowship has become polluted. Some of the social relationships within the church walls are more similar to that of a modern soap opera than the holy communion, fellowship and koinonia of the saints of the New Testament as described in the Book of Acts. GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 19

The home church alternative . . .

If the Golden Altar of pure worship is to be preserved in this hour, sincere believers will have to separate themselves from the goat churches they have been attending. They will have to resort to gathering together with holy and devout true believers who are of like mind and who want nothing but to love and serve the Lord and worship Him without distraction. Many people have been misled by the current Christian celebrity culture and its lukewarm and compromising establishment leaders. They have been mislead into thinking that they have been participating in real worship simply because the lyrics and the song seems right. Yet they have also become frustrated by the compromise and moral failures which continually occur in the large congregation in which they attend. They almost feel as if they are “a fish out of water.” True worshippers will always feel uncomfortable attending a backslidden church.

The true remnant, however, is discerning. Popular celebrity evangelists and pastors who have made a name for themselves on Christian television will not be able to manipulate God’s people any longer. Not everyone has been duped, and the fires of pure worship are slowly beginning to burn in many quarters. Newly formed congregations are bonfire believers who are meeting in humble house churches have embraced the practice of undefiled, pure and passionate worship. People who love God are allowed to freely express their love for Christ.

Out of necessity, home churches are on the rise because people who love the Lord simply refuse to put themselves or their families in spiritual danger any longer. Much of this can be attributed to an un-scriptural and immoral approach to God in the way many church congregations worship Him today. And lukewarm pastors (spiritual Elis) with their “Lot- like” worldly spouses and out-of-control, immoral kids are making matters worse.

Less is more . . .

We need a massive return to simplicity. We need to begin to seek the God of our fathers like our forefathers once did. Worship is not that complicated a thing. Worship involves simple obedience to Jesus and loving to abide in His presence. Lately, a lot has been said by popular authors about worship, but very little of it makes any biblical sense. These false prophets and prophetesses are phony worshippers – they are always preaching the promises and prosperity of God without any call for repentance or moral conditions required. Because of this, the church is rife with ignorance regarding the meaning of the very word “worship.”

Language abuse . . .

In contemporary ministries, a serious misinterpretation of the word is at an all time high. For example, even though all of us like to enjoy hearing a, stirring, inspirational song, or participate in a gospel sing in the church (or any other forms of religious entertainment), such things are all too often confused with what is “true worship.” Yet Christian pastors, GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 20 worship leaders and authors seem to frequently mis-categorize this word. This brings great confusion to the flock of God. [See Appendix C, The Backslidden Worshipper.]

Attending a gospel music gathering, singing hymns, etc. can be an edifying and inspiring thing. Some forms of Christian entertainment, amusement, family-oriented movies, etc. can be wholesome diversion for the Christian family. However, they are not good if they have become a replacement for the preeminent exercise of intercession and pure worship – in the home and in the church.

You see, worship is the highest form of prayer and intercession that a Christian can offer up to God. And true “consecrated” worship attracts not only the presence of God, but His favor and His blessing. Why then does the modern church in the west have so actual little impact on the general culture in which we live? I believe a good part of this is because Christian leaders have allowed a strange form of false fire to invade worship platforms across our continent. And this unholy and immoral mixture – this strange incense, has now been exported to the whole world!

Worship – a sacred art?

Some contemporary authors have called worship a sacred art but I don’t think this is helpful. Art at times can be very esoteric and even mysterious. And being a good artist requires great skill and talent. But Jesus said He was looking for praise and worship which was offered purely out of a simple heart – even the heart of a child. Some are too avant garde, too neoteric in their approach to worship and miss the whole point . . .

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Matthew 21:16

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Matthew 18:4-5

It is comforting to know that God has required no special formula or skill in order to offer up pure worship to Him. All that he requires is a heart that is in love with Him. All that is required is that the heart purely love Him for who He is and for no other motive. All Jesus requires is that we as His people learn to have a yielded heart before him. No, my friend, there is nothing mysterious in offering up pure worship to the living God. For worshipping God is one of the most childlike things you will ever do. There is beauty in simplicity. Any revival or reformation will require us all to ask God for childlike hearts. It will require us to have childlike faith and trust in our living Savior. It will require us to worship Him with the perfected praise of a baby. GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 21

A Worship Reformation . . .

