Did you know there is a difference between compromising and substituting? I hear many Christians say we are compromising (I may even be guilty of this) the Spirit of God, but in reality we are not compromising (settling an argument or dispute in which each side gives up part of what it wants or to put in danger of being criticized or disgraced) but substituting (a person or thing that takes the place of another) the things for the Spirit of God. Now both are ungodly and we (I include myself here) in the Body of Christ ought to be ashamed of ourselves if guilty. As we drive around town we see many churches with signs selling their latest and greatest program, but wait a minute, where and when does the Spirit of God fit into these programs? One of my favorite signs is the announcement of revival services. My friend you do not have revival (word not found in the Bible) at a church just by posting a sign on the grounds. If your church is being revived (word found in the Bible) by the Spirit of God you will not need to hang a sign or publish your revival services note in the church happenings section of the newspaper, people will be drawn by the Spirit of God and will come and be filled and changed by His Spirit. By word of mouth this good news will spread like wild-fire from town to town, but you know I do not see this. I see sign after sign substituting man’s plans and programs for the Spirit of God. I see churches offering counseling like the world. I see signs offering divorce counseling. Well does God agree with divorce? I see signs offering mental heath counseling. What is the answer to man’s mental heath? Someone knowing God enough to be able to give them the Spirit to God without using worldly techniques and ways. Why there is even a Baptist church in town where you can get your college degree, who needs the Spirit of God, education is where it’s at, isn’t it? What are we doing to the house of God? We are substituting things of the world for the Spirit of God and making God’s house a house of merchandising (John 2:16). We may not be selling doves and bulls, but we are selling CD’s, books, anything with value.
We substitute singing songs with all of their instrumentation and emotional pseudo-spiritualism for true worship; which is bowing down our heads and hearts (before the Lord) to the ground. Worship has nothing to do with singing, but being quiet before God. David said, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6) Joshua said it this way, “And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?” (Joshua 5:14) Jehoshaphat worshiped this way, “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 20:18) the list goes on Moses and so many others. True “worship” is not speaking or singing words, but bowing down our heart and lives before God in quiet awe and reverence. I hear many Christians praise Sister Miriam for her worship after the great miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:20) Take heed pastors when you get a bunch of women moving in a service. Just like today many Christian women dance around the church with their tambourine in hand singing, “the horse and the rider hath he thrown into the sea,” but I guess they have never read in Numbers how Miriam spoke against her brother Moses, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” (Numbers 1:1) and for this she received, “And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” (Number 1:10) You see Miriam carried these hateful feelings and offence through the Red Sea. All of her singing and dancing profited her nothing. All of her singing and dancing was not true “worship,” but a mask, a cover, a substitute for the Spirit of God. Her true heart was exposed and God had to deal with her and the people. In so many churches today we sing and dance instead of allowing God to work in our heart, well keep on singing and dancing my friend, but I promise you there will come a time when all of your singing and dancing will come to an end and you like Miriam will be face-to-face with a holy and righteous God. Paul tells us, “Quench not the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) When we substitute things of the world for the Spirit of God we are quenching the Spirit. God does not want us to sing other’s songs, but allow God to work in us to such a degree our lives become a song. Young David’s songs in the Psalms were not written for us to make songs of, but were produced as God developed David from the pastures to the palace. I think all of this singing in church is nothing more than traditions of men and idolatry, from church to church we sing the same songs, why? Now if you want to sing songs in church to pump up your emotions or get everyone to feel good about themselves okay, but please do not call it “worship” please call it what it is, Christian entertainment or even service filler. My friend music is a very powerful tool to get people to do what your want them to do. People love and will die for a song. All you need to do is take a good look at history, especially World War II and see the extremes some people will go. I really cannot believe all of the effort and resources expended for doing something Jesus and the disciples did not do. They may have sung hymns (I enjoy too) or even recited Jewish scripture chants, but it was nothing like the worldly contemporary and rock-n-roll Christian music of today. Some one has to sound the alarm before we drive another generation into a ditch and get them off track. I know I am speaking heresy to most Christians and my words might cost us some friends, but I am not trying to tickle your ears, manipulate you, or make you happy (nor is God, He is trying to conform us into the image and nature of His dear Son Jesus Christ), I am trying to warn you and the church corporately before it is too late. Our society is (and sadly so is the church) so music orientated. We give an altar call and the musician rush up and start playing softly, is the Holy Spirit not able to move hearts and emotions? My friend it will take the Spirit of God to remove this thinking from us and the church. For us it is not about singing, but about being developed, singing has never developed anyone into the character and nature of Jesus Christ. But who wants to be developed? This my friend is a very painful process in God. It is much easier to sing about others being developed. We sing “I want to dance like David danced,” well to be able to dance like David danced you have to go through the things David went through. In Psalms 30:12 we read, “To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” (Psalms 30:12) David is not talking about singing songs, but his “glory (Strong’s #3519, honour, abundance) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.” The “glory” that he has allowed God to work in his life will come forth from the recesses of His heart and not be silent before Him. We must not substitute singing and dancing in the house of God for the Spirit of God.
