The Motions
That’s actually the title of a very good Matthew West song that has been playing the last couple mornings as I have been studying Isaiah this holiday weekend. Turns out one of the verses I like in this song plays into a few passages I came across in Isaiah.
The second verse of the song says:
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
“What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?”
That verse really speaks to me since things seem to be going really well in my life moment; I definitely don’t want to fall into the trap of just “going through the motions” in my relationship with God. That’s why I found a couple of sections of Isaiah that talked about the same thing.
Isaiah 1:10-15 NIV
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
God was unhappy with the sacrifices the people of Israel and Judah were making. He was not wanting them the stop the sacrifices they were making. The leaders were making the traditional sacrifices and offerings at holy celebrations, but they were unfaithful to God in their hearts. God wanted sincere faith and devotion from the people, not just the “going through the motions.”
This comes out even more profoundly in Isaiah 29:13-14 NIV
13 The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
14 Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
The people claimed to be close to God but again were just going through the motions and rituals. Everything was a routine to them. Jesus even quoted this passage to the Pharisees in Matthew 15:7-9 and Mark 7:6-7.
God doesn’t want rituals or routines from us. He doesn’t want us to just go to church on Sunday because that’s what we always do or are supposed to do. He wants genuine love and devotion from us. He wants a loving relationship on a daily basis. That’s why I, and all of us should draw close to God and develop that loving relationship with him and above all, guard against “going through the motions.”
September 07 2009 06:09 pm | Bible Thoughts
Brian on 07 Sep 2009 at 7:35 pm #
Mabey that’s what Paul ment about runnin the race and keepin the faith somtimes that run slows to a jog then a walk and we never see it comin. Somtimes its hard just to stay close to the only one who deserves all we have to give. Good one mike
David Gordon on 07 Sep 2009 at 7:41 pm #
Great topic! I know that I am guilty of living a life of ‘motions’ and I am ashamed of myself for the same. But I have also been easing ever so close to the Lord throughout my Christian walk. Indeed, love covers a multitude of sins. May God keep you in His sight always!!
Hank on 07 Sep 2009 at 10:00 pm #
Belief in theology has literally nothing to do with professional football.
I realize you pay for the bandwidth and servers but why not set up a seperate website that is dedicated to religion instead of posting the two on the same page? In doing so you are being disrespectful to both your faith and your favorite team.
Now give further consideration to the fact that people who visit the site might have a different faith than you do. Some might be Jehovas, some might be mormons, some jewish others still buddhists or muslims. Being truly spiritual and reaching a state of gnosis means being respectful of ALL other religions, not force-feeding your chosen faith on others. Being a spiritual bully isn’t very evolved or tolerant. You might want to give this serious consideration, or you can disregard what I’ve written and continue along the path you have chosen.
Kind regards,
Hank Franklin
Hank on 07 Sep 2009 at 10:06 pm #
PS This article doesn’t belong in the “current news” section as it isn’t team news. This is a personal blog that has nothing to do with Viking football. Just making another observation here, no need to take offense.
If you want to be a reliable source for Vikings news you might want to conduct the site in a more professional capacity, or not. Ultimately it’s your decision.
Respectfully,
Hank Franklin
kansasvike on 08 Sep 2009 at 3:15 am #
Good morning Hank. No offense taken at all and thank you for taking the time to comment. I do get suggestions such as yours from time to time.
You say that belief in theology has literally nothing to do with professional football. Take a look at the prayer circle pictures on my photo page taken at the end of each game. I think there are a few football players that might debate that with you.
The Faith section is my personal blog, but the Viking site is my personal site also. When you go to ESPN and are not a fan of baseball, you don’t read those articles. If you do not want to read the faith articles, just don’t click on them. If you look at the Faith Blog you will notice that most of the time I only post one article a month there. Sometimes two. With the large amount of Vikings news that passes through the front page these are there for a very short period of time. A day or so at the most.
But more importantly read the “About” section at the Blog. There is a part in there that says:
That’s what it’s all about. Sharing the word of the Lord and helping others. Ezekiel 3:17-18 says:
God called Ezekiel and clearly gave him a message of truth that was expected to be shared; “whether they listen or fail to listen” (Ezekiel 3:11). Ezekiel was not responsible for how many people obediently followed God’s Word, but he was definitely accountable for sharing the message God gave.
I and all Christians are responsible for sharing God’s word with others. This is one of the ways I choose to do it. One or two articles a month on my thoughts and feelings as I study the word of God.
