Merchandising The Word of God, Part #1

2 Peter 2:1-6  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

Before we began an indepth multipart study of Peter's message, I shall attempt to set the stage for a modern day comparison of an ancient message.  We intend to study with great diligence the message presented by Peter and also compare it the message that Jesus sent to the church in the book of Revelation 1st thru 3rd chapter.   Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."   This does not mean the Devil will not come against the church, nor does it mean the Devil will not create counterfeit churches.  There is the true church that exists in the heart of man and there is the apostate church.  Jesus said to the apostate church in  Revelation 3:15-16  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.  

As a final act of repudiation God divorced his chosen people, as a final act of disdain or repudiation Jesus offered these words, "I will spew thee out of my mouth."

No lets read and study the last words of Jesus to the church here on earth.  Revelation 3:20-22 Behold, I stand at the door and knock,: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.  This is a message to the individual, he used words like, "if any man", or "He that overcometh."

Let us explore the possibility that Jesus and Peter were concerned about those who had come into the church and with great words they began merchandising the people of God.  2 Peter 2:3 And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.  Now let us explore the act of merchandising.

Feigned words, words that are insecure, artificial, man made words that are designed to suit a particular purpose., words that are able to cause the unstable soul to falter and follow after  the teaching of men.  False teachers often follow the pattern of their master, they come with great promises.  Feigned words; artful and hypocritical pretenses. --Make a merchandise of you. Judas made merchandise of his Master, betraying and sacrificing him to promote his own ends. So it is said these men should sacrifice the cause of Christ to their own selfish purposes.

There exists the possibility that through the use of feigned words, anything, irregardless of how worthy, vain, even unpretentious acts can be sold to the public.  All that is required is a marketing plan, a marketing team with an appealing marking concepts.   Consider this, tennis shoes and blue jeans once the garment of the poor and working class, used a marketing concept to become the preferred dress of the rich and famous.  What was it that caused  the market value of a pair of cheaply produced tennis shoes to dramatically increase in value?  Better yet, consider the enterprising man who sold rocks (pet rocks) to an adoring public.

The primary objectives of life have been reset, feeling good about what we are, what we have or what we do, has become our primary objective and the value of life is diminished.  In essence, if we pay two hundred dollars for a four dollar pair of tennis shoes the value of the shoes did not increase, we are paying for the right to feel good about yourself or your accomplishments.  The desire of feeling good is one of the most powerful and sellable aphrodisiacs known to mankind.  It is sellable in and out of the church.

'Feel good' can be defined as that which is intended to make one happy or satisfied, causing or characterized by a feeling of self-satisfaction: feel-good factor, achieving a high state of euphoria, often defined as the Spirit of God.  The operative words, here is the, “feel good factor.” The feel good factor is present in every aspect of human endeavors.  Why do we go to work?  Because going to work allows us to accomplish things that make us feel good.  Why do we go to concerts and football games, because somewhere within our line of reasoning, it is something that makes us feel good.  Now apply that to church worship services and Gospel music.

The evolution of gospel music sat the stage for the evolution of worship service.  Gospel or sacred music once existed within the shadows of the sanctuary and enjoyed a  special place that was considered to be Holy next to the Word of God.  The singers of spiritual songs was not something that was done for worldly acclimation or money, it was something that was done in the service of God. Therefore, those who sung in church as a part of their church worship services did not do it to  become rich and famous.  Sacred music as the name implies was not intended to be entertaining, it was intended to reverence God and give him proper praise.   When we injected the entertainment 'feel good' factor into worship, are we guilty of denying God his proper reverence?

In todays contemporary society gospel music has crossed over or morphed into the entertainment  venue.  The sacred solitude that gospel music once provided has been replaced by a hand clapping, foot stomping feel good sellable type of music that rewards the performer and entertain the listener. Worship services that once was designed to serve God is now designed to make you feel good.  Feeling good is an emotional attribute that can be manipulated, it can be merchandised, it can be marketed in the same fashion as a pair of tennis shoes made out of cheap plastic.  Somewhere between the opening song and the closing chords of contemporary worship services you will also be asked to pay for feeling good.

2 Peter 2:1-6, The  general subject of this chapter is clearly stated in the first verse, and it embraces these points:

(1.) That there would be many false teachers among Christians in modern times, as there were false teachers in ancient times;

False teachers have risen up and many are trying to strike fear in the Children of God thru threats of annihilation by God if they open their mouth against them.  1 John 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. When the Devil approached Eve in the garden professing to know the word of God, he made promises by twisting the scripture.   When that old Satan, the Devil approached Jesus on the mountain quoting the scripture, twisting it and professing to understand the Word of God,  offering him all of the richness of the world, Jesus condemns him as nothing but the devil.  Yet, when they come to us in the name of God promising prosperity in a sin cursed and dying world, we are quick to follow.  A world that Jesus said for you not to lay up your treasures upon earth.  Matthew 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

Are we to believe that the numerous doctrines and split denominations are all apart of God's plan? What about the changing values of Christianity that are designed to make Christianity more relevant in a modern society?   Why are Christians eager to embrace every new wind and doctrine?   These are questions that should be seriously considered when engaging in un-indoctrinated Bible.study.

(2.) That they would introduce destructive errors in the scripture, leading many astray through peculiar doctrines; 

These peculiar doctrines are numerous in today's society and they are all built upon a twisted interpretation of the scripture. These destructive errors many times are nothing more than making numerous false promises in the name of God.  To do so is a direct violation of God's laws and is a form of denying the true power of God.  Many are led astray by promises that God is moving in a particular way that embrace the 'feel good' aspect of human nature.  It is easy to be blinded by the twisted promised and fail to see the direction that we are being led in. 

