June
25, 2003
Main Thought: To
understand that the beauties of relationship outshines the benefits of ritual.
Rich in Ritual or Relationship?
To be rich in that which
makes us complete is happiness indeed! We all love for our lives to stand out
and be noticed like lights shining in the darkness. But, there is a difference
between making your light shine and allowing it to shine. First off, thank the
Lord for those in our world, communities, families, and individuals around us
who have learned the rewards of self-discipline. But, woe to those who have not
gone beyond the temporary rewards that ritual brings us into the everlasting
joys that relationships bring.
There are those of us who
have learned that when we eat less junk and exercise more that we can actually
have the bodies that we’ve dreamed about. Again there are those who have
learned that when we shake off the tendency to be lazy and wake up and be
disciplined when it comes to working hard that its rewards (although temporal)
can be quite satisfying within this temporary world we live in. Unfortunately,
many of us allow our vision to stop there and can’t see that there is higher
plane of existence that is actually more important than the plane of plain
old-fashioned hard work and discipline and that is relationship! Please note
the following verses that Christ Himself spoke; Matthew
25:31- 46 31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before
him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates
the sheep from the goats. 33He will put
the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34"Then the King will
say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your
inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave
me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed
clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison
and you came to visit me.' 37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to
drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes
and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41"Then he will say
to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me
nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a
stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe
me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44"They also
will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or
needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45"He will
reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of
these, you did not do for me.' 46"Then they will go away to eternal
punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Please note the
sheep’s response in verses 37-39. They were asking when did
they do all those wonderful things that Christ said that they had done.
And then take note of what the goat’s response was in verse 44 to what Christ
spoke to them, when DIDN’T we do those things that you
said we didn’t do.
You know it’s funny that we
don’t take more time to examine this very important scripture text for goats
look a lot like sheep but they just aren’t. They may be the same height, eat
the same food, and in all respects look very much the same, but the facts
remain the same. We as people are funny, show us Christ who is God and we say,
“we can be like that.” Show us His revelations as to
what sheep look like, those who delight in giving of themselves, their time,
their money, their talents, even doing things like tithing, baptism,
confession, and faithful attendance of services with those that profess to know
Him. But, being a sheep doesn’t come
from the outward actions no more than being God’s child. We presently live in a
world that is filled with things of the physical realm and so our tendency is
when we learn of spiritual truths to try and apply them by our flesh.
So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD
to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD
Almighty. (Whole Chapter: In
context: )
Many of us see God and see that His works are good but many of us think that we
can put on godliness like putting on a change of clothes and yet, until we
realize that our ways are totally opposite of God’s ways and that our
righteousness is like filthy rags in His site there remains no hope.
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all
our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and
like the wind our sins sweep us away. (Whole Chapter: In
context: )
This is why there will be no braggarts in Heaven. There will be absolutely
nothing to brag about but the infinite Loving Kindness and Mercy of God upon
us!
And yet many times, even
after we’ve come to realize that we’re lost and undone and need Him and have
accepted His forgiveness, we’ll get right back up in the flesh and try to live
for Christ by the arm of the flesh and not the Spirit of God; Galations 3:3-5 3Are you so foolish? After beginning
with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have
you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? 5Does
God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the
law, or because you believe what you heard? God’s desire is to reward us
bountifully when we get to Glory, but unfortunately, many people’s rewards will
be few due to the fact that they haven’t exercised the walk by faith and not be
sight. And it will be even sadder yet for those who began the walk of faith to
end up following after things of satan;
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and
follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (Whole Chapter: In
context: )
To abandon the faith, means that they had to have it to begin with.
What amazes me is the many
ways we’ve devised to do our own thing and not Gods. He opens our hearts and
minds to reveal His love and the first thing we know, we’re trying to live for
Him from our heads and not our hearts, or from our works and not our love for
Him – how very sad. These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural
instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Whole Chapter: In
context: )
Again, thank God for the routines we’ve developed within our lives with
each other and with Him but if our lives stop short of relationships by getting
hung up on our routines than we’ve short changed our own reward; Romans 8:13-14 13For if you live according to
the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the
misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by
the Spirit of God are sons of God. God’s Word is Spirit and Truth, we
need to spend time as Mary at His Feet listening to His Voice for it’s only by
the hearing of His Word that the lies of satan are
exposed and grace is given to overcome. 2 Peter
1:2&3 2Grace and peace be
multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3According as his divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: And, another
good verse is
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Whole
Chapter: In
context: )
It’s only when we learn how
to humble our hearts before Him and listen to His voice that He can reveal His
heart to us. The problem usually is that we don’t take the time to listen and
so we end up missing out on the fulfilling walk of relationship with Him and
end up living an empty life of ritual. That Blessed old Hymn “I come to the
Garden alone” was birthed out of one who learned the joy of relationship “I
come to the garden alone and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has
ever known!” How very very true! How God desires America to return to the rock
from which she was hewn and come back into a living, loving relationship with
Him. We need to repent from having started this nation trusting in His Power
and Grace to live our lives to relying on our own abilities and talents like Galations 3:3-5 states above.
O Lord, please forgive this
nation in which You have had much delight and which has taken Your Love and
Blessings and turned them into works of men’s own righteousness which is but
filthy rags in Your sight. Help us Lord to seek Your face once again and to
return to the Blessed Loving relationship that we so desperately need. In Jesus
Blessed Holy Name, Amen.
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