The Place Where The Name Dwells

If you go all the way back to Deuteronomy 12:11, you will find that God would chose a place among the tribes of Israel for His name to dwell. If you go further back to Exodus 25:22, you will find that the place that God would meet with His people would be above the Mercy Seat from between the two cherubims. If you go even further back to when He called to Moses from the burning bush, and Moses asked, Whom shall I say sent me? The answer was the I AM sent you. Now, what all this it tending to, is the fact that there is great importance and reverence attached to the name of God; so much so that the scribes used to take a ritual bath before writing His name.

I am becoming one of the few who remembers the time when almost everything was closed on Sundays, and I am also part of the last generation to have a set of Sunday clothes. I remember as a boy that there was in practice, the wearing of one's Sunday best. I also remember the time when, in the face of waning attendance, pastors began making the concession of "we would rather have you here in cutoffs and a t-shirt than not at all." Suddenly, the guy who goes to work in a shirt and tie, shows up on Sunday in sandals and a t-shirt. But that's legalism! you say; as opposed to what? That's right, hedonism. Look, if you are waiting for me to sell you a God who is happy with whatever you decide He gets in one hour on a Sunday: it ain't going to happen!

Get this straight, if you do not learn reverence for God, you will remain a stunted and baby Christian, or truthfully nothing like Christ at all. Ask yourself on a given Sunday, "Am I going to meet with the Almighty, or am I just going to see my friends and do some singing?" Jesus told the woman at the well, that God was seeking those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. So please tell me, how is it that we can worship God in spirit and truth, and remain completely unchanged in our whole manner of conversation? How is it that we prepare to worship, and neglect to chose clothes, set aside offerings or even gas up our cars to drive to church?

Alas, time has escaped me. More tomorrow loved ones.