“What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?”

and

“What did you do with what I gave you?”

The first question reminds me of a story that was emailed to me this week. Two very mischievous boys had driven their mother to seek help from the neighborhood clergy. She said, “Pastor, I don’t know what to do with my boys. Can you help me?” The Pastor agreed to help the mother so he told her to send the youngest one into him. When the boy entered the pastor’s study he asked the boy in a very stern voice, “Do you know God?  Do you know where God is?

The boy frightened by the stern tone of the pastor could not answer.  The pastor determined to get an answer from the boy repeatedly asked the same question each time raising the volume of his voice.  The boy was in tears when the pastor sent him out to fetch his brother.

Seeing his younger brother so upset he asked, “What happened?” The younger brother said, “God’s missing and he thinks we did it.”

The truth of the matter is that if God is missing in today’s society, you and I have to share the responsibility. Do our actions, our pursuits, our opinions and thoughts reflect worldly values or God’s values?

Paul urged early Christians,

John urged early Christians, 

These teachings are particularly relevant today. We live in a culture that is too often selfish and is corrupting the behavior of every age. Look at the battle that is being waged all across the nation concerning marriage. Some legislatures are viewing this issue from a discrimination point of view. Some legislatures are viewing this issue from a public opinion point of view. Some legislatures are viewing this issue from a Biblical point of view.

The topic of marriage is not the only issue that we are doing this with. We do it with the issue of abortion, pornography, gun control, materialism, sexuality and more.

Sandra told me a story this past week about a child who prayed the Lord’s Prayer saying, “Thy kingdom come, my will be done…” This is an excusable slip up for a child, but an inexcusable attitude that is being lived in the lives of too many believers and non-believers.

These cravings, lusts and boastings do not come from the Father. They cannot be dismissed because of genetics. They come from the same source that tempted Eve and Jesus, satan. He is tempting us to satisfy all and any physical desires we have. He is tempting us to bow to the god of materialism. He is tempting us to become obsessed with ourselves.

C. S. Lewis said, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God

and those to whom God says,

It is possible to give the impression that we are avoiding worldly pleasures while still harboring worldly attitudes in one’s heart.  It is also possible, like Jesus to love sinners and spend time with them while maintaining a commitment to the values of God’s kingdom.  God values self-control, a spirit of generosity, and a commitment to humble service.  What values are more important to you?  Do your actions reflect the world’s values or God’s values?

As Rick Warren points out in his book The Purpose Driven Life “Life on earth offers many choices, eternity offers only two: heaven and hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship to Him in eternity. If you learn to love and trust God’s Son, Jesus, you will be invited to spend the rest of eternity with Him. On the other hand, if you reject His love, forgiveness, and salvation, you will spend eternity apart from God forever.”