PHILIPPIANS 2 OBEDIENCE TO THE POINT OF DEATH

August 16

PHILIPPIANS 2

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:3-11

PHILIPPIANS 2 OBEDIENCE TO THE POINT OF DEATH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Can you emulate Christ in his humility and obedience?

He was meek by giving up his divinity and becoming human

He did nothing from his own but followed his Father’s will

He was obedient to the point of death to clear us from sin

By sacrificing his own life and surrendering to the Lord

He fulfilled the salvation plan of God to overcome the world

God exalted Christ because of this and gave him a name above all names

Jesus’ name will be confessed by every tongue and every knee will bow.

Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi and warned them from selfishness and pride. He gave a clear instruction on how to do so with the following:

  • Do things out of love for others and not out of our selfish ambition and promotion
  • Prioritize other’s needs instead of yours
  • Be concerned about the interests of others genuinely
  • Do not think highly of yourself but remember that God is All-knowing & Sovereign above all
  • Serve others just like how Jesus served all humanity by reconciling them with God
  • Empty yourself of conceit and be of service to God by serving others
  • Confess that Jesus is Lord and grow your dependence on him
  • Bow down to the authority that God has placed in your life

It is easy to be human but hard to be divine. Jesus was both divine and human and yet didn’t sin at all in his life here on earth. He did something that we can never do on our own: empty himself and became a servant and have the likeness of humans. He obeyed his Father’s will to the point of giving up his own life so that all of humanity will be reconciled with God.

REFLECTION

  • What are some ways we can obey God’s will to the point of death?

1 PETER 5 HUMILITY IS SUBMISSION TO GOD

August 15

1 PETER 5

5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:5-11

1 PETER 5 HUMILITY IS SUBMISSION TO GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, you are to follow him

He surrendered to his Father’s will and gave up his divinity

He humbled himself to set an example for us to emulate

Though he was King of kings, he continued to be obedient

He suffered for us so that we would be reconciled with God

He submitted to God’s plan of salvation in order to free us

To be humble is to walk in love and surrender to the Lord

When we are proud, we are not submitting to God.

Because of sin, human nature tends to be proud and arrogant. Without God, nobody can claim that they are meek. Manifesting humility is never an ability or skill that comes from humans. It is a divine work. We always think of ourselves first than others and it is God’s Spirit that makes those whom he chooses to think less of themselves and think more of others instead.  We cannot fabricate humility and submission. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who believe in God. Without faith, we can never do what is right and true. Our first parents made us selfish because of their disobedience to God. Let us never forget that without believing in God, we can not have the ability to be sacrificial and generous to others. That is why those who do not know God will have no chance to exercise obedience, submission and humility.

In this account, Peter reproves the young to submit to their elders. He also encourages them to exercise humility. What does humility mean? Peter explains in verse 6 that to humble oneself before God is to be free from anxiety but to cast all of them under the might hand of God. Unbelievers would never comprehend what this means because to be humble is to submit to someone you look up to. It is the opposite of pride in which a person would never bow down or give in to someone else other than themselves. The proud can never submit or surrender to anyone because they think so highly of themselves and the center of attention is on the self. It doesn’t see anyone else.

REFLECTION

  • Can a proud person have the ability to submit or surrender to someone? Cite examples.

ACTS 5 OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN

August 14

ACTS 5

25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.

                                                                                        – Acts 5:25-35

ACTS 5 OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a servant of God, your allegiance is not in your own or any other men

Your Creator is your Master and he requires his creatures to be obedient

God is the maker of all things and he is sovereign and knows what’s right

Humans are only his creation and does not have a clue about his life

God gave us laws so we can be protected from evil and give him all the glory

The true believers obey God rather than men; their Lord is their priority.

In this account, we hear of the power struggle of the high priest and those religious officials. Even though they have already succeeded in killing Jesus, they wanted to make sure that there will be no talk of him or teachings propagated by anyone who were followers of Jesus. In verse 28, they were very clear about the prohibition of Jesus’ teaching because they felt that if they do so, they are insinuating that they were responsible for Jesus’ death. Power is something that these men were so hungry for. It was their fear of losing the honor that they get from having their positions and knowledge. They were so threatened by the way Jesus taught because there’s so much wisdom and authority in his words. The religious leaders were so full of themselves claiming that they know the laws and the prophets and yet they didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God. Peter’s response in verse 29-30 was bold and true. He couldn’t have said these words if the Spirit of the Lord wasn’t with him. He courageously told these power-hungry religious leaders that they will obey God and not stop teaching what Jesus had taught them. He even stated outright that they killed Jesus and hung him on a tree. Of course, this angered them because they were denying that they were responsible for Jesus’ death for fear of losing the respect they so clamor for. The apostles will not follow their order because they will obey God rather than men.

