TRUE WORSHIP....

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The LORD gave the pattern.

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Our LORD gave us a pattern of how to pray, yes, and also how to worship HIM+ in Spirit and in Truth.

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The "LORD'S PRAYER" in Matthew 6 is a perfect example of how

to WORSHIP HIM+ in an acceptable way.

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Yes, I do believe that HE+ hears the heart-cries of all His+ creation... because HE+ heard mine.

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However, we who are now born again in the BLOOD COVENANT should not be "loose" and irreverent when we come before HIM+.After all, we'd show an earthly ruler (king, queen, president, etc.) proper respect or we wouldn't last long in his/ her presence!

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How much more so is reverence due to the KING of KINGS, the LORD of LIGHT, the ALMIGHTY GOD, the EVERLASTING FATHER, the PRINCE of PEACE! The Hebrew children were strict to conform to a reverent and holy and PROPER order of worship and sacrifice before the ALMIGHTY GOD. They did not play loose and fast with HIM.

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[Recall what happened to Aaron's sons when they offered strange incense upon the altar or what happened to the unsanctified men who steadied the Ark of the Covenant when David was trying to bring it home.]

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But, to return to the point of Matthew 6, the LORD'S PRAYER:

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HE+ gave us that pattern SO THAT we could properly enter into the Divine Presence of both our and HIS+ Heavenly FATHER.

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First of all then, to WORSHIP, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE that HE is our collective FATHER; no one person "monopolizes" HIM nor is HE a respecter of persons.

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We acknowledge that HE is FATHER, the ONE in control, HE Who caused us to be born, HE Who provides for us... both things we like and things we would rather not have to deal with. We acknowledge that this Heavenly FATHER has the right to chastise us so that we are not illegitimate children and thus omitted from the promise, the inheritance of the saints. HE has the right to make us afraid of HIS power and might.

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We acknowledge that HE is The FATHER in HEAVEN, not our earthly father.

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We acknowledge that HE is Pure and Holy... even HIS very name is HOLY !

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The first part of the "LORD'S PRAYER" is the very first part of TRUE WORSHIP, either collectively or privately.

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In the next part of the pattern, we forebear mentioning our wants and desires; we FIRST AFFIRM that the FATHER'S KINGDOM and WILL is our greatest desire, above all the issues of our heart.

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We TESTIFY that we WANT HIS Kingdom to come, that we want badly HIS Divine will to be accomplished here on earth the same as it is being done this very minute in HEAVEN.

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This is TRUE WORSHIP, when we affirm that His Kingdom, His Will, as the very best that could ever happen to this civilization and to us, His children. We tell HIM how we long for HIM and for HIS Day to be seen for what it is... WHO is the TRUE RULER OF THE UNIVERSE !

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All this is humbling, to see WHO HE is... and who we are in HIS eyes.

Then, after humbling ourselves and putting away our will, we ask for those things we have need of daily, including forgiveness from HIM and towards others.

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We ask daily for HIS deliverance from evil and from temptation... yes, who among us is so pure that we are not daily tempted with some unrighteous, some impure, some unholy thing or thought?

The last section RE-STATES WHO actually has all the Kingdom, all the power, and all the glory .... ....not only now BUT FOREVER !

When the human heart does all this, true worship takes place.

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HE+ has placed this pattern in His+ Word

so that we who are hungry for HIM+

can find HIM+.

For, the true children of the Kingdom must worship The FATHER in Spirit and in Truth... for The FATHER seeketh such to worship HIM.

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IN HIS+ IMAGE...

If one receives Genesis 1:26-27 as Truth,

one is able to understand sin.

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"And GOD said,

Let US make man in OUR image,

after OUR likeness...

So GOD created man in HIS own image,

in the image of GOD created HE him;

male and female created HE them."

No-one wants to be thought of as being truly and totally "bad." Every person clings to the self-illusion that there is SOMETHING worthwhile about himself... enough good to "out-weigh" the bad.

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I discovered this when I worked in a prison. From the boy-rapist to the double-ax murderer and all those in-between, each man thought he was not totally bad and that his "good" self out-weighed the bad he might do or have done... or would do in the future !

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SIN'S nature is deceitful,

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Scripture says,

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and it lies to one's heart.

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The LORD JESUS, however is TRUTH+ and there is no unrighteousness in HIM+. GOD is not a man, that HE+ should lie.

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In light of that, how is it that we... who are so sinful...

are made in the image of GOD ?

What does that mean ?

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SIN is when we don't look like Who+ GOD is.

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SIN is when we don't reflect HIS+ character.

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SIN is when we bear witness to the flesh,

the world, and the devil ...

instead of to Our Holy FATHER,

Who art in Heaven.

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This is the resounding reason why fornication, adultery, and homosexuality is forbidden in Scriptures and by all the Holy Men of old. Those sins especially BREAK the image of GOD that mankind was created to reflect TO OTHERS, both visable and invisable, as a testimony to HIS+ purity and holiness.

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Those who participate in SIN become abusers of GOD's image in front of others. They have broken the true reflection of GOD's character and are giving forth a wrong image of WHO GOD IS. Thus, the judgment of GOD falls upon them now with diseases and many, many social and spiritual consequences... and it will fall upon them throughout eternity.

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Some Christians of old warned against

"breaking the type."

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What they meant is that there were always severe consequences in Scripture when one broke the type... the type of CHRIST, that is, the image of GOD, that man was created to reflect, untarnished.

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"Breaking the type" is why Moses couldn't enter into the Promised Land after he disobeyed The LORD and smote the ROCK+ twice. He broke the type, the pattern, the image of CHRIST in front of the congregation when he became angry.

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The LORD Who+ loved Moses would not permit HIM+ to enter into the Promised Land, regardless of whether HE+ loved Moses or not.

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FRIGHTENING !

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Thus, when we are tempted to sin, we should lay to heart the seriousness of breaking the image of GOD in which we were originally made and have been RE-BORN into through the Blood of CHRIST JESUS.

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Let us walk in HIS+ image.

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CHRIST IS RISEN !

HE+ is risen, indeed !

Death hath no more

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dominion over HIM+ !

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HE+

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is the firstborn

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from the dead;

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that in all things

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HE+

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might have the

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Pre-eminence.

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HalleluJAH