“Now this know, that in the last days perilous periods will be present, for men will be selfish, fond of money, ostentatious, proud, calumniators, stubborn to parents, ungrateful, malign, without natural affection, implacable, adversaries, uncontrollable, fierce, averse to the good, traitors, rash, conceited, fond of their own gratification rather than fond of God; having a form of devoutness, yet denying its power.” II Timothy 3:1-5 concordant
True spiritual discernment can keep us from becoming involved with worship that is just a “form of godliness.” Many customary forms deny the spiritual power of God to lead and inspire worship in fellowship gatherings. Traditional forms do stir the emotions with music and ceremonies to entertain, yet most have little to no spiritual anointing in it. An example is the repeated regime of ceremonial prayers, pre-programmed singing of choruses, and the reading of a few scripture by rote to ensure that meetings are released by a certain time.
It does comfort the soul as a form of devoutness, but deep dealings and drawings of His Spirit become lost in worship with surface adoration present in the outer forms we know so well. There is still much lip service and showmanship performance in church services, particularly in songs by rote. Endless testimonies can become religious forms, taking the place of God’s real power to lead us into greater godliness.
The attendance of such orders keeps the Lord’s people “babes in Chris, as “30 fold” (Passover), or even “60 fold” (Pentecost) saints, not understanding the “100 fold” (Feast of Tabernacles) ranks at all. Yes, most church worship services are done by rote, in a form that maintains that work’s system. They are a poor substitute for a PURE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT among the Lord's people. There is NO good substitute for His Kingdom anointing moving in the spiritual meetings of His people!
Mature Christians vitally need an understanding heart to discern between what is “will worship” and what truly is WORSHIPING GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH:
"…why, as living in the world, are you subject to decrees: You should not be touching, nor yet tasting, nor yet coming into contact (which things are all for corruption from use), in accord with the directions and teachings of men which are (having, indeed, an expression of wisdom in a willful ritual and humility and asceticism) not to any value toward (stopping) the surfeiting of the flesh." Colossians 2:23 concordant
Far too many experiences in church are exactly that, a form of ritual WILL WORSHIP. We mean that someone, you or someone else, WILLED the worship to move in that direction, primarily as a means of obtaining favor with other people—hoping to become more connected financially, be socially acceptable, and be noted among peers, or for some other good reason. Yet the ground the church of Christ is supposed to stand on and function in is holy ground and is only found in a spiritual city.
We can understand great mysteries when we are led by God’s Spirit. We have come to understand that every item in the tabernacle of Moses represents a type and shadow of spiritual things which Christian people experience as they are composed in various ranks of worshiping God. In the many truths about the temple of Moses comes light (understanding) about the temple of our body which can contain the Holy of Holies. This is the place within us where Christ abides in us personally. Through this, we are changed and do ascend as we are hearing Him, seeing Him, and being made perfect with Him.
The ark of the covenant is to be opened WITHIN us. It has become the condition that is worked out in a people following Him from the beginning. God wants us to represent Him in that holy place. The altar of incense is a people one step from that place. These Christian people grasp some of the experiences of really laying down their lives, of being crucified with Christ and they praise God with ALL their hearts.
God’s sons go on to become people who let God burn up their ways of will worship. They are led by His Spirit to follow the fragrant leading of the Holy Spirit — that incense that seeps behind the veil leads us into the holiest of all. We would rather gather to meetings of the firstborn, meetings where the King might show himself strong. He is coming to Mount Zion, up hither, where overcomers do gather:
“But you have come to mount Zion, and the city of the living God, celestial Jerusalem, and to ten thousand messengers, to a universal convocation, and to the ecclesia of the firstborn, ‘registered’ in the heavens, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just perfected, and to Jesus…” Hebrews 12:22-23 concordant
“Spiritual entrance” into the holy city is granted to overcoming believers. The order of the new Jerusalem is a real measure of Christian experience in spiritual fellowship. The spirit of the Lord’s day is within the heart of a people. We are gathering in the right place where the people understand who they are and what God will work out within their temple to make it real as He inhabits our spiritual and physical body.