REFLECTION

·       Show instances when submission to authority from leaders could pose a disobedience to God and which one should the believer follow?

COLOSSIANS 3 SUBMISSION IN THE HOUSEHOLD

August 13

COLOSSIANS 3

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.  – Colossians 3:18-25

COLOSSIANS 3 SUBMISSION IN THE HOUSEHOLD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

A household that serves the Lord lives for obedience

They do not defy or question God’s requirements

The wives submit to their husbands as fitting in the Lord

The husbands honor and love their wives as their own

The servants obey their masters in everything faithfully

For they are serving the Lord Jesus when they do it devotedly.

If you observe a household that doesn’t believe in God and one that serves the Lord, you will notice the big difference. The Christian household follows God’s order and hierarchy in the home. There is a delegation of duties and respect in the roles that each family member plays. But the world system has made family life more complicated when mothers started working and earning to help the family finances compensate for the small income. The role of mother, which is to care for the children and the home, became compromised because they have taken over the role of the husbands who are supposed to be the breadwinner. There is also a culture of trying to live up to the Joneses, where work becomes a source of getting all the worldly pleasures that will qualify the family to be accepted. Because of the economy, sometimes it is inevitable that roles switch happens even in the Christian homes. You will notice a big difference in the way the children are growing up when mothers are stay-at-home and looking after the home and her children compared to those households where mothers are working. Neglect of children is bound to happen if the mother is playing two different roles because of the physical demands of working two roles in the home. I grew up with my father working abroad and if you add up all the years that I saw him, it will not even be a total of two years. My mother also worked while my dad was abroad and so we were left to be cared for by my two aunts and maids. As a child, I couldn’t understand why my parents were physically and also emotionally absent because of the desire to earn money. I was neglected even though there were my aunts and maids around.

Paul explains the importance of submission and roles in the household of believers in this account. Each member of the household is accountable to God so they submit to the roles given to them.

REFLECTION

·       What happens when members of the household do not submit to God’s order and laws?

ISAIAH 66 TREMBLE & SUBMIT TO GOD’S WORD

August 12

ISAIAH 66

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

3 “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
 he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood;
 he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
These have chosen their own ways,  and their soul delights in their abominations;
4 I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them,
because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did what was evil in my eyes   and chose that in which I did not delight.”

                                                                                        – Isaiah 66:1-4

ISAIAH 66 TREMBLE & SUBMIT TO GOD’S WORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who love and serve the Lord humble themselves to his word

They do not defy truth but succumb to every word it says

They fear the Lord so they tremble at God’s sovereignty

They do not question or resist truth but follow them instead

To submit to God is to obey his word and resist the world

It is the only way that one can prove their love for the Lord.

This chapter in the book of Isaiah is a rebuke on the religious rituals that the Israelites practiced in terms of their worship of the one true God. Through his prophet Isaiah, God confronts the people of their empty rituals that do not actually worship him but are influenced by other pagan idolatry. God also reminds them that he created all things and that they can never build a house for him that would please him since they are all his possession. This marks the transition from physical worship in a structure using the Levitical practices into the spiritual worship that God required. In John 4:23-24, Jesus explains to the woman in the well that there’ll come a time when true worship transcends physical locations. So, the book of Isaiah was prophetically speaking about Jesus’ salvation work. When Jesus resurrected, the Holy Spirit indwelled those who believed in him. Since the Holy Spirit is living inside them, it is their whole being that is now the temple of God.

The Lord says through Isaiah that the true worshipers are those who are contrite in spirit and tremble at his word. What does it mean to have a contrite spirit? It is a spirit that hears the correction of God through his word, repent and submit to his word and laws.

REFLECTION

  • What does it look like to tremble at God’s word and submit to it in a believer’s life?

