The Roving Pulpit visits with Rev. Rob Gragg

March 1, 2019

“Spiritual Gaming”

Part 1: Games people play

As a businessperson would do, coming up with an idea to manufacture a game so that it would be a best seller. It would consist of two components, the manufacture, and the players. Some may say that the essence of the game is the rules and regulations (control). Without rules and regulations, most manufactures would have no game. Hummmm!

The only benefit to the game is the manufacture. It is the manufactures that get all of the recognition (money) not the players. The players get no benefit whatsoever; they just follow the rules and regulations as is given to them by the manufacture. Which is all right if that is all they want? But, the typically player loves to get rewarded for their effort and progress. The problems arise when the manufacture cannot or will not reward them, the only reward that is given is the chance to win, and there is no guaranty that will happen, just an opportunity to have that chance. The thought remains that if I am rewarded as a player, then I am going to excel and maybe get a reward the next time but the game still keeps going on.

As the game is played more, the players get tired of just the same old things repeatedly and boredom sets in. Bad attitudes show up as well as a sour taste in their mouth for the game. The manufacture has done nothing wrong in producing a product that seems to work according to him or her, however, the players now have a sour disposition toward the manufacture and the game. The only remaining thing to do is to quit the game and go onto something more. So, the player does, and when the subject comes up about the game. The previous player tells the others what kind of game it is and how it stinks and why. They also broadcast the bad taste in the mouth to all that will hear it, and as long as it takes to get the message out. The manufacture gets a bad reputation. The manufacture is unaware of this because all they are interested in is the money it generates. Then on the other hand, the manufacture plans more games that promise more excitement, more enticement, more thrills, more entertainment, and then they got you hook, line and sinker.

Part 2: Church games

Although many people go to church, there is a big difference in the way we worship. Many mainstream denominations, but what is true worship! Do we just play the part or do we really worship the Lord in truth and Spirit. Seems to me, most people play the game, we dance around the outside of the Holies of Holies and occasionally peek behind the curtain to see what is going on. Never grasping that God, the Father has invited us into His presence. Most of us would not even know what the presence of God feels like. We are too busy in our own little world calling what we do worship in the presence of God. Yes, we may sing a few songs and maybe even dance a little, just to say we did so, never really getting into the presence of God.

It may be a sweet atmosphere that we create in the spirit; as a corporate worship. However, it is not the real presence of God. Sad though true, some of us will never know the real presence of God simply because we play our part. We may be sincere about what we do, when we do it and how humble in our piety that we totally miss the mark and miss out on what God has for us.

Our agenda may be when we go to church it may be for what is going on or to be seen. Maybe the church you go to is a social church, as well as to see who is wearing what and the latest gossip there is, if not by telephone, then we go to church to see if it is true to our rules and regulations set for each denomination. They all may seem similar but are worlds apart. To some it is like a country club, others their religious proceedings is a form of godliness on the outside, dry bones in the inside, still others go for spiritual enlightenment, just to appease their conscious.

What a sham, to know that one’s motivation is to appease themselves, is a farce to God, the Father. The Word of God says that HE goes back and forth over the earth to see if some has the faith to believe Him. Any of us can, how about it? Are you one to have faith to believe in God, the Father for everything? Are you the one that God, the Father can trust with His Glory? Are you the one He is looking for? Are you the one that will share His Good News? Are YOU THE ONE?