"Pilate said to him (Jesus), What is truth?" John 8:38 New KJV
Jesus said to him (Thomas), "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 New KJV
"God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24 New KJV
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 New KJV
Weren't the Jews worshipping God properly? They were dutifully following the Mosaic law with all its rituals and sacrifices. The Temple and the law were central to their daily lives. The Sabbath was kept holy and anyone caught doing something on that day that could be interpreted as work was severely punished. The Pharisees were tithing right down to 10% of the produce in their herb gardens. A non-Jewish observer would surely be impressed with the Jews religiosity and dedication.
Yet Jesus saw their worship as hollow. The Jews failed to recognize him as the messiah they claim they were expecting. They didn't realize that it was necessary for them to accept Jesus as the Christ before they would be acceptable to God. Only then would their worship be real.
Jesus knew that there was far more interest among the Jews in following rules and in tradition and ritualistic displays than in things of the spirit. Could there be a message in that for us? Of course. Jesus' words are eternal. Taking part in the familiar rituals and order of worship; being in church at a certain hour; sitting in the same pew year after year; all may be comforting and enable us to leave the service feeling we have done our duty and filled with the warm fuzzies.
A church service is not to be measured by what we got out of it but rather by what we have given. In other words, it is not about us. It is about God. Unless our worship is based on the truth of who Christ is (as related to Thomas), and the help of the Holy Spirit we might as well be at a lecture on how to be good. Our worship is to be spiritual and real. Is it? Everyone must answer that question for themselves.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
What's the Motivation?
Have you ever heard the expression,"No good deed goes unpunished?" It's attributed to Oscar Wilde. It seems like a contradiction in terms until you factor in human nature.
A young woman was asked who she thought originated the expression. She replied,"I don't know but I know it's true. Every time I do a good deed for someone I get a parking ticket. I finally figured out I can't afford to do good deeds."
My wife, LaNell, (who never met a volunteer job she didn't like) was asked by our associate pastor to raise funds for, and to help administer, a prayer pager ministry in our church. People who are in the hospital or ill at home, upon request, are provided a prayer pager that alerts them that someone is praying for them. The ministry has been a source of comfort to many, knowing that they are being remembered in prayer.
A worthwhile, meaningful and spiritually-rewarding ministry. The 'punishment', (to complete Wilde's aphorism) has come in the form of some undeserved criticism and complaints. This has not dissuaded LaNell in the least and she has no intention of giving up her part of the ministry.
With the best of intentions, a young and inexperienced minister decided to publish, in the church newsletter, the names of all members of his congregation who helped in the church vacation bible school. Alas, the name of one woman had been mistakenly omitted. The woman wrote the minister and let him know she was severely offended because she had supplied Kool Aid for the bible school and her name was not included in the newsletter.
Mother Teresa is known world-wide for her charity. She and her nuns worked with the disenfranchised, those in the deepest poverty and at the extreme edges of society; the sick, the dying and the dead whom they gathered up off the streets of Calcutta; those that no other group or individual would touch. Yet her motives were sometimes questioned and she and her organization had to endure much critisism from individuals and government entities. Her response? "No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work."
A young woman was asked who she thought originated the expression. She replied,"I don't know but I know it's true. Every time I do a good deed for someone I get a parking ticket. I finally figured out I can't afford to do good deeds."
My wife, LaNell, (who never met a volunteer job she didn't like) was asked by our associate pastor to raise funds for, and to help administer, a prayer pager ministry in our church. People who are in the hospital or ill at home, upon request, are provided a prayer pager that alerts them that someone is praying for them. The ministry has been a source of comfort to many, knowing that they are being remembered in prayer.
A worthwhile, meaningful and spiritually-rewarding ministry. The 'punishment', (to complete Wilde's aphorism) has come in the form of some undeserved criticism and complaints. This has not dissuaded LaNell in the least and she has no intention of giving up her part of the ministry.
With the best of intentions, a young and inexperienced minister decided to publish, in the church newsletter, the names of all members of his congregation who helped in the church vacation bible school. Alas, the name of one woman had been mistakenly omitted. The woman wrote the minister and let him know she was severely offended because she had supplied Kool Aid for the bible school and her name was not included in the newsletter.