MATTHEW 26 JESUS SUBMITS TO HIS FATHER’S WILL

August 11

MATTHEW 26

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”– Matthew 26:36-46

MATTHEW 26 JESUS SUBMITS TO HIS FATHER’S WILL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord Jesus Christ sampled for us how to submit to God

Despite his divinity and power over things, he succumbed to his Lord

He allowed his body to be sacrificed so that God’s plan was accomplished

He never took matters into his own hands even if he could do so

Therefor, as Jesus’ followers, we ought to surrender to him our lives

Our minds and hearts belong to our heavenly Father who loves us

Obedience and sacrifice are the proofs of your love for your Creator

Without total surrender, you cannot claim that you’re a true believer.

This account is the narration of the last night of Jesus’ agonizing moment in the garden of Gethsemane before the beginning of his passion on the cross. He teaches his disciples to pray and to be with him during his most crucial moment of fear. Yes, this story gives us a picture of the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Despite his divinity, he was also a full human being who experienced pain and suffering and yet didn’t succumb to his feelings but to the will of his Father. He fulfilled the purpose of his becoming human in order to save mankind from sin. He made sure that his Father’s agenda came into fruition and didn’t get in the way of its fulfillment. Sadly, his disciples were so weak that they were not able to stay awake and share his agony. They also didn’t pray as Jesus asked them to. They succumbed to their nature and followed their inclination towards caring for their own physical rest. We see here what motivated the Lord Jesus to stay connected to God. It was to obey and do the work that he was sent to do here on earth. His mission was to obey and surrender to his Father’s plan of salvation for mankind. Are we able to follow Jesus with his kind of total surrender as his follower?

REFLECTION

·       How can we grow “surrender” muscles as we live and serve our Lord Jesus Christ?

ROMANS 6 BE SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

August 10

ROMANS 6

5 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  – Romans 6:5-23

ROMANS 6 BE SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Before you believed in Jesus Christ, you were a slave of sin

Without the sacrifice of his blood, you will not be free

It is by God’s grace that you were chosen to be one of his own

You are now slaves of righteousness and sin no longer own you

The new life in Christ cuts off your tendency to habitually rebel

You can now see the way that you are being tricked by the devil

You no longer habitually sin but choose what’s true and what’s right

You no longer live for pleasuring yourself but prioritize obeying Christ.

Many people in our world today have no concept of slavery and Paul explains in this account that to be a slave is to submit to someone’s control or rule. Slavery in the bible is not as bad as we think it is because to be a slave of someone meant that you were part of their household. You were clothed, fed and your masters paid your taxes. They were expected to serve their masters faithfully. Although we don’t have masters in our modern world today, we have employers that we work for who pay our wages so we can provide for our families.

Paul talks about a kind of slavery that is spiritual. He is referring to “slavery to sin.” Before we were believers, we catered to our flesh. We chase what we want and fulfill our own longings. Paul explains in this account that when Christ died for us, we are no longer slaves to anything or anyone but slaves to righteousness. We are transformed by the Holy Spirit to pursue what pleases God and not what pleases us or other men. Paul also explains that as a Christian, we are no longer bound by the law but by his grace. It means that our tendencies to seek pleasures for ourselves are changed to seek pleasing God.

REFLECTION

·       How do you know if someone is a slave of righteousness or a slave of sinfulness?

1 CORINTHIANS 11 HEADSHIP & SUBMISSION

August 9

1 CORINTHIANS 11

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wifeis her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wifewho prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. – 1 Corinthians 11:1-11

1 CORINTHIANS 11 HEADSHIP & SUBMISSION

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the Lord created man and woman, he had a plan

The husband is the head and the wife is to submit to the man

Therefore, the wife has to be subject to her husband who is the head

Since the husband heads her, he has to honor his wife and protect her

As the man fulfills his vow to cherish his wife, he is submitting to Christ

And as he submits to his Lord Jesus, he also fulfills God’s plan in his life.

In our world today, there is a very vague distinction about the roles of men and women and of leaders and their subjects. Satan has distorted the order that God had originally designed for humankind. After all, the original sin is about questioning authority and insubordination. Because of the effect of the sin of our first parents, we have also allowed those distortions of our roles and responsibilities in life. With the rise of homosexuality and various genders, Satan has propagated such confusion of the hierarchy and order that God has required for humans.