Another area we substitute the Spirit of God with something is a desire to see miracles, signs and wonders. God’s intention for us is to come to the fullness of His Son, to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, to come to know Him and the power of His might, but if we have a taste for manna (miracles, signs and wonders) we will not develop a taste for the deeper things of God and His word. The writer of Hebrews shares some of the saddest words in the Bible about a church of believers, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14) Mature men and women of God, men and women “of full age” survive not on milk, but on strong healthy meat from God’s wisdom and experience as He draws us, as He deals in our lives, and as He judges us for greater qualification. When we go after miracles, signs and wonders (manna) we are babes. Meat is worked into our lives through the many experiences we have in God and as He is able to deal and judge in our lives. The stronger the dealings and judgments of God in our lives the stronger the meat we can eat of. David says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” (Palms 34:8-10) Where did David learn, “the young lions do lack, and suffer hunger?” When he tasted of the things of the world, but when he tasted of the Spirit of God his testimony was, “they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”
We see this truth moving in the lives of the Children of Israel. It was not God’s intention for the Children of Israel to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness. God’s desire for the Children of Israel was for them to go directly and possess the promised land, but they did not have the maturity and Spirit of God in them to believe God because they too have substituted the things of the world for the Spirit of God. Even after seeing miracles, signs and wonders that was not enough to develop them into the people needed to conquer the promised land. “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.” (Number 14:22-25) so they wandered in the wilderness in training. And in the wilderness God could not feed them meat they were not able to receive meat God had to give them manna, “what is it?” Manna (God’s supernatural provision) was not God’s idea for the Children of Israel He wanted them to eat meat, but manna is food for those Christians in training, meat is for those Christians who have been trained and of full age. “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) For 40 years they wandered in the wilderness in training and until the older generation who saw the miracles, signs and wonders of God in Egypt died. Seeing God’s miracles, signs and wonders was not enough, God was after teaching them, “that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Seeing God’s miracles, signs and wonders was not enough to replace the true Spirit of God. The disciples rejoiced over miracles, signs and wonders, but Jesus corrected them, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) Miracles, signs, and wonders will do little for us, we must not go after them and when we do we are substituting the Spirit of God. It is not God’s intention to do miracles and wonders for us. We go after the miracles, signs, and wonders, why? It is not about the miracles, signs, and wonders, but about following the Lord in obedience. When the Children of Israel were ready to conquer the promise land, the manna stopped. “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals (Strong’s #6718 provision of meat, venison); for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.” (Joshua 1:10-11) Manna (miracles, signs, and wonders) are for babes and those in training, but meat is for the mature Christian one who can be counted worth by God for conquest and victory. I wonder why there are so many babes in the church? Are we ready? Did you know while the Children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness because of their unbelief and disobedience (Hebrews 3:16-18), while living on manna they defeated 5 kingdoms, but when their diet changed to victuals (meat) and they entered the land promised they conquered 31 kingdoms. What we eat and use for strength makes a big difference to our physical body, but even more to our spirit man.
We substitute singing songs with all of their instrumentation and emotional pseudo-spiritualism for true worship; which is bowing down our heads and hearts (before the Lord) to the ground. Worship has nothing to do with singing, but being quiet before God. David said, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6) Joshua said it this way, “And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?” (Joshua 5:14) Jehoshaphat worshiped this way, “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 20:18) the list goes on Moses and so many others. True “worship” is not speaking or singing words, but bowing down our heart and lives before God in quiet awe and reverence. I hear many Christians praise Sister Miriam for her worship after the great miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:20) Take heed pastors when you get a bunch of women moving in a service. Just like today many Christian women dance around the church with their tambourine in hand singing, “the horse and the rider hath he thrown into the sea,” but I guess they have never read in Numbers how Miriam spoke against her brother Moses, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” (Numbers 1:1) and for this she received, “And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” (Number 1:10) You see Miriam carried these hateful feelings and offence through the Red Sea. All of her singing and dancing profited her nothing. All of her singing and dancing was not true “worship,” but a mask, a cover, a substitute for the Spirit of God. Her true heart was exposed and God had to deal with her and the people. In so many churches today we sing and dance instead of allowing God to work in our heart, well keep on singing and dancing my friend, but I promise you there will come a time when all of your singing and dancing will come to an end and you like Miriam will be face-to-face with a holy and righteous God. Paul tells us, “Quench not the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) When we substitute things of the world for the Spirit of God we are quenching the Spirit. God does not want us to sing other’s songs, but allow God to work in us to such a degree our lives become a song. Young David’s songs in the Psalms were not written for us to make songs of, but were produced as God developed David from the pastures to the palace. I think all of this singing in church is nothing more than traditions of men and idolatry, from church to church we sing the same songs, why? Now if you want to sing songs in church to pump up your emotions or get everyone to feel good about themselves okay, but please do not call it “worship” please call it what it is, Christian entertainment or even service filler. My friend music is a very powerful tool to get people to do what your want them to do. People love and will die for a song. All you need to do is take a good look at history, especially World War II and see the extremes some people will go. I really cannot believe all of the effort and resources expended for doing something Jesus and the disciples did not do. They may have sung hymns (I enjoy too) or even recited Jewish scripture chants, but it was nothing like the worldly contemporary and rock-n-roll Christian music of today. Some one has to sound the alarm before we drive another generation into a ditch and get them off track. I know I am speaking heresy to most Christians and my words might cost us some friends, but I am not trying to tickle your ears, manipulate you, or make you happy (nor is God, He is trying to conform us into the image and nature of His dear Son Jesus Christ), I am trying to warn you and the church corporately before it is too late. Our society is (and sadly so is the church) so music orientated. We give an altar call and the musician rush up and start playing softly, is the Holy Spirit not able to move hearts and emotions? My friend it will take the Spirit of God to remove this thinking from us and the church. For us it is not about singing, but about being developed, singing has never developed anyone into the character and nature of Jesus Christ. But who wants to be developed? This my friend is a very painful process in God. It is much easier to sing about others being developed. We sing “I want to dance like David danced,” well to be able to dance like David danced you have to go through the things David went through. In Psalms 30:12 we read, “To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” (Psalms 30:12) David is not talking about singing songs, but his “glory (Strong’s #3519, honour, abundance) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.” The “glory” that he has allowed God to work in his life will come forth from the recesses of His heart and not be silent before Him. We must not substitute singing and dancing in the house of God for the Spirit of God.
