The pastor leading the funeral service spoke of a young lady who was a tomboy, who loved to run and climb trees. It made me smile for the woman’s body laying there in the casket behind him was that of an elderly, heavy-set woman. There was no clue that she had those interests when a child! Talking with another man who is now a tender-hearted grandpa, a man who loves kids, I was astonished to learn that he was a juvenile delinquent who ended up as a Marine carrying a machine gun in Viet Nam at the height of that terrible war. Who knew? But, that discovery explained many of his not so great choices made along the way in life since then. When people learn that as a teenager I spent every summer turning wild colts into riding horses, I often see suppressed smiles, too. It seems unbelievable (even to me!) that I was once that kind of physical, earthy man! Now I love my books and my quiet study.
Before we move too quickly to reach a conclusion about another person, we need to remember that we see only a slice in time of his life. How easily we can judge him without knowing how he was parented, what kinds of experiences he have survived along the way, or the people who have influenced him. No wonder Jesus cautions us: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matthew 7:1, NIV) The sins, fears, and values of the people we live among have a context in life and that context makes a big difference when it is understood!
Take a look at Jesus’ wisdom. "For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." (Matthew 7:2-5, NLT) Let’s not get Him wrong. He didn’t say, “I’m OK and you’re OK!” He didn’t tell us that we could not challenge people to change. He told us to deal with our own sins, to get honest with ourselves first and only then can we help another deal with his sins.
Here’s a wonderfully comforting (or maybe threatening?) truth. God will not judge you or me based on a tiny slice in life! Thankfully, it won’t be just our last few moments of life here on earth that prepares us to stand before Him. I chuckle to think that as a young boy I was so scrupulous each night to make sure that I ‘fessed up to God about my life that day just in case the I died or He called His Church home in the Rapture. (Yes, it was always there, but not as the Blessed Hope. It was the Great Dread!) What I failed to understand was that God saw my whole life, not just my paranoid bedtime prayers!
The Lord knows your scars and your opportunities, your motives and your reasons. He sees who you are, where you came from, and knows what you did and/or could have done. Isn’t that a wonderful thought? Disciple, we are saved through Christ’s sacrifice that makes us right with God. When we stand before Him at the Judgment Seat, it will be His righteousness that opens the Eternal Presence of God to us.
And, there will be an accounting, a ‘no bull’ session with the Lord of Glory that the Word describes this way: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, NIV) Thankfully, He knows it ALL!
________________
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in heaven He stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there the Risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I Am,
The King of glory and of grace,
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
Before The Throne Of God Above
Cook, Vikki / Bancroft, Charitie Lees© 1997 PDI Worship (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Soul Mold!
After 32 years in full-time Pastoral ministry, there are moments when I am still surprised by the confessions I hear! Sometimes it’s not the confession but the revelation of the secret sins of another that shakes me to the core. Yesterday, I saw a news report about a friend from the past, that broke my heart. It was a sordid tale of sin that had overtaken the man. Whenever I hear about a preacher’s affair, or a secretary’s theft of money, or a the discovery of a long-standing drug habit, or something similar, it makes me so very sad because I know the pain, the shame, the loss of relationship that come with such things. And, each story is a cautionary tale, for me, too! I remember what the Word teaches me about the universal nature of sin’s temptations. "Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence."
(1 Corinthians 10:12, The Message)
If we want to avoid the traps of temptation, here’s the paradox: we must acknowledge that we all deal with two natures! There is the possibility of missing God’s best in me, in you! The sobering fact is that everyone of us still deals with a sinful nature. In the book of Romans we read: “For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Romans 7:22-24 NIV There we find a glimpse of the reason why Christians still can be cruel, selfish, materialistic - a saint and a sinner in the same body!
So where do we find safety from sin’s assaults? How is the influence of our sinful nature diminished and the goodness of the Spirit released?
We let the Light shine into every corner of our lives!
A quote from a Supreme Court Justice who served from 1916 to 1939, Louis Brandeis, says, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant!" He referred to the corruption that goes on when government operates behind a cloak of secrecy, without accountability. His observation has an application to each of our lives. In those areas we hide from others, that we keep carefully wrapped in secrecy - sin has an opportunity to flourish! So-called 'little' lies we tell to spare ourselves shame, become a breeding ground for increasing deception - of others and even ourselves. Compromises that seem to be insignificant, that are excused as just 'going along to get along,' open us to temptations for greater sins over time. Refusal to tell ourselves the truth about what we have done increases the need to hide from reality.
