Pour Me Out (Aug 29)

The other day, I was sitting at my desk and I heard a strange noise. Thump, thump, thump. I sat still. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I turned off the A/C and fan and listened some more. The sound was coming from my water pot that I keep next to my plants. I looked inside and found a baby mouse jumping around, trying to get out. Why was he in there? Possibly he was running along the shelf and fell in. At any rate, the mouse didn't belong in there. Normally, you just put water in the pot. You put stuff in there that you want to pour out on your plants to help them grow. Stuff in the pot gets poured out (even the mouse got poured out in the yard...). I'm sure the mouse didn't have any thoughts on the matter, but do we put ourselves in God's big water pot so that we can be poured out—used by God—to help people grow in God's grace? Are you poured out for God? Are you poured out for God's people? It reminds me of some of the words to a song:

Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.

Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.

Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.

Wow, what a prayer! You ask God to take you and make you into something He can use. And you ask Him to use you for His work. You are no longer for your own purposes but those that God deems appropriate. You are broken down, built back up into a vessel that honors God, filled with His Spirit, and completely poured out for His work. Do you know what it means to be emptied? Do you know what it means to be poured out?

2 Timothy 4:1-8

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1 Corinthians 12, 13

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many...18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him... 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another... 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues... [Love] beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

A Pure Heart (Aug 22)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. - Psalm 51:10

We've discussed purity before. It's one of those concepts that are pretty absolute. Webster defines it as “unmixed with any other matter” and also “free from what vitiates, weakens, or pollutes; containing nothing that does not belong.” I've used in the past the example of a bottle of water. The label claims that it contains pure water. If I were to dump a bunch of junk into the water, it would no longer be pure and you would be stupid to drink it. But what about if I only put a small amount of junk in? What if I only add one speck of dirt? What if the speck that I add is something seemingly harmless? You get the picture. As soon as there is even an itty-bitty speck of something that doesn't belong, it's no longer pure.

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

God wants us to have a pure heart. He wants us to be completely, undividedly devoted to Him. No mixture, no side agendas, no hidden motives, no other loves, no other...

Let me share a selection by Chris Tiegreen, from his book Walk With God.

Jesus calls the pure in heart “blessed.” It is an elusive purity for us. We have a hard time maintaining inoffensive thoughts for long periods of time. We are tainted with misplaced motives and petty agendas. If we're really honest with ourselves and our God, we know the truth: our corruption runs deep.

Jesus knows the impossibility of a pure heart, and He offers to fill us with His purity. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, with an emphasis on the holy. Even so, our purity fluctuates as widely as does the vibrancy of our relationship with Him. What can we tell ourselves to avoid discouragement?

We must remember the essence of biblical purity. It is single-minded devotion to God. It does not imply that we will always have perfectly sinless thoughts. It means that the direction of our lives will be solidly, irrevocably invested in Him. When arguments between self and sacrifice resound in our hearts, the godly impulse will eventually win the argument. Perhaps we may fail many times. Regardless, our desire for godliness must remain steadfast. The “steadfast spirit” must constantly be renewed.

God knows the frailties of our character. The human heart is a fickle thing; it caves in to the voices of this world and the compulsions of our flesh. But it is redeemable, utterly redeemable. “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25, italics added).

Have we forgotten the call of the holy God He understands our imperfections, but He calls us above them. The pure in heart—the steadfast, passionate, faithful lovers of the Savior—are a work in progress. But it is a relentless work. Our direction never changes. God will always show more of Himself to those blessed enough to crave purity.

1 Peter 1:22-23

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Hebrews 10:19-25

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Don't Forget to Remember (Aug 15)

Today we listened to a message by William Carrol entitled, "Don't Forget to Remember."

This message encourages us to take every opportunity to intentionally bring to mind what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on Cavalry's Tree. So that we will be able to endure in times of difficulty and not grow proud in times of prosperity. Jesus gives us a mandate to remember all He has done for us. We must remember when we had no hope and no strength and God stretched out His hand and freed us from all our bondage. Also, remember to love, esteem and pray for the body of Christ. Lastly, remember the lost. Don't forget to care for the people who don't necessarily care for you. Remember the Cross and what Jesus sacrificed for us so we can live in true freedom.

Listen: http://sermon3a.tscnyc.ws/2010/mp3g/20100704S2.mp3

God Shouldn't Be a Facebook Friend (Aug 8)

We all probably have a set of “really close” friends and a bunch of “not as close” friends. We have the people that we hang out with all of the time and we have the people that we see somewhat often and still enjoy being around. And we probably also have the folks that we lost touch with and always figure we'll catch up some day. For years people have used letters, the telephone, and more recently email and online chat to keep in touch with people that they don't see too often (possibly they live too far away or such). Today, it seems that many people have turned to “social networking” sites such as Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family or reconnect with people with whom they've lost touch. I don't use Facebook much, but I have found it to be a handy way to keep tabs on family in Michigan and talk occasionally to some friends that I don't see too much. It's also a handy way to share photos and such. But it also brings into light a whole new category of friend: the Facebook friend. These are people that you know, but you hardly ever talk to them. They are in your list and you see all of the things that they write and the pictures that they share. You have a good idea of what cool things they're up to, etc., but you don't really ever talk. They're not any kind of companion and you don't really share much of anything, except an occasional stream of facts and tidbits from their life. It's weird. I suppose it's better than no contact at all, but it seems kind of detached or something. It's a weird kind of phenomenon I guess.

Something that God has been speaking to my heart lately is the need to be close to Him. He wants me to spend more time talking to Him in prayer, reading and studying His word, and worshiping and praising Him. I was walking along and talking to Him the other day, expressing my desire to know Him more and not be too detached and I thought about that new concept of “friend”. I don't want God to be that kind of friend to me. I want Him to be a close friend, one that is always nearby, one that I can always talk to, one that knows my heart (and I know His), and one that is forever and ever. You might have a friend like that and also a friend that is more of an acquaintance that you hear from every now and then, so you probably know what I'm talking about.

So, don't just read/hear a few things about God from time to time and ignore Him most of the time. Don't be disconnected and separate. Spend time with God and let your friendship, fellowship, and relationship be real.

Psalm 145:18

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.

Psalm 16:8

I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Psalm 89:15

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.

Revelation 21:3

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

James 4:8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Micah 4:5

For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God Forever and ever.