Genesis 16:15 ASV, Genesis 21:18 ASV, Hosea 6:6 ASV, Matthew 5:16 ASV, Matthew 12:7 ASV and Matthew 23:26 ASV

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In the modern world, it seems all to easy to forget the true meaning of things. Holidays make this point fairly clear. Christmas, which once represented a celebration of Christ's birth, has become an annual ritual of mindless shopping, gift exchanges, and some guy in a red suit whose first name is an anagram for a term used to reference the evil one. Easter, likewise, has come to be symbolized by a bunny, colored eggs, and heinous treats known as "peeps" rather than the commemoration of Christ's resurrection. Obviously, we need to realign ourselves with what's truly important now and again.

God, knowing our tendency to drift off course, gave us a short yet powerful statement for times like these. In Hosea 6:6 we are told, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice" - the mention of "sacrifice" referring to the Old Testament ritual of burnt offerings. This statement reminds us that God places more emphasis on our compassion than on ceremony. So important were these words that Jesus himself later quoted them saying, "had you known what these words mean...you would not have condemned the innocent" (Matthew 12:7 NIV). Jesus further elaborated, "First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean" (Matthew 23:26 NIV). In other words, remember the main point and everything else will fall into place.

What is the main point, then? Well, the main point is not uttering a phrase like, "under God" in a pledge, then reacting bitterly when blinded people - the very people we're supposed to minister to - do not want to be forced to say it. Shouldn't we, instead, show them the love of God which they have yet to know and hope that someday they want to say it voluntarily? Recognizing God is a point to be arrived at, not a measure to be enforced. The point is not memorizing the scriptures in order to recite them verbatim, but applying the principles found within them - like love and compassion - so that our light may shine and people may praise God (Matthew 5:16 NIV). The point is not being intolerant towards Jews (of which, Jesus was one) or the house of Ishmael - aka the Nation of Islam (Genesis 16:15, Genesis 21:18) - but showing them, who pray to the same God as us, compassion and respect. The point is - as LifeChurch's Pastor Craig Groeschel claims - not going to church but being the church.