Matthew 23:27

Matthew 23:27
27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean

In Jesus' time, to step on a grave would make a person ceremonially unclean. They were whitewashed to make them very visible at night. Several year ago, while in Mongolia with my family, we visited a Buddhist Monastery. It was quite interesting to watch workers building a small shrine type object. This was constructed out of various bricks, rocks other building materials. To match other similar objects at the monastery, the final step was to whitewash the works. Underneath that clean, white paint was a conglomeration of messy materials that would not appear to be worthy of worship.

Christ, in the above text, is issuing a condemnation to leaders of the church. They had all the appearances of being upright when really the exact opposite was the case. Of course, the warning is just as applicable for us today. The world may not see through our whitewash, but God does.

The best part is that when one asks for forgiveness and repents of sin, God grants that forgiveness. Now that is some good news.

Blessings
Mark

Scripture taken from New International Version (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Micah 6: 6-8

Micah 6: 6-8 6 With what shall I come before the LORDand bow down before the exalted God?Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,with ten thousand rivers of oil?Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.And what does the LORD require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The book of Micah is a mixed bag of judgment and deliverance. Micah points out how God hates idolatry, injustice and empty ritualism. He also points out how much God delights in pardoning the penitent.

In this section, Micah specifically is addressing our giving. There can be a great feeling as you give to the Lord's work in your church and community. Perhaps too good? Each of us is called to give what it is that the Lord has placed in our hearts. This text is addressing our attitude towards giving. It is fine to give but to give without obedience to His commands is out of step with what God requires. Look at verse 8. He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Without verse 8, our giving, our service to God is empty ritualism.

Blessings

Mark

Scripture taken from New International Version (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Revelation 3:15-17

Rev 3:15-17 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

The water near Laodicea (the church addressed in this section) was known for its dirty, warm water that flowed for miles in underground aqueducts. It is said that visitors unaccustomed to this water would often spit it out! The church here was neither cold, openly rejecting Christ, nor hat, filled with spiritual zeal. Instead, its members were lukewarm, hypocrites professing to know Christ, but truly not belonging to him. They thought that they were rich and in need of nothing, not realizing their spiritual condition left them poor, blind and naked.

This is an excellent reminder for us today. Have you ever taken a big swig of water from a bottle that has been in a hot car for hours? Spit it out, didn't you?

So what is your temperature?

Blessings

Mark

Scripture taken from New International Version (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew [a] you,before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

Footnotes:
Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose

Scripture taken from New International Version (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Perhaps you have read Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life as many folks have and maybe your church has even participated in a Purpose Driven campaign. Here in Jeremiah, we find a great example of a call to purpose. Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet even before he was born. Note verse 5. "Before I formed you in the womb, I chose you, before you were born I set you apart".

This calling is at first a general one. But God quickly moves to refine that calling in the last half of verse 5. Jeremiah claims to not know how to speak and further emphasizes his young age. When God calls anyone to a task, he always equips him/her for the work they are to do. God further assures Jeremiah that he need not be afraid of his task. God will be with him and rescue him. What is missing is a promise of a trouble free journey. Trials may come, but Jeremiah's life will be preserved. While his task is that of a messenger of doom (verse 10; uproot, tear down, destroy, and overthrow) there are some positive aspects to the call in the form of planting.

Even before you were born, as we have read, God had a plan for you. Do you know what that plan is? Are you listening?

May you bring Glory to His Name in all that you do.

Mark