Beautifully Whole!

 

"God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8, NLT)  “Purity” is a word that will often invite ridicule these days. What is lewd, mean, or even cruel passes for sophistication.  A person who is capable of concealing his true intent or motive to double-dealing his way to ‘success’ is seen as clever. Purity is reserved for children, something we need to ‘out grow.’   

But, Jesus invites us to a way of life that is so different from the corrupt world in which we live.  I confess that the corruption invades my life, sneaking in so subtly from time to time.  That is why I join David in his prayer- "Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. …Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:2,10, NLT)

To ignore the call of the Spirit is to out on the blessings of a godly life.  Eugene Peterson amplifies the verse with this paraphrase: “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." When our actions are aligned to the will of God and our thoughts are shaped by the wisdom of God; we are able to see the plans of our Creator, live in the bounty of His blessings, and know the profound joy of intimate worship as we walk with Him.

Purity has a practical purpose, as well.  A person who walks with God in true holiness (not just superficial piety) is ‘salt and light’ in her world, a real change agent for good. Some Christians mistakenly adopt the error of the ancient Pharisees who thought that purity was best protected by isolation. They tried valiantly to live in a way that pleased God by avoiding those that they thought would contaminate them. Even as they walked the streets they held their robes close to prevent them from brushing against the ‘ordinary sinners’ among whom they lived. Jesus told them they were missing the point. 

The pure are part of God’s plan to save the world.   To be ‘salt and light’ as He taught, we must be in contact, available, rubbing shoulders with others.  In the time of Jesus, salt was much more than a flavoring agent; it was the preservative, preventing rottenness. A light, He said, is not hidden under a basket! We carry it to a room to dispel the darkness.

True purity, not mere piety, does change people with who the pure live and work. That purity flows, not from rigid self-discipline, but rather from an ongoing intimate communication with the Spirit of God. Purity is not just the absence of corruption; it is the wholeness of God in us. Piety comes from our own efforts to ‘be good’ and usually comes off as either Pharisaical superiority or spiritual pride. So we pray, "Cleanse me … and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. … Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:7,10, NIV)

Here’s a word from Word. May the Lord cause a beautiful holiness to emerge in us. "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. … And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." (1 Peter 1:22-2:2, NIV) Oh Lord, make us beautifully whole, we pray. Amen.

(Video of this blog at this link)

_______________

Change My Heart Oh God

Change my heart oh God

Make it ever true

Change my heart oh God

May I be like You

 

You are the potter

I am the clay

Mold me and make me

This is what I pray

 

Eddie Espinosa

© 1982 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Integrity Music)

CCLI License # 810055

The Way of the Just

 

I confess to a gut reaction that goes towards retribution when I hear of crimes like the one in Idaho where a man murdered four beautiful students in their sleep.  I don’t want to hear some excuse or ‘reason’ for what he did, I want him locked up forever. That feels like ‘justice.’  Really, that is less about being just and more about vengeance, an impulse to ‘make him pay!’  We all claim to love justice until it is our son or brother, then we want mercy.

Jesus says that His disciples are called to a new way, not of blind justice expressed in the Law - ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,’ but of giving God time to bring about perfect justice.

"God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.
God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Matthew 5:6-7, NLT)

Because we know that God is just, we are to be people who seek justice but that is not the natural way. We love our privileges, hold onto power tenaciously, and often twist justice to favor those who are ‘us’ in ways about which we are unaware.

Do you deeply desire justice in the world, like you desire food and drink?
Do you want to see discrimination erased, opportunity made available to all?
Do you advocate for those without resources or influence? 
God calls us to humility, to serve others, to give away ourselves so that others are able to flourish and know love. That is why Jesus connects justice and mercy! 

Mercy is also the heart of our Father. The Psalmist sings that "The Lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth." (Psalm 103:8-11, NLT)  Given mercy, we are to be merciful.

The uniqueness of our Christian hope is found in the balance of God’s mercy and justice. He does not ignore our sin or pretend we have an excuse so that He can show us mercy. He entered the Creation, became fully Man in the mystery of the Incarnation, and became the final sacrifice for sin so that His mercy was available to the undeserving who would trust Him for salvation.  In His death on the Cross, Jesus shows us God’s righteousness.  

The Cross is a vivid picture of God’s justice. Paul says: “All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:24–26)

Dear friend, believe what Jesus teaches us – that true happiness, the deepest blessings of God, come to those who love justice and give mercy.  It is not one at the expense of the other, but both! Loving justice will mean that we, like our Father, are willing to bear the burden of another’s sin. We will be forgiving, we will be gentle, and own the blessings of our Father.