Brandeis’ insight is not new. The Bible says, (1 John 1:6-10, NIV) "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
The Christian is called to pursue integrity by living with transparency of heart. In this way, the Light of Christ can disinfect his soul! A believer who is serious about holiness must not continue to muck about in secrecy, mistakenly thinking that he is preserving his 'dignity' with pretense of being better than he is. He must own up to who he is and what he has done and understand what he is capable of doing. Then, he finds the forgiveness of God and the grace by which he can stand! Are you living with secret sin today, carefully tucked away from public view? It's time to let the Light shine in. Sometimes it is enough to confess our 'darkness' to God alone. There are parts of us that are transformed by owning our sinfulness before the Lord and sincerely asking for His forgiveness, His strength to overcome.
Then, too, many of the dark places are simply too engrained for us to deal with alone. In those struggles we need an ally, sometimes several allies. As difficult as it may be to do, find a trusted counselor and open up your heart. Find someone who knows grace and who knows how to lead you to the One who is Grace Incarnate. Together, pull open the door that has been shutting out the Light.
And, then there is this: Holiness is found in community, not because we can create our own perfection, but because as we open up to one another with acceptance, the Light of Christ shines onto the infection of sin and destroys it even as we minister loving grace to each other! Disciple, be loving and accepting! Be like Jesus Christ who always accepted people as they were without affirming what they did! Think about that. Accept people, challenge behavior! You may help someone find their way out of the darkness by becoming “Jesus with skin on” to them! We may never know what demons torment another person in the dark corners of his mind if we are quick to judge, heavy on condemnation. Love! Listen! Lift the heavy burden of guilt and shame by taking them to the Cross where all our sins are forgiven.
Let’s give no place to darkness. In Sunday School as a child we happily sang-
"So let the Son shine in, face Him with a grin,
smilers never lose, and frowners never win,
so let the Son shine in, open up your heart
and let the Son shine in!"
The mold of the soul, the sin that destroys, dies when the Light shines.
______________________
(1 Corinthians 10:12, The Message)
If we want to avoid the traps of temptation, here’s the paradox: we must acknowledge that we all deal with two natures! There is the possibility of missing God’s best in me, in you! The sobering fact is that everyone of us still deals with a sinful nature. In the book of Romans we read: “For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Romans 7:22-24 NIV There we find a glimpse of the reason why Christians still can be cruel, selfish, materialistic - a saint and a sinner in the same body!
So where do we find safety from sin’s assaults? How is the influence of our sinful nature diminished and the goodness of the Spirit released?
We let the Light shine into every corner of our lives!
A quote from a Supreme Court Justice who served from 1916 to 1939, Louis Brandeis, says, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant!" He referred to the corruption that goes on when government operates behind a cloak of secrecy, without accountability. His observation has an application to each of our lives. In those areas we hide from others, that we keep carefully wrapped in secrecy - sin has an opportunity to flourish! So-called 'little' lies we tell to spare ourselves shame, become a breeding ground for increasing deception - of others and even ourselves. Compromises that seem to be insignificant, that are excused as just 'going along to get along,' open us to temptations for greater sins over time. Refusal to tell ourselves the truth about what we have done increases the need to hide from reality.
Brandeis’ insight is not new. The Bible says, (1 John 1:6-10, NIV) "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
The Christian is called to pursue integrity by living with transparency of heart. In this way, the Light of Christ can disinfect his soul! A believer who is serious about holiness must not continue to muck about in secrecy, mistakenly thinking that he is preserving his 'dignity' with pretense of being better than he is. He must own up to who he is and what he has done and understand what he is capable of doing. Then, he finds the forgiveness of God and the grace by which he can stand! Are you living with secret sin today, carefully tucked away from public view? It's time to let the Light shine in. Sometimes it is enough to confess our 'darkness' to God alone. There are parts of us that are transformed by owning our sinfulness before the Lord and sincerely asking for His forgiveness, His strength to overcome.
Then, too, many of the dark places are simply too engrained for us to deal with alone. In those struggles we need an ally, sometimes several allies. As difficult as it may be to do, find a trusted counselor and open up your heart. Find someone who knows grace and who knows how to lead you to the One who is Grace Incarnate. Together, pull open the door that has been shutting out the Light.