People aren’t stupid, you know. For instance, when Martin Luther saw that the “people” could no longer tolerate the church establishment’s excessive hypocrisies, money- grubbing and oppression, like a 15th-century John the Baptist, he began to challenge the religious establishment’s status quo. Things could not continue as they were because the people had grown too weary of it. So he and his wife began to write new and fresh worship songs that would correspond to the message of justification by faith and holiness and which further would spiritually buttress that reformation. Neither the Catholic Pope nor the Duke of Saxony could control the grass roots movement which Luther began.

The worship industry . . .

Today, instead of the sale of indulgences (i.e., which included relics which were purchased for the purpose of keeping church folk out of Hell) the modern church sells indulgences and faith pledges for the cheap promise of “transferring” from Heaven to the donor money, anointing, prosperity and wealth. How sad. This kind of nonsense is quenching the pure spirit of worship as much as anything else.

A new wave . . .

A new and revolutionary wave of worship is about to sweep the planet because God will not allow things to remain as they are. There’s a stirring in the mulberry bush. Out over the sea, there’s a small white cloud in the shape of a man’s hand heading straight for the true church. Times of refreshing and revival are now on the horizon.

So too, today, God is raising up many “Luthers” who with clarion voice are declaring that God and His people will no longer tolerate the materialistic, nepotistic, money-making, manipulative Christian TV, media and religious establishments’ view of worship. The people have been merchandised to the hilt and have now grown tired of scandal, divorce and adultery, which is now prevalent among many of its leaders.

Again, as we have said, the formation of house churches is on the rise. Godly saints are throwing off false leadership and are desirous to be a part of a work that is served by godly leaders. They want to worship God purely in the assembly. Bona fide 21 st -century blogger prophets (in the tradition of John the Baptist and Martin Luther) have now been released from their “spiritual caves” by the Lord and have a relevant message. Many of them have posted their revelations on the cathedral door of cyberspace and are calling for organized religion and the current church establishment to repent.

Bamboozled!

They have been fleeced and bamboozled long enough and they realize that if their destinies in Christ are to be fulfilled, they and their families can no longer remain in such a spiritually desolate place. The people are passionate to see the pulpits and platforms purified and cleaned up. They are tired of scandals and the phonies who cause them. GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 22

They desire servant leadership which is faithful and true. They want to be equipped for the work of the ministry and to lead a sincere life of worship and outreach. They have grown too weary of self-serving, manipulative, egocentric, mean-spirited, carnal charismatic leaders who have aggrandized themselves at their expense.

Promises, promises . . .

People are tired of false fire. They will no longer support the false promise of blessing, for giving an offering to a particular ministry who has used high pressure techniques in securing money from them. These false prophets are like the religious money-grubbers and temple mooches of the first century. They also are reminiscent of the money- changers of Jesus’ day or the “indulgence salesmen” and phony town crier preachers of Luther’s day.

But a good number of God’s people have heard from the Lord and have compared the outward actions of some to the scriptures. They are learning to reject the modern church media’s establishment army of “big-hitting” sellers and the 21 st century sale of indulgences – even if through their offering they have been promised a “transfer of anointing” or even if they have been sent a slick ministry magazine (often ghost-written by worldly and spiritually immature staffers), letter, or trinket in the mail. People want substance, not style. They want their leaders to have integrity at the core, not glitter and hype at the surface!

The folks are frustrated . . .

People have grown weary of false and shallow worship. They are tired of cheap promises of prosperity and the abuses and excesses of the prosperity gospel message. They are keenly aware of the misuse of the words “relevant,” “destiny,” “intimacy,” and “empowerment.” In falsely believing that they were actually coming across to the masses as “real” and “relevant,” the modern, charismatic/evangelical Christian media establishment (with its profiteering network) and church leadership have contributed greatly in marginalizing the contemporary church’s influence on popular culture. From offering up false fire and worldly licentious worship on the platform, to utilizing unethical principles in fund-raising – from outright scandal, adultery and abuse of authority, the church today is in dire need of a reformation in the entire way it approaches God.

