True--Wholehearted and Pure

 

 

For a real Christian, Christ isn't just part of your life, He's ALL of your life!  Our lives should never be compartmentalized--having our relationship to Christ in one compartment and the rest of our life as another compartment.  Christ is either who you are--or He's not!

The difference between involvement and commitment is like a ham and eggs breakfast: the chicken was involved-–but the pig was committed!

John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

Proverbs 20:10-11 "Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.     Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right."

I've been reading through the book of Proverbs for my devotions the last several days.  God brings up "divers weights" and "divers measures" several times.  He hates them…why?  because they are not true; they are a lie.  Interesting, if you notice what the next verse refers to: "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right."  The two thoughts are connected with this thought: that all that we do should be with a pure and right motive, that we do it with all of our heart, not just half of our heart.

God desires truth in the inner parts.  He desires a whole-heartedness in our worship, and with all dealings with Him [with every part of our life really]. 

I love the book of James.  He is just so practical.  God is practical!  The whole book of James is about putting our faith to action, and in all practicality, just being real with our Christianity.  In the first few verses of the book, it is speaking about trials and temptations, and when they come our way, that we're to allow patience to have its perfect work that we might grow and mature in Christ.  But a little further down in James 1:6 it says, "but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."  In other words, if his faith isn't strong and sure (if it isn't true and pure), then he's just going to waver and be tossed about with no stronghold.        James 1:8 goes on to say, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."  Wow!  If that doesn't speak volumes!!  Ya can't be wavering about with an unsure, unstable faith; that only gets you tossed out somewhere along the roadside!  "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."  (Eph. 6:10)   It has been said that "faith will dispel fear or fear will dispel faith."  How strong and true is your faith, Christian?

It's interesting, too, reading through the book of Proverbs how many times the word "heart" comes up.  Look at Proverbs 3 for example: in the first five verses alone, heart is mentioned three times.  3:1 "let thine heart keep my commandments."  3:3 "let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart."  [notice that word "truth" again!  but interesting, too, how many times "mercy and truth" are found together…might be for a good study sometime!]  3:5-6 "trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."  God's direction--God's blessing--goes to those that truly put their trust in Him.           

My point here though is that God desires whole-heartedness.  He desires your complete heart in everything you do.          Think for moment: when God saves us, there MUST be a heart change.  His Word demands it!  [2 Corinthians 5:17]  No, that doesn't mean we instantly become a new creation-- but it DOES mean that God is at work in you, changing you…and that change comes from the inside out.

I have really only scratched the surface, but it would be interesting to do a word study on the subject "heart."  There's a lot that God has to say about it.  Let me close with this well-known thought and verse: Matthew 22:37 says, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

         May our hearts be true,

            wholly given to the Lord

              

                    Merle

Our Newest Addition!

How precious is God's gift of life!

Madilynn Jo

  This is our first grandchild, born just yesterday, February 4, 2011.  She is as cute as a button--and like most grandparents, we are very, very proud!

Psalm 139:13-15 "For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

         How precious is God's wondrous gift of life!

         Merle

                 

Life is so Uncertain

I'd like to share with you my testimony.  I was only 12 years old…and my oldest brother had just turned 24.  He got pneumonia and within 30 hours in the hospital, he was gone.  He passed away.  He died.  My question to you is this:  If you died today, do you know for SURE you are on your way to heaven?  I mean, are you 100% positive you would be in heaven today, if you should die?  It doesn't have to be anything so drastic as a long, drawn out illness.  It could be a simple surgery gone wrong.  It could be something as inconsequential as texting a brief reply while driving, and the next moment CRASH!! -- and you're off into eternity!!  Or it could be any of countless possibilities--life is so uncertain.  Please make certain of your ETERNAL destination today!

In John 14:6 it says, (and Jesus Christ is speaking), "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  Jesus Christ is our only way to Heaven!  He came to this earth that He might die for your sin and mine.  Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  As sinners, the only thing we deserve is death in hell.  Jesus Christ, however, paid our sin-debt on the cross!  God offers the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  All we must do is accept His precious gift, His Son as payment for our sin.  Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast."  You see, there is absolutely nothing we can do in and of ourselves to earn our way to Heaven.  But Jesus Christ has done everything we need by dying in our place.  His wondrous, matchless grace!!  All we must do is confess our sin and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour…it's that simple!  Your acceptance of Christ--or not--makes the difference of Heaven or hell.  Won't you make that decision today?  God loves you so much that He died for you!!

I said I wanted to share my testimony…it is really God's testimony of His work in me.  The first paragraph is only the beginning.  That is where God began to work in the lives of my family.  We began attending a Baptist church, and I heard for the first time the message I just gave to you.  I walked down the aisle of that church (because that is what my Mom wanted me to do); but that wasn't salvation, even with tears flowing down my face and following another woman in prayer "to accept Christ as my Saviour."  But like I said, that wasn't true salvation.  But a month or two later, God did get a hold of my heart--and I did truly confess my sin and asked Christ to be my personal Saviour.  You see, it isn't trusting in anything you can do--but it is trusting in everything Christ has done!  He is the ONLY way of salvation…and that isn't just the Baptist way, that's the BIBLE way! 

Please--if you should have any questions, please feel free to leave your comments or questions.  You can also find further postings on salvation--just click on the word "salvation" under labels; it'll bring up several postings in my blog.          Just please don't put it off any longer.  Satan would love to fill your mind with lies--or in the very least, to procrastinate.  But be certain, life is not certain.  You are not assured of even one more breath.  Please make certain of your ETERNAL destination today!

          Please make sure today!

             Merle