Mother Teresa is known world-wide for her charity. She and her nuns worked with the disenfranchised, those in the deepest poverty and at the extreme edges of society; the sick, the dying and the dead whom they gathered up off the streets of Calcutta; those that no other group or individual would touch. Yet her motives were sometimes questioned and she and her organization had to endure much critisism from individuals and government entities. Her response? "No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work."
If we are going to do a good deed for others it best to do it out of heart-felt desire to serve God and without thought of reward or recognition. Otherwise, there will be nothing but hurt feelings and disappointment. Are we willing to be overlooked when we "furnish Kool Aid" and not expect to see our name in print or get a round of applause?
If the "parking fines" begin to add up will we press on?
If we are hit with undeserved criticism and complaints are we willing to "accept, smile and do our own work?"
Jesus said,"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
But, when you do a charitable deed, do not not let your left hand know what you right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." Matthew 6:1-4 New KJV
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Determination
"But this I am resolved on: to run when I can, to walk when I cannot run, to crawl when I cannot walk. My mind is beyond the river where there is no bridge." Pilgrim's Progress, Sixth Stage
"I walk slowly, but I do not walk back." Abraham Lincoln concerning his resolve to uphold the Emancipation Proclamati0n.
As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he (Jesus) moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will. Luke 9:51 Life Application Bible
These are stirring words. Contrast them with this story:
Before retiring one evening, a man told his wife he planned to start walking for exercise the next morning before dawn. When the wife awoke after sunrise, her husband was still asleep.
She shook him awake and asked,"Why aren't you walking?"
He replied,"I wanted to but my toes voted against me ten to one."
The Pilgrim; Lincoln; Jesus. They had different goals but they had one essential thing in common: Rock-solid Determination to reach their goal. Their destination was always before them and, no matter what, they refused to let obstacles deter them. They would not settle for half a loaf. Jesus was Son of Man as well as Son of God and the temptations to quit the journey or take the easy way must have presented themselves to him. But he knew that whatever hardships he might go through, the reward would make it all worthwhile.
".....looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2, The New KJV
Occasionally my wife will tell me I am a 'godly man' or a 'good man.' Each time the compliments literally make me cringe and I firmly tell her I am neither godly nor good. I remind her that Jesus said, "There is none good but God." I am much more like the man who let his toes tell him what he could do.
The truth is, I struggle every day to keep my eyes on Jesus. My faith is weak. But I have learned not to have faith in my faith but to have faith in Christ's faith. I believe my struggles are in common with all who have set their foot on the path to follow Jesus. It is a sign both that we are never going to quit and of our unchanging confidence that Jesus is our Savior.
In our determined walk with Jesus we may walk slowly, but we do not walk back.
"I walk slowly, but I do not walk back." Abraham Lincoln concerning his resolve to uphold the Emancipation Proclamati0n.
As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he (Jesus) moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will. Luke 9:51 Life Application Bible
These are stirring words. Contrast them with this story:
Before retiring one evening, a man told his wife he planned to start walking for exercise the next morning before dawn. When the wife awoke after sunrise, her husband was still asleep.
She shook him awake and asked,"Why aren't you walking?"
He replied,"I wanted to but my toes voted against me ten to one."
The Pilgrim; Lincoln; Jesus. They had different goals but they had one essential thing in common: Rock-solid Determination to reach their goal. Their destination was always before them and, no matter what, they refused to let obstacles deter them. They would not settle for half a loaf. Jesus was Son of Man as well as Son of God and the temptations to quit the journey or take the easy way must have presented themselves to him. But he knew that whatever hardships he might go through, the reward would make it all worthwhile.
".....looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2, The New KJV
Occasionally my wife will tell me I am a 'godly man' or a 'good man.' Each time the compliments literally make me cringe and I firmly tell her I am neither godly nor good. I remind her that Jesus said, "There is none good but God." I am much more like the man who let his toes tell him what he could do.