Ages and dispensations are no longer a factor in Bible study. We take the Old and New Testament, and figurative speaking, we dump both into the pot, then we add The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit and mix it all together.  To congeal the mix we add a bit of paganism with a touch of Voodooism.  According to the teaching of Peter, what emergences is a polluted mess that is neither sustainable thru the Word of God or common sense.   On one extreme we have people dancing with snakes and on the other extreme we have the magical sideshow.  Somewhere in between we have those who are clamoring for and claiming the blessing of Abraham, while the healing power of God is defined as going into the hospital and surviving a surgical procedure.  We have trivialized the God of our salvation and he is seen as an ineffective landlord.

(3.) That the wrath of God would certainly be poured out upon them. The design of this study is to illustrate and defend these points.

The wrath of God presently is being stored up and reserved as depicted in Revelation 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. The watered down messages of modern Christianity does not reflect the wrath of God.  Seven Golden vials full of the wrath of God are indicative of stored up wrath that is being withheld by the Blood of Jesus.  Fire and brimstone message does not project the 'feel good' atmosphere that is prevalent in many churches, therefore It is more appropriate to speak of what God is doing for you or what he is going to do for you.   These are sellable points.

If we were to rightly divide the polluted mess that we have created as Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  The works of God the Father was manifested in the Old Testiment and when he divorced his people as portrayed in Jeremiah 3:8  And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce;... Afterward, God was silent. When God spoke in the New Testament, he said in Luke 9:35... This is my beloved Son: hear him.  Jesus prepared his disciples for his death and departure.  One of the things he stressed was in John 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  This dispensation is under the authority of the Holy Spirit and when it has run its course the wrath of God that is presently being withheld, will be poured out on a sin cursed world.

To Be Continued

The Meaning of Double Honor

1 Timothy 5:17  Let the <elders> that rule well be counted worthy of double < honor>, especially they who <labor> in the word and doctrine.

I recently attended an appreciation service for a pastor and to justify the excessive splurging that members were drawn into,  the Master of Ceremony  quoted  1 Timothy 5:17.  A sense of indoctrinated relief seems to settle over the church, because of what they were asked to do was justified by the Holy Scripture.   Some were asked to forgo paying their bills or even giving up their grocery money to make this glorious occasion a huge success.  However, there were some who squirmed uncomfortably in their seats, because they were aware that nothing in that scripture referred to the pastor.

The festive occasion was filled with honor and praise for the pastor.  These services were once nothing more that a private affair where the members of a congregation came together to show their love for their pastor.  Often it was done after church services or outside of the church setting.  Today, in many churches they have morphed into a multi-church community affair, hosted and directed by the pastor or his appointee.  Letters or invitations are sent out to different churches, money is swapped causing undue suffering among the church community.  Often these appreciation services became the measuring rod that determined the effectiveness of the pastor’s ministry,  based upon the amount of money collected. 

The interpretation of this verse also adds to what I call the confusion of Christianity.  There are certain sections of Paul’s letter to Timothy that we will defend and apply word for word, while other segments can be  explained away.   The contradictory nature of our interpretations  comes full circle in that while we are shaping and twisting the scripture, often within the same chapter, to coincide with our indoctrinated doctrine or personal ideology, all the while we are quoting Matthew 4:4  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.

The shaping and twisting of the scripture is easily achieved in the household of faith because of the  belief that once a person  acknowledges the anointing of God, that person cannot lie. This naive concept of God's messengers has open the door for the wolves to come in among the flock.  The scripture encouraged the believers in 1 John 4:1, it said, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”  Not one God fearing soul would stand up challenged Jim Jones as he led hundreds of believers to their untimely death.

These verses ranks number one  as to the high level of contention within the household of faith.  We cannot in good faith accept what Paul said, word for word, there must be a way to explain all of this away.   If we cannot explain this away “church is out”.  1 Timothy 2:9-11  In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;  But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.   How many churches would cease to exist if these verses were enforced, word for word?  But, if there is a slight indication that the scripture is referring to money, then it is enforced. 

In the early sixties the bishops mills began to turn out bishops by the thousands.  The roster of Bishops could be reduced  if these rules were applied.  1 Timothy 3:2-6  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.  We have long since relegated the training of our children over to some other or higher power.  Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  We can explain this away, and the husband of one wife simply means one wife at any given time.

Is this verse telling you not to rebuke a preacher?   Once you make the claim that you are a preacher are you beyond condemnation? Maybe a firm understanding of who is an elder is needed, not our modern day interpretation, but in the language of the Bible.  1 Timothy 5:1-3  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. Honor widows that are widows indeed.

Teachers of the Gospel of prosperity should read and re-read this scripture, but Rev. Ike explained this one away long ago.  1 Timothy 6:5-10  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.  But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Now lets get back to our study verse.  If we are to understand the meaning of 1 Timothy 5:17, we need to understand the meaning of three words.  Elders, honor and labor.  These words must be defined in accordance with the ancient Hebrew meaning and not some twentieth century polluted definition.

