Love and Hypocrisy

"He who does not have love is like a clanging gong." "Obedience is better than sacrifice." "I leave you this command, that you love one another." -Jesus. God delights in the prayers of the Godly, but one cannot be Godly unless he loves others. To add emphasis to prayer, many Christians fast. But fasting is completely pointless if we do not love one another. That (acts of devotion and obedience without love) is called hypocrisy, and God hates hypocrisy. Oh, how he hates it! Jesus directed a long tirade-7 woes-to the religious hypocrites in Matthew 23. It doesn't matter how many things you do in Jesus' name. If you fail to love Him and his precious and dearly bought children, He will deny you at the end, and condemn you with the words, "I never knew you."

May God keep me and all of His children from this most heinous of sins.

THOMAS WATSON ON HYPOCRISY

"The hypocrite does the devil a double service; under the visor of piety, he can sin more and be suspected less. Who would think that those who pray so many hours on end could be guilty of extortion? Who would suspect of false weights the man who has the Bible so often in his hand? Hypocrites are the worst sort of sinners; they reflect infinite dishonour upon religion. One scandalous hypocrite makes all the world suspect that professing Christians are all like him. The hypocrite was born to spite religion and bring it into disrepute.
The hypocrite is a liar. He worships God with his knee, but his passions with his heart.
The hypocrite is an impudent sinner. He knows his heart is false, yet he goes on. All the plagues and curses written in the Book of God are the hypocrite's portion; hell is his place of rendezvous. Hypocrites are the chief guests the devil expects, and he will make them as welcome as fire and brimstone can." The Godly Man's Picture 1666


Mr. M. and I watched Lakeview Terrace the other night, a movie about a corrupt cop. This guy's family was falling apart, and he took it out on the people he was sworn to "protect and serve." Aside from spiritual hypocrisy, this was an excellent example of civil hypocrisy. A man protecting and serving the people, while making trouble in his own family.

Choose Your Own Meaning.

I have invited several friends over for a movie next week. (This is my natural response to feeling somewhat down and very uncertain healthwise. Seems strange to me, but there it is--a good case study.) The movie we'll be watching is one of my favorites. There is a great and thought-provoking plot with really engaging characters that are skillfully developed. The characters are on a cross-country road trip in a quest for truth and educational enlightenment, so there is some amazing scenery. A beautiful flick, in my opinion. The thing that could be seen as objectionable in this film is that one of the road-trippin' characters is, unbeknownst to the others, murdering people along the way. Really, though, with all the intensity of the plot, the highly believable characters, and the beauty of the scenery, the murdering part can almost be forgotten.

An unrelated thought
My friend left for us an example of personal holiness and a fervent desire to help others grow in holiness.

A Day in Three Parts

At church yesterday morning, the preacher quoted C.S. Lewis when he said that the real test of our trust in God is if we trust Him and pray to Him and depend on Him in the good, easy times. It is easy, almost natural, to pray to God in times of distress or catastrophe. I wondered if this was true of me. Do I show my devotion to God even in good times? To answer that, the first thing I had to do was to go back and recall the most recent good times I've had. I've done a lot of fun things in the past 10 years, and had a lot of good days . . . but could I really consider myself to have had any good times? Even on the best and most carefree days, I still had to take my medication in the right dose at the right time. And there is always a problematic drama in a relationship somewhere in my life. In short, there is always sin. Problems can be forgotten for a while, but, like sin, they are always there, "crouching at the door." Only in Heaven, in God's presence, can "fullness of joy" be found. (Psalm 16:11)

I also went to church in the evening. As we sang beautiful old hymns filled with truth, I was vividly reminded of the very real epic spiritual battle that we are engaged in. There are only two sides: God's side, with those who fight for truth and goodness, and Satan's side, with those fighting for lies and evil. I pondered this reality, and was reminded of a bumper sticker I've seen a lot of lately. The sticker says that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but we are spiritual beings having a human experience. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us that God has set eternity in men's hearts. We all will live forever, and we all will fight on one side or the other. Our choice has eternal consequences.

After church, in the still of the night, I was again reading through some letters my dear friend had written to me. In one, she copied out the words of a Swahili Warrior Song: "Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of God. So let us celebrate the struggle!"

Lessons From a True Friendship

Yesterday I went for a beautiful hike (in my new shoes) with my friend's grieving husband, and her cousin (who is now my cousin.) I had only known my friend well for a few years, yet her death cut me to the quick. Why did I feel so close to her after such a short time? It is because her life was lived intensely. She knew all too well the brevity of life, so she loved her friends and family intensely, and sought to always know and love them better by asking deep and penetrating questions that left you pondering your answer for days. This kind of love and passion is rare.

In my friendships, I want to be, like my dear friend, not content to talk about window treatments and other trivialities, but to mine the depths of my friends' feelings and faith.