Lastly I am respectful of other people’s religions and beliefs, but I believe there is only one true God and only one way to salvation, and that is Jesus Christ. I’m not force feeding that on anyone, I’m just spreading that word.
Again, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Ultimately, I hope you still use the site and if you don’t care for the Faith articles, just continue on to the football related ones. But if not, there are a ton of other great Viking sites out there.
Take care
-
Mike
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
John 14:6
LARRY COCHRAN on 08 Sep 2009 at 5:24 am #
Thank you my brother and fellow believer. I couldn’t be happier to know that as a follower of Christ, and a Vikings fan, there are more believers who share my views. Christ is life, football is a pasttime. Football could go away and though I’d be sad, I’d be fine. But if we did not have the freedom to claim Christ, we’d go underground. His word shall live forever. Thank you, keep it up.
David Gordon on 08 Sep 2009 at 7:36 pm #
Mike..
Keep posting God’s Word. The problem with many of us is that we try to fit God’s Word in our lives and around OUR schedules. But the truth be told, we should actually be putting our daily lives into God’s word.
The world is His and all that is in it. The heavens are His, and yet WE dare decide when and where His word should or shouldn’t be observed? If only a handful of people read your blogs and get spiritual edification then consider it a great success! May God’s grace be with you!
kansasvike on 08 Sep 2009 at 7:49 pm #
Thanks Dave. I’ve changed a lot of things around in my life precisely because of what you are talking about. If I let them, the things of this world will start to take precedent in my day and then I have to try to fit God in at the last. I eliminated a lot of those things and try to make sure God is first and then everything else can fall in behind.
Hank on 09 Sep 2009 at 1:08 am #
You seemed to misunderstand a few things I wrote Mike so lets take a moment to review.
You wrote:
“Take a look at the prayer circle pictures on my photo page taken at the end of each game”
Notice the part where you wrote “at the end of each game” ?
When the whistle blows that means the game is over.
If individuals wish to pray after the game thats all good and well. However, this isn’t part of the game as the contest is already over.
NFL teams carry 53 players…how many do you see taking a knee in the end zone after a game? Maybe a dozen at the most? What about the other 40 guys, are they all atheists? It’s not likely, they probably just don’t feel its a proper time to worship even if it’s on a Sunday. Prayer is for church, not the gridiron where men collide violently and with great malice and oftentimes bad intentions. I say this with firsthand knowledge, trust me on this subject if nothing else. I was an all-state WR/FL in Florida before tearing the MCL and ACL of my R leg. The guy who caused the injury stood over me and danced after delivering the cheap shot, I am fairly confident god wasn’t in his heart when he dove into my legs with the intention of doing harm.
Additionally, no player with an IQ higher than a sliced banana would argue with me that religion and football are mutually exclusive (as you claimed) or anyone else armed with even a remote hint of common sense. If they tried to debate this I would be obligated and honor bound to call them a fool.
As children in Pop Warner we are taught “whistle to whistle”, anything that happens AFTER the final whistle that doesn’t involve strategy or on-field performance isn’t a part of the game. No player I’ve ever seen, or shared a field with, has ever taken a knee while the ball is in play. That’s a sure fire way to get seriously injured or benched in a hurry. Therefore my statement still holds true. Football and religion are mutually exclusive…no matter how much you might think them to be intertwined it just isn’t so amigo.
You also wrote:
“When you go to ESPN and are not a fan of baseball, you don’t read those articles.”
I hate to tell you that your metaphor doesn’t work here Mike since ESPN doesn’t post baseball stories in the football section. It’s a bit of a trick to post your blog in the “Current News” section of the page when you have ample space provided for just that content specifically in another area. You have the “Spirituality” tab at the VERY TOP left of the page superseding things like the schedule, the players/coaches rosters, free agents, player movement, team history etc. Hey, it’s your page…you can make whatever you want the focal point of the website. Beneath “Spirituality” at the very top of the page you have the “Faith Blog” and “My Testimony”. Wouldn’t you think that musings and reflections on your relationship with Jesus and your pursuit of divinity are best suited for those sections of the page appropriated for that specific purpose? I would think that your ruminations on theology aren’t quite appropriate or a proper fit in the “Current News” portion of the site, but that’s just one man’s opinion.
You write: “The purpose of this Blog is to pass along my thoughts and experiences as I walk in the light of The Lord.”
I get that and respect your wish to share your beliefs Mike, I really do. Conversely, I didn’t notice any mention by you that occasionally you would be posting your personal reflections on religion in the “Current News” section, blending your feelings on theology with actual team news concerning the Vikings. A harmless FYI here, a blog is a personal journal with reflections and comments…of the many things it can be called it’s not “Current News” though.
