Monday, February 7, 2011

What we do for the Lest we do for Jesus!

I believe in religion, especially today,  we get caught up in the very fine points of what the Bible tells us.  We analyze every verse and try to see what the deeper meaning of the words are telling us.  But, we overlook what Jesus was really telling us in his words.

Everyone should pay attention to the RED words, but it seems we just skim over what Jesus actually said.  He said the following when it comes to how we should live: (I will paraphrase)

  • Love God
  • Love Jesus
  • Love your neighbor
  • Feed the Hungry
  • Give clothes to those in need
  • Look after the sick
  • Invite a Stranger in - be hospitable
  • Visit those in prison - help them
How often in church do we talk about the above items?  We seem to hear the following topics in church:
  • Tithe
  • Spread the Gospel
  • How we should get along with each other
  • How we should break bad habits
  • How we need to read the Bible
  • How we need a one time donation for a pet project
But, how often do you hear the preacher stand at the pulpit and say that we should be doing the following with our resources (money and time):

Feed the hungry, help the homeless, help a prison ministry, help the needy, help the broken, etc.  But, this is what the Apolostles did once Jesus was cruciifed, they sold everything and lived in common and helped the widows and the orphans.

I have never heard a church say that were given 60% of everything we take in to help the above causes. They usually give 10% of what they take in for these items and the rest for salaries and builidng cost.  They always ask for the tithes and above the tithes for the new pet project like:
  • Parking lot
  • High Def Camera
  • More space
  • Better furniture
  • Kids area
  • etc.
All of those things are great, but Jesus never once stated that in order for us to be in the kingdom we need to have a better Temple (church) for that matter he never stated we had to pray in a temple (church).  He has said many times what is important, but we seem to ignore it.

I do believe that spreading the gospel is extremely important, but I just feel that sometimes we need our actions (doing the things above) to spread the gospel and not just our preaching to do what is right.

I'm just as hypocritical as anyone and have been ignoring what Jesus so clearly tells us as important.  I will pray for direction and the strength to take action on what I need to do to live, really live a life that matters to Jesus!
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IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

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The Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.