Oct 31

Is Your Christianity A Costume?

Kids' Halloween Costumes 2013

Photo Credit: Clintus McGintus via cc

Tonight, if they haven’t already, many children will go out and trick or treat around their neighborhoods. Most all those who do this will dress up in a costume or put on a mask and pretend to be something they are not. Some of the costumes will be cute, some will be funny, some will be scary, while others will be flat out hideous. Yet, it does not matter how different each costume may appear, they all have one thing in common: they are used so people can pretend to be someone they are not.

Many times I’m afraid people do the same thing with their Christianity. They dress up in a costume and pretend to be something they are not. Each Sunday they put on their best clothes, grab their Bibles (if they can remember them), put a smile on their faces and attend worship service. They try to trick people into believing they are devoted followers of Christ although the kind of life they live during the week is anything but one devoted to following Christ. They say things they shouldn’t say, do things they shouldn’t do and neglect things they should be doing.Then they come to church on Sunday and pretend to be someone different than they really are the rest of the week, someone who is holy, hoping no one will notice that their Christianity is nothing more than a costume they put on that morning.

When God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as king, Samuel was sure God was going to anoint Eliab as king. However, God told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Sam. 16:7).

God passed on Eliab and chose David, the youngest son of Jesse, to be the next king because God saw in David what Samuel could not see: his heart. When gathering with the church on Sunday, remember that while we may be able to trick most people, we can never trick or fool God, for He does not see as man sees. God can see our hearts!

Friends, God knows whether our Christianity is genuine or simply a costume. Let’s make sure the kind of lives we are living during the week match the kind of lives we live on Sundays.

Now that’s Something to Think About!
Nov 12

Who Do You Follow?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like several of you, I have a Twitter account. Twitter is a social media outlet that allows a person to follow friends as they make short post up to 140 characters. Every few weeks Twitter will send me an email with suggestions of people I may want to consider following. Sometimes I know the people suggested and sometimes I don’t. Most of the time, the reason Twitter makes the suggestion in the first place is because I have something in common with the person mentioned. I will then click on their profile and read about them and decide whether or not I want to follow this particular person.

Sometimes I choose to follow the people suggested and sometimes I don’t. It really depends on whether or not I believe the person is worth following.

Peter, Andrew, James and John had a similar choice to make. Matthew records, “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:18-22).

When the suggestion to follow Jesus was made to these four men, they had to weigh the options and decide whether or not they believed following Jesus was worth their time. Apparently, it was! All four immediately left their nets (probably full of fish which meant lots of $$$) and walked away from their livelihood to follow after Jesus. Jesus was worth following!

My question to you is, “Who do you follow?” Is following Jesus worth your time? Are you willing to walk away even from your livelihood if necessary, in order to follow after Jesus? If not, why not?

Jesus is worthy to be followed head and shoulders above anyone else in this world. Why not accept the suggestion and invitation (Matthew 11:28-30) to follow Him?

I came across the following this morning and wanted to share it with you.

You Ask Why I Follow This Jesus

You ask why I follow this Jesus?

Why I love Him the way I do?

When the world’s turned away from His teachings

And the people who serve Him are few.

 

It’s not the reward I’m after

Or gifts that I hope to receive;

It’s the Presence that calls for commitment,

It’s the Spirit I trust and believe.

 

The Lord doesn’t shelter His faithful

Or spare them all suffering and pain.

Like everyone else I have burdens,

And walk through my share of rain.

 

Yet he gives me a plan and purpose,

And that joy only Christians have known.

I never know what comes tomorrow,

But I do know I’m never alone.

 

It’s the love always there when you need it;

It’s the words that redeem and inspire.

It’s the longing to ever be with Him

That burns in my heart like a fire.

 

So you ask why I love my Lord Jesus?

Well, friend, that’s so easy to see.

But the one thing that fills me with wonder

Is why Jesus loves someone like me.

 

Now that’s Something to Think About!