I must admit that this post was amusing:
“Lastly I am respectful of other people’s religions and beliefs”
Then you proceeded to literally launch into proselytizing and disrespecting my chosen faith by quoting scriptures and elaborating on YOUR personal faith. It seems you think your god is greater than mine, I know you didn’t intend this but it’s how it came across. After reading that I felt that you didn’t hearken to what I tried to communicate in my last post.
Let me try to clarify my feelings on this topic.
Your god isn’t my chosen god. Preaching to me about your god as though no other god could possibly exist or should be held in as high a regard as your god is not just rude and inconsiderate to my beliefs, it’s fairly offensive in it’s self-absorbed myopia.
Give what I have written here serious consideration Mike. I don’t expect you to post this in the comments as it is not my intention to make you look like a villain. I merely want to provoke thought and a wider view on theology. I wrote this for your benefit only, my intention is to be helpful…not hurtful.
I really enjoy your website and took the time out to write you because I enjoy the site and will continue to as long as you host it. It just seemed that you wandered from being a fairly focused and concise moderator of news concerning our favorite team to a slightly amateurish and fanatical-leaning venue. If you were wondering where I got the salt to be so brazen I will share that I was a reporter for a quarterly magazine with national circulation (covering the pro football desk) once upon a time. I know a little about how the business is run and often think others would like hints and tips on how to improve their venue when they probably would like me to just shut the hell up.
Hope you get something out of all this rhetoric Mike. Good luck on your spiritual journey, I mean that sincerely.
Kind regards,
-Hank
kansasvike on 09 Sep 2009 at 4:04 am #
Good morning again Hank. First let me say that once you registered yesterday, your post automatically posted in the comments section. Not a problem at all for me as it is a well written post. I will try to address some of your points.
You are assuming that the only time prayer is going on during the game is when it is over and we can visibly see the player take a knee. I think it’s going on in the hearts and minds of a lot of those players during the game. We just can’t see it. But then that is subjective as neither of us can prove that.
I pray for them. Seriously, I pray they find the peace and tranquility I have found through Jesus Christ.
Prayer is for anytime not just church. That’s what building a relationship with God is all about. I pray often and openly at work.
I still have to disagree here. You are assuming that the player has to take a knee or something in order for us to see that God is a part of the game. I still say that God is in their hearts and minds during the game. Especially someone like AD who has given credit to the Lord for his abilities. Just as kids in school may ask the Lord for help on a test, so do football players ask the Lord for strength during a game. They just don’t stop and take a knee to do it.
I think it does work Hank. I just went to ESPN’s main page. There are articles on the NFL, US Open. College Football, Soccer, you name it. All I have to do is pick the section or article I want to view and pass by the rest. My site is no different. You pick the articles you want to read and pass by the rest. Also, look at the description of my site. It says: “A Christian website devoted to Faith, Jesus Christ and Minnesota Vikings Football.”
Notice where football falls in that list. That is also why the Spirituality section is placed above everything else in the navigation. It is something that is more important than football.
Good point Hank. I should put that in there that I will be posting these to the main site. I did that in the initial Welcome article, but that is now on the second page and it should be in the About section. I will correct that.
Respectfully, no where in here did I say you were going to be thrown into a lake of fire or anything for your beliefs. I stated my feelings not about MY God but OUR God. You may have taken offense to that, but it wasn’t intended to offend anyone. I’m not here to convert you and I won’t launch into scripture again. I will say that there will come a time, and for me it won’t be too many years down the road, when we will both know the truth. I am totally confident in what we will find.
Ah, here is where things go awry. This isn’t a business, it’s a personal site. A little slice of my life that I put out there for enjoyment. I started doing the Vikings site out of my love for the team. It’s something I did because I enjoyed it. If someone else got some pleasure and use out of it then that was fine. But I never intended to make money off it. You will notice that there is no advertising on the site right now. If this site went away tomorrow, people wouldn’t be starved for Vikings information. There is a ton of it out there.
Here is how I look at all this. The website is like my home. You or anyone else are welcome over here at my house to watch the Vikings games on Sunday. I don’t put a disclaimer on the front of my house that there is Christian related things in my house. If people come to my house to watch a game and there is a picture of Jesus on the wall and a couple of scripture posters hanging they don’t ask me to take them down because they offend them. They either ignore them, leave, or after their visit, they never come back. That’s how the website is too. It’s just like coming to my home.