And, then there is this: Holiness is found in community, not because we can create our own perfection, but because as we open up to one another with acceptance, the Light of Christ shines onto the infection of sin and destroys it even as we minister loving grace to each other! Disciple, be loving and accepting! Be like Jesus Christ who always accepted people as they were without affirming what they did! Think about that. Accept people, challenge behavior! You may help someone find their way out of the darkness by becoming “Jesus with skin on” to them! We may never know what demons torment another person in the dark corners of his mind if we are quick to judge, heavy on condemnation. Love! Listen! Lift the heavy burden of guilt and shame by taking them to the Cross where all our sins are forgiven.
Let’s give no place to darkness. In Sunday School as a child we happily sang-
"So let the Son shine in, face Him with a grin,
smilers never lose, and frowners never win,
so let the Son shine in, open up your heart
and let the Son shine in!"
The mold of the soul, the sin that destroys, dies when the Light shines.
______________________
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Rule of Benedict
New! The word is one we love. A new car, a new computer, a new song, a new… most of us love the new and the novel, convinced that new is always better, and often, it is! My latest computer is incomparably better than the MS-DOS based one I used in 1990. My 2006 model car is much more reliable than models that were built 30 years ago. Bev and I walked through a quaint little spot in NJ yesterday called Millbrook Village, where a tiny slice of 19th life is preserved at a crossroads just outside of Blairstown. As we were leaving she said, “there’s something really appealing about this kind of life.” While the pastoral setting and the closely knit community life might have been great, it was a hard life, too, with much labor from sunup to sundown! All in all, I prefer my life to theirs! But, with my life of the ‘now’ and the ‘new’ I also know how important it is to know the history on which our lives rest. Today did not spring from nowhere.
Many Christians have no idea about the rich traditions of our faith, no grasp of the treasure of wisdom that the Church has accumulated over our 2000 year history. For the last few months, I have been slowly reading through a book, Longing For God, (IVP, 2009, Beebe and Foster) that explores the thoughts and writings from which our practices and understandings have emerged. Most recently these guides have led me through an exploration of the writing of Benedict of Nursia, a monk who lived from 480 to 547.
In the world then, there were thousands of monks that drifted from town to town without accountability, stability, or anchor. They brought their message to a town then moved on leaving people to cope with their words, which often were ill informed and even heretical. Benedict created a Rule for monks that is a system that urges structure and discipline, for the purpose of building lasting community.
One of the Rules involves humility, in Benedict’s mind, with twelve degrees or steps to living humbly.
First among them is the ‘fear of God.’
Second is submission always to the will of God.
Third is seeking input from others.
Fourth is to actively submit to a superior’s instruction.
Fifth is living transparently and confessionally.
Sixth is contentment in all things.
Seventh is to put ourselves at the service of all, thinking none beneath us.
Eighth is to remain in our place within the community without seeking to climb higher.
Ninth is to govern our speech, not speaking of ourselves and our accomplishments.
Tenth is to avoid laughter! Now that one challenges our modern minds. Benedict was not against joy, but he felt that frivolity, especially that which came from ridicule of others (the source of much ‘humor’) was incompatible with Christ’s spirit!
Eleventh is a requirement to use gentle words always.
Twelfth is a summary that required a posture of humility before God and others at all times.
I can only say “Amen” to Beebe’s summary of Benedict’s rule.
He writes, “We have something of the same problem Benedict faced. Numerous present-day prophets function without any serious accountability or training. They come to a city, deliver their ‘prophecies’ and leave for regions beyond, while local Christian leaders are left to deal with the fallout of these often destructive pronouncements. Some are on the airwaves and so send out their ‘prophecies’ without even meeting the people about whom they are prophecying. … Perhaps we need a new articulation of a Benedictine Rule for our day!”
Disciple, watch out for the deception of the novel, the misinformed idea that the Christian life requires some new expression, some stimulation to excitement by a new revelation or great miracle story. While we need to be refreshed in the Spirit, renewed by a deepening love of Christ Jesus, the core values of our faith never change.
The Word says, "Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn’t change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself. Don’t be lured away from him by the latest speculations about him. The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life."
(Hebrews 13:7-9, The Message)
_____________
My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.
