Shade Tree Wisdom 4/3/11

“I was glad when they said unto me,
Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ Psalm 122,1

For it is there I receive so much. In worship I have the privilege to bring
praise and thanksgiving to my God, and in worship I am fed, enlightened,
comforted, strengthened, forgiven, and sent home, ready for another week.
We are nearing the end of those 40 days of Lent. Have you used them for
benefit?

When the treasury department trains agents for work in trying to uncover and
stop counterfeit money, they first have them handle real money, getting them to
feel, see, smell, handle, until that feel becomes ingrained. Then they can more
easily spot the false. There is much sophisticated equipment for such work, but
the test is there in the hands and eyes of trained personnel.

That is one reason for these Lenten days. To have time to test again, to search
out the slipshod half-forgotten truths. To see whether our faith is that of the
Bible, or something much less, a half-truth maybe, or even a falsehood that
slipped in and does not pass the test of Scripture scrutiny.

In worship this morning pastor pointed to the Letter to the Church at Laodicea,
which had become “lukewarm” and the Lord said He would “spew them out of my
mouth”.(Rev. 3,16) That is followed by this advice, “anoint thine eyes with
eye-salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be
zealous, therefore, and repent.” 3,18.19.

Now have we been using these days to do that? Repent of our sin, seek His
forgiveness, and stand strong in the faith as the children who have “put on
Christ.”

May God bless the living, and the doing.

GPD 4/3/11