Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Reserve Question D - Love God with Whole Heart, Mind, Soul)

 

Reserve question D. What does Jesus mean when He says: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”? This passage can be found in part or in whole in the Gospels at Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27. 

Actually, Jesus means just what He said. Compare to answers at B & E. Our love for God must be as a child’s love for a Loving Father. It must also mean that we love ourselves less, that is, we step down from our self-made thrones to never re-occupy them. An example: would you seek treatment for a serious disease from a doctor whose heart is no longer engaged with healing? Would a marriage be happy if one of the spouse's heart feelings are for someone else who is not the spouse, and who would reaffirm his or her divided heart daily? Jesus states at Matthew 6:24, that a divided heart is not acceptable to God, saying "You cannot serve God and mammon/wealth at the same time. You will love the one and hate the other." Thus, our whole self, our whole heart, our whole minds must be primarily focused on God; dividing our affections with God and satan's world will not work; you cannot have one foot in and one foot out. Part of the perspective of satan's world is making a job, a career, a hobby, a source of pleasure, a chiild or spouse, a famous person the most important thing in our life; to elevate that person or thing to an idol, giving it prime attention over things of God.

We are to grow continuously in love with the Lord; one of the best ways is meditating on His Word and communing with Him in prayer informed by scripture. Our actions towards others must reflect love of God. Jesus said we – the Church – would be known for the love we have for one another. That agape love and philia affection are to be the highlights of the Church. 

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Reserve Question C - Blessed Virgin Mary)

 

Reserve question C –The Blessed Virgin Mary: we know that, in order for God’s salvific plan to be accomplished, Jesus could not have been born through human reproduction; a virgin was chosen to carry His human life in her womb. The virgin, of course, was Mary; however, did she remain a virgin after Jesus’ birth? Even though she is venerated by a number of denominations, is it appropriate to pray to her or “through” her? (Luke 1:26-56)  Some denominations say yes, however, scripture tells us that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Read Matthew 12:46-50. One of Jesus’ brothers, James, is credited with writing the epistle James. The Roman Catholic tradition says about Mary's "Perpetual Virginity: Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. This is a blatant contradiction of scripture. They perceive her to be a "co-redemptrix" with Jesus, implying that Jesus was not enough to save, that Mary was obliged to coordinate and cooperate with Jesus in the role of salvation. Tradition also says that Mary had no other children - only Jesus. Yet, there are some in Roman Catholic leadership who are contesting that view, because they opened their Bibles and read it for themselves. Still, they are contesting minimally, or silently in some cases. 

As far as praying through her, see 1 Timothy 2:5-6. There is only ONE mediator between God and man, and it is not Mary. Even though she was blessed to be used for a divine purpose, she was not perfect and therefore could not fulfill the role of a mediator for sins or for a prayer stand-in. The Roman Catholic tradition teaches, however, that when the angel Gabriel asked her about bearing God's Son, that at the moment of her consent, she was made perfect, that the "stain" of sin was removed. And that her consent/assent to be used by God obliged her to remain a virgin all of her life. 

Then why was Joseph even in the picture??? 

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Reserve Question E - hate you mother and father so that you can become a part of the Christ's kingdom)

 

Reserve question E. In Luke 14:26 Jesus says that unless we hate family and self we can have no part in His kingdom. Whaaat? What does He mean? 

• So, when you hear the word “hate”, what comes to mind? ……….
  In our culture today when we use the word hate, we are speaking usually of a strong negative emotion about or against something or someone, a very strong dislike or disregard, right?
  
  
• For Jesus to actually mean hate -  as in despise, abhor, one's mother or father, would be a blatant contradiction of the Mosaic law to honor mother and father. Was Jesus a lawbreaker or promoting sin? 
  
  
• So, for an understanding we have to examine the original language in which this was written or spoken. As we are seeing, in the Greek and Hebrew languages in which the Bible was written, there are times when a word carries more than one meaning. Is that true in anyone’s mother tongue or possibly a new language someone is learning?
  
