New Start?

 Once again it has been several months since I have posted anything. Maybe because I have not done a lot of reading. More likely because I have been lazy. Anyway, I am going to try to do a little better now that I am retired and should have more time to do things like this. 

Today I was reading from various portions of The Sermon on the Mount and other parts of Matthew.

Matthew 4:8 tells about the time when Jesus was in the desert and being tempted by the devil. The devil tells Jesus that he can have everything if he will bow down and worship the devil. Jesus responds by saying, "...worship the Lord your God and serve him only."

In this time it seems that many people who claim to be Christian are trying to "gain" everything and think they can do so by putting their trust or "worshipping" persons, ideas or items that are not God. Such things as country, flag, personal "rights" or a particular person in power. An example is when Pence said we should "fix our eyes on the flag". The Bible says we should fix our eyes on Christ.

If we Christians today would live our lives as Christ taught, we could change the world. Putting our trust in a person or the government to change the country into a "Christian country" will not work. We live in a sinful, corrupt world. It seems to me that Jesus did not advocate for the overthrow of the corrupt government of his time, but rather tried to teach his disciples and others who listened to him how to live life. And it certainly did not include spewing hate and anger toward those he disagreed with. In his last words to his disciples he did not say, "Go and change governments or conquer lands in my name". Rather He said "as you go (out into the world), teach, make disciples and baptize". How different that is from what so many "Christians" are doing today.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Genesis 16

Read today about Sarah giving her servant to Abraham so he could have a child and it reminds me that we often become impatient with God. We are not willing to wait for His plan to be fulfilled in His way. Or we think we have a better way to accomplish what we believe to be God's will.
Read more

Obeying God

Exodus 5. When Moses did what God had commanded for him to do, things got worse for the people of Israel. When I do something that I think God wants me to do and things do not go well, there are a couple of thoughts I have: 1. Maybe I am not really doing what God wants, maybe what I am doing is what I want. 2. I am doing the right thing, why doesn't God honor my actions? Since we know what happens later in the story, we learn that God does do what He says He would do, but in His time and in His way. Our duty is to do what He asks us to do.
Read more

Reverence

In reading Exodus, it has stuck me how ritualistic the Israelites were and how all of the rituals were commanded by God. It is hard for us today to fully understand all of the rituals because that is all it means to us, just rituals. But it was through these rituals and requirements that people were able to show reverence to God and his majesty was manifested. We have become so relaxed in our practice and experience of "worship" that I think we have lost some of the awe, respect and fear of God. I for one need to be more respectful, more reverent and more in awe of God when I enter His presence or when I enter the church to worship.
Read more