Lesson of the Mosquito

           As I was typing yesterday’s blog a mosquito landed on my finger and proceeded to drill for blood. I type, with two fingers, by the biblical method of seek and ye shall find; which means my eyes were on my fingers the whole time. I thought:”Now, that’s bold. That mosquito is either very brave or very stupid.” After eluding the swat meant to end his life, the mosquito flew off to bite again and a third possibility came to me.

It’s possible that this skeeter was neither brave nor stupid. Maybe, just maybe, he was so consumed by singleness of purpose that nothing else mattered. The fact that his purpose was to steal my blood and leave me itching seems rather ignoble to me, yet I couldn’t help admire his dedication. My admiration withered the second, third and fourth time he came back, but that’s beside the point. The point is that there is joy to be had in finding our purpose and sticking to it. This mosquito lived and died, ( I finally got the little booger), pursuing his dream.

And if you believe all that, you’re as weird as I am. For all that anyone knows, that mosquito was just doing what mosquitoes do. It was impossible for him to do otherwise and that’s why he kept trying, at times successfully, until he died. What about us? What are people meant to do? I believe we were made to be keepers of Paradise and to walk with God in the cool of the day. There is still a Way to fulfill our purpose; singleness of pursuit will take us there.    

Number Two

“This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” The Golden Rule, in one form or another, all of the world’s religions and philosophies pay homage to it. Without a doubt there is an attraction in its simple wisdom. And why not? Treating others as one would be treated allows for a purity of spirit without the need for religious sentiments.
The great difficulty in the Golden Rule lies not in agreeing with it, but in living it. Forget about living the rule to the reflexive level, translating the ideal into a fairly consistent practice is beyond the capabilities of the best of us. That is why Jesus is very specific that this is the second great commandment.
The ability to love thy neighbor is derived directly and proportionally from the first command-- “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” The inner peace; honest self-view; and properly weighted self-esteem required to love others comes only from the surrender of oneself to God. Without such a surrender, ego remains enthroned in the heart and mind eliminating any possibility that self and others can be placed on an equal plane. The self which is incapable of yielding to God is equally incapable of yielding its desires for the sake of others.

Here’s the real kicker for those who are spiritual but not taught. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”  

Imperfection's Sting

   The problem with imperfection is how imperfectly it is viewed. There are those happy souls that take a “no worries” approach. They think nothing of  imperfection beyond the fact that every body’s doing it. At the opposite end of the human spectrum are dour souls who see imperfection as a personal failure and feel guilty for falling into it’s evil clutches. The devil thrives in extremes of all kinds.
     “Nobody’s perfect” is true, but it is not a license to live as you please. The very idea of imperfection requires a standard from which to fall short. We would not know imperfection exists without a fixed something to measure against. In our own case it is the ideal Man; the Man which each of us ought to be--but know we are not. To be less than we were created to be ultimately leads to disappointment.  We become disappointed with ourselves; our efforts to be more; and the displeasure it must give our Creator to see us suffer so.
    Christians that take their faith seriously are keenly aware--”it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” If they should ever forget, there is no small supply of mockers and devils to remind them. The Accuser has no crueler weapon than one’s own conscious. For almost his entire life my father resisted becoming a Christian because he knew he could not be perfect. He knew sooner or later he would tell a lie or revert to the vocabulary of his youth. To his thinking, sin after conversion would make him a failure and a hypocrite.
    “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” is the command of Christ. Nevertheless, it is a goal--not the present reality. At present we are no more than unfired clay. While we are unfinished, we are not unmindful of that which we are becoming or the Spirit’s urging to perfection.
    “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
    “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Notes for Tonight's Jesus Walk

Worship is a response to God.

A response requires a cause.
No worship where there is no cause.
God causes worship. It is His gift.
A response is an action.

Worship is a voluntary action.

It cannot be coerced, manufactured or passively watched.

A worship response ascribes greater worth or value.

Directed from lower to higher.

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’ “

Revelation 4:10-11

A worship response includes thanksgiving for the cause of worship.

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalms 100.

Worship is a privilege.
Admission into the inner sanctuary of God’s presence; where God lives.

This is the Holy Place.

The place of the believer’s offering, sacrifice, petition and praise.

“We are standing on holy ground...” It is true because of God’s presence.

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.” Psalms 22:3-4

Worship is an offering.
It involves giving to God in response to His gifts.
As imitators of Christ, we give what Christ gave.
Life, honor, surrender of will, service, possessions.
Offering is God’s due and but a return of His blessings.

“I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof...Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High...” Psalms 50.

Worship is a garment.

Covers the nakedness of the old man that the holiness of the new man

may be seen. It is the means to:

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Paul told the Church at Ephesus:

“...put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”  Ephesians 4:22-24

The worship garmentShields the soul from anxiety, depression, weariness,

and a host of problems.

“Depression and praise cannot coexist in the heart.”

This is why we once sang:

“Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by. Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

Worship is power. Jesus told His disciples to await the power of the Holy Ghost before carrying out the Great Commission. Worship unites and fills us with the Spirit--the result is power and gifts that will yield fruit. Truth and Spirit are needed for worship that pleases God. No just an emotional reaction--”Worship erupts from a heart of gratitude and praise.”

Drawing a Straight Line

I know an art teacher who is of the opinion that, contrary to my coloring books, people do not have lines around them. HA!

You may not be able to see it with the naked eye, but about three feet outside my physical body, there is a line. If a living creature crosses that line uninvited, I begin to get very uncomfortable. Given an opportunity, I will retreat to re-establish the line. In my world there are lines and some of them not meant to be crossed.

Enter ironic plot twist. Just as I was about to join the ranks of those who see no difference between the truth; the whole truth; and nothing but the truth---boom! It becomes my vocational duty to employ my natural talent for truth sculpting and hair splitting. So far I have escaped unscathed. Nevertheless, I know the day is coming when the need to “turn a blind eye” and “work the system” will come calling once again.

Where do I draw the line between serving others and enabling their appetites?