Tradition over truth. Man over God.

Jesus spoke boldly against religious people who quote scripture but live like satan. They go through the motions, speak good things, claim plenty of righteousness for themselves, but their hearts are empty, cold, dead. They follow tradition. They make up rules. They police others, they control others. Jesus said it is all worthless.

Is gathering at church with God’s people a bother? Would you rather be watching sports, playing golf, watching TV, playing video games, hanging out with friends, working, resting? What about Bible reading, is it a chore too? Would you like to take a day off from “serving God” and just relax for a bit?

NO! How can it be? A heart filled with the Holy Ghost fire looks forward to gathering with others, craves Bible reading, yearns for alone time with Jesus. These things are the center of life! Taking time off from these things would be like taking time away from food and drink, unpleasant and difficult.

It’s all about the heart. So many attending church today, so many reading, praying, restricting their activities in public, they do so out of obligation. They say the right words, but inside secretly resent it all. They yearn to be like everyone else in the world, to play, party, enjoy themselves. They may even “sneak out quietly” to indulge in those things when no one is looking. Yet they follow the traditions hoping God will reward them for their “sacrifice”.

He won’t. He hates it.

Scripture often refers to our relationship with Jesus as a marriage. We are his bride. Well, how would you feel sir, if your bride stayed with you, talked to you, lived with you only because she had to? How would you feel if she constantly eyed other men, talked about them? Flirted with them in front of you? What if you knew her heart and knew she secretly yearned to be with someone else?

That’s what we do to Jesus when we follow tradition because we “have to” but our heart is elsewhere. Think how sad for Jesus to be treated that way after all He has done for us!

Ask God to cleanse your heart, to build a hunger and thirst for the things of God. Ask Him to cleanse you of tradition focused worship, of a self centered heart. Repent of “cheating” on Jesus in your heart, yearning for the world as you sit in church.

Ask, for that fire of Pentecost. Ask to be clean, ask to be whole, ask to be true to the core. Ask, and He will give you a heart for Him that drives you to the alter every possible chance.

Then… And only then… Life begins.