The apostle had given full instructions respecting bishops, 1Ti 3:1-7; deacons, 1Ti 3:8-13; widows, 1Ti 5:3-16; and he here proceeds to describe the duty of the church towards those who sustain the office of elder. The word used--elder or presbyter--properly refers to age, not an appointed position and is then used to denote the officers of the church, and was relevant to the church in which they served.  Probably because of their aged they were at first entrusted with the administration of the affairs of the church. The word was in familiar use among the Jews to denote the body of men that presided in the synagogue  Can we justifiable change the meaning of the word to accommodate the desire for power of a few, or the desire of one man to rule over the House of God?

That rule well. Presiding well, or well managing the spiritual interests of the church. The word rendered rule -proestwteV -- is from a verb meaning to be over; to preside over; to have the care of. The word is used with reference to bishops, Tit 1:5,7; to an apostle, 1Pe 5:1; and is such a word as would apply to any officers to whom the management and the government of the church was intrusted. It is probable that the same organization was pursued in every place where a church was established; and where there was a Jewish synagogue, the Christian church would be formed substantially after that model, and in such a church there would be a group of presiding elders. The language here seems to have been taken from such an Organization.

"Be counted worthy of double honor. With double respect; that is, of a high degree of respect; of a degree of respect becoming their age and office. From the quotation which is made in 1Ti 5:18, in relation to this subject, it would seem probable that the apostle had some reference also to their support, or to what was necessary for their maintenance. There is no improbability in supposing that all the officers of the church, of whatever grade or rank, may have had some compensation, corresponding to the amount of time which their office required them to devote to the service of the church. Nothing would be more reasonable than that, if their duties in the church interfered with their regular employments in their secular calling, their brethren should contribute to their support.   Especially they who labor in word and doctrine. In preaching and instructing the people. From this it is clear that, while there were "elders" who labored "in the word and doctrine," that is, in preaching, there were also those who did not labor "in the word and doctrine," but who were nevertheless appointed to rule in the church. Whether, however, they were regarded as a separate and distinct class of officers, does not appear from this passage. It may have been that there were elders to whom the general management of the church was confided, and that a part of them were engaged in preaching; a part may have performed the office of "teachers"  and a part may have been employed in managing other concerns of the church, and yet all were regarded as the <proestwteV presbuteroi—or>  "elders presiding over the church." It cannot, I think, be certainly concluded from this passage, that the ruling elders who did not teach or preach were regarded as a separate class or order of permanent officers in the church. There seems to have been a bench of elders selected on account of age, piety, prudence, and wisdom, to whom was intrusted the whole business of the instruction and government of the church, and they performed the various parts of the duty as they had the ability. Those among them who "labored in the word and doctrine," and who gave up all their time to the business of their office, would be worthy of special respect, and of a higher compensation."

Now, the progression of Christianity and the church as a business required that it adopt a business model that provide a clear and enforceable means of collection and distribution of wealth.   Many have struggled all of their lives and gone to their grave waiting for God to make them wealthy.   The age of the community church has gone the way of the community school.  Churches often collect and funnel money to organizations outside of the community that serves no purpose within the community or the local church.   Church buildings remain locked during the day as the pastors work their regular job and drug abuse and gang violence erupt, even on the steps of the church.  

What Is True Worship?

John 4:23-24 but the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God is a Spirit. These words contain one of the most simple, yet most profound, truths which ever fell upon the mortal ear. Their truth is one of the great glories of revelation, and corrects the mistaken conclusion of human reason. They show that,

1, God is absolutely free from all limitations of space and time, and is therefore not to be localized in temples (Ac 7:48);

2, that God is not material, as idolaters contend;

3, that he is not an abstract force, as scientists think, but a Being;

4, that he is lifted above all need of temples, sacrifices, etc., which are a benefit to man, but not to God (Ac 17:25). Spiritual excellence raises man above the beast, and spiritual excellence, in turn, raises God above man (Isa 31:3).

And they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. That is, men must offer a worship corresponding to the nature and attributes of God.   A eye opening study would be, “What is the nature and attributes of God.”

Within the last decade church worship service has undergone numerous changes.   Many of these changes are designed to reflect the mood or the values of the younger generation.  Prayer service has morphed into “Praise and Worship” services.  Many churches have incorporated “Praise Dancing” in their worship repertoire.   Some have added a more liberal form of dancing under the guise of Dance Ministries”.  It is not uncommon to see couples take to the floor in church service as they praise God in the dance.  The church has come of age and instituted a platform of entertainment that is equivalent to that of a concert hall.  All of this is done under the guise of drawing people not to God, but to draw people into the church.

Spiritual or gospel music has also come of age,  the line that once separated church music from that of the world has been blurred and in some instances do not exist.  Crossover music is the accepted norm.   To distinguish between spiritual music and that of other category of music you must listen carefully to the words.  This poses a serious question, is crossover gospel music still considered sacred music? Is the church guilty of consuming that which was offered up to idolatry?   It seems as if the God of the Old Testament had a problem with this.  It was reiterated in Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.   

 The phrase “Praise God!” is common in the Christian vernacular, but what does it really mean? The phrase “My God” is also common in the vernacular of the street and church, but what are we really saying?  Are we actually referencing God or are we merely uttering words?  Think of how many times we hear or read the name of God. How do we praise God is the question of this dissertation.   God’s Word is the best place to look to define our terms. We must be careful to not get too caught up in traditions and culture practices and lose the meaning that God has given to us through His Word.  The ethnic flavor that has been added to worship, is it of God or is it of man?  The book of Psalms (sacred songs) is well-known for its focus on praising God, which is where we will direct our study.  When we engage in this study, we must be careful with mixing the Old and New Testiment together, a polluted mess is what we could end up with.

