5pointers

A couple years ago, in the book Feed My Sheep, I came across the statement, “You don’t get a better Christ in Communion, but sometimes you get Christ better.”

Tonight at Communion as I was thinking about Jesus and his disciples, I thought soberly about God’s forgiveness.   Jesus knew what Peter would do, he knew of his coming denial, he knew of the abandonment of the rest, the betrayal by Judas, but he still ate with them. 

A couple weeks ago, my pastor asked a question for reflection, “Would God love me if he really knew me?”

Jesus really knew Peter.  Peter was about to curse and deny him.  But Jesus really loved Peter.  Jesus really loved his disciples.  Jesus really loves his disciples. 

Looking at this, can anything, as Paul asked, separate us from the love of God, the past or present, angels or demons, rulers, authorities or anything else in creation?

Run to God with your denial and fear and shame.

He already knows. 

Mark Driscoll has a short message on idolatry in America.  I’ve found it encouraging and a place for introspection to be done in my life.  In the video, an Indian woman, beside an altar to a chicken god, blasts America as the land where people build shrines to their sports teams and to their restaurants. 

Idolatry in my own life- I’ve always loved football growing up.  I felt God tug on my heart in college and barely watched football and specifically did not watch the Super Bowl in college.  Spending time with Jesus in the Word was better and that has not been taken away.  Many have much better examples and experiences, but I have found Jesus 10,000x better than the biggest sports game of the year.  May we continue to find Jesus better than sports or anything else. 

Idolatry to be done away- Driscoll hammers it with the restaurant and food illustrations.  Paul warns in Philippians 3, “many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ, their God is their belly, their end is destruction, with minds set on earthly things.”  It is a severe thing to seek first after food.  Where do I cross the lines in living to eat rather than eating to live?  I get up and am lethargic until I start to eat.  May I (and we) seek to eat to the glory of God (I Cor 10:31) with what he’s given, and not make an idol of food.