"Well, the pastor will not be there, so I am not going either!" "Well, they really are not saying or teaching anything I want to hear, so I am not going to go this Bible Study!" "Well, I think I can do better than they can, so I will not attend this one thing." "Well, I want time away from "them", even though I know I should attend, but..............!!!"
EXCUSES AND MORE EXCUSES..........and it all has to do with the "me, myself, and I"..........and that always stinks, does it not?
I was finding time to go over the regular duty of clearing old emails out...........and I always try to read over them before deleting them forever. But one remained that I thought interesting. It was written awhile ago and it mentions a person's intention of not attending this function at church because of issues with something.........yet, the next thing in their writing, they changed it and made it "their thing" the very next night. Well that issue had to do with the body, a sickness coming on, but in less than 24 hours they were all better and let their "buds" know to be out for their "thing" on the following evening.
What is wrong with being honest? Why can't someone just say, " I did not want to attend because.........." and fill in why they do not want to attend!
Are we dealing with pride, or with a reluctance to be truthful about anything? "Well, I do not want to hurt their feelings." "Well, I.............!" "Well, I.....".
DISCERNMENT!
Discernment comes by spending time in the Word of God. Believer's gain understanding and truth through that Word. In that, we find judging the right course to stay with God, and not follow man!
I always think of this scripture...................
Ezekiel 33:30-33................30 "As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
33 "When all this comes true-and it surely will-then they will know that a prophet has been among them." NIV
Ever been around someone who tells you that ....."this word was certainly given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit".....but yet....you see them........leave and................go about finding that which brings them only gain?
Now, come on.............be honest with yourself!
In some of the early churches I attended in my youth, no one had a Bible study. I had not heard of one till the 90's. Seriously! I kid you not!
And then, my thought process was one that I could study at home and usually did for I love to read and search things out from scripture. But I found that when I attended, I could have this light of revelation come on some verse we were looking at together. And in spending time with others over the Word of God, I found that study time was a time that culminated into what would be this beautiful tapestry being built together that would glorify God!
So many times, I would volunteer to have a study in our home. Then it became a prayer meeting time. But the study continued, and I was always ready to invite people to come!
In those cases, I would find the two or three gather from maybe the original five............well, the other two had other things to do!
I remember this one time of having a study in April 2007. It was to be a teaching on Deborah, the Prophetess. Snow began to fall, and two came. We still had a party over the Word of God. We had great fellowship and enjoyed some great finger sandwiches. Yes, those two left some two or three hours later in a snowstorm, but God got them home safe and sound!
Yes, there are those who desire to hear the Word............to seek God and then there are those who find one excuse after another of why they should not attend.
Then you will hear of those that will say they will come to a study but later you find them choosing something else because of ...........EXCUSE..........!
To me, it seems more appropriate to say they are too busy and do not have time for the Word!
The Word teaches us that one day in the courts (house) of the Lord is better than a thousand anywhere else!
Psalm 84:10-12.........10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you. NIV
In that one day God can save us years of work and more work. He can show us ways to get that new job, how to gain favor at work (and not through the flesh thing), He can show us how to know that He seeks our good and will bring to us honor and favor that we never dreamed we could have in our lifetimes. In His presence, we find answers to things that may have plagued us for years. In that time of receiving a teaching on a passage from the Word of God, we can move quickly through something without even pausing for a breath of air! God can show us where to go for the best prices in town when shopping for our children's back to school items. He can show us the best place to purchase a home and which neighborhood to live or He can show us the best place to rent and live far out in the country and enjoy the beauty of what He has created. He is God and He is great and His thoughts for us are wonderful!
But many times, people choose "to skip" it today because we are really "busy". Today I cannot get to church or that study because............."EXCUSE". WHAT MAKES IT SAD, IS THAT GOD, HIMSELF, COULD BE WANTING TO GIVE YOU A GOD-IDEA FOR A NEW INVENTION SO YOU MAKE ALL THE MONEY YOU NEED AND STILL FULFILL HIS PLAN FOR YOU IN MINISTRY!!!! HE COULD BE SHOWING YOU HOW TO STILL MAKE A LIVING BUT WORK LESS HOURS A DAY! HE COULD BE TRYING TO GET INTO THAT HEAD AND HEART OF OURS, THAT HIS PLAN IS A PLACE OF EASE, WITHOUT STRESS AND WE COULD SEE GREAT BENEFITS FROM FOLLOWING WHAT HE DESIRES FOR OUR GOOD.
Proverbs 1:5-6.....
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance--
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise. NIV
Proverbs 15:14-15..............14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. NIV
Discerning heart is the one seeking knowledge about God, His truth, and His way of doing. Again, He can certainly save us time and energy when we seek His plan. AND all our days are to have the look of the continual feast with a happy heart. We are to have a feast always on the word of God and having the happy heart knowing He is with us today!