Religious clowns . . .

Barnum and Bailey religious circus Christianity is alive and well and busy touring itself on the church circuit in this house. Certain religious clowns have all but relegated the charismatic movement to having virtually no impact on our culture at large. In the scheme of things they have become like a small footnote. It seems the only people they are able to appeal to in their gobbledygook preaching and fundraising are spiritually immature or ignorant folks who they are adept at taking advantage of. All of this is grieving away the true spirit of worship in the church. GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 23

Celebrity culture vs. pure worship . . .

Especially in the West, celebrities have about taken over the false goat church. No true sheep would ever listen to the voice of someone whose life and viewpoints are not consistent with the scripture. And yet such celebrities have been exalted by Christian media simply for the purposes of expanding market share. Christian leaders, though, need to carefully reflect and prayerfully consider the negative impact that the Christian media-driven “celebrity culture” is having on the state of worship in the church. All too many pastors, evangelists, authors, musicians, and singers have already succumbed to the temptation of receiving the idle worship of goat Christians and have gladly accepted with vigor their new-found “Christian celebrity status.” All of this, of course, is totally luciferian and unbiblical. But for the sake of religious product sales and market expansion, the current church establishment accepts this.

But whatever happened to humility, modesty, holiness, and lowliness of mind? Where are the loving, kind, and humble Christian leaders who will lead us in our worship into the 21 st century? Besides, “Christian celebrity” is truly an oxymoron. Such self-exalting attitudes are totally against gospel standards. But the backslidden Christian media will continue to be drawn to the celebrity culture and will continue to remain a poor role model for our young people. Many of these former actors, actresses, and singers are spiritual babies if in fact they are truly born again at all. They lived an ungodly life for so many years but because they’re used to the limelight they’re not simply content to be part of the audience.

Rather, just like their behavior in the world, they take that same ambition over to the church. And what does this teach our Christian young people? It teaches our young people that a life of moral compromise and acute ambition is rewarded by the church. It teaches them that it’s okay to go to the world and get notoriety and then, after you sow your “wild oats” and get older, there’s a second “Christian-celebrity” career waiting for you. What people don’t understand is that this is not real ministry and that these persons who posture themselves and pose for the camera are truly hurting the spirit of pure worship in the church today – despite their excitable testimonies and superficial gospel messages.

Hypocrisy in the house . . .

But celebrity preachers are not the only problem quenching the spirit of true worship today. The church pulpits and airwaves are full of false prophetic windbags. Although false shepherds and self-titled “prophets” have fooled some of the spiritually ignorant; although they have deliberately appealed to the excitability of small remnant of religious enthusiasts, the fact is a lot of the regular folk in the general culture can see right through their ambitious, sensual, materialistic, money-grubbing, spiritually shallow lives and want nothing to do with it. GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 24

However, there remains a small remnant of hungry and thirsty believers who long to worship God in the holy assembly the way God has intended. The secular world longs to find something to respect in the “modern charismatic/evangelical church” but examples and role models for this are too few and far between.

What the folks want . . .

Today, the level of corporate hypocrisy in the house has become too obvious. Anyone with an ounce of discernment will run the other way when they see it. What the folks really long for is to see a return to the foundational principles of the early church in the way they approached God [Acts ch. 2-4; Hebrews ch. 6:1ff]. People want to see purity and integrity in the lives of people who claim to be worshippers. People want to see servant leadership demonstrated. People want to be around true Christians who are unselfish and who have manners and courtesy – who are not self-centered and exclusive , but who are Christlike and inclusive . They want to be part of a church where the worship is fervent and where believers have become servants – a place where Christians are able to “get outside themselves” and where they are spiritually equipped to reach out to others who are unlike themselves. They want to be around people who dress modestly and speak and act with courtesy and Christian manners. They want to see “real religion” – the widow, the orphan, the homeless, and the poor restored through the power of the gospel.

