Sometimes you just can't out fool the Master...
Yesterday was April Fools day for us here in the States, the day before in Okinawa. My daughter and I got into a match of sorts and to be honest, I think it's a draw. She got me, I got her back....even-steven. There were kudos all around and a couple of us (who are pretty much sore losers (me)) got our feathers a little ruffled, but we love each other all the same. Friends, if they are who they say they are, will concede that the jokes went maybe a bit too far but were pretty good all the same. Anyway, that's not where I'm going with this.
As I typed out my title line, it occurred to me that we really can't fool the Master. No matter where we are or what we are doing or thinking, the Master always is there, always knows what's going on, even if we are doing our best to fool ourselves or others. He knows the intention of our hearts, even when we have no clue ourselves. Sure, we can do a good deed, believing that we are being noble in our actions when in reality we are looking over our shoulders to see who is looking. I'm not saying that everyone does it, but we must be careful what our intentions are.
I've read in a couple of places of people who make a big show of giving to the poor. The Bible says to do our good deeds in secret, not allowing our left hand to know what our right hand is doing, or is that the other way around? Either way, we aren't to bring ourselves out in our good deeds, because our Father in Heaven who sees in secret will reward us openly. This brings to mind Saint Nicholas (not Santa, the real Saint Nicholas), who did his good deeds in secret. I don't know if he was ever rewarded for the good that he had done, but I'm sure that our Father was well pleased with him.
What about those who are mission minded? Now, keep in mind that the mission field is the entire world, not just Africa or whatever third world country that you can think of. It's in our own backyards, our jobs, our leisure time, online or even our own Church congregations. Yes, our Church congregations. Believe it or not, it is a mission field as well. You can't tell me that there aren't skeptics amongst the faithful! We can't just ignore the needs of the skeptic who came in to see what we are all about. Then there are the ill, the infirmed, the newlyweds or new mothers, the folks with special needs and their families and even families who have hit hard times. The Church is a big mission field, because if we don't take care of our own, then they will go elsewhere, perhaps to someone who would even teach them a gospel that is not the Truth.
The mission field also includes the Internet. So many folks want to know about Jesus or religion or God and where do the technologically advanced go to find answers? The Internet. This is a mission field that is ripe and ready to be harvested if we would only get out there and make Him known. Our blogs, emagazines, web sites, they all can cater to those who are seeking, longing to hear the Word that they so desperately need to hear...and we have the means and the know-how. Some of these areas you may remember me mentioning before: livingfaithfully.weebly.com, odb.org, there are so many out there and they change from day to day that it tends to be difficult to keep up. However, keep up we must and we must make sure that the Word that we put out there is untarnished, nothing added and nothing taken away, that it is the Truth and nothing but the Truth. To be honest with you, we're all missionaries to one degree or another, whether we like it or not.
We are always being watched. Nothing goes unobserved and when you least expect it we get clapped with it. No, not Candid Camera, something else. We are called out as the person that we are supposed to be. Case in point.
When Chris and I were just a few years into our marriage, we lived in a townhouse in Aurora, Colorado. One day I was talking to a dear friend of mine and had mentioned something that had happened that I took a particular dislike to. I wasn't bashing anyone nor were bad words present, but my neighbor came in on the middle of the conversation (she was on the other side of the fence and I was not aware of it...), then later told her husband that I was saying horrid things about her. He came over banging on our door, Chris answered it and this man proceeded to tell my husband of all of the foul language that I had used in describing a non-existent incident between his wife and me. When he had taken a breath, my husband calmly looked at him and said, "that could not possibly be true. My wife is a Christian and would never say those things, let alone use that kind of language", then he closed the door. Those folks soon moved away but the incident never left my memory. Why? Because I realized that I was being watched and whether or not I liked it, the intentions of my heart were also on display. You can hide all you want, but regardless of what other human beings see, your heart and its intentions can never fool the Master.
I guess, with all of this bluster I just want to remind each and everyone of you out there that are called God's Children, myself included, that we cannot fool the Master. He created us. He knew us before we were born. He knew us before we were conceived. He knew us before our parents knew us. He knew us before time began, and He knew us intimately on the Cross. Nothing was kept hidden from Him then. Nothing. All that was, all that is and all that will ever be in human kind...every sin, every thought, every action was revealed at the point in time that God hid His face from His Son. That one moment in time, that one nano-second and nothing was hidden. Not the candy you stole from the grocery store. Not the lie you told to your parents. Not the affair that was engaged in. Not the thought of harm that went through your mind towards someone else. Not the lust that blistered your heart. Nothing was hidden. It was laid bare on the Cross and revealed to Him who knew no sin ever before in His life. He knew you and yet He still loved you enough to die for you.