  
• The Greek word for hate, miseo. carries different meanings, with the word we commonly use as “hate” being only one of them. But that meaning is not in this context. The Greek word carries these meanings: miséō, mis-eh'-o; from a primary μῖσος mîsos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less, to regard with less affection than. 
  
  
• Therefore, when Jesus says that unless we hate family and self we can have no part in His kingdom, He is effectually saying, unless you love less or love Me more than family and self, then you can have no part in His kingdom.

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Reserve Question B - bear our cross)

 

Reserve B, Jesus said that we each would need to bear our cross daily (Luke 9:23; also 14:27). What it means and what it does not mean:

• In the days that Jesus walked the earth, what did the people understand a cross to be? Jewelry, a logo? No–it is an instrument of torture and execution. 
• In Jesus’ particular circumstance, what did the cross mean?  --For Jesus to be on the torture stake or cross signified the sacrificial death for which He came to earth to live as a human. It was only through such great sacrifice that Jesus could effect the restoration of relationship with our Creator. 
• What does that mean to us in reference to the cross? Look at 1 Corinthians 6. Paul under the guidance of the Holy Spirit was writing to the Corinthian church a strong letter of admonition because of the practices in which they were engaged – practices that were immoral and unloving. He had to re-tell them, and explain to them what it actually meant to be a Christian. That it could only happen because Jesus died for them. But it wasn’t a death like the deaths they were accustomed to. Jesus’ death was one of sacrifice to redeem mankind from God’s wrath because of our sin estate. 
• Also, because it was a redemption and not a ritual, i.e., something of value was exchanged for releasing or libertating someone, look at what Paul is led to write in verses 19-20.  We do not own ourselves, we have no absolute rights to ourselves. As those who are saved and are being sanctified, that life of submission to Christ is what we are to be living daily according to Luke 9:23 (also see Romans 12:1-2). 
• What it does not mean, but what we have been taught to think it means: When Jesus instructed us to bear our cross, He wasn’t talking about people getting on your nerves or having problems, or even having chronic problems with this or that, chronic health issues.  No. Jesus expects those who are saved to be living their lives for Him – sacrificing ourselves, destroying our pride and so-called “rights” to independence. Eve coveted independence, to be her own "captain"; look where that got us. We are instead to live a righteous and holy life – which is opposite of what persons in the world do, which is the essence of the answer in Question E.

Therefore, let us not cheapen Jesus' instructions to us about bearing our cross; do not diminish the seriousness of Jesus' statement with a somewhere-along-the-line made up definition that our cross is some nagging problem or person. Is that why Jesus came to earth?

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Reserve Question A - When Two or Three Are Gathered) )

 

Reserve question A – when two or three are gathered there I am also. This phrase has been taken out of context so often by lay and clergy alike that it appears to literally mean just what it says. But does it??

• Read John 17:20-21 first and then re-read, contextualizing with verses 13-23.  Therefore, if Jesus is saying that Christ is in us, then we are never separated from the Lord. He is always present. Ergo, we do not need to add a second or third person in order to experience the presence of Christ.  
• Having laid that foundation, let's read Matthew 18:20. Now, as is very important to do when we come across a hard saying, we need to re-read with the context: verses 15-20. What is being referred to here? Per Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15, which any Jewish believer would be familiar with, in a trial a minimum of 2 and even better 3 reliable and true witnesses must be brought forward to testify in regards to the matter; a single witness is not enough. Jesus continues that discussion by saying that in His kingdom – the invisible Church and Reign of the Triune God, He is the Lord and Supreme Judge, that we must likewise hold to the standard of 2 or 3 witnesses when we gather to resolve a matter or conflict; Jesus will be present in the role of Judge. We must be informed by the Spirit and the Word and prayer to receive Jesus’ guidance on the matter and proper resolution. 

Therefore, again, please pay attention to the context of a statement or phrase in scripture. For us to say that we have to wait to be joined by an additional 2 or 3 persons to pray, to offer worship, to teach someone, or even read the Bible, is a contradiction of scripture and of who we are in Christ. To tell a person that their worship is only legitimized when joined by 2 others is leading that person astray.