Christians often speak of “praising God,” and the Bible commands all living creatures to praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6).  The question that I am phrasing is, What is praise.”  Is it shouting and screaming?   One Hebrew word for “praise” is yadah, meaning “praise, give thanks, or confess.” A second word often translated “praise” in the Old Testament is zamar, “sing praise.” A third word translated “praise” is halal (the root of hallelujah), meaning “to praise, honor, or commend.” All three terms contain the idea of giving thanks and honor to one who is worthy of praise.   The consensus of the Hebrew interpretation seems to be giving thanks and honor.

In the military, the squadron honored their superior officers by initiating a command call “Eyes Right”, as they marched pass the reviewing stand.  The child honored it parent with eye contact and a ever so slight smile as it marched pass its parents in the grand parade.  A young man, the recipient of a state of the art video game honored his mother by cooking and cleaning the house.

The book of Psalms is a collection of songs filled with praises to God. Among them is Psalm 9, which sings, “I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High” (verse 2). Psalm 18:3 says God is “worthy of praise.” (be giving thanks and honor) Psalm 21:13 praises God, both for who He is and for His great power: “Be exalted in your strength, LORD; we will sing and praise your might.” The pollution began to surface when praise and worship services become a platform of begging God for a blessing.  

Psalm 150 offers a strong focus on praise, the term thirteen times in six verses. The first verse provides the “where” of praise—everywhere! “Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.  - The next verse teaches “why” to praise the Lord: “Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.”   Verses 3–6 note “how” to praise the Lord—with a variety of instruments, dance, and everything that has breath.  Does this mean we have to make sounds to praise God?

Coming of age in the church during the fifties, I became acquainted with two methods of praising God.  Both methods were tainted with an ethnic flavor.   In the Baptist church when the spirit of the Lord descended, those that were sensitive to the presence of the spirit would react in a manner that got the attention of the ushers.  The usher’s job was to calm the person down, to prevent them from hurting themselves and others.  The Holiness movement ushered in a new method of praising God, when the spirit descended, there again, those that were sensitive to the presence of the spirit would jump up and dance.  There was no holding.  If they fell down all was good, they were called “holy rollers.” 

For me this was the beginning of the evolution of praise and worship services.  Those that were musically inclined began to show up at these services and under the expressed anointing of God, they played music  and the church danced to a different beat than that of a nightclub.   The evolution continued as other denominations that once boasted of nothing more than an organ or a piano began to build churches that could accommodate a full scale orchestra, then the beat changed.

To downplay the diversity of beliefs and doctrines many churches  have opted to form a  standard form of worship.  Praise teams and dance teams fill that space reserved for worship  before the speaker is presented.  In many instances along with the musicians the congregation is entertained by a group of paid performers who spend many hours perfecting their talent.  The prefect presentation of this repertoire is enough to bring the ardent Christian listener to a heighten state of emotional bliss, which is interpreted as the “Spirit of God.”

Lets reiterate and amplify, the Hebrew word for “praise” is yadah, which means to praise, give thanks, or confess. In fact, the word translated “give thanks” later on in the passage comes from the same Hebrew word used earlier for “praise” the context always determines meaning.  Without understanding the context we are headed for a polluted mess. Furthermore, there are multiple Hebrew words that can be translated as “praise,” and it does not necessarily just have one definition. The Hebrew language has specific words for the type of praise being given, so we must examine more of these words before we can come up with a proper definition. For example, there are two different Hebrew words for “praise” in Psalm 149:3: “Let them praise [halal] His name with the dance; Let them sing praises [zamar] to Him with the timbre and harp.” Halal means to praise, glorify, boast, commend, etc., and zamar means to make music or sing praises.  The question to ponder is this, is this a group session or is it an individual thing?

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  When I read that verse, the question that first comes to mind is “what is a true worshiper?” What is it that separates a true worshiper from an “untrue” worshiper? To answer that question, we must first understand what worship really is.  A serious contender for the faith can find the changing nature of worship services confusing.

In a changing world, in today’s culture, we often think of worship as being the songs that we sing to God, perfect and on key on Sunday morning. The music must maintain the proper and perfect beat. But if we were to define it based on what the Bible teaches, would we describe it in the same way, or would be begin to look at it differently?  

Reading that same verse in The Message translation might begin to bring some clarity to that question. If we begin reading in the second half of verse 23 and on into verse 24, we begin to understand how Jesus is defining worship to the woman at the well: Just a thought God did choose Jesus over Elias and Moses in Mark 9:7 " ... This is my beloved Son: hear him."  It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is a Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.

Jesus makes it very clear that worship is about far more than music. In fact, in the context of this passage, he’s not talking about music at all when he defines true worship. He’s talking about a lifestyle. He is not talking about play acting or dance steps.  He’s talking about offering our lives to God , being eager to pursue truth and knowledge of the God we worship. In church today, we often dress up our music – our “worship” and performance as we try to create a certain atmosphere to elicit an emotional response.   That emotional response, the same as achieved at a rock concert or a football game.   We often get caught up in how we do it, rather than who we worship. But without God, worship is pointless. Without God, the words that we sing have no meaning. But with God, worship is everything. God wants us to worship Him as a natural response to his supreme greatness, because he is the One worthy of all praise. That is true worship.

