Monday, April 12, 2010

Mark 7:15

"There is nothing people put into their bodies that makes them unclean. People are made unclean by the things that come out of them." NCV


I have friends who are the prominent leaders of their congregations. They are the teachers of a large body in Christ. I was able to go to a wonderful conference last February that was put on by the Austin Stone Community Church...and many more pastors and leaders of congregations were sharing about their body of believers...and how to get all of us to live on mission and to love missionally! (Ok Webster Dictionary doesn't like this word...but it is the one I want to use).

One comment thread I kept hearing at this conference was, "I'm just not being fed..." It was the teaching pastors all saying the same thing. Their congregations were full of great people, wonderful Christians, but their hearts were just dead...and how do we wake them up again? The main question was how? How do you get them to see...they will never be fed by the teaching pastor...they have to open the Book, read the pages and let God feed them! If they feel they are not being fed...then they have to go figure out why! All they teaching pastor can do is lead them to Christ...they have to learn to drink on their own.

This verse in Mark chapter 7 is a version of that kind of heart. The Pharisees doubted Jesus' divine nature...they kept asking him for a sign from heaven that would proclaim him as the Messiah. Hello...He had given then many miracles and signs...reasons to believe...but it was their hearts. They were a proud judgmental, jealous lot. They only saw Jesus as a threat to them. They couldn't wait to find a way to bring Him to THEIR judgment!

When we fail to really read and study God's word...we don't have a valuable tool God provides to feed us real food for life. We start looking at things with the world's eyes and not the eyes, heart and compassion of Christ. Our leaders begin to look weak, lacking vision...so to speak...but they are human just like us. We start to become very critical of them to a point we want to take them to our own personal judgment table.

The mouth reflects the condition of the heart. Remember these words...and mediate on them deeply. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." Philippians 2:5 (NIV) Dear Lord, search me, O God, and know my heart (Psalm 139:23). Soften my heart and make me willing to receive an attitude adjustment from You. Help me to see when I am not reflecting the love and compassion of Christ. Help me to remember and to know it is MY job to be in a real relationship with You. That is what you desire from me. Even at best all my teaching leaders can do is show me the Book, the Bible...I have to open it for myself and really read God's love letter to me.


In Christ,
Mama Barb

1 comment:

LorieGoggin said...

Amen Barb. There is a time when we have to go from the milk to the meat- and momma doesn't come to my house and cut up my meat. I do it myself. :) Thank you for sharing- I wouldn't trade my relationship with Jesus (that grew out of my study of his word) for anything in the world, it is more valuable than diamonds to me. Love you-