Tag Archive - truth of god

Following Forms

August 26, 2009 in Ponderings with 1 Comment

The thought occurred to me the other day as I was reading in Matthew 15, how often are we like the Pharisees as Jesus applied the words of Isaiah the prophet to them?

The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.”

Isaiah 29:13 NIV

  • Following a form, but not the function.
  • Concerned with looks, but not substance.
  • Adhering to the letter, but not the spirit, of the commands of God.
  • Casting something in a “spiritual” light that really is in opposition to the revealed truth of God because we’ve convinced ourselves “God told me so.”

The Pharisees lived this way every day. Matthew 15:1-7 paints a clear picture for us.

Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you.

Matthew 15:1-6a NLT

We often chastise the Pharisees for not getting it or having the wrong focus, but how often do we find ourselves standing right next to them?

May each day be a day we worship, not according to traditions or forms, but with pure and transformed hearts that draw close to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ in accordance with the revealed truth of God.

A Mighty and Inescapable Truth about God

July 2, 2009 in Ponderings, Worship with 3 Comments

I have one of the best jobs in the world, getting to do what I enjoy for the Kingdom of God. But, I also have one of the hardest jobs in the world. There are seasons where it seems that we watch so many people make choices that dishonor God, their families and others even though they have heard the truth. There are seasons where there is great discouragement and many questions. There are times when I wonder whether any of it makes a difference.

Each time I find myself in one of those times, there is a verse that I am repeatedly drawn to. It is a voice that speaks volumes about the God I serve and His character. It is a verse that can bring a huge amount of encouragement when it is heard with ears that want to hear.

Zephaniah 3:17 is that verse. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (emphasis added)

Thank about that for a minute (or more). The great God of the universe who created all that we see, who is not constrained by time or space, who is not burdened and held captive by the things that stress and worry us. The Lord Almighty who is incomparable,  everlasting, all-powerful, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow is with us. Always.

He takes delight in us and quiets our worries and questions with His great love. He, the holy and righteous and perfect God, rejoices over us with singing, not because we get it right all the time but because He loves and treasures us just that much.

Wow.