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Religious Indoctrination verses Christianity Part #3

The Failure of Christianity

Christianity is a divided religion, it is made up of different denominations and the interpretation of its Holy scriptures is based upon individuals ‘personal’ beliefs with denominational doctrine at the forefront of scriptural interpretation. There is little or no consensus among  the many different groups of believers and as each day passes the standards of Christianity within many groups is changed to reflect the mood of a changing society.  The ancient indoctrinations of Christianity failed when the Roman Empire booted out the Pagans and extended their hands to the Christians filled with the richness of the world.  They readily accepted thus setting the stage for the downfall of the empire and the pollution of Christianity.  This is a problem that Jesus addressed in his overlooked letters to the churches in the Book of Revelation.  

The failure of Christianity may not be the best choice of words to use and has already drawn fire from several sources. There is a difference between those that are of the Body of Christ and many of those who lump themselves together under the umbrella of Christianity.  I will not try to separate Christianity into different groups, but I will address the concept of Christianity as a whole group of believers.  The word Christian is an English translated word that was used to describe the pious attitude of the disciples.  Acts 11:26… And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.  The disciples taught and acted like Christ. 

Christianity as a religion is representative of those who are supposed to be Christ-like.  Try to visualize a group of people acting and living like Christ.   If Christianity is constantly changing and evolving do that make the value of Christianity more or less.  If the indoctrination of old is without value and a new indoctrination is necessary or forthcoming, what does that say about the status of those who believed the old way?  Imagine the turmoil, the frustration of a ninety year old lady who grew up in the church, as she stand on the sideline and watch all of her religious values being ripped apart and cast out in the name of progress.  Yet the message is preached, "Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday."

A religion that operates under the premise that in order to remain relevant and vibrant,  it must change or adapt  to a changing society is a failed religion.  Christianity has joined the ranks of failed religions.  The Christian Church maintains that this is not so because it is the church that Jesus founded and the gate of hell cannot stand against it.  Matthew 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  The making of the above statement and to quote the scripture as pertaining to the church, I have taken the scripture out of context and I have twisted it to reflect the present mood of thought.   Let's clarify, the word church as referenced in the Bible it is representative of an assembly, not a building.  The church is representative of groups of believers, all touching and agreeing upon the same thing.  Jesus did not declare nor imply that upon this rock I will establish my denominational church and the gates of Hell will not be able to stand against it.

This was what Jesus said to Peter, now compare that to what he wrote to the church, Revelation 3:14-18  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  

The use of denominations within the ranks of Christianity is the greatest indication of a divided religion.  There is no true consensus among the ranks of denominational Christendom and the divide is growing every day.  Jesus said in  Mark 3:24-26  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.  The implication of that statement is a house, family or group divided against itself cannot stand.  What happens when a nation or a group of people become divided?  Often they form new nations or groups. Based upon the words of Jesus, they are a failed religion and in todays society they must keep reinventing themselves.

Christianity has failed as a religion in that it has allowed it pulpits to be hijacked by men and women of dubious nature.  Men and women who are seeking honor and praise have sharpened their skills of twisting and misquoting the scripture and through fear many follow along.  I am not speaking of the Body of Christ, nor am I speaking of the Church that Jesus founded.  I speak in condemnation of  any organized religion that has failed to live up to the indoctrination of its founder, (Jesus Christ). 

The biggest challenge Christendom faced, especially Pentecostal Christianity is a massive  invasion of people who are not called by God.  They have used the scripture as a whip to build up fear and to maintain their own indoctrination of want and greed.  They have built churches that reflect their own ideology, they have hijacked the pulpit and they are preaching a gospel of twisted scriptures that are not representative of the Gospel of Christ. They are representing their stomach. They are representing their worldly desires of fame and money, the same as a “rock star”.  They are making promises in the name of God and blaming the failure of the promises on the failure of mankind.  

Christianity has evolved into an “ATM” religion.  Anything you want “God got it”, if you do not get it the fault is not in God, the fault is in you.  Many forms of Christianity require that you lay aside your values of common sense and blindly follow a self styled guru who promises you everything you desire.  Maybe we should be reminded of the Devil, from the beginning he made promises he could not deliver, he even went to Jesus and promised him the world.  In todays society the power of God has been reduced to cute clichés, God is always working in the background fixing things, or God got my back is not an indication of faith, it is a sound bite designed to evoke an emotional response.  It seems that the whole world is searching for an emotional response. 

How can we believe in a God as powerful as the Christian religion depicts and that he is busy everyday fixing the problems of the world?  Why doesn't he just go ahead and fix the problem of the world?  Do we really believe that prayer is the solution to everything in our homes and communities while they are spinning out of control?  Guns and drugs are the order of the day as Christians continue to pray for God to fix the problem.  Wars and rumors of wars are the fodder of daily news shows, yet we pray for peace and there is no peace.  The healing power of God is reduced to going into the hospital having a surgical procedure performed.  The promulgators of religious lore have buried their collective heads in the sand in an act of reverence, piety and prayer while the battles between good and evil continues. Political correctness continue to declare the winner based upon the natural desires of mankind. Christianity is not only guilty of trivializing its birthright, it is guilty of putting the God of the universe to open shame.

The religion of Christianity should not be about raising money or elevation of men to positions of Popes and Bishops.  It should not be about treating our pastor like rock stars.  Christianity should not be about being at large and in charge.   The religion of Christianity should be about how we treat each other.  It should be about how we serve our God through our service to humanity.   Christianity should not be about building grand edifices and amassing a huge following.  The religion of Christianity needs to return to the source of its roots, laying aside, the play acting,  the subterfuge, expelling the corruption  and recommit itself to the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Matthew 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Religious Indoctrination verses Christanity Part #2

The Purpose of Religion

What is the primary purpose of your religion? The ancient religions in general had many purposes, most of them dealing with forming and maintaining relationships: with God or Goddess, with gods and goddesses, with our ancestors, with the spirits of Nature, with our families and communities.  In essence most religions of old were based upon the concept that we serve a higher order by serving humanity, first within our established order, expanding into the community and the world.  The foundation of the Hebrew religion was to care for the poor, the widows and the elderly.  This task has been relegated to the government and has become a burden on society as religion takes a back or side seat and become bogged down in pious rhetoric, lavishing honor and praise upon its leaders. 