On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
- Wm. Bradbury, public domain
Many Christians have no idea about the rich traditions of our faith, no grasp of the treasure of wisdom that the Church has accumulated over our 2000 year history. For the last few months, I have been slowly reading through a book, Longing For God, (IVP, 2009, Beebe and Foster) that explores the thoughts and writings from which our practices and understandings have emerged. Most recently these guides have led me through an exploration of the writing of Benedict of Nursia, a monk who lived from 480 to 547.
In the world then, there were thousands of monks that drifted from town to town without accountability, stability, or anchor. They brought their message to a town then moved on leaving people to cope with their words, which often were ill informed and even heretical. Benedict created a Rule for monks that is a system that urges structure and discipline, for the purpose of building lasting community.
One of the Rules involves humility, in Benedict’s mind, with twelve degrees or steps to living humbly.
First among them is the ‘fear of God.’
Second is submission always to the will of God.
Third is seeking input from others.
Fourth is to actively submit to a superior’s instruction.
Fifth is living transparently and confessionally.
Sixth is contentment in all things.
Seventh is to put ourselves at the service of all, thinking none beneath us.
Eighth is to remain in our place within the community without seeking to climb higher.
Ninth is to govern our speech, not speaking of ourselves and our accomplishments.
Tenth is to avoid laughter! Now that one challenges our modern minds. Benedict was not against joy, but he felt that frivolity, especially that which came from ridicule of others (the source of much ‘humor’) was incompatible with Christ’s spirit!
Eleventh is a requirement to use gentle words always.
Twelfth is a summary that required a posture of humility before God and others at all times.
I can only say “Amen” to Beebe’s summary of Benedict’s rule.
He writes, “We have something of the same problem Benedict faced. Numerous present-day prophets function without any serious accountability or training. They come to a city, deliver their ‘prophecies’ and leave for regions beyond, while local Christian leaders are left to deal with the fallout of these often destructive pronouncements. Some are on the airwaves and so send out their ‘prophecies’ without even meeting the people about whom they are prophecying. … Perhaps we need a new articulation of a Benedictine Rule for our day!”
Disciple, watch out for the deception of the novel, the misinformed idea that the Christian life requires some new expression, some stimulation to excitement by a new revelation or great miracle story. While we need to be refreshed in the Spirit, renewed by a deepening love of Christ Jesus, the core values of our faith never change.
The Word says, "Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn’t change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself. Don’t be lured away from him by the latest speculations about him. The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life."
(Hebrews 13:7-9, The Message)
_____________
My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.
On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
- Wm. Bradbury, public domain
Monday, August 17, 2009
God on the cheap?
In a recent conversation with an uncle who loves to travel, he said he was going to spend the extra money to upgrade their seats on a flight to Egypt to business class. It’s not the cheapest way to go, but the extra cost of the wider, leather seats for such a long flight was worth the money! There’s frugal and there’s cheap! A frugal person knows how to contain expenses but factors in value. He knows that the value of a product is not necessarily measured by its cost. So, when he makes a purchase, he looks for the product that will best serve his needs within a range of costs. A person living on the cheap looks for the lowest price, sacrifices quality just to save a dime.
Some people try to know and serve God cheaply! They look for the minimum standard of participation in His work. They do their ‘religious duty’ but have little delight in Him. They show up late and leave early, so to speak. When it comes to loving and serving the Almighty Father of Glory, the statement, "Yeah, that's good enough!" has no place. How can we think we can truly serve God on the cheap? The prophet Malachi, who wrote to God’s people at a time when they were living in relative prosperity and peace, saw their half-hearted devotion, their ‘cheap’ worship, and told them they were insulting the Lord. Take a look at this lengthy passage.
“The Lord Almighty says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. I am your father and master, but where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have despised my name! ... "You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the Lord Almighty. ... * "I wish that someone among you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not at all pleased with you," says the Lord Almighty, "and I will not accept your offerings.
... "you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it's all right to defile the Lord's table. You say, 'It's too hard to serve the Lord,' and you turn up your noses at his commands," says the Lord Almighty. "Think of it! Animals that are stolen and mutilated, crippled and sick-presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?" asks the Lord. "Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is feared among the nations!” Malachi 1:5-14 NLT
This Scripture emerges from a time when passion for God had cooled. The temple worship was done as a matter of obligation, rather than as a matter of love. Instead of regarding their worship of the Lord God as a privileged honor, they thought it a burden. The result was that they did the minimum they felt was required to keep up appearances. Their hearts were not in what they did! And God was offended by what He saw as contempt for His Person! When a person cuts corners in those things he does in service to God, when he goes to his private time of prayers and thinks about everything and everyone but the Lord, when he mouths prayer words as a matter of rote recitation, when he attends worship services with his body, but lets his mind walk the golf course - he fails to fully honor God. Jesus challenges us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’" (Mark 12:30, NIV) Anything less than our best - in thought, word, and deed- is an offense to the King of the Universe.
