Paul tells Timothy to study to show himself approved unto God. Many Christians today don't study. We mistakenly substitute the word "study" with the phrase "attend church". For those who study, many study with no regard to God's approval. Some study with the intent of burdening those have not studied. Other's study for the approval of clergy or other church members. But many bypass study and choose simply to "Attend church to show themselves approved unto others."
Paul continues to say, "a workman need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth." So many Christians today rely on someone else to rightly divide the word of truth; to the point where many don't know what the truth is. The bible tells us to test every Spirit, yet there are churches full of congregations that don't see fit to test. Not just that, there are churches filled with individuals telling us not to test men believed to be "Men of God."
My experience with followers who refuse to test, and leaders who believe themselves to be above spiritual questioning was a significant factor in me creating the blog.
Mark 7:1-22
This passage is the most glaring example of what happens when spirituality and religion collide. Religious leaders of the time devoted their lives to the Jewish Law; scriptures that were geared around Jesus' coming. Met face to face with Jesus, they did not attempt to be more like him, they asked him why he had not conformed to their traditions. These leaders had the audacity to see God in human form and ask Him why he was not meeting their standards. They attempted to judge him based on the traditions of the elders.
As unbelievable as it sounds, many Christians adhere more to traditions and religious customs than to understand Jesus' message. Above I mentioned Christians who are unwilling to test leadership. In the same vein there are Christians who are unwilling to examine traditions. In my first post I discussed examining our traditions to examine both their roots and their usefulness.
In doing this blog I've walked away from a few ideas because they did not fit into either of my platforms; most notably a blog on the dangers of topical preaching. I had to kill that entry because all of my blogs entries were mini topical sermons.
In the way I encourage others to examine themselves and their traditions I have examined my blog. I realized that it was limited by my two platforms and I will be transforming it from statements on a topic to a study of scripture.
Blogger Challenge
I challenge other bloggers to examine their blogs. I challenge them to test and ensure that their blogs lead others to the love of God and not to hate of modern day practices. While it is easy to grow frustrated; ensure that your blog devotes itself to teaching who God is as opposed to defining itself by what is not. Ensure that your blog is and continues to be a Labor of Love for God's called and not a labor of vengeance or other unsatisfactory motives.
Going forward this blog will adopt a different format. Each entry will study a passage of scripture without regard to topic. I will simply speak on the passage of scripture and not attempt to direct or impede the work of The Spirit.
EDIT: After discussing this entry with a friend I revamp my blogger challenge. We all study and grow at different rates and excel in different areas. My convictions about my own blog may not extend to other bloggers. Therefore, my revised blogger challenge is simply to speak what God has laid on your heart for the betterment of His Kingdom.