In this letter, Paul spells out the distinctions very clearly and clarifies who the head is and who the subject is who is supposed to submit to his head.  He says that men are subject to Jesus while Christ is subject to God himself. Since the woman is taken out of the man’s ribs, she is to submit to her own husband to honor the clear requirement stipulated by God to his people. So, how come, there are still many Christians who are clueless about how headships and submission to the head are applied in their daily lives. No wonder there is so much confusion in the roles of men and women today. Control is one of the curses that we have inherited from Adam and Eve. We like to take control instead of submitting to the heads that have been designated to us.

REFLECTION

  • What does it mean when you do not have yourself covered by your head according to Paul?

1 PETER 3 SUBMISSION OF WIVES TO THEIR HUSBANDS

August 8

1 PETER 3

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.  – 1 Peter 3:1-6

1 PETER 3 SUBMISSION OF WIVES TO THEIR HUSBANDS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The sin of Eve caused women’s desire to control their husbands

God has called women to succumb to the authority given to them

Man was created by God first, so he is the one given the authority

Woman was made from the rib of man; she is to submit to her husband

A woman’s beauty lies in her inner good and her submission to God’s order

When a woman fails to submit, she’ll experience much chaos and disorder.

In this account, Peter admonishes the women to submit wholeheartedly to their husbands. There is a condition stipulated here in verse 1. It is interesting how the Lord commands women to obey their husbands even if they don’t obey the word. Does this mean that wives can just be ordered and controlled by ungodly husbands? Notice that the end of verse 1 and start of verse 2 says that the conduct of submission and being respectful despite their husband’s unbelief could potentially win them into conversion to faith in God. The command involves no word but conduct. The saying “Action speaks louder than words” could be applied in this case.

Why is it also required of women to focus on inner beauty than externals in verses 3-5? We serve a divine and spiritual God. We don’t worship an earthly and finite God but someone whom we don’t see but is infinite and divine. The beauty that is pleasing to God is the inner spirit that longs to please God. When we focus so much on our external beauty, we become shallow, worldly and materialistic. This hedonistic tendency doesn’t please God. It is a form of vanity and idolatry to focus only on the external looks. That would indicate the absence of spiritual growth and maturity. Verse 4 tells all women that the adornment that God requires of his people is gentleness and a quiet spirit. I struggle with these adornments that God requires. I am still in the process of being changed by the Holy Spirit with regards to having a calm and gentle spirit. Trauma has shaped my personality into a harsh and anxious person. But God’s grace is overflowing in my life and I am slowly recognizing all the sinfulness that I have made a habit of since I was a child where women rule the family.  I’m learning to submit to my husband and be less mistrusting and controlling now.

REFLECTION

  • What do you think of Christian women who strongly argue with husbands at home or in public?

1 CORINTHIANS 14 ORDERLY WORSHIP IS SUBMISSION TO GOD

August 7

1 CORINTHIANS 14

 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order. – 1 Corinthians 14:29-40

1 CORINTHIANS 14 ORDERLY WORSHIP IS SUBMISSION TO GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When serving the Lord your God, you need to succumb to direction

God has a purpose when he designed all things in his creation

In his plan, there is always order and designation of tasks and duties

When you are under an authority, you ought to submit to them fully

To be insubordinate to your leaders would signify a form of defiance

Orderly worship is what God requires and expects from his children

So, do your role with a servant’s heart and love for your Lord

Do not create division and do not conform to the standards of the world.

There are so many churches today that do not have the orderly worship that God requires of his people. Our world is plagued by many false prophets, teachers, preachers who do not submit under the authority of the word of God. According to data compiled by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary, there are an estimated 45,000-47,000 Christian denominations globally and this number continues to grow as new independent and regional churches form. How many of these churches follow and submit to the authority of Scripture? How many Christians truly come under the command and instructions of the Lord? Is the Lord the focus of church service or is it their work to perform the best sermons and to entice many other people into their church? Sadly, there are only a few churches who truly apply the word of God. In the book of James, we are told that we need to do the word of God and not just hear it. I’ve had enough of my share of tasting these few false churches that claim to be Christian but do not have orderly worship that God requires. It is more focused on the preachers or the performers trying to sing songs that seemed to be about God but mostly about how they feel about God. The focus is on their “work” not on the requirements and direction of God. In true worship, God is the focus not the people as Paul stipulates in these following verses.

REFLECTION

  • How is having false worship a sign of defiance against the Lord?