Can’t see the fires for all the daisies
Matthew 7:21-23 (New International Version)
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
“Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you and love you and serve you and do what you want me to do, as long as I live even if I go to Hell at the end of the road,... simply because you are worthy to be loved and obeyed and served, and I’m not trying to make a deal with you.”
Stones for God
Luke Chapter 9 verse 57
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him (Jesus), "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
It pains me to see people paid to do things in the service of God when right here we are told "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Of course the pastor needs to be paid. The pastors family must be clothed, sheltered, fed, and given money to further the works of God. Money has to be spent on materials to further education. There are times when something is beyond a persons financial ability and they need help with giving their services to God. For example, a Sunday school teacher is financially burdened weekly and can't afford juice drinks and small snacks and projects for her toddlers.
But understand, Jesus chased the money dealers and vendors out of the church because of their money making schemes. In this very day there are churches paying people to play the piano. Yes the piano that little Cindy has been practicing for years. While God has poured out blessings on many of his children with the gift of playing the piano and none of them will adore him with it. We pay businesses to come fix leaky faucets and mow lawns. We pay people to run a vacuum around the pews. We pay people to wash windows and take out the trash. All from the money we put into the offering plate.
Who dare sell their soul to the devil in order to serve God? Wake up, because it's being done every single day in nearly every single church. Why would I mention all this and that Bible passage? Because people need to understand if you can't put the greed of this world behind you to serve, then you can't serve God the Father. You ask to be paid for your service when Christ's very precious blood poured from his wounds to cleans your soul. He paid for your sins to set you free from the iron grip of death and eternal damnation. And you want what?
So you pay your tithes. Yet you have so much more to give and you know you owe it and you know you can never repay it. Because Jesus Christ gave it freely to you - for you and all you have to do it accept it and repent. Priceless Love. Every single person on the face of this planet should be singing for joy for the love the Father has shown. Every gifted person who can play an instrument should be playing a song for Christ. Every single person that can cook should be preparing loaves for the thousands who serve him. Every single person that has love for children should be showing the compassion and understand Christ did and teach them of our Saviour. Everyone has something they can give with great joy back to God. Everyone everywhere should thank God for his righteousness, compassion, grace, mercy, love, patience, peace, justice, his understanding, and even his wrath against his enemies. Acknowledge and understand his awesome power and strength and that he created Heaven and Earth. Yet here we are...offering stones to God. Wake up. It's a honor and a blessing to serve God. To bruse knees from pulling weeds and not from carrying the cross. To sweat nothing more than water and not blood from flesh torn. To get a scrape from trimming a rose bush and not a crown of thorns. To cry tears from a smashed thumb and not from the pain of mankinds bitter hatred. So put away those stones and offer yourself for once and be that light unto others.