Special Mid-Summer 3-Night Series on Hard Sayings of the Bible (Answers to Questions 5a and 5b - "and on this rock")

 

1.    a.  Matthew 16:15-19.  Jesus held an interesting conversation with His disciples after going a ‘round’ with the Pharisees and Sadducees. He asks them: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They tossed out a couple of names, then Simon Peter says: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Then Jesus says to Simon Peter: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven has. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Many readers of this passage believe that Jesus was anointing Peter to be head of the church, and the Roman Catholics also say that Peter was the first Pope. What message was Jesus giving His disciples at that time, and throughout the millennia?

b. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Simon Peter writes to the elect in Christ the message in 1 Peter 2, beginning at verse 2 through 10 (this was part of a recent lesson preached on at a Sunday worship service). What is being conveyed in this passage about our identity as Christians – which Jesus was implying in His words recorded at Matthew 16:15-19?

 Answers:

 

a.    This is one of those hard passages that, when read at face value in the English language, appears to be saying that Jesus was anointing Peter to be head of the Church!  If that was true, then Jesus would be contradicting the Holy Spirit who said in other places, including verses in Ephesians 5, verses in John’s Gospel, chapter 3, at Colossians 1:15-20, 24, in Revelation, and implied elsewhere that Jesus is the head of the Church. Let’s turn to Colossians 1:15-20,24.  Jesus is the Head of the Church. So what is Jesus saying in Matthew 16, then?

It is helpful again to return to the original language of this passage (Koine Greek). Jesus blesses Peter as He refers to him as Simon Bariona/Simon son of Jonah. He adds, "Because flesh and blood did not reveal this" mystery to you but My Father in heaven did. So Peter, God spoke to you and gave you this revelation – what a blessing!! You are Petros/Peter, and on this petra/rock – this understanding that I, Jesus, Am the Messiah, the Son of Man, long foretold, as in centuries gone by, and it is on this Rock – this Foundation – will My Kingdom be built.  You will be given authority in this Kingdom (represented by the keys), Peter, as will those who will be anointed with you for that purpose, to, through the Holy Spirit,  bind and loosen, to be My Kingdom Ambassador here on earth. So in this promise, Jesus has given Peter a "2-fer," (1) awareness of the blessing just now bestowed upon him, and (2) the further revelation that in His, Christ’s kingdom Petros/Peter will be given certain authorities. For example, look who Christ appoints to reveal the kingdom and who identifies the Holy Spirit anointing at Pentecost! There would be further revelations given to Peter about his role in God’s kingdom; he would share responsibilities with other apostles.

This corresponds to Ephesians 2:20 – let’s read that. Jesus is the foretold chief cornerstone of the Church - the Rock. Does anyone know the purpose of a cornerstone or foundation stone?

                                          St. Albans, Washington DC

Now let’s turn to 1 Peter 2:2-10 to further capture the full meaning. Remember, this is Peter, the apostle that the Roman Catholic Church mislabels, wrongly identifies, as the Head of the Church, who is writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the explanation of Matthew 16:15-19.


According to what the Holy Spirit says here, how does Peter describe The Rock, Jesus Christ?  (vss. 4, 6-8) Why "living stone"?

Who are the other living stones? What happens to them? (v. 5) How is it built?

     What does it mean to be a royal priesthood? (v. 5,9) 

     How does that understanding affect how you look at your calling to be a disciple of Christ?

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Question 4 - Hell))

 

1.    Why does God send people to hell if He is a God of love? (note the emphasis)

For many years many Christians have been taught either directly or indirectly, that if we sin, God will send us to hell. What is hell? There are two definitions. 

