Category: Obedience

  • Whitewashed – Your pretty Christian face

    I’ve been thinking of whitewash since a passage came up in my Wednesday group. Whitewash is, of course, a mixture of lime and water, often with whiting, size, or glue added, that is used to whiten walls, fences, or other structures. The fence in today’s image has been whitewashed.

    Jesus had some harsh, but true words to say to the Pharisees.

    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

    Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of the day for their outward religion and hard hearts. Knowing that Jesus often used the words of the Old Testament in His teaching, I did some digging and came across the following.

    “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. Ezekiel 33:10-16

    That’s a pretty powerful rebuke. Fortunately for us, it was for the Pharisees. Right? Unfortunately, not, we can whitewash with the best of them.

    We are quite capable of putting on our pretty Sunday morning church faces, reading our Bibles, going to church, and even doing ministry under our own power. But the Lord sees right through that.

    We might fool others. We might even fool ourselves since we are very good at self-deception. We’ll never fool him.

    He looks to our hearts, not the outward appearance.

    Are you a whitewash Christian? Only you and the Lord know, but your faith needs to move from your head to your heart. Our goal is to become Christlike, not perfect seeming Christians, but dead on the inside.

    May the real love of Jesus shine through you.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Hey Jude
    # Right Belief Must Become Right Living

  • Well Done Good and Faithful Servant

    Time is flying by, and that has me in a reflective mood this  morning.

    In three days, the days will be getting longer again. In seven, it’s Christmas already. In fourteen days, we will be in 2026.

    I remember being in high school and thinking how far away the turn of the century was. Now I hear kids talking about events of “the late 20th century,” and I realize I’m not even vintage anymore. I’m an antique.

    At a celebration for my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary, I remember thinking what a long time it had been since they were married. Now, in just over a year, Kathy and I will hit our 50th.

    Where did it all go? What was it all for? A lot of it was probably wasted, still. I hope that some of the time over the past 67 Christmases (68, in a week) will have been of eternal value.

    I still think of myself as a “new” believer, but in retrospect, I have been a believer for over three decades. Not all of that time was used wisely.

    Fortunately, the Lord loves me and forgives my shortcomings. No one has missed salvation because of anything I did or didn’t do.

    In Matthew 23, we read the parable of the talents. The master gives three men responsibility; two are faithful, and one is not.

    To the faithful servants, the master says, 

    “…‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 23:21, 23

    I long to hear those words.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted that despite everything, I will be allowed into the Master’s presence by His grace and mercy. That gift was granted to me by faith (and even the faith itself was a gift).

    I sometimes joke that I will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but only to bus the tables. Yet, even that is far more than this sinful man deserves. I pray that you too will hear the words well done good and faithful servant.

    I know His love, patience, grace, mercy, and faithfulness are real. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. 

    Yet, I cannot even begin to fathom the depths of those things. I’m grateful for them, even if I don’t fully comprehend.

    As we think of that helpless babe in a manger over the coming week, let’s take time to reflect on who He is and what He has done for us.

    He is the reason for and the joy of the season.

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

    Some thoughts on living the Christian life

    Is it right belief or right living?

    Read the Word – that’s where you find the truth

    Called to right living