Right or wrong, religion in the contemporary Western world is generally thought of as an individual thing.  Emerging from the bloody battles of the crusade and surviving the Salem witch hunts lacking the necessary controls of the government, western world religion (Christianity)  has digressed into a sea of confusing and separate entities called denominations.  The freedom to establish a denomination, based upon a personal doctrine or belief is held sacred and many of these denominations or religions serve no purpose other than to create an emotional sense of spiritual security and enrich the financial status of the creator.  A point that we will discuss later is that many feel that an element of the pagan worship that invaded the religious arena during the rule of the Roman empire has blossomed and now began to produce fruit. 

Religious indoctrination has failed In the Western world and now it is the intent of this once God fearing civilization to blur the lines of separation and destroy the indoctrination of all religions.  The Middle Eastern world and other regions seek world domination through the enforcement of religious indoctrination.  In certain parts of the world, people are still being executed by the government of their country because of their religious conviction.

There is a point to be made here, there are many different religions.  The best estimates put the number around four thousand two hundred (4,200).   A few years ago, a dozen of these were classified as "major world religions".  These twelve are: (largest to smallest, rough numbers) Christianity - 2 billion, Islam - 1.3 billion,  Hinduism - 900 million,  Buddhism - 360 million, Sikhism - 23 million,  Judaism - 14 million,  Baha’i - 7 million,  Confucianism - 6 million, Jainism - 4 million,  Shinto - 4 million,  Daoism - 2.7 million,  Zoroastrianism - 150,000,  This adds up to roughly 4 billion 620.9 million of the world’s more than 6.7 billion souls!, the rest could be classified as atheists.

In the "early enlightenment period" scholars attempted to categorize the "world religions" into three groups: (1) Christians (2) Jews (3) Pagans

From the numbers above it is clear that no religious group comes close to enjoying a global majority. However, the majority of the world's population believes in a Supreme Being or God. This creates many more questions to ponder: Are religions just so many creeks, streams, and rivers that all lead to one ocean?   When the native Americans prayed to the God of the sun and the God of the moon, where they praying to the God of Abraham?  Do all religions lead one “home” to God?  This is a question that noted preachers and talk show host have begun to wrestle with.  There is one problem with these debates, they are based upon a platform of political correctness that teaches tolerance.  Christianity, the same as most other religions have never been a religion of tolerance.  In its formative stage as a Hebrew or Jewish religion, its advancement was  by shedding the blood of its enemies.  The Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible is filled with blood.  Is there just one “true” religion?  The indoctrination of Christianity  was to go into all of the world and spread the Gospel of Christ. 

Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam teaches that there is one God in the universe, giving Muslims a monotheistic world view Also like Judaism and Christianity, Islam teaches about the ministerial office of the prophet, although not all of these faiths agree on who is, and who isn't, a prophet. For example, Christians believe John the Baptist was a prophet and Jews and Muslims don't. And Muslims believe that Muhammad was a prophet, yet Jews and Christians don't. All three faiths also believe in an afterlife, although the makeup of those destinations can be immensely different from each other.

With the advancement of the knowledge of good and evil, many have begun to question the value of religion in a contemporary society.  When we think of Christianity in America what do we think of?  On any given Sunday, segregated  segments of society assemble in their respective places and express their adoration for their creator in different manners, while singing songs of, “Oh, when we all get to Heaven.”  A polluted interpretation of the sacred words, twisted scriptures and messages out of context, men of “Skills” reaping huge rewards for delivering a simple message that  the creator gave freely.  We go to church with the same expectations as that when we go to a football game or  a concert, we are seeking to achieve an emotional high that will carry us over till the next opportunity present itself.  Thus can we conclude, religion is about feeling good?

Religion is based upon indoctrination and always have been.  Indoctrination is based upon your locality, if you are Middle Eastern extraction your belief in Islam would as great or greater as those of the Western world whose belief is Christianity.  To continue this dissertation, I must ask again, “you do believe in God, don’t you?”  I use the English translated word God to indicate or reference Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  As the world population grew men began to create their own gods and religions.  As to the question of whether you have a religion or not would be based upon your indoctrination.  Whether you believe in the Bible or the Koran or some other book is a matter of indoctrination.  If your indoctrination has failed, then you will be free to explore other options such as those that are taught in our schools.

This was a problem that was dealt with in the Old Testament.  Exodus 20:1-5  And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;.  These verses, the Ten Commandants set the stage for a profound religious indoctrination.  Solomon said in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

God decided what was a true religion and what was a false religion.  2 Chronicles 33:7  And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:  2 Chronicles 33:15  And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 

Acts 7:41  And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.  It seems as if false gods were constantly infringing upon God’s territory.

  

The values of Christianity were once heralded as high or higher than the values that made America a great country.  Today it is said America  the same as Christianity is its worst enemy.  The one nation under God concept has been cast aside.  Has America become as the salt that has lost it's power?   What happen to that spark that caused the patriot to say, "No" to taxation without representation?   What was it that caused the founders of this country to write, “in God we trust”, as the foundation of their beliefs?  Now ask yourself, what was it that cause man to question the divine word of God?

