Approaching God

“The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” (Isaiah 29:13-14)       

Is God approachable? How could the people approach Him when the mountain on which He spoke was burning with fire and even an animal was not to touch it? (Heb. 12:18-21) How are we to worship the one true God? How can we bring our hearts near Him? Who should lead, if not the wise and intelligent? The birds were given wings to fly, but they can hop and walk awkwardly. When vultures ride upon the currents of rising wind, must they think how to circle and look for direction amid the rising breezes? God has given us all we need and put desire for Him within us. We are drawn by His wonder and amazing deeds. Fear restrains us. Our need for self assurance binds us. Intellect and rational thinking are unreliable guides in the spiritual realm. 

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us…So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7, 18)

Many of the habits and traditions of middle twentieth century churches in America were worldly and unscriptural. They created unhealthy divisions and disputes among Believers for the purposes of human pride. The importance and necessity of Holy Spirit leading was exchanged for corporate thinking and organization name recognition. In a few decades, a sexual revolution and drug culture overtook the emerging generation. In mercy God sent revival with a Holy Spirit “Jesus” movement. Praise and Worship was reinvigorated with scripture. Denominationalism was dealt a severe blow for unity and a generation was delivered from their parents failings. However, other forms of worldliness encroached into the impassioned congregation.  Will faith and Holy Spirit leadership set apart a new generation to turn back to the God of the Bible, His ways and His means? Let’s pray that God will call forth a generation like the first century generation to usher in His return. (John 17:20-23)