“When Jesus was moved with compassion, the ground of all being shook, the source of all life trembled, the heart of all love burst open, and the unfathomable depth of his relentless tenderness was laid bare.”
– Brennan Manning
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I hope our baby develops these kind of skills:
Check out Chris Davis’ blog about the sin of convenient-only worship:
As we drove through the countryside yesterday, we listened to a song with the following lyrics:
When the devil came
He was not red
He was chrome and he said
Come with me
You must go
So I went
Where everything was clean
So precise and towering
I was welcomed
With open arms
I received so much help in every way
I felt no fear
I felt no fear
– Wilco, Hell Is Chrome
It brought to mind the words of 2 Corinthians 11:14 -
…even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Satan is able to deceive mankind precisely because he does not present himself as the evil enemy of our souls, but as a friend who only wants the best for us. A master of subtle suggestion, his most sinister temptations are found in ‘good things’.
This is exactly what led to the first sin of Adam and Eve. They were not tempted to commit acts of horror, but were simply asked to enjoy the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After all, there’s nothing wrong with fruit, is there? And there isn’t – apart from the fact that God had expressly asked them not to eat from that one tree. The good thing caused them to put their judgment above God’s.
And the trend continues today. Christians are continually tempted away from God by good things. They will reason that what they and their families are pursuing is beneficial. It isn’t the good things that are evil, but the motivation behind them. If those things prohibit us from following the will of God for our lives, then they are inspired of Satan. He dresses as an angel of light, inviting us to take part in all kinds of good things that slowly and surely pull Christians away from the mission of the church and the Kingdom of God. Hell is chrome.
What good things are you involved with that hinder your relationship with God? What pleasant activities call you to regularly sacrifice your commitment to His church? What in your life shines brighter than your love for Jesus? It may be the source of your greatest darkness.