Pure is relevant . . .

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:22

This is the good news. This is what is “relevant.” This is what is “real.” This is true religion. This is true worship! What people really want is to see the love of God and the supernatural power of God demonstrated through pure hearts and lives. When unsaved folks truly see that joyous, faith-filled, liberated Christians are different from themselves (in the best sort of way), they will tend to want Christ much more than they currently do . . .

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. 1 Timothy 5:1-2

Quite simply, people want to see Jesus. People want the real thing. People want to see the life of Christ lived out through the lives of real worshippers . GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 25

The golden altar has a lesson for all of us in restoring sound and biblical principles regarding a holy approach to God. When that holy approach is re-established, then God’s supernatural, fiery presence will once again fall upon the people, and revival will be the natural by-product.

The apostle James has some timeless advice to anyone who desires to worship God purely . . .

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 4:8 GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 27

Chapter Two The BBreathreath of God and Worship

There are many benefits to worshipping God purely. As we have said previously, we are endeavoring in our worship to draw our Maker’s presence into our midst. We are very desirous to have the Lord “breathe upon us” His living breath.

Pure hearts that are washed in the blood of Jesus can offer up pure praise and worship and pure worship draws the breath of God’s presence into our lives. One might say that a pure worshipper is an “inhaler” of the breath of Heaven . And when God exhales His breath, powerful things will happen to His glory. Are you open to inhaling the breath of God in your worship life? Only God can breathe abundant life into our worship lives.

The breath of God and worship . . .

The breath of God will also empower the pure worshipper to accomplish many powerful and miraculous works in His Name. In the Upper Room, when the Spirit or breath of God fell upon those pure worshippers, it was not an arduous task for those present to win thousands of souls to the Lord that same day . . .

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting . . .

Acts 2:1-2

The breath of God that rested upon Peter’s lips as a direct result of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost added weightiness to His witness so that thousands were saved . . .

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2:40-41

The breath of God rested upon the prophet Moses. It was through the breath of God that the Red Sea was divided . . . GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 28

And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. Exodus 15:8

Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

Psalms 106:8-9

The breath of God is pure. The breath of God is powerful. So too, God wants to breathe upon the Red Sea of our lives with the fresh winds of His divine presence and cause the waters of every hindrance and trial to part! His desire is to blast in two any obstacle that would prevent you or me from experiencing His perfect will for our life and ministry.

All of us need to take the understanding of the breath of God more seriously if we are to worship God more purely. Then as we engage in true worship, God’s Spirit will begin to fill us – God’s very own breath! His very own authority will be in our mouth to speak forth His truth with great authority!

“Ruach” worship . . .

As worshippers we need to understand and respect the “breath of God.” The breath and spirit of God is the most powerful thing in the universe. The Hebrew word for breath is ruach [ru-ah]. As a matter of fact, worship is actually a divine exchange of God’s breath with our breath – God’s Spirit igniting our spirit. For the very words of God are supported by His breath and His Spirit . . .

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

John 6:63

This is why Jesus taught His disciples that they cannot live without the God-breathed Word . . .

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

It is true the power of God’s inspired Word that is carried upon the breath of His spirit that all things exist and are continually upheld . . .

GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 29

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power . . .

Hebrews 1:3a

It was the breath of God which made the entire universe . . .

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2

In other words, all the worlds came into being by the breath from His mouth! Even at this moment, Christ, the Eternal Logos, the Eternal Word upholds all things! [Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17, 18] And God created Adam and Eve by His breath . . .

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:7

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

Job 33:4

If God were to draw back in His breath from your life, you and I would instantly return to the dust. If God were to inhale and not exhale, the whole universe would cease to exist . . .

. . . If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. Job 34:14-15

It was the spirit of God that breathed life into each of us even while we were in the womb and it is the breath of God that keeps us alive even now . . .

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? . . . For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. . . My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Psalms 139:7,13,15

GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 30

Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.