No, you can't fool the Master...He already knows about you and loves you anyway. Give Him a chance to prove it. I hope that this past Easter season has been a blessing to each and everyone of you. God bless your week!
Psalm 139:1-12
Luke 16:15
1 Corinthians 2:11
Jeremiah 17:10
1Samuel 16:7
As I typed out my title line, it occurred to me that we really can't fool the Master. No matter where we are or what we are doing or thinking, the Master always is there, always knows what's going on, even if we are doing our best to fool ourselves or others. He knows the intention of our hearts, even when we have no clue ourselves. Sure, we can do a good deed, believing that we are being noble in our actions when in reality we are looking over our shoulders to see who is looking. I'm not saying that everyone does it, but we must be careful what our intentions are.
I've read in a couple of places of people who make a big show of giving to the poor. The Bible says to do our good deeds in secret, not allowing our left hand to know what our right hand is doing, or is that the other way around? Either way, we aren't to bring ourselves out in our good deeds, because our Father in Heaven who sees in secret will reward us openly. This brings to mind Saint Nicholas (not Santa, the real Saint Nicholas), who did his good deeds in secret. I don't know if he was ever rewarded for the good that he had done, but I'm sure that our Father was well pleased with him.
What about those who are mission minded? Now, keep in mind that the mission field is the entire world, not just Africa or whatever third world country that you can think of. It's in our own backyards, our jobs, our leisure time, online or even our own Church congregations. Yes, our Church congregations. Believe it or not, it is a mission field as well. You can't tell me that there aren't skeptics amongst the faithful! We can't just ignore the needs of the skeptic who came in to see what we are all about. Then there are the ill, the infirmed, the newlyweds or new mothers, the folks with special needs and their families and even families who have hit hard times. The Church is a big mission field, because if we don't take care of our own, then they will go elsewhere, perhaps to someone who would even teach them a gospel that is not the Truth.
The mission field also includes the Internet. So many folks want to know about Jesus or religion or God and where do the technologically advanced go to find answers? The Internet. This is a mission field that is ripe and ready to be harvested if we would only get out there and make Him known. Our blogs, emagazines, web sites, they all can cater to those who are seeking, longing to hear the Word that they so desperately need to hear...and we have the means and the know-how. Some of these areas you may remember me mentioning before: livingfaithfully.weebly.com, odb.org, there are so many out there and they change from day to day that it tends to be difficult to keep up. However, keep up we must and we must make sure that the Word that we put out there is untarnished, nothing added and nothing taken away, that it is the Truth and nothing but the Truth. To be honest with you, we're all missionaries to one degree or another, whether we like it or not.
We are always being watched. Nothing goes unobserved and when you least expect it we get clapped with it. No, not Candid Camera, something else. We are called out as the person that we are supposed to be. Case in point.
When Chris and I were just a few years into our marriage, we lived in a townhouse in Aurora, Colorado. One day I was talking to a dear friend of mine and had mentioned something that had happened that I took a particular dislike to. I wasn't bashing anyone nor were bad words present, but my neighbor came in on the middle of the conversation (she was on the other side of the fence and I was not aware of it...), then later told her husband that I was saying horrid things about her. He came over banging on our door, Chris answered it and this man proceeded to tell my husband of all of the foul language that I had used in describing a non-existent incident between his wife and me. When he had taken a breath, my husband calmly looked at him and said, "that could not possibly be true. My wife is a Christian and would never say those things, let alone use that kind of language", then he closed the door. Those folks soon moved away but the incident never left my memory. Why? Because I realized that I was being watched and whether or not I liked it, the intentions of my heart were also on display. You can hide all you want, but regardless of what other human beings see, your heart and its intentions can never fool the Master.
I guess, with all of this bluster I just want to remind each and everyone of you out there that are called God's Children, myself included, that we cannot fool the Master. He created us. He knew us before we were born. He knew us before we were conceived. He knew us before our parents knew us. He knew us before time began, and He knew us intimately on the Cross. Nothing was kept hidden from Him then. Nothing. All that was, all that is and all that will ever be in human kind...every sin, every thought, every action was revealed at the point in time that God hid His face from His Son. That one moment in time, that one nano-second and nothing was hidden. Not the candy you stole from the grocery store. Not the lie you told to your parents. Not the affair that was engaged in. Not the thought of harm that went through your mind towards someone else. Not the lust that blistered your heart. Nothing was hidden. It was laid bare on the Cross and revealed to Him who knew no sin ever before in His life. He knew you and yet He still loved you enough to die for you.
No, you can't fool the Master...He already knows about you and loves you anyway. Give Him a chance to prove it. I hope that this past Easter season has been a blessing to each and everyone of you. God bless your week!
Psalm 139:1-12
Luke 16:15
1 Corinthians 2:11
Jeremiah 17:10
1Samuel 16:7
Comments
Post a Comment