Get Motivated!!

Recently I had the grand opportunity of attending the Get Motivated! seminar. A seminar that requires you to wake up at an ungodly time of day and mope through traffic at rush hour in Atlanta in order to qualify for entering the building. Assuming you arrive in one piece, you are in the perfect condition for being motivated. Just agitated enough to stay awake and yet just tired enough to think you require professional counseling instead of a good nights rest.
The seminar is actually put together quite well, so well in fact that you would think people who are really good at making money put it together. Everything is done in the name of helping you achieve your lofty American dream of making more money. If you have the right perspective, say something about Jesus, work hard, have good character, and buy my program you can be like me! Be nice to other people because you have a lot to gain by it. Be honest because it helps you in the long run. Work hard because you’ll go farther that way.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some very good speakers that had a lot of helpful advice. Where I disagree is not in the action but the motive. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is still wrong. Some might disagree on that point but it’s your right to be wrong. HA!

Example: Unsaved people do a lot of good things and yet their righteousness is as filthy rags. Why? Because their motives are messed up. It's true that good things are pleasing to God but without faith nothing is pleasing to God. You can be the goodest, hardest workingest, in the name of Jesus speaker alive and make millions by setting up an easy web that you only check once a month and teach everyone else how to do it in a 2 day class (usually for $10,000) but for only you today for $29.99 and yet without faith it’s garbage.  (Tip of the day: Don’t say it “gar-bash” its like the only joke mom’s have).
So if you are really going to strive hard and be motivated about something, forget the money and focus on faith. If God wants you to have the money he’ll provide it. You’ll have all you need and maybe a little extra for the kids.

What is it with Worship!

These days in America finding a good church is hard, but maybe it's because we Americans are so hard to please. It doesn't matter what it is we always have more choices than we could possibly consider and so we spend a great amount of time researching what is the best. We pull out our consumer reports for churches and see what the overall public rating is, what does their Pastor looks like, what kind of music do they play, what kind of missions do they have, what is there overall belief system, what is their youth group like, etc...... Then we start putting them into groups, like conservative, legalistic, contemporary, reformed, seeker friendly, rock concert. Then we decided what type of group we fit in best and think is most holy and try to find a church in that area. It just so happens that no church in the world happens to live up to our standards for a church and so all churches look stupid, or they're jerks, or weird, or just out there. So then we are forced to reconsider our utmost desire for a good church and see what we are willing to live with. In the end, we start going to a place consistently, get "plugged in" to the fellowship of believers and find it's the people that make up the church that you really enjoy and that help you grow in Christ. Then after you've been going there awhile and become friendly with all the people you start to find that some really aren't as holy as they pretended to be and so the search starts up again.


For some reason I have to wonder if Jesus looks down from heaven and notices that his body parts have been streun from one end of the map to the other and longs for the day when they all come back together as one body. It's got to be frustrating for Him when a missionary gets up in front of a church and says, "I'm going to this city that doesn't have a single (Indenpendent baptist) church in, when in reality God has 3 churches already there. they just don't communicate to each other because they come from different mission boards and might not have all the same values. But then how often do we do the same thing here in America? We have more churches then you could possibly believe and yet a nation that literally going down the tubes morally. A very few of the churches every work together and when they do they are so concerned that they might offend the other that nothing is really accomplished other than planting a few flowers and sweep a park.

Okay, now this brings up a serious question and really the reason for writing in the first place. Does corporate worship really matter? Not if we should, but how we go about it. I have been to churches where the music is loud and upbeat and I have to say generally the people are as well. They are excited about God and telling other people about God and it's just a really "awesome" experince. Everything is "awesome", and great, and wow just so awesome. They like to meet people where they're at in life and let them know that God loves them regardless of the way they live. Grace is poured out, but we're sure to filter out the repentance just in case somepne is convicted and gets upset. The emotions are high and you have to wonder is there something to it. But there is also the other side where hymns reign supreme. If it wasn't written before Grandpa was born then it isn't allowed in church. Standards are the cloest way to God and if you haven't confessed your sins before God and the church, and your neighbor, and school, and before the town then you my friend my need to reconsider your salvation. I'm not saying your saved by your works; but by golly your works don't live up to my standards so I've decided you aren't saved. (oh and FYI: don't say by golly, because that originated from by God which is vain. I don't care if God's name wasn't really taken in vain and in today's culture it is a phrase that has nothing to do with God's name. You my friend are in danger of hell's fire, or at least the church gossip letter, aka prayer sheet.)

I understand that those were two extremes and if you were offended then you may be a little extreme yourself......oh dear, hear it comes. But seriously, there are 2 things that we tend to find really addicting. An emotional experience, and a check list of doing it right. Is it so bad to really enjoy your corporate worship? To come away feeling inspired and excited and ready to meet the week head on? Are standards really a bad thing and maybe should you have a few? Maybe even a few that you know are right, even to a point where you might possibly judge righteously as Jesus commanded. (do what!!?) Yeah, that's right you legalistically against legalism people, same chapter that Kesus said if you judge someone be ready to live up to your own standard, he said for us to judge things righteously. Crazy, right?

So this is some of what was keeping me up tonight. I'd like to write more later, but I have to wonder if other people have had any thoughts along the same lines. I've been a bit random, but it feels good to write again.

5. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. (Mt 5:27-30)

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. (Mt 5:27-30)

Here Christ demands radical amputation. Whereas many apply these verses to a number of sins and situations I think it is important to remember that Christ starts out in the context of lust and adultery. Not that it doesn't apply to other situations but the severity of the problem of lust. It is not something to be flirted and trifled with but something to take as seriously as Christ did. Christ being completely human knew and understood the struggles of men and yet did not sin. Christ makes it clear that nothing is worth holding on to if it keeps you from a relationship with Him. Take radical actions if necessary to remove those things which are causing you to stumble.

The Law said one thing....

These next few Commands are after Jesus has explained that he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. So the passages start out " you have heard it said, but I say to you. Jesus says that nothing will be changed in the law until it is fulfilled. If you relax in the law you will be least in the Kingdom of heaven but if you keep them you will be great. I find two things interesting. One, that even now it's not the keeping of the law that saves you, you still go to heaven even if you didn't keep the law if you believe on Christ as the redeemer promised. Two, that there will be great and least in Heaven. What you do on earth does matter in heaven.

Question for thought: What does it mean when Jesus said "until the law is fulfilled"?

4. ..if you are offering your gift at the altar..leave your gift..First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Mt 5:21-26)

This seems to be pretty straight forward in how we should as Christians deal with problems we have with each other. We shouldn't go behind each others back or just go on like it didn't happen. It's also saying that if someone has something against me, not if you have something against someone else. I should take the responsibility of finding that person and getting it resolved. If I have something against someone else, I don't need to go to them right then because God makes it clear what we should do, we should forgive them as Christ has forgiven us.

3. ....let your light shine before others...(Matt 5:14-16)

In this command Jesus says that we (the disciples of Jesus) are the light of the earth. He tells us to light up the world with good works. Be at work for Christ and serving Him. Not so that people will see how good Christianity is, or that this is the right religion, or to even "win" people over to Christ, but so that people will glorify the Father in Heaven. Let you light shine through good works.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. (Matt 5:11-12)

This command is in reference to being persecuted. Jesus said Blessed are you when people persecute you, and then said for us to rejoice and be glad. Not if you feel like it, not if it enables you to stick it to them, be glad regardless of the circumstances. You always have reason to rejoice and be glad.