Musing – What kind of Christian are they?

Hebraic Musing – What kind of Christian are they?

Retail stores have procedures in place to identify counterfeit money, especially $100 bills. If you are caught trying to cash a counterfeit bill, the consequences could go well beyond losing the face value of the bill, like a day or more in jail.  Yeshua’s ministry frequently dealt with identifying the counterfeit-ness of the Sadducees and Pharisees.   So, with my tongue half in cheek, let’s ponder these questions which might be used to identify counterfeit Christians:

1.)    They feel guiltier about missing church than about hurting a neighbor?  As we stumble imperfectly through life it is so easy to offend, gossip about or take advantage of a “neighbor” in our daily walk.  Does God value attendance more than His people?

2.)    They find believing in the Bible to be more important than believing in Jesus?  It is easy to enjoy the competitive spirit of Bible study and forget to worship the main character!  Why did Jesus have to pleadingly remind people in John 39-40 (red letters)  “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”  NIV

3.)    They try to see how close they can get to sin without actually sinning?  Actually, if they have to ask that question, have they already sinned?  Hmmm…  Why don’t they ask how they can come closer to God?

4.)    Why do some Christians believe it is okay to hold a grudge against someone if he or she hurt them badly enough?  Aren’t we glad Yeshua HaMashiach doesn’t feel that way!!!

5.)    Some Christians believe that real Christians would never engage real sinners?  I am sure glad Yeshua was willing to go the house of Matthew, that horrible tax collector. And that He came to my house!!!

6.)    They believe God exists in a building, not in a group of people?  We know better because we’ve been taught that the “Church” is the people, not a building.  Yet how many times have we seen Christians having difficulty taking Sunday into Monday?   They’ve left God in the building.

7.)    (My favorite)  Too many Christians think maturity is about how much they know, rather than what they do?  I spent a few years in the agricultural business and we had a definition for “mature” as it applies to fruit and vegetables – “Mature means over-ripe and almost rotten.”  Jesus doesn’t want His people to “Sit, soak and sour.”

Yeshua did not come to earth, to preach, and be crucified in order that His people might study the Bible.  Study of His Word is important; but I wish the counterfeit Christians would not bypass the purpose of His coming – Love your neighbor and go into the world to…     

Do these points fit Yeshua’s answer in Mark 12:29-31?  He was asked  “Which is the most important (commandment)?”   "The most important one is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.   Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Musings like this I wind up preaching to me.   

Point to Ponder

At the end of Mark’s book He reminded us of something
we should have learned in kindergarten – “Sharing.”

Shalom y’all                                                                                        November 10, 2015