Misdirection

A misdirection play is a used to make the other team go one way while the ball is actually going another way. Plays like can make a fool out an undisciplined defense and leave them looking like fools. Similarly, undisciplined Christians can be misguided by all sorts of things (work, school, etc). Recently, I learned that Christian can misdirect other Christians. I was on sermonsaudio.com listening to an interview with Paul Washer (A). To paraphrase the first question that was asked to Washer, the interviewer said, “What would you say to someone who was faithful to your ministry, but was not faithful to reading the bible?” Washer (after laughing about the question) replied with scripture "hearing but not hearing and seeing but not seeing."(Eze 12:2 (B)). Hearing him say that really made me think for a about my dedication to God. Though I try to engulf myself in a Christ centered life, I sometimes narrow my site and only focus on the tool and not the potter. If all I do as a Christian is follow the ways and teachings of a person and not God, then I gravely risk my relationship with God. Men are full of flaws, even the most humble and caring of men still commit errors, but God does not. He is the ultimate architect and he is the one the Christians need to faithfully follow. It is true that people are put in Christian lives to act as an example of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1(C)), but that cannot be the end all of a Christian’s faith.

Living in the Bible Belt has given me a chance to debate items in the bible that I never knew were worth debating. Items such as how often should someone take communion, should their people instruments in church, and are tongues appropriate have been question that I have had to consistently discuss with other Christians. Strictly my opinion, none of difference of these things are important enough to try to impose on someone else how they should live their faith, but people do. There are Christian that latch on to this idea that everyone needs to latch on to certain ways of practicing Christianity and they spend all their time trying to convince someone to, for example, not clap during a worship service. Once again just my opinion, but if a Christians action is not a sin and if it is an earnest attempt to please and glorify God, who cares how it is done.

To all my Christians: do not allow the small stuff to bring hostility between a body that is to be unified under Christ (Acts 2:44 (D)). Also remember that though you follow a mortal (fill in the blank) for spiritual guidance and leadership, it is Christ that should receive your love, affection, and attention, not the (fill in the blank.) As I close, if the reader of this remembers anything, remember this: don’t let mortal things steal the love and adoration that God fully deserves.

A:http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1229091954150 B:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+12:2&version=NIV C:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor%2011:1&version=NIV D:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202:44&version=NIV

Prosperity

Solomon, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and David were all great men of God who were blessed with great wealth and prosperity, among other things, for their faithful servitude. God loves to bless his children (Jer 29:11(a)), and Christians today are no exception. Though the aforementioned men received blessings of money and power, God may not bless all his children in the same way. In the case of the rich young man (Luke 18:18-23 (b)) it was not in God’s plan for that particular person to be rich. This leads to the ultimate question for this article: why do people pursue God to get rich?

To illustrate what I’m saying and going to say, consider this story: Two children are given assignments from their teacher each week to complete. After completing each of the first two projects the children receive candy for their work. After these two occasions, the teacher stops giving them candy for completing assignments. One child quickly loses interest in the weekly assignments because the reward is gone. Still, the other child continues to work just as hard because that child knows the reward that comes at the end of the year. By the time school is over, the first child had completely given up doing the assignments, while the second child, though weary from a long hard year of work, did the work to near perfection. The teacher rewards the second child with a gift far greater than any reward these children had ever seen. The first child looks on in envy as the second child enjoys the prize; a prize that the second child will always have and that will bring true joy to the child forever. On the other hand, the first child is left with nothing; the child pursued a temporary gift and because the child’s sight was narrow, the child missed a chance to achieve the greatest reward of all.

These two children are like many Christians. The first pursued the short, temporary prize and second pursued an ultimate goal while enjoying the reward long the way. The first is like the Christian who follows God to achieve wealth and status. They work because they want to be rewarded immediately with money, good health, or some other worldly gain. Because they pursue worldly things, when the rewards stop, so does their love for God. However, the second child is like the Christian who seeks God no matter what. This type of Christian understands that gift will come along the way, but it is the pursuit of the kingdom that motivates their actions (Mat 6:33 (c)).

In the end, God test the hearts of all those who come to him (1 Thes 2:4(d)). He knows if someone is using him for selfish gain or if someone is following him out of love. I’m not saying that all Christians need to go and sell all their possession and live a complete life of poverty. What I am saying is don’t let your possession own you (Mat 6:19-21, 24(e)).

a: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jer%2029:11&version=NIV
b: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018:18-23&version=NIV
c: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mat%206:33&version=NIV
d: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thes%202:4&version=NIV
e: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mat%206:19-21,%2024&version=NIV