The truth is, I struggle every day to keep my eyes on Jesus. My faith is weak. But I have learned not to have faith in my faith but to have faith in Christ's faith. I believe my struggles are in common with all who have set their foot on the path to follow Jesus. It is a sign both that we are never going to quit and of our unchanging confidence that Jesus is our Savior.
In our determined walk with Jesus we may walk slowly, but we do not walk back.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Where Some Seeds Fell
"....some fell by the wayside.....some fell on rock...some fell among thorns...others fell on good ground." Lk 8:4-15
Thirty years ago or so, I'd heard that a fellow architect from a distant town had joyfully accepted Christ about a year previously. When I saw him at a meeting I asked, "How are you and Jesus getting along?" Very gruffly he replied, "I don't have time for that Mickey Mouse stuff!" I was taken aback by his reply but I said, "Someday you will have time." He turned his back on me and walked away.
What had happened? Had someone mocked his new found faith? Did he have second thoughts after the initial enthusiasm wore off? In any case the seed had fallen on a rock. It sprang up and it withered away.
A young man in our Sunday school class usually voiced a number of questions in each session. I invited him to lunch so we could talk one on one. He met each of the answers to his questions with, "Yes; but..." Throughout our conversation he resisted the gospel message with the same retort. In his profession and in his thinking only what he regarded as scientific facts were believeable. 1Cor. 2:14 "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
This young man trampled down the seed. The Spirit could not overcome his intellectual defenses.
Our office was housed in the corporate headquarters building of a chain of discount stores. I knew the president of the corporation (I'll call him 'Bob') only because we attended the same church. One evening we were leaving the building at the same time and I was impressed to invite Bob to a Bible study in my home. He thanked me and said he would ask his wife. (As I write this I am filled again with awe at the workings of the Holy Spirit) His wife (I'll call her 'Ann') said later, "I don't know why I agreed to go to the Bible study. At the time, I was interested only in golf, bridge and cocktails at the country club."
Bob and Ann decided to attend the study. Their knowledge of the bible was sketchy at best but they absorbed the Word quickly. When they heard the message of salvation they eagerly accepted Christ. Their lives changed completely. Eventually Bob was ordained and led hundreds to Christ through a prison ministry.
The seed fell on good ground "and yielded a crop a hundredfold."
All praise, glory and honor to our Father, God and his only Son, Jesus
Thirty years ago or so, I'd heard that a fellow architect from a distant town had joyfully accepted Christ about a year previously. When I saw him at a meeting I asked, "How are you and Jesus getting along?" Very gruffly he replied, "I don't have time for that Mickey Mouse stuff!" I was taken aback by his reply but I said, "Someday you will have time." He turned his back on me and walked away.
What had happened? Had someone mocked his new found faith? Did he have second thoughts after the initial enthusiasm wore off? In any case the seed had fallen on a rock. It sprang up and it withered away.
A young man in our Sunday school class usually voiced a number of questions in each session. I invited him to lunch so we could talk one on one. He met each of the answers to his questions with, "Yes; but..." Throughout our conversation he resisted the gospel message with the same retort. In his profession and in his thinking only what he regarded as scientific facts were believeable. 1Cor. 2:14 "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
This young man trampled down the seed. The Spirit could not overcome his intellectual defenses.
Our office was housed in the corporate headquarters building of a chain of discount stores. I knew the president of the corporation (I'll call him 'Bob') only because we attended the same church. One evening we were leaving the building at the same time and I was impressed to invite Bob to a Bible study in my home. He thanked me and said he would ask his wife. (As I write this I am filled again with awe at the workings of the Holy Spirit) His wife (I'll call her 'Ann') said later, "I don't know why I agreed to go to the Bible study. At the time, I was interested only in golf, bridge and cocktails at the country club."
Bob and Ann decided to attend the study. Their knowledge of the bible was sketchy at best but they absorbed the Word quickly. When they heard the message of salvation they eagerly accepted Christ. Their lives changed completely. Eventually Bob was ordained and led hundreds to Christ through a prison ministry.
The seed fell on good ground "and yielded a crop a hundredfold."
All praise, glory and honor to our Father, God and his only Son, Jesus
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