I have been reading some different authors as well as the book of Isaiah recently. Not at all to my surprise I see a repeat of history, in that God deals strictly with His people regarding His formerly ordained ways. The Lord clearly laid down step-by-step statutes and ordinances about worship and daily living in the Old Testament. There were specific sacrifices for specific aspects of worship, cleansing, and preparation done in specific ways with specific rules and regulations. Every detail of the human life, the corporate life and the life of the nation of Israel was covered in God's commandments through Moses in the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). God was strict in His laying down of these ordinances and He was strict in dealing with His people's handling of such.

By the time of Israel's history in the book of Isaiah, God's people, Israel, had become degraded to the uttermost. They were even rebuked by the Lord for behaving worse than the heathen. The Lord in the book of Isaiah was exposing and rebuking His people for their hypocrisy regarding their improper worship and their degraded state. God went so far as to tell them not to do what he previously told them to do. He said that their way of carrying out His former commandments was now sickening to Him. During the time of the prophet Isaiah, Israel and Judah were taken captive by the surrounding nations as a chastisement from God. This proved that not only God did not approve of Israel's ways, but He dealt harshly with their disobedience and ignorance.

I bring this matter up as a parallel to today's situation. At the church's inception in the book of Acts believers lived by faith and worshipped in spirit and reality. Yet, soon after the early church's beginning in the Spirit, they began a rapid degradation towards the outward things (read the book of Galatians, written approximately 50 AD). Christians may love the thought of the miracles and great deeds "seen" in the New Testament record, but do we realize that these positive outward things (initiated and carried out in the Spirit) brought on the greatest persecution? Surely, the greatest part of the believers lives at that time were hidden, secret and discrete before the Lord. Today, it seems that the vast majority of Christians are for the outward duty, obligation and practice, rather than the inward reality. Basically, Christians are satisfied with the "seen" aspect of their Christian walk and are not focusing on the "unseen" aspect which God holds most dearly. Paul broached this subject with the Corinthian saints in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore, we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet our INNER man is being renewed day by day. For our momentary lightness of affliction works out for us, more and more surpassingly, an eternal weight of glory, because we DO NOT REGARD THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." Do we see the correlation between suffering and the outward? When the divine life is displayed, it usually is accompanied by suffering and persecution rather than applause and recognition.

My children were asking me about "going to church" especially since it is no longer an outward obligation in our household. Millions upon millions of Christians and others attend church meetings of virtually all kinds. They go through the "motions," some genuinely and some ritualistically, but most have lost the foundational reason for what they do. Are they going to church to seek and find a living Christ who will change their life? Are they attending a service in order to recalibrate their daily life and foster a corporate fellowship in Jesus' name? Do they love God and the saints more day by day and week after week directly related to their going to church? OR are they attending out of habit? Are they giving money without any deep sense of the purpose of their giving but rather out of obligation or coercion? Are they seeking some outward satisfaction for fulfilling a duty or for being a leader or servant? Are they looking for other's applause or recognition?

Actually, a genuine believer should be in fear and trembling when given accolades or recognition for their walk in Christ Jesus because the flesh is always looking for an opportunity to imitate Christ and to express itself. It is ever so common for believers to seek and establish the "seen" things like beautiful buildings, large congregations, multi-faceted ministries, theological degrees, the best pastor or elder, the most effective methodology, Sunday School attendance pins, etc. Yet, it is also common to discover the emptiness and degradation underlying so many of these outward things. It is too common to find persons without true root or foundation (no "unseen" part). Therefore, just as the "foolish" man's house was built and eventually destroyed by the matters of life (storms, winds, rivers), so also, today's Christians should beware of how they build (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Corinthians 3:10-17).

One illustration using my daughter helps keep me in perspective. She practices gymnastics for hundreds of hours in a closed gym, UNSEEN by others. It is often tedious, boring, painful and mostly UNRECOGNIZED. For what? So that she can spend a few minutes "on display" [to be seen] at a competition. My daughter needs a solid foundation and a strong determination and work ethic to cope with and persevere in the gymnastics field. Christ is our solid foundation for the Christian walk, not other's encouragement. Christ gives us a strong determination because of His Person and Work on the earth, in His death and in His resurrection. Christ is with us always as we work for Him and persevere in Him throughout our lives.

Wouldn't it change the world, if believers had such a constitution? Why don't we all repent and pray to the Lord that we would have such a life. A life that "builds the house" by hundreds of unseen moments and endeavors before the Lord. A life that rarely gets the pat on the back and the applause from anyone but the inner Christ. A life that eventually does produce some kind of outward display: possibly an award, but possibly a cross!