When I am out of Synch (part 24)

And how many times do I rather than wanting to do the Lord’s will do I look to my own interest. Even though inside of me is the war between doing and being how I know is right versus performing for the masses to see. (Romans 8) In 2 Kings 23:2-11 the King is the one person who wants to get rid of idols and the priests look to their own interests. How sad it is to use holiness as an outer garment, but I do it all the time. I am judgmental, hurtful, because someone is not doing things my way. I say and do but in my heart do I believe in Him? Do I believe the two commandments of loving God above all else and loving my neighbor as myself and do I know in fact who my neighbor is? I want a pure life, one rich in the blessings of God, but I want my idols too, I just cannot give those up. Many times I get an air of self-righteousness because I didn’t travel down the road that many kids travel, I didn’t take drugs, I wasn’t involved in promiscuity, I did what my parents said willingly because I knew they had more sense than me. And then splat!!1 I fall on my face. What a tangled web I weave, according to Shakespeare….why because I want to convince myself that I am better than others, when in reality I am just the same. Then I try to worship with this warring heart. Instead of building God’s house in peace. (1 Chron 22:2-14) Daniel in Dan 8:11-14 says that the Temple would be cleansed. Those downtrodden would rise again and be saved in Christ. And in the church is the mechanism for one to work out one’s salvation after one has become connected with Christ through baptism. He cleaned the Temple to show he is the way to God, not through money nor works but his connection with the Father. Once and for all. Paul warns over and over that Christ was the last hope, and that applied not just to the Hebrews but the me as well. I must follow Christ.

When I am Out of Synch (part 23)

How many times do I whine and complain about this or that, about the elders spending too much money trying to increase and expand the size of the church so they can fill it with more people and build on to fill it with more people and so on and so forth? How many times has God heard me grumble about the flagrant abuse of funds over using that money for evangelizing or helping the poor? What am I doing to help the situation? Am I as Jehoiada did and confronting the elders to put up their monies before asking other’s to put up their pennies? And yet, how many times do I act the sloth, instead of rebuilding the temple of God within someone, I am just not up to the challenge. Self-righteous ness will always be something that can throw me out of His righteousness and Sabbath-rest. (see Heb. 4)

When I am out of synch (part 22)

There is a story during the time of Jehoida the priest, who took back the Temple of the LORD from those who would desecrate it and blaspheme God and who defeated the evil Athaliah. The people then renounced their sin and begged forgiveness. (2 King 11:3-19) There are several principles for me the saved sinner here: 1) Decide the sin is no longer acceptable (John 8:11), 2) Put a strong guard around my heart and mind (Romans 12:2), 3) Flee from sin into the sanctuary of God (James 4:7-8) into a deeper and deeper love and relationship for Him and in Him, and 4) ask for forgiveness. (Matthew 6:9-13) Sin divides me from God, putting anything I choose ahead of God and making that to be the thing that I believe saves me, when it is only the power of God that saves me through Christ and the operation of God. I love Colossians 2:12 in KJV because that is what baptism is, it is an operation of God that connects us to His son, the power of the blood of Christ to forgive me and make me a new creation. God wants me, there is no doubt. But do I want Him enough to accept Him the way He is??? And obey???

When I am out of synch (part 21)

Leviticus 24:10-18 tells of the sin of a man that cursed God and the consequences thereof. The seriousness of me cursing God is that nothing I do will ever salvage that relationship. Once I blaspheme, honestly blaspheme Him there are no more options. I have forced Him to see me on my ugliest level, and have at that point told Him that I am OK, I can do it without Him. At that point He tells me if this is how I want to live, then so be it. That to me is different from arguing with God. When I ask God, “Why?” That is out of a need to be consoled, a need to understand, and a lack of being able to grasp past my three dimensions. That is not, contrary to popular belief, blasphemy.

 

And of course there is my stubbornness in thinking God is weaker than he truly is. Isaiah 36:15-20, tells of the king of Assyria who in his haughtiness couldn’t comprehend the great strength of God, or His great love for Israel. Much as I do when I believe there are others much stronger than He, and those have taken over leaving Him in the dust. When He actually made the dust I think He is lying in, and actually He made the man that mocks Him. And then there are those who are convinced that the jeerers are right, and think they are advising me from the best of intentions, when truly the road of to satan’s home is paved with good intentions. Nothing I can do can make me comprehend just how great a God I serve and so I keep serving, and some day I’ll be singing with Him in heaven.