Sympathetic Skies
During the last week of my friend's life on earth, and for a week afterward, the skies of SoCal wept with us. Yesterday, the skies above were clear and beautiful, perfect for a nice, soul-refreshing hike. The gorgeous green of the hills and the majestic gold reflecting off the surface of the Pacific truly felt like a "stream in the desert." The mourning season is far from over, and we cry with the Psalmist, "Revive us, O Lord!"

House Arrest

A beautiful, beautiful day outside. I have to stay inside. The telephone repairman is going to come between 9am and 6pm . . . plus I have to be here to sign for a FedEx package for Mr. M, and for once it's something really interesting, and not just stupid computer parts. He's getting a ZenDrum! (It's a musical instrument.) I missed the package's arrival by 10 minutes yesterday, so they took it away! But I have to stay home and eat soup today, anyway, so the telephone repairman can repair our phone. I was pretty disappointed this morning, though, as it was my favorite kind of walking weather-foggy. And I just happen to be training for a hike with my cousin that I've adopted. I've been running up steps and punching slabs of beef. I've also been walking to the ice-cream shop; I'm pulling out all the stops.

Several hours later . . .
I just laced up my fancy new walking shoes to take Rufus for a walk. These shoes were an allegedly used gift from my best friend. As I tied the shoes, I couldn't help but notice how un-used the shoes look. Also, I recalled showing the shoes to Mr. M., and our mutual astonishment that my (considerably shorter) best friend would wear a pair of shoes that fit my long feet. I shrugged my shoulders, and tried to be more grateful than suspicious, but as I walked, my suspicions only grew. Now, these shoes are said to improve your posture. Was this "gift" saying I have bad posture? Also, the shoes are very fashionable. Did my friend give me these shoes as a way to make me more fashionable? Was the gift yet another confirmation of my utter lack of fashion sense? As I paused to ponder these things, I looked at the bottom of the shoes and noticed how new and not previously owned they looked. I recalled the pre-walk ritual of tying the shoes. The laces looked brand new. Of course, I do have to bear in mind that the giver of the shoes is one who is very likely to wear a pair of shoes once, and then throw them out. At the end of it all, I am still suspicious, as is my nature, but more than that, I am thankful for my cool new shoes. (I just hope I'm not ruining their appearance by wearing my bright pink socks and rolled up jeans.)

What I Know.

Do I know why God let cancer take the life of my dear friend? No. I have no idea, and I am so sad that I won't get any more letters from her, or be able to visit over a cup of tea. I do not know why God let that happen. Then, what do I know? I know that God's ways are completely unfathomable. I know that His ways are higher than my ways. This is what the Bible says, and this is what I know to be true. Therefore, I am perplexed but do not despair.

I miss my friend exceedingly, yet the overwhelming joy and gratitude I feel at having had the opportunity to be her friend far surpasses the sorrow I feel.

Bible references: Romans 11:33, Isaiah 55:8 and Romans 12:12

To my most precious and deceased friend.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you."

"The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end."

Isaiah 60, verses 1,2 19,20

Heaven

The other day, I was telling my friend about the hospitalization of a dear friend of mine. The friend with whom I was speaking told me that while on earth we are like people floating in the sea, clinging to a piece of driftwood, fighting with all our might against the waves and the roaring sea so that we don't get sucked under. After a while, Jesus comes by on an ocean liner headed for Paradise, and we often prefer to stay adrift in the cold water, fighting with all our might and clinging to our little piece of driftwood.
Now, not only will Jesus be on that ocean liner, but also my dear friend, and my mom, my grandma, my uncle, and many, many others who trusted wholly in Jesus while they were on earth.

I would rather be, like my dear friend who is in Heaven now once said, "Like a bird on a branch, ready at any minute to fly away and be at home with our Lord in Heaven."

My Apologies, or, Cofessions of a Car-Washer

I am afraid this rain is my fault. I washed my car yesterday. Sorry.

First Journalistic Assignment

I've always loved to write and read. I've never been quite comfortable unless I had a pencil in hand and/or a book to read. After a very short-lived desire, at the age of 5, to be a waitress at a diner, I've wanted to be a journalist. I enjoy many types of writing, fictional, factual, poetical, etc., etc. Today I had a very casual interview with a friend of mine, as she had asked me to write an internet update for her. That can be found at http://www.nicholegreene.blogspot.com./. Aside from a few assignments for my high school paper, and regular writing assignments for English class, this was the first time I was asked to write about a particular subject. I have written many small articles for the local paper, but I've always chosen the subject. I am the sole author of my blog, too, and have the right to write about whatever I want. Journalism is no longer a career choice for me, but it is most definately a hobby, and I would write in any situation, whether I had to for school, or for a job, or for a hobby. I do so enjoy my blog, and I especially enjoy the interaction with readers. I hope you enjoy my blog, too. Thanks for letting me share my hobby with you.

I don't know how to create a link to my friend's blog, but the link is on my profile page.