And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27 ESV)
Is the heart of a true heaven-born, Christ follower bad or good? Most of the believers I talk to reply with Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" ESV
This response is telling to say the least, and potentially fatal to living out and understanding Christ's saving work. Yes, the unredeemed man or woman is truly in this state before God.The heart is "deceitful" and "desperately sick" apart from the redeeming work of Christ. However, the promise of God prophesied through that great prophet Ezekiel tells a much different story. According to him, the New Covenant would usher in the day of a new kind of people with "new hearts" and "new spirits"!
The human "heart" as revealed in the Bible is that central place within us where our mind, will, emotion, spirit, intellect, passion, imagination and desire all intersect. I see it as that place where soul and spirit meet, and where all of our decisions are ultimately determined. Without Christ, our heart is a confused, selfish mess of intersecting and jumbled thoughts, feelings, and decisions all vying for preeminence. With Christ inhabiting the spirit of a man and governing the heart from within, we can finally begin to live out of our true center. We can finally be "good hearted" people who live out of the indwelling life of Christ from within.
I do realize of course that within popular society it is assumed that everyone has a "good heart" to begin with. However, if we are honest with ourselves, our nightly newscasts and private inward battles debunk that myth in short order . Without Christ the human heart is truly wicked, selfish, rebellious, murderous and without hope. Jesus made it clear that every evil deed we do issues from within the human heart and cannot be blamed on the old adage, "The Devil made me do it".
There is no doubt whatsoever that the heart can be deeply affected by what enters it, and can be altered even after the new birth. Solomon exhorts us in Proverbs 4:23 to "Keep your hearts with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life". He then goes on to warn us about what our mouths say, where we look, and where our feet take us. It is our sacred charge to be like a sentry and guard carefully whatever enters our hearts. Even so, the true Christ follower has been given a new heart with new desires and a new proclivity toward God and His kingdom! We must not forget that.
Jesus made it equally clear Matthew 5:8 that "The pure in heart will see God". Based upon my understanding of the Beatitudes, Jesus was not speaking of a future day after our death or at His second coming when He made that statement. He was showing us how to live in the kingdom of God now, while giving us great incentive for pursuing purity of heart. To "see God" is the yearning of every true God-lover and a pursuit worth giving our all for. We must believe that it is possible to see Him if it is to become an experiential reality.
We must be convinced that redemption includes receiving a "new heart" and a "new spirit", and that our inward nature is now God-possessed. Furthermore, we must believe that God is able to give us His desires and dreams for our lives. Receiving a new heart and living from that Spirit-filled heart gives me great hope that I can truly think and feel as God thinks and feels. It makes me confident that He will guide me by His Word and Spirit and help me to carry out His will and purpose for my life.
It all starts with BELIEVING IN HIM AND RECEIVING A NEW HEART!
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Yes, I am blogging again! I have stopped and started so many times, any skepticism on your part is justified! Go ahead...disbelieve!
I am going to make an effort to share some regular devotional-type thoughts that I will gather from my own daily journey with Jesus Christ. Hopefully they will feed something in your soul and encourage you to become more of a "Seeker of His Presence".
Ezekiel 14:3 - "Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? ESV
Idolatry is primarily a thing of the heart and face. We were created by God to worship Him and no other. However, we have all fallen in and with Adam, and now worship idols of our own minds and making. And please don't think for a minute that we moderns and post-moderns have somehow evolved beyond idolatry!
Our idols may not be little golden or wooden figurines, but they have captivated our hearts with even greater power. We will and must worship something! The god's of money, sex, power, addictions, pleasure, self, religion, intellect and false religion have all been given beautiful little altars within our hearts! If you did not find yours, just insert it here___________.
Before our faces are those things we most love and worship. As much of the Scripture confirms, we become most like what we gaze upon. What are you gazing upon? What captivates your attention, thoughts, imagination and affection? What is almost impossible for you to turn away from? Behold, your god!
Our only hope and answer is the gaze upon the One who is the "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus is the "exact imprint of his nature" and the perfect representation of all that He is. If you see him, you will see the Father.
Once the Holy Spirit has revealed Jesus to our idolatrous hearts and faces, we will have eyes for no other. The idols of this age are empty! Jesus is substance and fulfillment! Gaze intently upon Him within the pages of Scripture and the witness of creation! BEHOLD YOUR GOD!
