Be Ready - Friday, 2025.12.26
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” {Matthew 2.1-2 (BSB)}
The Magi traveled a long distance to Jerusalem to “worship” the newborn King of the Jews.
Three decades later, Jesus told the woman at the well:
“Believe Me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” {John 4.21.24 (BSB)}
I think it is reasonable to assume that most of the 8+ billion people alive to day regularly fail to worship the Father in spirit and truth. Rather, I contend we (myself included!) “worship at the feet of” an entity or entities other than the Father and Jesus!
I’ll bet you a stale half-eaten do-nut that I offended most of the hand-full of people reading this by my statement above!
What I mean by worshiping another entity, is that we spend TOO much time, energy, and effort focusing on things other than God. One measure of our focus is the amount of time spent on that activity. For example, how much time do you spend:
Playing, watching & thinking about sports?
Watching & thinking about your favorite TV show?
Binge watching TikTok / You-Tube?
Surfing X, FB, WA, IG?
Playing video games?
Working overtime to make more money?
Watching the markets to make more money?
Pursuing your hobbies?
Wasted on drugs or drunk on alcohol?
Another way to look at this, whenever an entity or activity takes the place of God as the center of our lives, then that thing is our “god!” Some examples:
Your pastor or spiritual leader
The “worship leader” at church
The “worship time” at church
Your favorite band
Your favorite sports team / player
Your spouse
Your children
Your parents
Your house or the one you want
Your car or the one you want
If by any chance I didn’t offend you by my earlier statement, I’m sure I did when I included your “god” on one of the lists above. Even if your “god” escaped my lists, if you are honest with yourself, you can identify the ones you worship!
There is but one remedy for worshiping a false “god” and angry with me, getting it is not!
REPENT