Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living - The Global of the Nazarene's Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States for Monday, 11 June 2018 "Why Do We Go To Church?" by Caleb Reynolds - Jeremiah 7:1-11.

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living - The Global of the Nazarene's Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States for Monday, 11 June 2018 "Why Do We Go To Church?" by Caleb Reynolds - Jeremiah 7:1-11.
Jeremiah 7:1 This word came to Yirmeyahu from Adonai: 2 “Stand at the gate of the house of Adonai and proclaim this word: ‘Listen to the word of Adonai, all you from Y’hudah who enter these gates to worship Adonai! 3 Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: “Improve your ways and actions, and I will let you stay in this place. 4 Don’t rely on that deceitful slogan, ‘The temple of Adonai, the temple of Adonai — these [buildings] are the temple of Adonai.’ 5 No, but if you really improve your ways and actions; if you really administer justice between people; 6 if you stop oppressing foreigners, orphans and widows; if you stop shedding innocent blood in this place; and if you stop following other gods, to your own harm; 7 then I will let you stay in this place, in the land I gave to your ancestors forever and ever. 8 Look! You are relying on deceitful words that can’t do you any good. 9 First you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, offer to Ba‘al and go after other gods that you haven’t known. 10 Then you come and stand before me in this house that bears my name and say, ‘We are saved’ — so that you can go on doing these abominations! 11 Do you regard this house, which bears my name, as a cave for bandits? I can see for myself what’s going on,” says Adonai.. (Complete Jewish Bible).
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The first days of basketball practice were always the toughest. There wasn’t a basketball in the whole gym. Instead, we filled our two-hour practice time with conditioning drills, running sprints, and doing push-ups. We groaned and whined. “Why are you here?” the coach yelled.
Truthfully, I wanted esteem and affirmation. But what I needed was exercise, to get into shape. I didn’t want anyone to see how out of shape I had become in the off-season. To improve, I needed to submit myself to these practices, drills, and the pain and exhaustion that went along with them. It was going to cost me something to be there.
The words of warning in Jeremiah bring this same reality to God’s people. They tried to hide their sins, and flaws behind a clean, religious exterior. They were there to look good, not to subject themselves to God’s scrutiny. God compares their hiding to robbers seeking shelter in a cave.
As you enter God’s house, the Lord asks us the question: Why are you here? Is it about affirming yourself, or is it about becoming all that God wants you to be?***
Hymn for Today: "Cleanse Me" by J. Edwin Orr.
1. Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
cleanse me from every sin and set me free.
2. I praise thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
fulfill thy word and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
grant my desire to magnify thy name.
3. Lord, take my life, and make it wholly thine;
fill my poor heart with thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;
I now surrender, Lord - in me abide.

Thought for Today: For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function; so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. (Romans 12:4-5(Complete Jewish Bible)).

Please pray: That many people in Cape Verde will come to know Yeshua as their Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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