Let’s get practical.
When you write your offering check, is it a minimum amount or a generous gift that honors God? When you go to worship do you come exhausted from staying up late into the night watching TV or do you come with a refreshed heart and mind that is ready to sing, to pray, to hear the Word?
In your daily worship what is your motivation- to spend enough time and stay focused until you meet God or just to check off the box that says, "Duty fulfilled"? Only a fool tries to offer God anything less than his best: because He demands and deserves it. Here’s His promise: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV) Let's never be content to say, "Yeah, that's good enough for God!" Rather let's passionately serve Him, as is fitting for the Majestic Lord.
___________
All I once held dear,
Built my life upon,
All this world reveres,
And wars to own,
All I once thought gain
I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now,
Compared to this.
Now my heart's desire
Is to know You more,
To be found in You,
And known as Yours,
To possess by faith
What I could not earn;
All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings,
To become like You
In Your death, my Lord;
So with You to live, and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Knowing You
Kendrick, Graham
© 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)CCLI License No. 810055
Some people try to know and serve God cheaply! They look for the minimum standard of participation in His work. They do their ‘religious duty’ but have little delight in Him. They show up late and leave early, so to speak. When it comes to loving and serving the Almighty Father of Glory, the statement, "Yeah, that's good enough!" has no place. How can we think we can truly serve God on the cheap? The prophet Malachi, who wrote to God’s people at a time when they were living in relative prosperity and peace, saw their half-hearted devotion, their ‘cheap’ worship, and told them they were insulting the Lord. Take a look at this lengthy passage.
“The Lord Almighty says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. I am your father and master, but where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have despised my name! ... "You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the Lord Almighty. ... * "I wish that someone among you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not at all pleased with you," says the Lord Almighty, "and I will not accept your offerings.
... "you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it's all right to defile the Lord's table. You say, 'It's too hard to serve the Lord,' and you turn up your noses at his commands," says the Lord Almighty. "Think of it! Animals that are stolen and mutilated, crippled and sick-presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?" asks the Lord. "Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is feared among the nations!” Malachi 1:5-14 NLT
This Scripture emerges from a time when passion for God had cooled. The temple worship was done as a matter of obligation, rather than as a matter of love. Instead of regarding their worship of the Lord God as a privileged honor, they thought it a burden. The result was that they did the minimum they felt was required to keep up appearances. Their hearts were not in what they did! And God was offended by what He saw as contempt for His Person! When a person cuts corners in those things he does in service to God, when he goes to his private time of prayers and thinks about everything and everyone but the Lord, when he mouths prayer words as a matter of rote recitation, when he attends worship services with his body, but lets his mind walk the golf course - he fails to fully honor God. Jesus challenges us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’" (Mark 12:30, NIV) Anything less than our best - in thought, word, and deed- is an offense to the King of the Universe.
Let’s get practical.
When you write your offering check, is it a minimum amount or a generous gift that honors God? When you go to worship do you come exhausted from staying up late into the night watching TV or do you come with a refreshed heart and mind that is ready to sing, to pray, to hear the Word?
In your daily worship what is your motivation- to spend enough time and stay focused until you meet God or just to check off the box that says, "Duty fulfilled"? Only a fool tries to offer God anything less than his best: because He demands and deserves it. Here’s His promise: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV) Let's never be content to say, "Yeah, that's good enough for God!" Rather let's passionately serve Him, as is fitting for the Majestic Lord.
___________
All I once held dear,
Built my life upon,
All this world reveres,
And wars to own,
All I once thought gain
I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now,
Compared to this.
Now my heart's desire
Is to know You more,
To be found in You,
And known as Yours,
To possess by faith
What I could not earn;
All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings,
To become like You
In Your death, my Lord;
So with You to live, and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Knowing You
Kendrick, Graham
© 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)CCLI License No. 810055
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