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Why do you believe, what you believe and why do you do what you do? What is the purpose of your religion?   Do your beliefs and your works make you a better person?

Next

The Failure of Christianity

Religious Indoctrination verses Christanity Part #1

The Failure of 
Religious Indoctrination

John 1:1-4,  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The beginning of this discussion shall be inclusive in nature as pertaining to all religions, but the basis of my dissent shall be based upon the Hebrew Scriptures, The Holy Bible.  The enlighten minds through the attainment of the knowledge of good and evil will quickly assert that my beliefs are tainted and is the product of religious indoctrination.  This may be true, but there is a case to be made for indoctrination as well as Christianity.

The consensus of today’s society is, that when a school from elementary to university level only allows one view of anything with regards to discussions of politics, God and morality, they are not open to learning.  Thinking and learning places have become schools of indoctrination. When we do not teach people to have respect for opinions that differ from their own, we teach intolerance.  When schools only allow access to liberal views and no conservative views they are not taught how to think but what to think.  

The above statement reflects a generalized truth that is accepted by a highly educated society, but an ancient proverb says, “too many cooks spoil the broth”.  As my grandmother explained it, If everybody is allowed to put something in the pot, the stew becomes a polluted mess”.

The definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems: they are either too narrow and exclude many belief systems which most agree are religious, or they are too vague and ambiguous, suggesting that just about any and everything is a religion.  

Indoctrination often refers to religious ideas, when you're talking about a religious environment that doesn't allow you to openly question or criticize those beliefs. The Latin word for "teach," doctrine is the root of indoctrination, and originally that's just what it meant.  The Hebrew religion of the Bible was founded upon this concept.  In the wilderness for forty years the Children of Israel  were indoctrinated into a new religious order.  The result of the failure of this indoctrination was a nation scattered.

Indoctrination can also refer to the ideas or concepts of the formation and foundation of a society or nation.  Pledges are designed to indoctrinate the members into the unity of cause and purpose.  Thus, it can be augured that a cause, society or nation is no stronger than the strength of its indoctrination and when the indoctrination fails the host perishes.

The history of the United States will show its success at the exporting of democracy through a process of indoctrination.  Indoctrination allows for the use of force to achieve its ends. Germany, Japan and other countries were convinced to give up their form of governments and explore a new concept called democracy.   The modern day history of the United States will also show its failure to achieve the same ends with certain Middle East nations.  There was a time when the exportation of Demoracary was a saleable commodity, today it is a hated concept.  What went wrong?   Has Demoracary become a polluted mess?

This country once was successful in  its attempt to defend religious values based upon an ambitious definition that also proved to be detrimental to the act itself.  The same question poises itself and demand and answer, "what went wrong"?  Have the religions of the world become a polluted mess? The same held true when this great country attempted to define and defend human rights.  The act itself created a hatred greater than the one it was supposed to suppress.  Yet, there are those who act as if a law can eradicate hatred.   A door was open that could not be closed and all that came through was not the intent of the act. 

Religion and Christianity once were thought to be synonymous, if you had religion you were a Christian.  The knowledge of good and evil emerged under the guise of political correctness causing the indoctrination to fail..  The awaking came through the realization that Christianity was one of many religions.  

Political correctness and the advancement of human rights placed a new demand on religions.  Religions were encouraged to lay aside their indoctrinated orders an acknowledge the rights of all religions to co-exist.  This in itself is impossible without creating a new  religion.  The indoctrinated concept of the ancient religions was to convert, not conform.  

Every religion or cult has a stated, vague and metaphorical goal. Because this goal must serve as the "illuminated eye" of the pyramid, it cannot be attained in this natural existence.  Rather, it must be expressed as an abstract goal,  like "salvation"  which the members will enjoy once they have made it to the top of the pyramid.  The abstract goal of religion is a weakness in itself because it allows for the manipulation of those who seek enlightenment from those who have mastered the art of indoctrination.   The Hebrew scriptures speak of them as wolves coming in to destroy the flock.

Religion has always served to define the destiny of mankind, and its rules of acceptance have always been relevant to the adopting nation.  At some point along with the idea of conception and formation of a nation a set of religious values is adopted, and in some cases excluded. This became the national identity and indoctrination of a particular area, nation or culture.   It could be augured that the Roman Empire was at its strongest when the pagans assembled to watch the Lions verses the Christians.  The Empire began to crumble when Constantine made a pact with the Christian, and a new religion was established, one that Jesus said he hated. England enjoyed its status as a world empire until King James decided to tamper with the  religious indoctrination for personal gain.  

When a nation becomes a 'melting pot' of many different cultures, the purity of its religion is changed.  Some nations go to war to protect the purity of their belief, courts are established and death sentences are handed out to those who violate the religious order.  Some nations fight to maintain individual choice.  The Hebrew God of the Bible demanded that his chosen people fight to maintain religious purity.  Why?  Different religions from different parts of the world may hold different values. Religion can be explained as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.  

Is there a belief that makes a particular religion superior to all of the rest?  The first step to answering the question is, admitting whether or not you believe in God, not I want to, or I think I do, but a simple do you believe in God.  I am not speaking of this new Santa Claus concept of God standing at the head of the checkout lane, passing out goodies, do you believe in the ancient God of Revelation?  You alone will be able to determine whether you are true to your indoctrination or your indoctrination has failed.