Here is a word from the Word. It is lengthy. Take time to contemplate the rich truth of the passage. It is a call, a challenge, a path to peace.
"Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.
Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.

Dear friends, never avenge yourselves.
Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord.

Instead, do what the Scriptures say:
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink,
and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.”
Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good." (Romans 12:17-21, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

_______________

God Of Justice

God of Justice Savior to all

Came to rescue the weak and the poor

Chose to serve and not be served

 

Jesus You have called us

Freely we've received

Now freely we will give

 

We must go

Live to feed the hungry

Stand beside the broken

We must go

Stepping forward

Keep us from just singing

Move us into action

We must go

 

To act justly every day

Loving mercy in every way

Walking humbly before You God

 

You have shown us what You require

Freely we've received

Now freely we will give

 

Fill us up and send us out

Fill us up and send us out

Fill us up and send us out Lord

 

Tim Hughes

© 2004 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

 

Help me!

 

On Saturday morning, I went to watch my grandson play hockey. I know nothing about the game except that the goal is knock the puck into the net on the ice but even to my eye one thing became quite obvious- it is a TEAM sport. The game moves quickly as the puck is passed from player to player, moving it down the ice. One takes his place to take the shot, another sets it up. While I watched that game, I renewed my understanding of a spiritual lesson. The richest Christian experience is one that is shared, lived in the community of Believers. No one person owns all the gifts of the Spirit. When we cultivate our gift, live contentedly in our place, and receive help as well as give it, God smiles on us.

For some of us those words, “Help me,” are hard to say. I like being independent, strong, in control. Last week, while I was attempting a task I knew I should not be trying to do alone, my ‘weakness’ became evident quickly and I had to say “Help me.” I grumbled about ‘getting old’ and made it a moment of angst instead of seeing the care of others as the blessing it is!  This is a common response to life. From time we are toddlers to octogenarians, that attitude that says “I can do this myself” is evident and often it robs us of the joy of knowing just how much others love us.  

Here is the wisdom of Jesus about the life that knows God’s best.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:3-5, NIV)

 

I have heard so many preachers try to explain away what He is saying, trying to make those words fit into our culture of independence. Just read them for what they say!  “Poor in spirit” is a phrase that means ‘humble,’ describing the person who knows his own limitations, even the one that life has beaten down!  When we bring ourselves to the place where we truly can say “God is my life, my Source, my Strength, my Hope” we enter the place of heavenly care, living within the realm of the King of kings.  Peterson paraphrases that passage this way - “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”  Are you resisting God’s invitation to lean on Him, to say “Help me?”

Jesus takes it even further by teaching us that mourning can be a path to blessings. "For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death." (2 Corinthians 7:10, NLT)  I confess that sometimes I regret consequence of my wrong but fail to feel much sorrow. I like my own way so much that I fail to mourn, to enter true sorrow for breaking God’s heart. I remember doing something wrong when I was a kid and seeing my Dad get sad.  Most of the time correction was swift, but that time, he just got tears in his eyes and said, “Why, son, why?”  His sadness moved me to genuine ‘mourning,’ that led to change.  And in that change, I found the comfort of restoration. My friend, if your heart is broken by the sin of another, by your own sin, or by life itself – run to your Father. He won’t turn away. He waits with open arms, with comfort.

By nature, I am not a meek man. I usually charge into situations, am quick to offer direction. But, I am learning that being willing to let others take point, that encouraging the gifts of others, receiving the prayers of others, I find myself strengthened. Jesus says that this choice to put away the ‘me first’ attitude and receive the His Lordship in our lives leads us to gain real power, ‘inheriting the earth!’  The meek are not weak, they are submitted.  Many years ago, I trained horses. Those amazing animals had great strength but they could be trained to submit that strength to me and when they did, they became useful. Will you give yourself to God, inviting Him to direct you, to use you as He sees fit?  It is part of the path of peace to which we are invited.

This morning, I invite you to consider again those key phrases:   poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek!  Those words do not generally describe what our culture sees as the best life, the way to fulfillment, but Jesus in His wisdom does. Pray to understand, give Him first place, and enter His joy!

The word from the Word: "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor." (James 4:7-10, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

_______________

Build My Life

(Let this worship song speak to you today)

 

Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

 

Jesus the name above ev’ry other name

Jesus the only one who could ever save

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

We live for You

 

Holy there is no one like You

There is none besides You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

 

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken

 

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew (Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited)

Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)

Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055