Proverbs 17:24..........24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. NIV
A Discerning man will keep wisdom in view. THAT look is one that is steadfast, and not wandering. One who is wandering is "unsettled" and is restless! People sometimes think that by connecting with some family member is keeping the communication lines open, but in reality, the part being played out is the one thinking that by reaching for "that family member" is trying to bring to the present something the two had together in the past.....(the said family member may not even keep in contact now, not by phone, email or otherwise)............AND THAT DOES NOT WORK OUT FOR THE GOOD FOR ANYONE! Some people are resistant to change. They like things the way they are and desire for no change to take place. But if you are fifty and are still acting like a 5 year old, wow, something needs to change.
IF both hearts are on the same page, let's say like serving the Lord, having gladness in their heart, they certainly can and will connect. But if one tries in their own effort to reach one who is far from God, and wandering, the saved one may now be connecting with the wandering one and his wandering eyes and not with the "family member" but only what they remember from the past.
Again, if we say, this person (man or woman) is trying to connect with "family member" who is far from God and who lives a lifestyle that is on the pretty wild and crazy....side of life.........the saved one may continue to try reaching and many times it is like trying to drive forward but looking back in your rear view mirror all the time. That person without wisdom of God is fluttering around from place to place all the while restless ...........ALWAYS WANDERING.........SEARCHING.......LOOKING BUT NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE. They cannot keep their mind on the "one important" thing in life. That is God!
It is good for butterflies to flutter from place to place, from flower to flower, but when a man or woman wanders it's because of a restless attitude.
You have seen them. They are the anxious, the agitated, and ill-at-ease around you. That driving forward while continually looking back, will "wreck" you.
Our son-in-law did this teaching with the "compass" a few weeks ago for the entire group attending the church service. It was awesome for the youth to see how the direction from the compass would steer them! They read the directions of the compass to get from point A to point B and so on. I thought of that today, and how many people really need that compass of God's word to steer us in the right direction. He wants to help us avoid overworking something. When the person is not fixed on the "one thing" but rambling about, only viewing that they need like the paycheck, a need to please mommy dearest, and keep family together, we can certainly come up short in the wise department.
God desires us to aim at that which He has placed before us. He desires us to keep that focus and not look back at "the past". And that applies to our job, our ministry, if you have one, and applies to raising our children. If you were raised without God while growing up, the best thing for your children is to bring them to God and have them hear about Him, day in and day out, week in and week out! But if we are raised in the church, and take on that holier than thou attitude, that stinks to high heaven. We may certainly quote the Word of God and still tell lies, AND what does that make us?
I remember this lady..........some years ago, she desired to do something and had great ideas, and they would probably work well at that time. She said wanted to clone some certain people who she had known from her past, but the best thing for us today is to embrace those around us now.
Who has God placed around us that we should embrace? Too many times, people really liked their past better than their present. But if one keeps looking back to the past how can they be effective in this day which the Lord has given them?
Too many times, we are trying to make yesterday work for today and that will not work and is not a good thing to do. You can look at some ministries TODAY, many are trying to make today work out of yesterday's or last years ideas!Next time you attend a church service, a Bible study or even a Prayer Meeting, consider this. From Ezekiel 33......ask yourself..." Am I interested in God and all that He has for me?" " Am I shallow in my thinking less toward.....Sister......"so and so"........in her teaching or her leading in this area that I desire?" Lord, " Am I just being superficial about Sister...."so and so"?
"Is my enthusiasm lacking life to it?" "Am I loving more earthly things and avoiding those heavenly ones that I should be cherishing?"
"Am I judging pastor........."so and so".......or Sister........"so and so" because of their manner of teaching or delivering a message from God?
" Am I Lord, seeking my favorite past times and those indulgences that come when I do my "own thing?"
"Is my interest a distraction that needs to stop right now?"
"Or do I just want my say that has no wisdom of God, but certainly carries things from the world?"
Proverbs 17:7.....7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince. NKJV
A common truth: if you have a despicable man and he appears to speak as the educated man, the elected official, a scholar, or say even an administrator of a hospital and no one pays attention to him because of his character, how much more so will the same thing apply to say the "believer"....who knows the word of God, and still tells lies so blatantly . Will someone heed the hateful (the despicable) man when he tries to appear......as the reputable, the kind and the worthy?
In the verse below, we find the child is known by his actions.............by looking at his conduct!
Proverbs 20:11.............11 Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right. NIV
Is the child behaving as he ought to behave? Is he being disciplined by the Lord? Because whatever he speaks comes straight from the heart. How he acts at home, he will act in public! Not sure why some seem so surprised when their child throws a hissy fit at the grocery store or the mall, for they evidently have been brought up that way. (But right now we are looking at why we choose to avoid church and some pastors or teachers. )
Psalm 101:1-8......I will sing of your love and justice;to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life--when will you come to me?
I will walk in my house with blameless heart. 3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate;they will not cling to me. 4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;I will have nothing to do with evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,him will I put to silence;whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,him will I not endure.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,that they may dwell with me;he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.
