Matthew 23:19 NLT
How
blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the
altar that makes the gift sacred?
It is tax day, also
better known as April 15th. Many people
loathe this day and are scared to give what is due to the government, yet being
a citizen of the USA means we are to pay taxes.
Yet I also remind you of the importance of this week. It is Easter week where we remember the altar
of the cross our Savior, Jesus, was murdered on and where He allowed His blood
to be spilled for our good and for our forgiveness. That fact makes this an important week.
Mark 12:17 NLT
“Well, then,”
Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to
God.” His reply completely amazed them.
We really are
blessed to live in America where we can worship as we please and pursue our
dreams. Having to pay taxes doesn’t make
us weak or hold us back. We may not
agree with all that our government does, but we have a government that helps us
in many ways.
For too long many
of us have cried about the woes happening in Washington DC or in our state
capital, yet we must remember and share how God has blessed us and blessed this
country for a long time. Furthermore,
don’t allow what you are upset about or what you disagree with keep you from focusing
on what really matter.
Jesus matters. God is the one who placed us where we are and
with the people we are with. Family is a
gift from God. Our freedom is a gift
from God. I’ve noticed that there are
many, many times when we allow what is inferior to block what is superior.
In other words,
don’t allow the fact that it is tax day to dim the fact that Friday is the day
we remember Jesus’ death and Sunday is the day we celebrate His
resurrection. What an incredible time
this is. We have much to celebrate. I am glad that we are about to see the church
stand up once again to allow Jesus to be who Jesus is.
Did you know that
on Easter more people attend church than on any other day of the year? Statistics tell us that 82% of the people
asked to go to church with a friend or family member on Easter will go to
church with them, but don’t forget another statistic… 100% of the people you
don’t invite to church won’t go to church.
Answer this one: who will you ask to go to church with you? That answer needs to include the fact that
this person, or these people, need to see how good our God is.
Who are you going
to invite to church? Ok, after you go to
the post office to mail your taxes or to the tax preparation place, who will
you ask to go to church with you? Don’t take
this too lightly.
There are so many
things that distract us and not just on the week of Easter. The first verse above asks a question that we
ought to take a few minutes or few hours to think through. Why we do we allow what is least important to
consume our lives?
A friend often
reminds me of this truth with a statement his dad used to make often: eternity
is at stake; lives are in the balance.
Thanks Seth and Gary for reminding us all of this truth. Lives really are in the balance of heading to
heaven or hell. People are going to hell
unless we help them see how good our God is.
May this week our
lives and our words point people to what really matters, and may God bless our
country. God is good … all the time!
Psalm 33:12 NASB
Blessed is
the nation whose God is the
Lord, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we
who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
NOTE:
Our church wants to share food with
local churches that has community meals.
If you church would use this food, please contact me at The Community
(at 276-647-8231). We are planning the
construction of our new campus beginning with a huge mission team the end of
May. Please pray for wisdom, finances,
and open doors as the process begins.
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