Thoughts from a Notebook

I have many notebooks filled with all kinds of stuff in them that at one time I thought was important enough to write down and read later. I wish that I were organized enough to use one notebook until full and then move on to another, but I am not. Chalk it up to my ADD or whatever, but I just can't work that way. Sometimes I am thankful for that, though. Today I arrived at work and pulled out my little blue notebook in which I had written little notes to myself about how to do my job better. As I was flipping through, I noticed a page full of my handwriting which I don't really remember writing or what prompted me to write it in the first place. God works that way. So this is what I wrote to myself however long ago (years?) it may have been:

True worship is fully emotional. You can not meet and experience God without being deeply moved, but emotions are not the ultimate goal! They are a right response to truth. Emotions can change, but truth never does. Many preachers are artificially emotional and they shamefully exploit people's emotions for personal gain. They are not preaching and worshiping in spirit and truth.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem at the beginning of the week, the people were very emotional. Many of them were expecting Him to usher in His great kingdom to finally rise up and defeat the mighty Roman Empire. Nobody expected Him to end the week on a Roman cross, being crucified on a trash dump as a result of the same people's cries for His crucifixion.

For better or worse, emotions are extremely powerful, which is exactly how God designed us. But emotions must be in response to truth. Jesus did not come to save Israel from the big, bad Romans, but to save them (and us) from themselves (and ourselves) and the wrath of a holy and righteous God.

Despite our best efforts, we don't define what kind of king Jesus will be. He does. At the beginning of the week, the crowd was saying and doing the right things, but their hearts were not right before God and they could not see the truth. We can be exactly the same. Religious behavior and emotional enthusiasm are wonderful, but the cross must always be right there at the center. I know that I must check my heart and mind all the time to see Jesus for who He really is and not who I want him to be. I must beg God to guard my heart and mind and convict me so that as I see Him more fully, I will know a fuller joy and satisfaction (and many other wonderful emotions) that are pure and right before a holy God.