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Luke 1 — ESV
via live.e-sword.net
Another Great tool for Bible Study!!! Dig in. These sites make it possible for the student of God's Word to go a little more in depth without spending hundreds on Bible Software.
In this psalm the unknown writer praised God for the goodness of His acts and the righteousness of His character.
via net.bible.org
This is a great online Bible Study tool for all of my friends who are looking for tools to mine deeper into God's truth.
After reading some thoughts this week from Eugene Peterson on the difference between hoping and wishing, I came up with this little allegory about a Father named Mr. Promise, and his two sons, Hope and Wish. Enjoy.
“There was once a very good man named Mr. Promise. Mr. Promise had two children, one whose name was Hope, and one whose name was Wish. Mr. promise often had to travel abroad because of his work. Whenever he would travel, he would purchase gifts to bring home to his wife and children Hope, and Wish. Often, while traveling, Mr. Promise would call home and tell his family that he would be bringing them many gifts and surprises upon his return. Mr. Promise never lied.
Now Mr. Promise’s child, Wish, would always get his heart set upon a certain gift that he wished his father would bring him. On this particular trip, Wish wanted an “Easy Wand”. Now Mr. Promise had never even hinted that he would bring Wish an “Easy Wand”, but Wish was determined that the will of Mr. Promise was for him to have an “Easy Wand”, a magical wand (that Mr. Promise says does not even exist) that makes everything in life easy. However, Mr. Promise had purchased a beautiful “Belt of Truth” for Wish, and was very excited about seeing the surprise on his son’s face. When Mr. Promise returned and gave the belt to Wish, Wish simply opened the package, threw it down upon the ground, and walked away disappointed.
On the other hand, Hope looked with great expectation to the return of his dad, Mr. Promise. Hope never had any preconceived ideas about what Mr. promise would bring home. Hope knew that his dad, Mr. Promise was a good man. Hope was always amazed with the ability that Mr. Promise had to figure out the perfect gift for the day and the occasion. Hope was so full of excitement that he thought he would burst with joy. When Mr. Promise returned with the most wonderful gift, a “Book of Light”, hope was thrilled, captivated, and surprised! Of course, the difference between Wish and Hope was simply that Wish always decided for himself what would make him happy, while Hope trusted that his father, Mr. Promise, always knew better than him what would make him happy.
After many years of this scenario playing out, Wish left the family, disowned them, changed his name to Disappointment, and joined himself to some rather dark companions. Wish, or rather Disappointment "hooked up" with Discontentment, and they had two children named Cynicism and Bitterness. They moved to the community of Ruin, and live there until the present.
Hope on the other hand, met a beautiful girl named Contentment. They married, and had two children named Faith and Love. They live modestly in a very nice tent city within the shadow of the walls of the great city of Paradise. They have been promised a wonderful dwelling in Paradise at a future date. Hope and Contentment have no doubt that they will receive their dwelling, because the promissory note was signed by Mr. Promise’s father, Mr. Faithful.”
1 In the abeginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was bwithout form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Here is a link to another great Bible Study resource. ESV online has some great tools, and a very nice interface and page layout. Enjoy!
As many are aware at this time, Immigration is a polarizing subject, and can make friends into enemies in a manner of seconds! On Mothers Day, my son, Stephen and I had a spirited debate at the dinner table as I played Devil's advocate, and bounced around on both sides of the debate. Actually, to say there are two sides to this debate is a huge misnomer.
Immigration, and specifically illegal immigration, is a very complex and nuanced subject. The reason I am even taking this on, (though I recognize that some will misunderstand me, and make judgements about my position), is because I see Christians reacting in ways that I believe to be un-Christlike. This document by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS provides what seems to be a very balanced and Biblical perspective to this extremely tense debate. Please take the time to read it and comment. However, keep your comments gracious and factual please.
Immigration 2009 NAE POSITION.Here is a quote from Timothy Keller where he deals with the hard subject of Polygamy and Primogeniture (the oldest son got everything) in the book of Genesis. Over the years, many women in particular have asked me why God would allow polygamy, and seemingly bless it. Keller makes it so clear that the Lord was actually working against it throughout his redemptive history with mankind. Here is the quote below.