7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house;no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
8 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land;I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD. NIV
From the above scripture passage, the blameless life is one that has a blameless heart, that has no vile, and they have their eyes on the faithful in the land. Who is the faithful in the land? Who surrounds them? Are they the faithful? Are they in church, and leading? They are those that are the faithful and who are to minister to you and me!
The action of not presenting truth is telling lies, but does not lie fully on that "lie" itself, but on the character of the man or woman and with the harmony of each as that character plays out in their speech.
AM I speaking and doing...........do I have action to what I write?
In closing: God loves the faithful, and He is ever-present in today. Are we ready to face the day with His Word and to heed those teachers and pastor or pastors He has provided for us to hear?
From what we have seen in scripture, that perfect way, that walk is sincere. It is not being masked either before God or with our fellow believers. If we truly have the Word of God and live by it, then it should rule........and will be........ bringing all the glory to God.............and in that we see the "perfect heart".
Behaving ourselves wisely, is walking without any pretense toward anyone. We are to be those who are as wise as serpents. If you correct a child, you have him look into your eyes while you speak. If you do not do that, he will not hear, but just be active in what he was doing before the discipline started as pertaining to his behavior. I know some ladies who live up north, who attended the same church as we did for many years, and if they desired not to hear.........they would simply lift their hand up to you and say "speak to the hand". Yikes!
From the previous blog, THE FALLEN, we looked at Saul and how Jesus came to change his attitude toward those who lead in the church. In the following is an excerpt from that blog:
If you or I treat others with lies, then what does that speak about us? Our duty to our neighbor is to be truthful. And in that duty, people will see our character .......and how will they see us?
Father, we pray in Jesus' name, and seek what are we disposed to , what do we have a tendency toward that will bring us to defeat. What do we conceal or keep under pretense in dealing with pastors or teachers You have sent our way?
Father, our desire is to be truthful all the days of our lives. We are examples to our children and their children. We desire to bring edification and life to those we minister life to on a daily basis. Help us to not be the liar, the grumbler, or even the complainer. Help us and remind us daily to use those words we have been disciplined by from YOUR Word of truth.
Your Word says a man who desires a long life must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:12-13). Show us where we may be missing the mark on that word.
May Your Spirit of Love reign in the words we speak so that we do not have a miscommunication or wound one another. Help us to show each other respect, speak words that encourage, share our feelings openly; and come to mutual agreements without strife. Help us to be honest!
Show us what we may be indulging in that is bad for us and show us the right place to be in hearing and doing Your Word. And Father, let your face shine on us Your servants, and thank You for Your unfailing love. Let us not be put to shame, for we have cried out to You today. Let lying lips be silenced who may speak arrogantly against the righteous. (Psalm 31:16-18). Amen and Amen.
From what we have seen in scripture, that perfect way, that walk is sincere. It is not being masked either before God or with our fellow believers. If we truly have the Word of God and live by it, then it should rule........and will be........ bringing all the glory to God.............and in that we see the "perfect heart".
Behaving ourselves wisely, is walking without any pretense toward anyone. We are to be those who are as wise as serpents. If you correct a child, you have him look into your eyes while you speak. If you do not do that, he will not hear, but just be active in what he was doing before the discipline started as pertaining to his behavior. I know some ladies who live up north, who attended the same church as we did for many years, and if they desired not to hear.........they would simply lift their hand up to you and say "speak to the hand". Yikes!
From the previous blog, THE FALLEN, we looked at Saul and how Jesus came to change his attitude toward those who lead in the church. In the following is an excerpt from that blog:
If we run from church to church and trying to destroy those called by the Lord for the purpose of bringing the Kingdom of God to others, we too become like a "Saul". Are we complaining of the teaching or preaching from the pulpit? Are we trying to bring shame on one who is called by God to deliver the message of salvation to the world?
If you or I treat others with lies, then what does that speak about us? Our duty to our neighbor is to be truthful. And in that duty, people will see our character .......and how will they see us?
Father, we pray in Jesus' name, and seek what are we disposed to , what do we have a tendency toward that will bring us to defeat. What do we conceal or keep under pretense in dealing with pastors or teachers You have sent our way?
Father, our desire is to be truthful all the days of our lives. We are examples to our children and their children. We desire to bring edification and life to those we minister life to on a daily basis. Help us to not be the liar, the grumbler, or even the complainer. Help us and remind us daily to use those words we have been disciplined by from YOUR Word of truth.
Your Word says a man who desires a long life must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:12-13). Show us where we may be missing the mark on that word.
May Your Spirit of Love reign in the words we speak so that we do not have a miscommunication or wound one another. Help us to show each other respect, speak words that encourage, share our feelings openly; and come to mutual agreements without strife. Help us to be honest!
Show us what we may be indulging in that is bad for us and show us the right place to be in hearing and doing Your Word. And Father, let your face shine on us Your servants, and thank You for Your unfailing love. Let us not be put to shame, for we have cried out to You today. Let lying lips be silenced who may speak arrogantly against the righteous. (Psalm 31:16-18). Amen and Amen.
You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV
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