What's That Smell?

Amos 5:21-24

21  “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;

  your assemblies are a stench to me.

22 

22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,

 I will not accept them.

Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,

    I will have no regard for them.

23 

23 Away with the noise of your songs!

    I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 

24 But let justice roll on like a river,

    righteousness like a never-failing stream!

God is Love but, His love is not without standards.  We cannot worship God any kind of way and expect Him to accept it.  More than the location of where we worship is how we worship.  The heart of the worshiper is what matters most to God right along with worshiping God according to His standard.  John 4:19-24 NKJV

Putting on a mask, pretending to be someone we are not is extremely off putting to God.  Amos reminds us that God hates, despises, and even rejects fake, empty, ritualistic worship and in fact it's a stench in the nostrils of God.  God requires us to talk the talk and walk the walk, to be hearers and doers of the word of God.  Drawing near to God with words alone (lip service) is not acceptable to God.  Using religion as a cloak to cover up our sin is also not acceptable.  Under no circumstances will God accept our worship when it has been corrupted by wickedness.

Proper worship flows from a transformed heart.  God's desire is not that we try to cover up and hide our sin rather that we repent from it.  God's silence regarding sin should not be seen as Him condoning it rather, God is Longsuffering and rich in mercy, not desiring for even one to perish but eventually His patience will come to an end.

Isaiah 5:7 reminds us God looks for justice and righteousness; The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 58 NKJV what true fasting is and that proper worship go hand in hand with our treatment of others and our obedience to God.  

Every believer in Christ is called to be living sacrifices unto God and our lives should reflect our new nature in Christ.  While indeed it is a process, the more we learn and grow in Christ, the more we will reflect Him and His ways.

What's That Smell?

Our obedience to the Lord is how we show Him we love Him and makes our worship pleasing in His sight.  We're called to abide, remain in Christ.  John 14:21 NKJV

Let each of us examine whether what we are offering up to God is a stench or a sweet aroma.

Romans 12:1-2 NKJV Living Sacrifices to God

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

If you've wandered away and have been living according to your own will and not God's will, return to God's loving arms and His ways.  The LORD is lovingly pleading and calling for His people to return.

Zechariah 3:1 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.