The evolution of religion should allow for one religion to emerge as the superior religion or the true religion, but the rights of the individuals to maintain their own belief trumps this idea.  A particular religious value should not change with time, but the indoctrination of a religious idea changes, it is updated and in many instances it forms a new an alien entity.   Thus we have the proliferation of religion.  

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What is the primary purpose of your religion? 

The Conflicting Nature of Christianity, Part #8

  Acknowledging God
And
Trivializing God

Proverbs 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Two elderly ladies were chatting in the check out line at the local grocery.  One was depressed because her SNAP card had not been approved.  She was admonished by the other lady to, "hold on your miracle is coming."    The promise of a miracle disrupted the checkout procedure as both ladies began to publicly acknowledge God an get their praise on.   Many of the patrons tried to maintain a straight face and pretend nothing was going on, while others gawked and giggled.  

As I walked out of the grocery store a young lady got my attention by addressing me as if she knew me.  How have you been doing, she asked?  You are looking well, she added, before I could reply.  I am well, it's been touch an go for a while, I responded, still racking my brains 'so to speak' as to where do I know this young lady from.  How are you doing? I asked.  I am well, thanks be to God.  God is so good, he touched me with a finger of love and cause me to wake up this morning.   Impressed by her testimony I hesitated long enough for her to size me up an hook me, she added, "you act as if you don't know me."   

After the incident was over, hindsight was twenty-twenty.  It was doubtful if she or I had ever met What she wanted from me was a ride home and a six pack of beer.  Robbery was probably in her plans also.  To achieve her ends she played on "old folks" respect for the name of God.  According to her, God had put her in that position and at that time so that we would meet.  Who was I to say God was not directing her path?  Though hard at first I finally began to call it for what it was, "people pimping the name of God for fame, glory and money" 

How often have you heard someone say, God told me to tell you, or I have a message from God, and you are left wondering, why would God say that? I am often reminded of the big city preacher coming home to a little country church to run a revival.  He would 'WOW' the congregation by delivering messages from God.   Often during his message he would stop and proclaim that God said, "there is someone in here with a headache," God said, "come up here and get your healing."   It was the fear of God that prevented the righteous from calling it what it was.  A sideshow act designed to bring glory and honor to the speaker.  

Now the readers of the above scripture can easily assume that it implies that every move or decision we make, we should implore the name of God.  It began in the church as a simple act of adoration for God.  "How are you, I am blessed," became the mainstay greeting between the saints of God.  The English translation of a Greek phrase seems to indicate that when we wake up in the morning, we should acknowledge God.  Every step we take on the way to the bathroom should verbally acknowledge God.   When we step up to the counter in the fast food restaurant to place our order, do we preface our order with an acknowledge to God?  What does it mean, to acknowledge God?  In the same context, what does it mean to trivialize the name of God. Does to acknowledge means a verbal acclimation that can be heard by others or does it mean a an acclimation that can be seen and heard by God?   Maybe the context  of the scripture should be set by Jesus. In an English translation of a Hebrew statement, Jesus said in Matthew 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Now I pose a more serious question, 

At this point you ought to ask yourself what do we have that is Holy, is it our words, our lives, or even our money? 

What does God require of us?

First, let's take a look at several meanings of the word acknowledge.

1. To recognize the rights, authority, or status of: from a religious view point this ought to be acceptable
2. To disclose knowledge of, or agreement with
3. To express gratitude or obligation for <acknowledging a gift>
4. To take notice of <failed to acknowledge my greeting>
5. To recognize as genuine or valid <acknowledge a debt>

Based upon these definitions we can conclude that acknowledge means to express knowledge of and act or deed.  Now, as we proceed, we must accept the understanding of the scripture can vary based upon what indoctrinated views we wish to defend.  Acknowledging God can range from the application of blood on the door post to standing on the street corner preaching the word of God.  David seems to agree with this concept when he wrote in Psalms 105:1  O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.  Who was talking, who was he talking to and what was the subject being addressed should play an important part in, Understanding the Word of God.

Now when we come to the New Testament here we have Jesus telling those that have been a recipient of his great power to go and tell no one.  Mark 3:12  And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.  Was Jesus being critical of those who made a public display of their belief in God In Matthew 6:5 , he said, "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."  Remember those prayer warriors, the ones we said really could pray?  Jesus said, "they have their reward."

The word that comes into play at this point is trivialized.  To trivialize is to make something seem less important, significant or complex than it really is.  The overuse of a word or phrase is to trivialize that word or phrase.  It seems as if God was concerned about the over use of his name  in Exodus 20:7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  'Take in vain;' the highest violation of this command is seen by most as false swearing. But it also prohibits every light and irreverent use of God's name. Nor hold him guiltless; if we trivialize the name of God, he will view and treat that person as he truly is, exceedingly guilty and deserving divine displeasure.

In essence, to use the name of God in a profane, light, or irreverent manner, or to mention it without good reason, tends to lessen the reverence which the soul ought to feel for him, to render it reckless and increasingly wicked, and is a flagrant offense against the Ruler of the universe.  

Our music and our worship have evolved, has God evolved?  The Sunday morning parade of 'messengers' from God with their conflicting and self-serving messages of hope, do little to promote the will of God.  

What does God require of us? This is a question that all of the old patriarch has had to deal with. Those that begged God to manifest his will within their lives was able to provide us with the best answer.   Jesus prayed in  Matthew 6:10 ...Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 

Paul said in  Romans 12:1 said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

A final point to ponder, Matthew 5:44-46  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 

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That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.