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I WOULD BE LIKE JESUS Honestly, what say ye? “Be like Jesus this my song, in the home and in the throng, be like Jesus all day long. I would be like Jesus.” That’s how the song goes. From the days of the Apostles, Sunday has been the assembly day of Christians. Every faithful child of God would be in every Sunday morning worship time. The PM service came in USA many years later but was never intended to be a substitute for AM worship. Sadly, special events and activities on Sunday morning are now used by many Christians to justify their absence from meeting with Christians. The golf course calls, the ballgame calls, visits of relatives call, special meals call, special days call, race and march days on Sunday morning calls, T.V. programs call, etc. It is also sad that many Christians will support these and many other programs before they would support the Lord’s Church. This we expect from the world, but not Christians. The answer to each of these situations can be answered easily by asking a very simple question, “Where would Jesus be on Sunday morning?” Remember how His heart was broken when He saw the Holy City, Jerusalem, doing everything but obeying God? The scripture tells us that He wept over it. Lk 19:41,42. Is this any different? Question: What does our absence do about our influence with others? If we attend a ballgame, races, golf, etc., instead of Sunday Worship we are saying to hundreds and sometimes thousands that Christ is not important. If it’s family activities we are saying to them, Christ is of less importance. Anything or anyone that takes us away from the regular morning worship testifies to all who see us, that Jesus is second, third, fourth or lower in our lives. Some argue, “But these are good things for us to be involved in”, “It does so much good”. Remember, there is a vast difference between “good” and “right”. What is the right thing to do? Where is the right place to be? Wouldn’t a better question be, “Where would Jesus be?” There may be justifiable reasons for not attending the morning worship but none of these reasons we named above is one of them. Do you remember the song, “I’ll Put Jesus First in My Life”? We can throw out the chest and belt it out with all gusto, but it’s meaningless if we do not practice it. If God were to strike us dead for lying as He did Ananias and Sapphira we would be dead before we got the last word out of our mouth. Look again at the suffering, loving Savior. See His pierced hands and feet, look at His thorn crowned head and deep wound in His side and His bruised, bleeding, battered, broken body. Hear His cries on the tree; witness His separation from the Father because of our sins. Oh, how He loves you and me! Can we truly put Him anywhere but number One in our life? Which is to be first; family or Christ, the ballgame or Christ, the meal or Christ, the race or Christ, the visit or Christ, the T.V. or Christ? Even Judas, as wrong as he was, knew Christ was worth more than that for which many trade Him today. Is this discomforting? Maybe! Would the better question be, “Is this the truth?” It is so, we must face it head on. Love You, Art P.S. Please read over the poem I wrote – I think it says it well. ___________________________ ACTIONS, NOT WORDS It was at the table He broke the bread And at the table His tears were shed. “All here will deny Me”, He was heard to sigh, But each one answered boldly, “Not I, Not I”. That night the soldiers came for Him in quest And each one who thoughtlessly answered “Not I” failed the test. “Not I” is easy to say or sing Especially when one has not yet felt the sting. Oh, child of God, Christ must still have first place But how will you answer when the test you face? Do you say He’ll be first, His way you will own Or is it just words and He must again stand alone? You can remove all doubt, all sadness and fear When your life and your words make His First place clear. -Art Hanze
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