God has really been dealing with me lately in regard to being lead by the Holy Spirit. Not just merely following a feeling or a intuition, but literally allowing Him to lead me and to take control. I have prayed and asked God to guide my steps, but have I surrendered completely to his guidance? Do I have the heart of Christ within me to know his leading? Hebrews 9: 9 makes a powerful statement regarding worshipers. It states that the, “sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.” Referring to the need of a final sacrifice or pure sacrifice to atone for our sins. What is so powerful to me about this is the statement, “clear the conscience of the worshiper.” As I enter into worship I cannot be hindered by sin if I truly desire Christ presence.
In other words, God will not honor our worship with his presence if we are not covered under his blood. I have been there!! Sitting in a service singing praise and thinking about all of the stuff that I did last week or want to be doing now! The distractions that we allow are a hindrance to our worship and sin in our life because we have made them an idol above Christ! We may say, “its not more important, its just a passing thought.” However, if I valued Christ to the point that I truly desired Him above all other things I would make an effort to devote my time, undistracted. Try having a conversation with your Wife, Husband or best friend while you are involved in thinking about some other activity you will be doing tomorrow. How long do you think it will take before the person you are talking to say, “is everything ok?” or “hello over here!”. They know you are not focused on them. God deserves the same focus of attention.
This, as God is dealing with me, boils down to preparation. Hebrews 9:7 deals with this briefly when it talks about the preparation of the priest before entering into the Holy of Hollies to offer sacrifices for the people. A priest would spend days preparing to enter the inner room and I imagine even weeks or months thinking about it and preparing mentally. After all, this was a life or death matter for him. He would enter this room with a rope tied around his waist and bells on the hem of his robe so if he was not spiritually ready and was killed by the Holy Spirit he could be pulled out. As Christians that are covered by His blood and able to access directly to Christ who intercedes for us at the right hand of the father, we should give the same thought to our spiritual condition before we “enter in”.
It is my genuine prayer that each day I may examine my heart, repent of my sin and be prepared to enter His presence and be lead by the Holy Spirit!
Hebrews 9:7-9 NIV
7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicated that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
In Christ,
Steven
worship@behteltempleag.com