Many years ago, when I first started reading the Book of Genesis, it was very upsetting to me. Here are all these spiritual heroes—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—and look at how they treat women. They engage in polygamy, and they buy and sell their wives. It was awful to read their stories at times. But then I read Robert Alter's The Art of Biblical Narrative. Alter is a Jewish scholar at Berkeley whose expertise is ancient Jewish literature. In his book he says there are two institutions present in the Book of Genesis that were universal in ancient cultures: polygamy and primogeniture. Polygamy said a husband could have multiple wives, and primogeniture said the oldest son got everything—all the power, all the money. In other words, the oldest son basically ruled over everyone else in the family. Alter points out that when you read the Book of Genesis, you'll see two things. First of all, in every generation polygamy wreaks havoc. Having multiple wives is an absolute disaster—socially, culturally, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and relationally. Second, when it comes to primogeniture, in every generation God favors the younger son over the older. He favors Abel, not Cain; Isaac, not Ishmael; Jacob, not Esau. Alter says that you begin to realize what the Book of Genesis is doing—it is subverting, not supporting, those ancient institutions at every turn.
When I read Alter's book, I then reread the Book of Genesis and loved it. And then it hit me: What if when I was younger, I had abandoned my trust in the Bible because of these accounts in Genesis? What if I had drop-kicked the Bible and the Christian faith, missing out on a personal relationship with Christ—all because I couldn't understand the behavior of the patriarchs? The lesson is simple: Be patient with the text. Consider the possibility that it might not be teaching what you think it's teaching.
Tim Keller, in the sermon "Literalism" (available on PreachingToday.com on 5-17-10)
James is currently living under police protection in an undisclosed location in Europe due to death threats she received after converting to Christianity. The granddaughter of a mullah in Islamic Pakistan, James has become an outspoken voice for oppressed Christians after her book, My Fight for Faith and Freedom, became a bestseller in Germany.
I thought this article was insightful and illuminating. I am not a person who believes that every Muslim is a terrorist, and that Muslim's are all bad and praying for the downfall of America the Great Satan. However, I do think there are a number of inconsistencies that exist when it comes to the West's approach to Islam. This article does a good job of pointing some of them out.
Have not blogged in a long time, but just wanted to say how blessed I am to be a son of the Most High God and His family! Everyday it seems my appreciation for the Church of Jesus Christ grows as I see people through His redemptive eyes.
People are amazing, unique, wonder-filled expressions of the Imago Dei. When Christ is actively at work in a human heart, and is transforming a man or woman's character into His own image, it is truly breath-taking to watch! THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR PEOPLE!
This article is WORLD MAGAZINE reports the growing movement within Western Christianity back toward Reformed Theology or Calvinism. The "New Calvinism" as some would call this movement has been gaining great momentum the last decade or so, and has been very good for the church in my opinion.
As a Charismatic with a root system in what has generally been considered an Arminian movement, I have felt a little out of place at times because of Reformed leanings within my own heart. Reformed Theology to me makes God bigger, man's lost-ness greater, and Christ's Incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension more glorious! Reformed Theology keeps the focus of the Gospel on the glory of God, and the initiative of God in bringing men to saving faith. The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly makes "Grace Amazing!"
However, with that said, I am not a 5 point, T.U.L.I.P. Calvinist. I know, I know, to the true 5 pointer, I am not a Reformed guy at all then! One of the things that has so frustrated me over the years about some Reformed guys is their inability to see the work of God through the great non-Calvinist Christians throughout church history. If you are not a 5 pointer in their minds, then you are probably not even a child of God.
Anyway, the article I have a link to really gives me hope that a new attitude is developing which may make room for guys like me with certain leanings. This quote from Mark Driscoll really captures some of the values that have been real to me for many years, "Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll, dressed in an all-black anti-suit of jeans and zippered jacket, cited four TGC emphases: engaging rather than separating from culture, moving into not out of cities, openness to charismatic gifts, and building bridges to other Christians." AMEN!
Everything on this planet is in a constant state of change. Nothing ever remains the same. The only Unchanging entity in the universe is the Lord God Almighty. HE CHANGES NOT! The human creature, (myself included) though constantly looking for that Utopian State of bliss and perfection, is dogged by the reality of decay and breakdown. We must daily behold the reality of change even while we gaze into our mirrors.
Tonight, my wife Peggy and I hosted 17 wonderful youth for a barbeque, and had such a great time eating and laughing with them. Our time with them reminded me of how powerful friendship can be in forming a person. Many times, parents spend an amazing amount of time complaining about their children's friends, but very little celebrating good and godly friendships!