We too are brought to this vast order of people who do not miss vital truth by careless interpretation, but are measured by God and found to be luminous stones most precious as representation of His city. Every person is like a precious stone making up the structures of our heavenly homeland. Each is a matured person made alive by following Christ. As a person that is unique, we are sons and daughters of God, rightly taught and carved by His training:
"And a reed like a rod was given me, and one said, Rouse, measure the temple of God and the altar and those worshiping in it." Revelation 11:1
God’s heart is set on making His people become true worshipers. He brings us through stages, one glory to another similar to the places shown in type in Moses’s order of worship in Israel’s tent of meeting. At the spiritual golden altar God certainly does measure people in a special way. We praise God while every ember of self effort is burnt up and exhausted. Then we arise like incense in our offerings, becoming a sweet fragrance that ascends in order to seep behind the veil into the holiest of All.
By spirit God is now indwelling a people who are being led by His Spirit through these golden altar experiences. He is examining, investigating, inspecting, and assessing the true spiritual condition and quality of His professing followers. We are truly tested in the manner of our worship. because Christian people today are mostly found in the camps controlled by men. The free flowing golden altar worship does not happen in orders controlled by men who are practicing “will worship”.
Inner freedom is granted at God’s golden altar. That freedom is won by open hearted praise and worship of truth consuming our last devotions of “ashes for beauty” (Isa, 61:3). As our spirit becomes one with His spirit, that one spirit does not use fleshly efforts. Does God judge how melodiously, harmoniously, and sweet-sounding a song can be sung, how loud we get shouting our praises, or how long we preach? How can we ever submit to regulations that would make our meetings more “will worship services”? Forms of church services have gone on for generations in all kinds of ways. ALL deny His power to really touch the essence of our inner person to bring us to selfless worship that opens the ark of the covenant within us.
“…the true worshipers will be worshiping the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also is seeking such to be worshiping him. God is spirit and those who are worshiping Him must be worshiping in spirit and truth.” John 4:24 concordant
“…measure the temple of God and the altar and those worshiping in it. And the court outside of the temple cast outside, and you should not be measuring it, for it was given to the nations, and the holy city will they be treading forty-two months. And I will be endowing My two witnesses and they will be prophesying a thousand two hundred sixty days, ‘clothed" in sackcloth.’ ” Revelation 11:1-3 concordant
“Measuring only those people who worship at the altar," the courts outside of this measuring will be trodden down. For 1260 years, the Jezebel system created the dark ages because the two witness of God, the Spirit and the Word, were darkened as sackcloth in their streets. Getting “registered in heaven” does not necessarily mean just going to church meetings on Sunday morning. I don’t think anyone would deny that should we measure people in a meeting on Sunday morning, we might get a false reading!
A better time to measure His people for spiritual growth would be after the meeting, on the way home, when the kids are screaming in the car, the spouse is nagging, and the radiator overheats on the congested freeway. God uses such special times in our life to measure the spiritual reality of our inner person. God does judge people that are claiming devotion to Him.
I have found that after decades of fellowship, many of us get “religious” by attending meetings, "turning to God" and then after leaving the gatherings have learned to turn God off. When the meeting starts, we pour forth praises and worship, sing, speak in tongues, exhort prophecy, and appear very brilliant to others. But when the last “Amen” is said and the last back slapped, it is all promptly turned off by perceived slights, harsh words, bitter attitudes, resentful gossip promoting false ideas and accusing judgments toward other brethren and themselves.
The true character of Christ being expressed within our person is revealed clearly by the opposing problems and circumstances we face when dealing with other people under new circumstances. Not one of us knows what will happen until someone or some situation comes along that says or does something to us that brings out our hidden inner characteristics.
It matters not how loudly we affirm that these things do not bother us. Hidden ideas of darkness harbored and lurking within saints do hold them in bondage to the carnal mind. God is wondrously drawing saints to greater measures of righteousness by circumstances that burn up the hidden powers of darkness to oppose and trouble us so. God brings Christians through the cleansing fires of His own measuring processes in order to test by tasting our fruit. He proves what we are really made of and to what we are really committed.
When everything goes according to one’s own desire, people around that person see only their “better side.” It becomes easy to put on a good front in church on Sunday morning. Nothing ever ruffles us or disturbs us when we are comfortably having our own way. We like getting what we want. Generally our Christian brothers and sisters see only our best behavior in church worship services. We present ourselves in sweetness and goodness, with gracious ministers that are so kind, husbands and wives are so nice to each other, and the children seem so orderly.
Yet just let something cross us with unexpected trouble on Monday morning to find out how things are in our daily life! We are so sweet until someone’s insult bruises us by taking advantage of our goodness to abuse us with false accusations, or swindles us, steals or cheats us, or sells us a car that is a lemon. Ah, that is the best time to take a measure of a man’s inner character.
