Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Deuteronomy 29-31
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 18:10-14
Jesus: Imagine two men walking up a road, going to the temple to pray. One of them is a Pharisee and the other is a despised tax collector. Once inside the temple, the Pharisee stands up and prays this prayer in honor of himself: “God, how I thank You that I am not on the same level as other people—crooks, cheaters, the sexually immoral—like this tax collector over here. Just look at me! I fast not once but twice a week, and I faithfully pay my tithes on every penny of income.” Over in the corner, the tax collector begins to pray, but he won’t even lift his eyes to heaven. He pounds on his chest in sorrow and says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
Now imagine these two men walking back down the road to their homes. Listen, it’s the tax collector who walks home clean before God, and not the Pharisee, because whoever lifts himself up will be put down and whoever takes a humble place will be lifted up.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Jesus words are especially important for us in our society. We somehow miss the boat today on humility. We talk about it. We tell each other we are humble. We seem to think it’s important. But our actions to often say something very different when we get around those who are not like us. We tell ourselves we are not like the Pharisee. We know we are sinners and don’t measure up to God’s standard. But does it end there? Is God just interested in what we think about our spiritual welfare when we talk about humility?
As I look at all the different denominations and all the different religions that spring up around me, I wonder how humble we really are. We may think everyone in our congregation is on an equal footing, but how about those that attend that church down the street? Why can’t we get along with others? I’m equally guilty sometimes. I must pass fifty churches on my way to my own every Sunday morning. But I don’t stop at any of them. I don’t know who the pastor is at most of them. I’m not sure if I know anyone who attends most of them. I assume I know what some of them believe, and because of my pastoral studies, I think I know the differences between my denomination and theirs for the most part.
But I have to admit, except for the weekly food pantry that several community churches around my church participate in with us, it’s been a long time since I’ve set foot in one of those other churches around me. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten an invitation to any of those churches around me. It’s been a long time since I’ve invited all those churches to join mine in a spiritual event that will pull us together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Do I think my denomination is better than theirs? The doctrine in my church fits my personal beliefs better, but quite frankly, I think all of us are doing church wrong these days. As I read and re-read the New Testament and the writings of those early church leaders, those services don’t look anything like our services today. I think maybe the churches in China or Kenya or Iran or Pakistan come a lot closer to doing church right than we do in this country. Those churches don’t much care about denomination. They are born out of persecution and thrive because of their determination to live for Christ even in the face of death.
If ISIS showed up at my church’s doorstep this Sunday, I’m not sure how many of those in my congregation would stick around to lose their head for Christ. A lot say they would, but when the knives come out and blood starts flowing, I’m not so sure about those Christians in name only any more. I expect there would be some mass exodus out the back doors if the choice was denounce your faith or lose your life. I expect it’s the same in your church. You probably don’t want to hear that or admit that, but I’m afraid it’s true today. We like the sound of the words, but we don’t want to make the sacrifice necessary to really be like Jesus.
So now that I’ve bashed all of our churches, all our denominations, what do we do? Where should we go? If all the churches are full of hypocrites, should we stop going and start another church? No. Jesus didn’t stop going to the temple because there hypocrites and sinners there. He just worshiped the way He knew the Father wanted Him to worship. Like that man who prayed humbly and recognized his broken state. Our churches are full of sinners and hypocrites and that is a great thing. Where else can they hear the message that God loves them and has a better way of life for them? Go, worship, be an example to others of how to live like Jesus. But to do that, you must live like Him. And to do that, it takes a lot of soul searching and letting Him have complete control of your life. Something that’s not always easy in a world that tells us we are the number one and can do anything we set our mind on.
Well, let’s get real, I will never be number one and neither will you. God will always hold that place whether you give it to Him or not. And you can not do anything you set your mind to. Only God can do that because He is God and we are not. Now, any questions?
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