On a recent ride to eat and eat to ride excursion, a diner known for its
burgers was chosen. I am not a designer food or burger person, skip the fluff
and give me the meat, so I was greeted by surprise by a menu full of designer
burgers. Their famous deluxe burger with lettuce, tomato, special sauce, or an
Ortega burger, veggie burger, pizza burger, pb and j burger, and a whole page of
burgers. Which caught me off guard when the waitress asked if I was ready to
order. All I wanted was a burger, and telling her so she pointed to the house
special with all the trimmings. When I asked if I could get it without all the
trimmings, she again pointed to the menu, where in big letters it read NO
SUBSTITUTIONS! I was at her mercy, so to speed up the process, and avoid the
hungry, feed me glares of my friends, I went with it. But we weren’t done
yet....
What side did I want? French fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, cole
slaw, potato salad, onion rings, or a garden salad for an extra buck? Never has
a burger and fries been so hard to order. So fries it was, rather than have her
repeat the menu over again, and soon my deluxe house special with fries
arrived. A plate of fries mostly, with the burger among them. And I figured
why they added on all the goodies, it left no room for the meat, so it was
smaller, and with so many fries to eat, who would notice? I kept wondering,
“what if I had ordered only fries, would the burger come as a side?” For my
$8.99 I got a plate full of food, not what I had wanted, but what I was coerced
to order. And we aren’t done yet....
After numerous attempts at unsubscribing from a bulletin from a church I
used to attend, I quit. But reading the last one, I was reminded why I don’t go
there. I am old school and remember when the bulletin told of prayer needs, who
to visit at home, testimonies of answered prayer, and a verse to study as a
precursor for the next week’s sermon. With a name and phone number at the
bottom if you need anything. This one is different, starting with the pastor’s
ad to go to Israel again with him and his wife. For a month. Only $4995...time
for Christmas, the youth will be selling wreaths and trees. Lunches will be
provided after service for only $5.00. The worship leader has a new CD
available, for $10, and the pastor’s new book is being released, he will sign
copies you purchase in the foyer after the service. With no names or info at
the bottom for needs or prayer requests, sounds like Craigslist for the
religious. For sale...cheap. With a warning to not reply to this message.
Seems the gospel isn’t free anymore in some churches.
In Matthew 25 Jesus addressed the church saying he never knew them. Why
didn’t he know them? No relationship with him. They did all the right things
required of the day, casting out demons, teaching in his name, even running a
business in the church for profit. Collecting tithes, and bragging on how great
they were. It was all about them, and just like the burger, or the bulletin,
the meat, the only thing to feed you was missing. Love, in the form of Jesus
Christ. Seems we always try to impress God by what we do, but not by doing what
he wants us to do. He answers them, simply by saying, “when I was hungry did
you feed me, thirsty did you offer me drink, a stranger invite me in, alone did
you visit, and sick did you care?” Their answer proving they missed his
message, for they asked, “when did you see you?” His answer, when you did for
the least of these, you were seeing me. When you ministered to them, you were
ministering to me, in my name. They only did things in the name of he church,
using the name of Jesus, they were the man course and Jesus the side. Today we
have book signings and trips while two blocks away God’s people starve. And
there are many approaches that sound good, may look good, and even provide a
blessing, at least to the giver. Many ministries give out care packages, tooth
paste, a brush, soap, and other toiletries. Include a Bible, and walk away
feeling good. But like the church bulletin, no number or name offered to call
for help. Just a “look what I did ,” to impress others. As personal as the
gospel is, it is made impersonal by not signing our name to it. Jesus does, and
wants us to also.
Long after the burger and fries are eaten, after the Israel trip is a
memory, when the next season of goodies is up for sale, the gospel of Jesus
Christ will still be here. His spirit, left to guide us will still be here.
And all we need in him will still be here. But where will you be? Where are
you now? Are you following a designer based religion instead of the spirit? Is
it what you do as opposed to what Jesus did? At each service do you have to
invite the holy spirit in, as if he left? How many mission trips have you taken
while stepping over those in need, when God provided you to minister? The rich
man didn’t go to hell because he was rich, but because he denied Jesus. His
actions showed his true heart, his denial of Matthew 25. He could brag on where
and what he had done, and the crowd would listen, but God was never impressed.
Like the burger, there was no meat, but lots of filler. Does your church
bulletin reveal the love of Christ? Does your personal bulletin, your testimony
reveal the love of God tot those you meet? Do you hand out packs signed
anonymous, or put your name there, for all to see, including God? Do you have
to push one for Jesus in your prayer life?
Jesus tells us that what comes out of a man is more important than what
goes into him. Like the warning on the menu, NO SUBSTITUTIONS when it comes to
the things of God. All I really want is Jesus, I can live without the
entertainment values. Sometimes you’re the customer, sometimes the waiter. The
service you provide will be what the tip is based on. Caught in the web of
church tithing, remember they only tell you 10%, the waitress gets 15. Will
that be cash or charge......
The problem with designer living is that styles change. And can be
expensive. Jesus never goes out of style. Designer religion always fails,
don’t you become a victim. The gospel is still free so we can afford it, and
still simple so we can get it. Now, would you rather walk with Jesus, or where
he walked? I hope I know your answer.....NO SUBSTITUTIONS!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com