Those old lip service church meetings have been proven to need more preparatory work, inner gold, heavenly garments, and eye salve in order to see. We are in fact laying down our “religious goodness.” It is when this is being burnt to ashes that we rise as new creatures, having entrance to abiding life. A “broken and contrite spirit” is the habitation our Father is seeking:
“Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.” Revelation 11:1
The emphasis of His word in this verse is on QUALITY OF WORSHIP, ON THE INNER CONDITION OF WORSHIPERS. Those who worship therein are people who know the truth, who grow into a true measure of the Lord’s stature.
"Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone should be loving Me, he will be keeping My word, and My Father will be loving him, and We shall be coming to him and making an abode with him.’" John 14:23 concordant
Those who hear Him pay heed to keep the instruction of His words. We are aware to draw from His abiding Spirit. Being nigh unto the "heavenly Mount Zion" makes us priests of God after a lasting order. We are measured in inner stature by tests on how we are applying His instruction. Patience tries us by trials until we are found to have overcome to sufficient measure.
God then raises us up to higher dimensions, from glory to glory. That’s how golden altar saints are MADE. THEY ARE MADE true of heart by the Father’s Spirit abiding within our spirit when we “house ” the truth of His Word. Our Father’s Spirit will continually purge us from soulish ways until we from within are allowed to continually pay attention.
Fathers and sons have an abiding relationship in the response to what the Father makes available. Those who worship God at His golden altar have the greatest opportunity to be made thoroughly free of every inner opposition, to break every earthly bond. God raises us up to a measure that MAKES us tried and true in the illuminating light of Jesus.
In the types and shadows of Moses' tabernacle in the wilderness, all the assembly of Israel were permitted entrance into the outer court. Only the priesthood of Aaron, however, was admitted into the holy place. And only the high priest went into the holiest of ALL. Only the ordained ministers of the Lord could see to know what was transpiring in the holy place. The other tribes of people had to believe the priest’s testimony about what was happening within God’s tabernacle.
Likewise today, out of the masses of humanity, generations of redeemed Christians were made alive. Now many openly show the ark of the covenant within their spiritual being. We Christians are people who believe Christ and we should know what Christ teaches. We need to know how Christ thinks about revealed scripture.
“And opened was the temple of God in heaven, and seen was the ark of God's covenant in His temple, and lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and a great hail occurred.” Revelation 11:19 concordant
God writes His covenant within the “temple” of heavenly minded people who are prepared, and are preparing, to uncover the “royal priesthood” found in the higher callings available in Christ Jesus. God appoints some who will gain lasting ministries that enlighten His people with the voice of truth thundering forth from Mount Zion. Many have already come to spiritual Mount Zion where truth exposes men’s earthly ideas, shaking us with quakes like great hail coming to sweep away every refuse of lies before the ARK in our temple.
A truly royal priesthood has been measured, drawn up to serve God acceptably to understand His plans. They have His heart to reach all men and women with the same supply of Christ as found in the firstborn Son, the one who sounds the VOICE of truth. In the Bible there are a great number of spiritual words, phrases, and expressions that are especially significant in the creative and redemptive plan of God, to be understood spiritually because God is Spirit. One Old Testament type and shadow we should consider is that proclamation of God to His people in the nation of Israel that they should be “a kingdom of priests”:
“Now, therefore, if ye shall obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Exodus 19:5-6
The subject of the royal priesthood, like many of the themes of scripture, is inexhaustible. It sparkles in the twinkling stars, the truths of heaven in glorious brightness which Christians should see and hold dear to heart. The eye of our spiritual understanding has telescopic focus on grand subjects being brought to a clear spiritual understanding. This understanding beholds more dearly the grandeur of the HIGH PRIEST of our profession, CHRIST JESUS. We see that His purpose and majesty was to write the truth on our hearts through a spiritual understanding of His Word. The inspired scripture teaches us how to gain ONENESS.
Moses removed his sandals at the burning bush, like we now remove our understandings in which we walk. It is mandatory for each of us to remove our “shoes” (what guides our walk with covering thoughts that are carnal). This is a requirement if our feet (understanding) are to tread holy ground, carefully. Upon the holy and mysterious grounds of anointed revelation of Jesus Christ flows an extension of the high priest’s abiding anointing within our inner being. God is sending His spirit to abide within our inner man. The spirit of truth is teaching our spirit, making us one spirit with Christ Jesus.