Isaiah 42:5

Paul acknowledged that it was God who gave breath and life to all things . . .

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

Acts 17:25

Even as God breathed life into Adam, all of His disciples (i.e., the second Adam) must have life continually breathed into them through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is vain for someone to try to worship God or serve God without the empowerment of the spirit of His breath . . .

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost . . .

John 20:22

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:1-2

When you or I as believers engage in prayer and worship to the Lord, He breathes His life and strength upon us. This is a tangible breath that, at times, we can actually feel strengthen us. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, all Scripture is inspired [Greek: i.e., “God- breathed]. In fact, the very words of God were created by His own breath and as we abide in His Word they will literally impart life to us. [John 6:63]

When we speak, our words are carried by our breath – the bigger the diaphragm, the bigger the breath, the more voluminous the sound. God must have a very big diaphragm!

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Psalms 33:6

According to the prophet Ezekiel, God’s breath can heal . . .

Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 31

bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 37:5-6

It can also destroy wickedness in a flash . . .

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. Job 4:8-9

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2 Thessalonians 2:8

The breath of God . . .

A total surrender to the Holy Spirit will be of great benefit when reading this book. This book was not written for everybody . This book was written only for those who are hungering and thirsting for more of God’s manifest presence in their lives. This book was written for wounded birds who want to be healed so that they may fly upwards to higher perches in the heavenly realms of worship. This book was written for those who want to learn to abide and repose in His presence in order that they may receive His divine order.

Only God’s spirit can bring order out of chaos. In Genesis ch. 1:2 we see the breath and spirit of God bring order out of chaos in the creation. In the gospels we see Jesus literally breathe the Holy Spirit upon His disciples. [John 20:22] In Acts ch. 2 we see God breathe upon the worship of the 120 in the upper room. The breath of God is living and powerful. The breath of God will part your Red Sea and defeat the trail which is before you. The breath of God longs to breathe order into your worship life. When God breathes upon your worship life you will become a vibrant and effective Christian in extending the kingdom of God to all the nations.

Worship in Narnia and the breath of Aslan . . .

Recently many people have been reading C.S. Lewis’ books and have seen the movie Narnia. Whether or not you agree with Lewis’ theology, there are some poignant points that can be made regarding his allegories. In regard to worship we see how important it is that God would breathe upon our praise. Interacting with the living God in prayer and worship is a very tangible and living thing. In the land of Narnia, we saw that everything Aslan breathed upon came to life. Conversely, in the witch’s winter kingdom, everything GAW Book 3: Pure Worship – 2/3/06 (printed 2/6/06) 32 she struck turned to dead ice. Some people’s worship lives are too icy and cold. Some people’s praise is not alive with the Holy Spirit.

In Narnia, the witch of the winter kingdom obviously represented the devil’s touch of sin and death. In Lewis’ story the frozen stone-cold figures and statues represent trophies of the witch’s moral conquests. These are the past victims of unbelief and sin – those who would refuse to worship God at the Golden Altar. The devil already has too many trophies hanging in his hunt room in Hell simply because men and women of God refuse to worship God in private.

Breath of life . . .

Aslan’s breath represents the Holy Spirit resting upon the life of a yielded Christian. The breath of God is one of the most powerful forces in all of creation. When Aslan breathes upon the dead victims of original sin they will come forth to life. And Jesus will mercifully blow His gracious breath of life into anyone who would humble themselves like a child and repent of their sins. He will send prophetic anointing and empowerment into lives which are humble and open to change, even as St. Nicholas was sent to empower the lives of the helpless children in C. S. Lewis’ plot.

When one encounters God’s holy angels and the prophetic anointing in prayer they will receive a transfer of spiritual armor and weaponry with which to fight the enemy. This why the Paul was such a great warrior. He understood the things which were unseen . . .

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18

All too many professed Christians today are into chic, fashionable, vogue, a la mode praise and worship models when in fact all they need to do is simply surrender to the Lord and seek Him like a child in prayer. God is not one for sophisticated de jour relationships when it comes to dealing with His children.