I mentioned in the last post that we have been taking a deep look at what we've been taught in church all of our lives and examining it in the light of God's Word. We've been shocked more than once by what we've found.
It's sad, but often we're trained to believe that if the Pastor says it, then it must be correct. They're seminary graduates who spend time studying and they even use Scripture to back up their revelation, so it must be right! What if it wasn't? What if the verse or verses were used out of context? Do we know if the proper meaning was applied, or if was it used incorrectly? Was it "enhanced" in order to pump up the people and coax an emotional response, instead of allowing God's Word to penetrate the heart and bring about the life change that God desires? Let me ask you...do you know why you seek God? Is it for self, or is it for a relationship with Him?
You might be asking what those last 2 questions have to do with a Pastor taking verses out of context and hyping up messages. Believe it or not, the answer has a direct impact on whether or not you would even care. If we serve God selfishly, then we might need to have Scriptures taken out of context or "spun" a certain way in order to satisfy our desires. Let's face it, the lifestyle of some "Christians" today can only be justified by cutting and pasting the Bible to mean what they want it to mean. If we go to church just to get our blessing, then we probably need that hyped-up jive talk to pump us up so we feel great about ourselves. Then we can hit that emotional "high" that lets us know that we've really had a good service! If that's the case then we've missed the whole point!
God wants to bless us, but His primary concern isn't with our emotional bliss, or our monetary abundance! He wants our soul to prosper and that only comes through a right relationship with Him. That relationship is not based on what He can do for us. It's based on our desire to be close to Him. If you get married based on convenience or other selfish reasons, that marriage won't last long because there is no solid foundation. If, however, you get married because of the relationship you have with that other person, it will last because that relationship will grow stronger, even through the tough times. (And let me just say here that marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman. You can't argue with Romans 1 unless you completely ignore what it says...sorry.) So now, let me expand on the questions I asked earlier.
Why do you serve God? Is it because you don't want to go to hell, or is it because you truly love Him? Why do you seek Him? Do you seek Him for Who He Is, or for what He can do for you?
I'm going to let you think about those questions and I'm asking you to be honest in your answers. I'm not asking you to give those answers in the comments, either. Just take some time and examine your heart and your motives for serving God. If they are selfish, it's not too late to do something about it. If they are pure, then stand guard and don't back down.
I look forward to sharing more with you next time. Until then, be blessed!
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