I'm I a Pharisee?

My wife and I have great early morning discussions. She has to leave for work by 5:30, so we are up and having coffee together quite early everyday. Our hope is that we can get some quality time in talking without the interruptions of cell phones, children or pets.  Many of my blogs posts happen as a result of those conversations, much like this morning.  Our discussion was about prayer, and how 80% of how we pray in public is for the hearers of the prayer, rather than God. I know as a former pastor, I was always aware of how I prayed before the congregation. Jesus was also concerned about this issue because He addressed this hypocracy in Matthew 23

5They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,  6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues

Being seen or heard by people for the purpose of being known, is not the foundation for our influence. Zach Windahl is a young author who writes as honestly as a 20 year old can. Here is a short piece he blogged recently which is taken from one of his books.

I attended a few different state universities before attending a well-known Christian university and I could not believe the difference between the two. When my fellow students at the “Christian university” were more judgmental and materialistic than the majority of students at the state schools it really got me thinking. Being a “Christian” has become more of a status symbol than anything in the college market. You are a “good kid” so you go to the Christian university. No, in reality, being a Christian is based on where your heart is. If you can’t be out loving the people in your city or even the person next to you in class, you need to rethink what you are preaching. That’s why Christianity has such a bad record in this day and age. Follow in Jesus’ footsteps, show love to those around you, be generous, be modest, and then you will be living out the life of a true Christian. Not the “Christianity” that is portrayed so poorly.

It's hard not to be critical in todays world of analysis, but truth does ask some hard questions. I have never felt that asking hard questions is being negative, or judgmental, it's getting at the core of what is right before God. I ask myself lots of hard questions, its the only way I keep myself honest.  When I am critical of another person, I ask myself, "how do I do the same things that I accuse this person of doing?"  I may not want to admit that there are times I am just as guilty of my own criticism.

I think it's good to ask the hard questions. A friend of mine spent 45 years in the church, being raise in a Christian home, and following a career in ministry, discovered that he never had really committed his life to Christ. This is more common that one would think, because we get accustom to the culture of the church that we fail to ask the hardest question of all.....I am a fully devoted follower of Christ?

Good hard question to ask isn't it?  How about asking yourself if you are a pharisee in anyway in your approach to living out your life in Christ?  I would love to know what you discover.

Keeping it honest and truthful...K

If you want to further your interest in this theme, I have linked you to Craig Groeschel's article on being a Christian atheist. 

http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-calls-christian-atheists-to-shed-hypocrisy-44638/