Only one thing worth being concerned about ...

Well here is an attempt to get back on track for me. I have caught up on quite a few passages of Scripture I had let slide and today I am up to date again. Although, I must say, one of the dangers with such a discipline is to not get stuck in a trap of reading for the sake of being able to tick off the reading plan and say "yep another one done."

Well what a passage to read and be challenged about. In fact two passages I want to share, have a look with me:

Luke 10:38-42 (New Living Translation)

Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 11:37-42 (New Living Translation)
Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders

37 As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. 38 His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.

42 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

Let me be clear. Firstly, this is not having a go at people who are very practical and service oriented in their gifting. But it does echo a huge warning - be careful you do not neglect that which really is most important - whereby you need to find yourself in the presence of Jesus and listening to Him. Absorbing what He has to teach you. Soaking up His presence. It is important, vital that we spend time at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. How easy it is to get caught up in work, doing. You have heard me before I would reckon, number 1 importance is BEing who God created you to be.

The second passage follows on from this. Be on guard that you don't merely follow practices, disciplines of the Christian faith and loose the essence of it. Yes! Emphatically YES! You should tithe. But, don't neglect the other elements that are also important. Don't attempt to excuse yourself as though one practice exempts you from another. We are required, actually compelled to be a people of justice and this focused particularly upon the most disadvantaged and marginalised within our community. Alongside this, let all you are and all you do be a response from your love for God.

Father, thank you for revealing these timely lessons to me today. Help me to live by the lessons taught me and faithfully follow Your disciplines expected of me.

Mirror, Mirror ...

As I was reading through the passage (as per below) I began thinking of the Fairy Tale "Snow White". I thought of the queen (?) and her seeing what she wanted to see in the mirror each day, until one day the mirror revealed to her another story (someone fairer than herself, someone far more beautiful). And she didn't like what she saw, however it was the truth.

In this passage of Scripture the people have some association with God, though it seems only by name now, for He awaits them to call on Him but they don't. They go about their own ways and practices, much of which is offensive and a slap in the face to God. And it is like He has to hold a mirror up to them to see this:

Isaiah 65 (New Living Translation)

Judgment and Final Salvation

1 The Lord says,

“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.

I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.

I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’

to a nation that did not call on my name.

2 All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.

But they follow their own evil paths

and their own crooked schemes.

3 All day long they insult me to my face

by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens.

They burn incense on pagan altars.

4 At night they go out among the graves,

worshiping the dead.

They eat the flesh of pigs

and make stews with other forbidden foods.

5 Yet they say to each other,

‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me!

I am holier than you!’

These people are a stench in my nostrils,

an acrid smell that never goes away.

I was particularly interested that these people, in all their actions (and practices) which were obviously contrary to what God had directed through the generations, had the thinking that they were holy. And that they desired for others not to defile them. It was a reminder to me of how easy it can be that we get so caught up in what we are doing that we don't see how off centre, or off track our living is to the plan and purpose of God. So much so that we soon believe ourselves that it is OK. That we see only what we want to see in the mirror.

How grateful I am that either through my reading of the Scripture (a discipline necessary to keep on track), or other materials, and on occasions through some close, honest friends, God on occasions holds up a mirror of truth for me to see what is "really" happening in my life.

It is my desire Lord, that when You reveal the truth of my ways, my intentions and my practices that are contrary to Your plan and desire for me, that I take note and make the necessary change/s. I want not to be amongst another group of Pharisees in the world today. Help me through Your Holy Spirit to be faithful and honouring of You by the way I live my life.

Dismantle the shrine ...

I have often found it intriguing that there were so many Kings (as recorded in the Old Testament) that seemed to get it so wrong. I am reminded of the quote that suggests, "worse than making a mistake, is not learning from it, and worse still is not learning from the mistake you have seen someone else make." And yet, time and time again we see these men (Kings) rise to such powerful positions, having often observed the self destruction of the one before them (some times more than just one), and yet they carry on the same destructive pattern. This pattern, (or practice) namely being that they did not follow God.

Here is one who appeared to learn, but still didn't carry it far enough:

2 Kings 14:3-4 (New Living Translation)

3 Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight,

but not like his ancestor David.

Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash.

4 Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines,

and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

Amaziah it seems did what was pleasing to the Lord, however, he left some remnants of the people's past practices of wrongful worship in place and they were able to continue in these ways, offering sacrifices and burning incense, without any retribution from the King. He needed to dismantle the shrine and failed to do so.

What a reminder to us that when the Lord frees us from something that has previously entangled us, we need to remove that aspect (or even the remnants of it), from our lives, so that we are not tempted to go back to it at any time, possibly in a moment of weakness. That something, whatever it might be, can have no place in our lives. We must eliminate the possiblity of either getting caught up in again, or having others affected by it.

"Lord, help me to rid from my life those things that You have freed me from. Help me to dispose of them so that I cannot be enticed into the practices of old that are harmful and destructive to my relationship with You, and with others. I desire to be wholesome and to live a holy life. Help me by Your Spirit to do that victoriously."