A Pile of Gold or a Bible; Which Would You Choose?

Our 10-year-old granddaughter, Emma, and I were driving down the road in Boerne to get a few things at HEB when I told her that I wanted to practice my memory verse with her.

As we drove, I quoted “The words of Your mouth are better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”  Psalm 119:72. Then I said, “Emma, Psalm 119 is a prayer that will shape our prayers if we learn it and pray it. I want to get to the place where if I saw a pile of gold beside a Bible, I would choose the Bible.”

Then I asked her, “What about you?” She thought for a moment, kept looking straight ahead, and said, “I would take the gold and then go buy some Bibles for people who do not have one.”

AMEN! Sure wish I had thought of that! Thanks, Emma.

I will be on a mission trip to India over the next few weeks and will greatly appreciate your prayers for our team. And I am taking some money that Emma’s daddy gave me to buy some Bibles for some pastors who do not have one. I will post about the trip when I get back.

Is "Religion" a Bad Word?

You may have heard some say that Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship. And yet, James uses this word in a good light. He says that there is something called “pure religion,” teaching us that “religion” is good.

So, what is “pure religion?” The Greek word used in James 1:26-27 (used twice) is the word threskos and is only used two other times in the New Testament (Acts 26:5, Colossians 2:18). It describes devotion, piety, worship. It outlines the daily practice and routine of a group.

Religion can become a substitute for a personal relationship with God, just like marriage can become a substitute for a loving relationship between a husband and wife. When that happens, religion is a barrier to a relationship. But a growing relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ will be religious; pure religion.

These two, religion and relationship, are two that God has joined together. When separated, you have big trouble on your hands. Without a personal relationship, religion becomes empty and leads to idolatry (worshipping worship; a serious trend in the American church today). And without religion, relationship becomes blasphemy (in a personal relationship with God, how could you not worship!).

Personal faith in Jesus Christ has devotion, piety, and worship. There are daily practices and routines that express a personal faith and become acts of worship.

Religion is a good word; pure religion!