Another area we substitute the Spirit of God with something is a desire to see miracles, signs and wonders. God’s intention for us is to come to the fullness of His Son, to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, to come to know Him and the power of His might, but if we have a taste for manna (miracles, signs and wonders) we will not develop a taste for the deeper things of God and His word. The writer of Hebrews shares some of the saddest words in the Bible about a church of believers, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14) Mature men and women of God, men and women “of full age” survive not on milk, but on strong healthy meat from God’s wisdom and experience as He draws us, as He deals in our lives, and as He judges us for greater qualification. When we go after miracles, signs and wonders (manna) we are babes. Meat is worked into our lives through the many experiences we have in God and as He is able to deal and judge in our lives. The stronger the dealings and judgments of God in our lives the stronger the meat we can eat of. David says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” (Palms 34:8-10) Where did David learn, “the young lions do lack, and suffer hunger?” When he tasted of the things of the world, but when he tasted of the Spirit of God his testimony was, “they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”
We see this truth moving in the lives of the Children of Israel. It was not God’s intention for the Children of Israel to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness. God’s desire for the Children of Israel was for them to go directly and possess the promised land, but they did not have the maturity and Spirit of God in them to believe God because they too have substituted the things of the world for the Spirit of God. Even after seeing miracles, signs and wonders that was not enough to develop them into the people needed to conquer the promised land. “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.” (Number 14:22-25) so they wandered in the wilderness in training. And in the wilderness God could not feed them meat they were not able to receive meat God had to give them manna, “what is it?” Manna (God’s supernatural provision) was not God’s idea for the Children of Israel He wanted them to eat meat, but manna is food for those Christians in training, meat is for those Christians who have been trained and of full age. “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) For 40 years they wandered in the wilderness in training and until the older generation who saw the miracles, signs and wonders of God in Egypt died. Seeing God’s miracles, signs and wonders was not enough, God was after teaching them, “that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Seeing God’s miracles, signs and wonders was not enough to replace the true Spirit of God. The disciples rejoiced over miracles, signs and wonders, but Jesus corrected them, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) Miracles, signs, and wonders will do little for us, we must not go after them and when we do we are substituting the Spirit of God. It is not God’s intention to do miracles and wonders for us. We go after the miracles, signs, and wonders, why? It is not about the miracles, signs, and wonders, but about following the Lord in obedience. When the Children of Israel were ready to conquer the promise land, the manna stopped. “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals (Strong’s #6718 provision of meat, venison); for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.” (Joshua 1:10-11) Manna (miracles, signs, and wonders) are for babes and those in training, but meat is for the mature Christian one who can be counted worth by God for conquest and victory. I wonder why there are so many babes in the church? Are we ready? Did you know while the Children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness because of their unbelief and disobedience (Hebrews 3:16-18), while living on manna they defeated 5 kingdoms, but when their diet changed to victuals (meat) and they entered the land promised they conquered 31 kingdoms. What we eat and use for strength makes a big difference to our physical body, but even more to our spirit man.
Behind all of this substituting things for the Spirit of God is unbelief and our self-seeking glory. We really do not believe God can and will do it as He said, so we try to help Him with programs and our good ideas, but no man is God’s counselor. God needs no help from us, what God needs is our willingness and obedience. Our presumption is religious and very subtle, but in the end it brings our self and others to a dead end. Substituting anything for God’s Sprit always leads to a dead end. Paul warned Timothy of this very thing, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:5-7) You know when we substitute the things of the world for the Spirit of God, thinking we are drawing those in the world to church, they really in their heart loathe us even the more for our compromise to the truth and us denying them the opportunity to satisfy the hunger in their soul. Let us desire the real Spirit of God which comes not by way of works or good intentions, but by being broken and poured out. Written by David Stahl
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