I thank you for taking the time to express your views and opinions Hank. I really enjoyed the conversation and hope you got something from all of this as well. Would love to sit and watch a game with you sometime. I think it would be a fun and informative experience.
Take care, enjoy the season and God Bless.
-
Mike
Justen on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:49 am #
Mike,
I think what you are doing is great. I believe that this is a good way to reach non-believers and tell them about the good news of Jesus Christ.
I just want to ask Hank one question, WHO IS YOU GOD AND EXPLAIN HIM TO EVERYONE!!!!!
Mike continue what you are doing and don’t let anyone tell you differant bout the wonderful thing that you are doing. GOD love you for what you are doing…..
God Bless and Peace be with you!
David Bayne on 09 Sep 2009 at 1:18 pm #
It is a pure Joy to be able partake in Your jourony as THE LORD leads you. I am also very excited to visit your sight to check out the lastest on the Vikings. With both know where our number one relationship is. GOD Bless You and Yours. May you have a lot of quality time with your family and being Blessed with peace joy and love. dave
kansasvike on 10 Sep 2009 at 4:13 am #
Hello Justen and David. Thanks for the support my brothers. This has been a good and interesting conversation. I appreciate you guys stopping by and commenting.
Take care and be blessed.
-
Mike
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105
Justen Tennant on 19 Sep 2009 at 4:43 pm #
Mike, send me your EMail, I have videos that I want to send you for your SITE. K! Peace!
kansasvike on 19 Sep 2009 at 4:56 pm #
Just sent it out to you my man.
-
Mike
Dan Robinson on 23 Sep 2009 at 6:58 am #
Mike – Thanks for your website and yor gracious comments to those who would disagree with the Christian faith. I believe your unwavering stand on the truth coupled with your graciousness in speech (writings) is a wonderful testament to being a Christian. I would like to respond to one thing that Hank posted, however:
“Preaching to me about your god[sic]as though no other god could possibly exist or should be held in as high a regard as your god is not just rude and inconsiderate to my beliefs, it’s fairly offensive in it’s self-absorbed myopia.”
Hank – I appreciate your sincerity in your beliefs, but would ask you to consider the following:
1) By spelling God with the little “g” have you considered how offensive that might be to Christians who do believe in him as the one true God. Indirectly, could this be construed as your belief being asserted above mine that there may be more than one god?
2) I have studied several different religions during my lifetime such as, Buddahism, Shitoism, Islam, and others. If one suggests that my carefully considered faith of Christianity is “self-absorbed myopia,” could not that statement also be considered rude and offensive?
Please understand, my intent is not to criticize, or to claim to be offended. (I am not) Your comments certainly were well written and most definitly presented more politely than most who would disagree with Christianity. My only point (trying to be made within my limited abilities) is that perhaps we are all “myopic” to a degree.
To simplify the argument: either you are correct, or kansasmike is correct in the belief that there is only one true God. If you happen to be correct, what harm is there in kansasmike believing there is only one true God. Would you object to someone presenting the 8-fold path or the 4 noble truths if you don’t believe in Buddahism? (I don’t have to believe it, why would I be offended by it?)
Conversely, consider the alternate view that kansasmike is right. What kind of Christian would he be if he does know the truth, and then did not share his faith which he so firmly believes. Lastly, Christians are commanded to share their faith by our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of our faith, we really do not have an option in this regard (or we would disregard the very being we claim to be putting at the center of our life.)
If I have come across as critical or offensive (with my words) that is truly not my intention and I hope you would attribute it to my individual weaknesses rather than an indictment against Christianity as a whole. Best wishes to you on your search for the truth.
Barb on 23 Sep 2009 at 10:41 am #
hey Mike…
first time posting on your blog but have had the enjoyment of reading your faith reflections for some time now. (I have your website in my favorites because of that and because of my mutual love for our Vikings:)
I know that Christ delights when we put Him first in our lives and also those other things that are part of who we are. He will indeed bless our hand to what ever we do with those priorities straight. thanks for your insight by writing your current blog about the Motions; that song has always hit home with me and challenges me in a good way.
have a great week and God bless!
John 14:11-13
..vikingfanlivinginwi
kansasvike on 23 Sep 2009 at 5:45 pm #
Hello Dan. Thanks for the kind comments and glad you like the site. I bet we have run into each other at a Vikings board or two in the past. Always a pleasure to meet another Viking fan and fellow Christian. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Be well my brother.
-
Mike
kansasvike on 23 Sep 2009 at 5:49 pm #
That song is one of my favorites Barb and I never tire of it. Glad you enjoy the site and thanks for commenting.
God Bless
-
Mike
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose!