Tuesday, December 20th, 2005
A Simple Update
The three things:
- Is there a fact to believe here?
- Is there a promise to trust?
- Is there a command to obey?
Well, Monday was the day. I missed a QT. It was a good stretch, 172 straight days. My previous was 109, which was also this year. Obligations and such, I guess they caused me to loose focus, but God loves me, and so long as missing doesn’t become a habit, then I feel that the consistency that I have been shooting for has been accomplished. I was wanting to create an excuse to be able to say I was spiritual in one way or another and thus allowing myself to say that I had a QT in one form or another, but that would be creating a loophole. God doesn’t want loopholes. God wants a good heart. I have a good heart, but by creating a loophole, I would be deceiving God, myself, and it could even have an impact on others by doing such a thing.
Loophole (noun):
- A way of escaping a difficulty, especially an omission or ambiguity in the wording of a contract or law that provides a means of evading compliance.
- An ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation.
Matthew 7:9-13
9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
The Pharisee’s created loopholes for people. They helped themselves to do things they wanted to do and it nullified the word of God. And the kicker is they many things like that! Are loopholes holding me down? Am I creating a loophole to get out of something I know I need to do? I must say, I am tempted from time to time. I even follow through with them on an occasion or two. I am tempted about this whole Christmas thing, because my doctor advised me to spend Christmas at home and not tote my son all over the Metroplex. Very tempting, indeed to do so… I have a loophole if I want to use it… the question is will I go and encourage family, as I am in the habit of doing, or will I stay home and rest and not stress my son out by constant travel? To some, this may seem like an easy choice, but to me, it isn’t a shoe in for either side.
Hebrews 10:22-25
22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The bible does say that I should not give up meeting together. It should be a habit to do so… it also says to encourage one another… if I don’t meet with my church family; it makes it a little harder to encourage them. Jesus himself taught in the church of there time, the temple courts, and the Pharisee’s challenged him there. Matthew 21:23 says that Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" He was teaching in the temple courts? How about that… and even in Mark 14:49 it says “49 every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Jesus preached at the church every day! Now, I am not saying to have church service everyday, but we have a precedence before us that shows we meet every Sunday. I personally don’t care if it is on a street corner (which would be rather cool, I think), a house, or in a church building, but to find the loophole of Saturday evening doesn’t jive with me… I mean, if Easter fell on December 25th, would we jump to Saturday night instead so we can hide Easter eggs the next morning? In essence, that’s what I see. We have Sunday service Saturday night so that we can hide eggs the next morning. This is going to be it for me on talking about the whole Christmas issue (at least for another 6 years (). Anyway, another 171 days to a tie and I’m looking forward to it all!
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