• First, it is the definition of grave or the state of the dead. The Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus descended into hell at His death -see page 53 in the Book of Common Prayer. In this instance, the words “Hades” and “Sheol” are interchangeable with the word “hell”. 
• The second definition of hell is that it is eternal separation from God, an existence in complete darkness. The Bible uses the image of fire to represent complete destruction of any hope of life again in the “light”; in human experience the only persons who, by God’s Divine will, literally lived in a fire without a speck of smoke on them nor any singe of fire on them were Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, as recorded in Daniel chapter 3. Their being cast into the fiery furnace because they refused to worship the king. The king was so enraged (after all, he had conquered the entire nation and now here were 3 upstarts who thought that their wills were unconquerable), that he ordered the fire to be “cranked up” high to the highest heat level possible; the heat of the fire destroyed the very guards who cast them into the fire. Fire destroys completely; no one could reassemble ashes back to their original form. Thus, the Bible speaks of this definition of hell when it describes a permanent separation from God as the “lake of fire” or “eternal fire”. If you have ever been in a house fire where the heat escalates and the electricity fails, so that the black smoke all but eliminates a person’s ability to see their hand before their face, use that picture to understand what this permanent separation could look and feel like. Complete and eternal darkness.

So, the question: why does God send people to hell? The answer: God does not send people to hell.

The fact is, people are already condemned to go to hell because they are sinners, obeying the god of darkness (compare Ephesians 2:1-4). Because of that humanly irreversible sin condition and the rebellion attached to it, God’s wrath is naturally upon them – regardless of what they themselves, or anyone else says otherwise. But God, who in His great love and mercy for those created in His image, gave his only begotten Son as the means to escape the wrath. Let’s see that at Romans 5:6-11, and also the clearly spoken illustrative declaration by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46. As Jesus indicates, the lake of fire what we call hell, was created for the devil and his angels from before time because of their rebellion to God. Since the fall of man in the garden, we have been obliged to follow the king of all rebellion into the same fate as he and his demons because of our inherited sin and accompanying lifestyle and allegiance to the devil’s world system. Let's say that you are on a cruise ship and something happens that is causing the ship to slowly sink. The ship releases its lifeboats; the Coast Guard rushes to the scene with additional lifeboats. What is the purpose of the lifeboat? To rescue someone from certain death. Between the two rescue options, there are more than enough lifeboats to save everyone on board the cruise ship. What would you do: get into a lifeboat, or take your chances with the sinking ship? After all, all of your possessions that you brought on board are still in the cruise ship and maybe there is still time to run and grab them! Do you pass up a seat in the lifeboat in the hopes that you will be able to retrieve the precious items and get on one of the lifeboats when you reach the deck? That's the same scenario that faces all of us: God has made a provision for deliverance from the sinking ship through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, and accepting Him as Lord and Savior. He is the Lifeboat. Will you choose to accept Him, or will you cling to those things that give you pleasure, wealth, feel-good vibes, etc. and try the Lifeboat later? Or maybe you have already chosen...

The Ten Plagues on Egypt - Why and on Whom

Almost every Sunday School curriculum - at one time or another - has covered the 10 plagues on Egypt, as it covered the narrative of God's rescue of His people from Egyptian bondage and slavery. Let's refresh our memories on what they were, and then we will attempt to answer the "why and whom": turn in your Bible to Exodus chapter 7, beginning at verse 1 for context and read of the plagues through chapter 12. As you read the account, try to immerse yourself into the story, either as an eyewitness or better yet, in the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived so that you would have experienced what they experienced.

As a serious Bible student will know, the deliverance from Egypt is only one part of the full story. And the full story is only one part of God's overarching plan of salvation (see John 3:16-21). So we start in the Garden of Eden, we witness the betrayal by Adam and Eve and the devil's deception as he poses/speaks through a snake (sidebar: satan the devil has now had several thousand years to "perfect" his evil intention of turning all of mankind against God - and he is really good at it). Being ousted from the perfect Garden, Adam and Eve are in the wilderness suffering from the sin condition that has come upon them physically, mentally, and spiritually. This condition settles into their "DNA", i.e., it is a permanent characteristic of humanity, so that it is passed on from generation to generation. Yet, it was not only impacting humans, but every living thing over which God had initially given them dominion (Genesis 1:26-28; compare Romans 8:19-22) 

In only a handful of generations following the fall in the Garden, the wickedness of human mindsets, morals, and a seeking after other gods had spread throughout the entire inhabited earth; God was grieved over what sin had accomplished in humans so quickly, and how the earth had fared under the 'supervision' of mankind and, justifiably, because of the ravage that sin had caused, God sought to remove that wickedness from the earth. (see Genesis 6:5-8) He would call a faithful man, Noah, to be a witness and to forth-tell as he built the ark of salvation according to God's specific criteria that God's wrath had declared a destruction of sin and those who rejected Him in due time. For 100 or so years, the opportunity was there; however, only Noah and his family - 8 human souls, along with the God-directed collection of land and winged animals would survive the punishment (Genesis 6:8-8:22).

