VERBAL WORSHIP

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." Exodus 20:7

The first three of God’s commandments are centered on one very important word: worship. The first commandment tells us who we should worship (God and God alone), the second commandment tells by what means we are to worship (no idols) and now the third deals with verbal worship. In other words, how well do we respect and honor God with what we say?

The third commandment leaves no doubt as to how we are to speak when it comes to God. For we’re told to "not misuse the name of the Lord your God" or else we will not be held guiltless. So how do we misuse God’s name? Here are a few ways:

1. Profanity. When we curse in the name of God, we misuse His name. Plain and simple. There is a very popular two-word profanity that starts with God (you can figure it out) but certainly is not holy and of God. I have to what God thinks about us commanding Him to damn anything. I can’t imagine He holds us in favor for it.

2. Swearing by His name. Have you ever had someone tell you something and then say, "I swear to God?" They say it as if we would never believe them unless they invoke the name of God to back them up. This is simply misusing and abusing the name of God and we aren’t to ever swear by His name. Leviticus 19:12 tells us, "Do not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord." These are words that are valid, viable and valuable because they flow from the very mouth of the Father…and tell us not to swear falsely in His name.

3. When we falsely teach. This is a matter of absolute, critical importance because there are many people in our world who claim to be teachers…some are faithful servants of the Lord who He speaks through to the edification and education of others. But there are also false teachers out there…ones who would use God’s word to frame their own agenda and not God’s. When we instruct that God said something that He didn’t, we dishonor and discredit Him…and just as worse, we get believers trusting in a truth that is far from true. Ministry and discipleship are serious matters and our obligation after Jesus gave us His great commission. We simply can’t afford to not get it right when it comes to teaching others from the word of God.

4. Some say they are on a mission from God when they aren’t. I remember the classic movie, "The Blues Brothers", and the scene where the two musicians are converted to the Lord while visiting a church. From that point on, they were determined to raise enough money to save a Catholic home where Jake and Elwood were raised. After their epiphany, they would tell people that they were on a "mission from God" when asked what they were up to…and in many instances they were. Others however, consistently invoke God’s name to justify their actions when God hadn’t had anything to do with them. They might say, "God told me to do this" or "God told me to do that" when He has done no such thing. I’m not saying that God doesn’t tell people to take on a task for Him but we should be very careful and prayerful about discerning truth from lies.

Question: How is your verbal worship? Is God being honored and exalted by the words you speak? If not, you need to step back and reassess your Christian walk and way. The Lord blessed us with a plethora of good words to use and speak. We just need to use them to His glory.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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