Golden altar saints have attentively been listening and following His instruction. They do it now, in this very hour, awake and watching each and every moment of the day and night to get the direction of His guidance without interruption. They desire to walk right into what the High Priest wants to bestow upon them of His disposition.
These are made into His priesthood by an INWORKING process of spiritual growth by which just people come to be perfect. He is revealing new things within our lives daily so that we are becoming ever more brilliant as new creatures in whom God is indwelling with NEWNESS OF LIFE! So, we take careful steps daily to understand:
"…if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body." I Corinthians 15:44 NAS
"Now profane and old womanish myths refuse, yet exercise yourself in devoutness, for bodily exercise is beneficial for a few things, yet devoutness is beneficial for all, having promise for the life which now is, and that which is impending." I Timothy 54:7-8 concordant
If our natural body dies, our spiritual body returns to God who Fathered it in order to experience that LIFE which is impending. The devout do gain beneficial treasures of a lasting order. They are placed before Him to minister a measure of the high priest’s anointed love, the full measure of true love. LOVE IS THE MOST EXCELLENT OF ALL GRACES GIVEN FOR IT NEVER STOPS TO ASK WHAT IT CAN AFFORD, OR WHAT IT MAY EXPECT TO RECEIVE IN RETURN, BUT LOVE IS EVER EXTENDING ITS LIFE TO GIVE TO OTHERS.
We all need to walk uprightly and listen for Christ’s anointed ideas from within. We practice that devotion now while living on earth. What God reveals in His Word and says today to each of our hearts will conquer death with boundless love! With its banners unfurled in our lives, we worship God in fellowship with John the apostle, in the fellowship of the Father, and with His Son. Mighty love has reached through countless ages to redeem us. Jesus was made a sacrifice and placed in a tomb, but was brought forth the Lord of death, hell and the grave.
This seven-fold spirit, the full measure of Christ Jesus, is now being sent forth in Mount Zion. This is the priesthood at the right hand of God, granted because the high priest ever lives to make intercession for us and whose intercession is now shed abroad in our hearts. We are fellow citizens of a high order supported by God, who has predestined to bring proper measurements to all those entering into His city. The standard is that no lie is acceptable in the city of His domain.
Christ is sent to enable our spirit to see the live workings in Jesus, a life process that has prepared us to be released now. This process delivers us from the pride of our life, to bow low in prostration our high esteem of ourselves. Yes, we are to let go of our religious work that clothes our inner being and take off our sandals (understanding) when told to. We leave religious forms that make one self righteous, so we may rather rise in gaining spiritual insight and fellowship with the Father.
“I am aware of your acts, that neither cool are you nor zealous! Would that you were cool or zealous! Thus seeing that you are indifferent, and are neither zealous nor cool, I am about to spew you out of My mouth. Seeing that you are saying that Rich am I! and Rich have I become, and of nothing have I need! and you are not aware that you are wretched and forlorn and poor and blind and naked. I am advising you to buy of Me gold refined by the fire, that you should be rich, and white garments, that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be made manifest, and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may be observing.
Whosoever I may be fond of, I am exposing and disciplining. Be zealous, then, and repent! 'Lo!’ I stand at the door and am knocking. If ever anyone should be hearing My voice and opening the door, I will also be coming in to him and dining with him, and he with Me. The one who is conquering, to him will I be granting to be seated with Me on My throne as I, also, conquer, and am seated with My Father on His throne. “ Revelation 3:15-21 concordant
So yes, we change our mind to repent as to what form our worship takes. We take off our sandals, our religious understandings, to know the greater illumination that is working within overcomers to become enlightened citizens of New Jerusalem. The overcomers of the church age are free to soar in the heavenlies about the throne of the Father’s beloved Son. They are made living creatures to be spiritual dwelling places of God, the Father of lights. He has made the way for His Word to saturate those overcomers daily with insight into His viewpoints. We have eaten hidden manna too and do sup from the cup on His table.
His wisdom has built a people together on Mount Zion, a house instructed by His Spirit. He is reaching to the inner spirit of following believers. If any man says he has fellowship with God and walks in darkness, he lies, yet only God knows the condition of our hearts.
Truth has no lies in it. We can hear truthful voices coming up from many realms, but those prepared for His coming have spiritual understanding worn like a garment that grants inner enlightenment to see God’s plans. His plans are to move the body of Christ to a more perfect place!
This harvest will bring the nations to understand the light of God’s city. We will soon understand better the messages that God writes on our hearts, as well as what the proper measure of worship is when we gather to worship in the spirit of truth.