In time, God calls Abram from Ur of the Chaldeans to serve Him. He was to go to Canaan and settle there to fulfill another step in God's salvific plan - the raising up of a people with whom He would come into covenant relationship with. God promised Abram, whose name would be changed by God to Abraham, that he would have offspring more numerous than the stars of heaven. The LORD promised the land of Canaan to Abraham as the place where his descendants would dwell (Genesis 12-17). God would, at the appointed time, open Sarah's womb so that she would bear a son, Isaac, who would be Abraham's promised heir. God also prophesied through Abraham what He would do at an appointed time - offer up His own Son (Genesis 22). Isaac would eventually marry, and would become father to Jacob who, through Divine intervention, would come to be known as Israel. Jacob would become the promised heir, would have 12 sons. One of his sons, Joseph, would be sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and eventually come to be in Egypt. Through a series of Divinely-willed events, Joseph would become the vice regent of Pharaoh, with the authority of a ruler over Egypt. A famine was foretold that would overtake the region from Canaan to Egypt and surrounding areas. Jacob (Israel) would take his entire household - family, servants, slaves - and relocate in Egypt to join his son Joseph. Years later, Joseph would die; however, the Israelites would be fruitful and multiply in the land of Goshen in southern Egypt. Because Joseph had garnered through the grace of God favor of the Pharaohs, the Israelite people lived well and flourished for about 400 years. However, a new Pharaoh would arise who developed a hatred for the Israelite people, eventually enslaving them and relegating them to captivity in the land. 

And so we now come to the appointed time for God's deliverance of His people. God raised up for Himself an unlikely prophet named Moses, whose life God had preserved despite Pharaoh's mandate for all male Israelite infants to be killed. Moses would come to live in Pharaoah's household until he was 40 years old; Moses would kill an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite, news of which spread like wildfire. Moses escaped to the land of Midian, where he would remain in hiding for 40 years as a shepherd. God was ready to use Moses, even though Moses was reluctant to be the leader and God's agent to deliver His people. God would call Moses' brother, Aaron, to join him for this amazing calling. They were to go to Pharaoh and deliver the message from The LORD, the I AM: "Let My people go." God told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh's heart, i.e., would leave Pharaoh to his own arrogance and rejection of Israel's God, never to relent of his choice to go against the will of The LORD (Genesis 3:19; Exodus 4:21). 

The Israelites were at first very skeptical of Moses' authority and mission, and blamed him for the added labor punishment that Pharaoh had chastised them with. Even Moses became discouraged when Pharaoh immediately rejected God's demand and the people railed against him! God would respond to Moses complaint by using Moses to reveal more fully to the people who the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is, and what He was about to do. God would tell Moses that He was making Moses like God to Pharaoh, and that Aaron would be the prophet / spokesperson. God confirmed again that Pharaoh's heart would grow harder with each successive sign, until God forces His hand and causes Pharaoh to surrender. 

THE PLAGUES

God had ordained 10 plagues to befall Egypt, chiefly to glorify Himself before the human leader Pharaoh and confirm His Sovereignty, His claim to the people of Israel  The people of Egypt would suffer greatly because of the rejection by their god, Pharaoh, of the I AM's demand to release all of the Israelites. These plagues would be unlike anything Egypt had encountered before, impacting both man and beast and the very land itself - defying the Egyptian gods of land, water and creation -- Geb and Khnum, Aker, Amun, and leaving even the war god Anhur, weak and impotent. They would befall the people in succession - one after another, even though the intervals between each varied. They would come to fear the Almighty God of the Israelite people and eventually do all they could to placate their God and turn his wrath away.

What is as interesting to a Bible student is the fact that not only did the Egyptians need to witness the revelation of the God of Israel, but also God's people, the Israelites, needed to know who the I AM, the LORD was. They had not had a personal relationship with this God about whom they spoke about from generation to generation. They did not know him aside from being the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," their forefathers. They did not know Moses aside from the couple of times they interacted with him; the older Israelites who were still alive would remember Moses as a prince of Egypt until he fell out of favor, which would have cut off any authority he may have had until that time. They have only heard the words that Moses told them were from the I AM; they did not have intimate knowledge of who this "God" was. They lived as a people in a land of multiple gods for every experience in life in the culture of Egypt. The descendants of Israel enslaved in Egypt needed to believe in a God who was great, who was powerful, and who would come to their rescue. They needed to know Him as Sovereign over all creation - not just a favored deity of their forefathers. God would show them who He was, and what His power and authority were: He would allow the Israelites a taste of that power and authority by permitting them to know and even be exposed to the first three plagues that God would pronounce against Egypt!

There is a point upon which not all Bible scholars agree, based on how they interpret Exodus 7:19-21, 8:2-6, 16-18 and the reference to the "whole country of Egypt." But, as we approach the account of the fourth plague - the flies, notice this new statement in verses 21-22, which is not found in the first three plague pronouncements: "21Otherwise, if you won’t let my people go, I will send swarms of insects [flies] on you, your servants and your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of insects, and likewise the ground they stand on. 22But I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live — no swarms of insects will be there — so that you can realize that I am Adonai, right here in the land."  A similar statement would be repeated for the next five plagues. The final plague, the tenth plague, God would spare the lives of the firstborn only within the homes where there was sacrificial blood on the lintel. Placing the blood on the lintel was a matter of obedience and faith; by the tenth plague the Israelites should have developed a saving faith and thus obeyed the command. The command was given to the Israelite people so that they would not experience this final plague; if they chose not to follow the commandment, their firstborn would die just as surely as the Egyptians who were not included in this 'salvific' act of faith.

I encourage us to read and re-read these accounts. The reason for doing so: if you have lived in Christ for any amount of time, you will have experienced suffering - not because God does not care for you or has abandoned you, nor necessarily because you/we have done something wrong (John 10:27-28). We may -- not everyone of God's people, but there may be some among those who will, for example, be impacted by extreme weather events and lose materials things as their neighbors around them have, or who may be the victim of an automobile accident like others have suffered who may not be children of God, or other set backs - even unexpected death (Romans 14:7-9; Philippians 2:25-30). Why would God allow these things to befall those whom He has called to be His children? No doubt, the Israelites may have asked the same question, or began to doubt on the deliverance that had been promised. 

We may never know the exact, primary reason. But we will experience, by God's grace, a newer intimacy with God, a new revelation of who He is even in the throes of something negative. God does not promise us that He will make us live forever in these damaged bodies and souls (Romans 7:23-24); He promised to never leave us. He uses the hard things and turns them into something good for a reason that has to do with our eternal souls and eternal relationship with Him (Romans 8:28). While the Israelites would have been pained for a short period of time, their experience nevertheless gave them a new understanding of who the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was. That He was not some mythical person, nor far away unsympathetic god type, or the god of cultural lore. He is real, He is Almighty, Creator, Sovereign, and Deliverer (Exodus 15:1-18). The Great I AM wants us to know Him as such also; in the new covenant that we are blessed to be under, our future is one that would have been hard for the Israelites of Moses' day to understand. Because our future is founded in the blood of Jesus and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yet, in both cases, RELATIONSHIP is at the heart of the matter. 

Is our relationship with God beyond stories, Christmas and Easter, good times and material blessings? Do we seek to obey Him by knowing His word and keeping it? Do we long to live a life of sacrifice to Him, or do we long for the days before we knew God when we felt free to live our lives to please ourselves? Have we engaged in relationship with God to know all that He has revealed about Himself, or do we 'engage' with God long enough to get the rewards? These are tough questions; these are tough times. As God shows us in His Word: Today is the day of salvation; do not harden your hearts in rebellion and suffer a death that one can never rise from.