WE MUST HAVE A CLEAN HEART

PSALM 139:13-15 -- For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. KJV

In order to reach our God-given potential, we must begin with a clean heart, because that is where we relate to the Lord. We must remember that, while God created each of us with the capacity to achieve and become everything He had in mind, we nevertheless came into the world with a bent away from Him and His will. So all the potential He placed within us remains inadequate until and unless we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

You See, God sent His Son into this world for the purpose of dying on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty for your sins and mine by dying a substitution, all-sufficient, atoning death in our place. In the process, He forgave us of our sins and declared us no longer guilty. He set us apart for Himself, declared us His children, and welcomed us into His family. Even more than that, He placed within us awesome potential to become and achieve. But He didn’t stop there. As He did with the disciples, He also planned that we would “be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:29 -- And, beheld, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from high). ---His Holy Spirit.

When you trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the Spirit of God comes to indwell you and enable you in every single aspect of life. So it isn’t just your effort. You’ve been indwelt by a person of the Godhead--God Himself!--to make your potential a reality.

But the Holy Spirit can function only through a clean heart.

With God's Love,

Lois

JEALOUSY

JAMES 3:13-18 -- Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation (conduct) his works with meekness of wisdom. 14. But if ye have a bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. KJV

God speaks strongly against jealousy because of its destructive power in our life. An uncontrollable lust for what someone else possesses does not fit who we are as Christians. We are the children of God, and He has promised to meet our needs.

Jealousy springs from within us. It is a disagreement with God over something we do not have that He has chosen to give to someone else. Or, in come cases, jealousy results from fear of being replaced in a relationship or job. To overcome this destructive attitude, we must first acknowledge our conflict with God. We are to confess and repent of our wrong mindset, and then turn away from it.

The next step is the most difficult: Thank the Lord for the person of whom you are jealous. Also express gratitude for what God is doing in that individual’s life. When we are able to thank God for His blessings on someone else, the weight our jealousy begins to lift. In addition, be willing to do something good for the other person, regardless of how you feel. We can never overcome jealously if we think only of our feelings.

One of the most helpful things we can do is refocus our attention onto what God is doing in our own life. This brings us back to the path He has chosen for us. It may be that we are missing His blessings because our mind is concentrating elsewhere. Psalm 37:4 says, Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (This psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: Fret not…neither be thou envious…trust…do good…commit thy way…rest… wait patiently…cease from anger…forsake wrath……) God wants to give you His best.

With God’s Love,

Lois

WHICH WAY, AMERICA?

PSALM 33:12 --- Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. KJV

We are at a critical time in the history of America. Two philosophies have clashed at a crossroads, and only one can prevail and continue forward. One denies God a place in government, while the other insists His ways are the very foundation of government. So we must ask ourselves, How long will the Lord continue to bless a people whose tendency is to turn their collective backs on Him?

When a nation recognizes Jehovah--the God of the Bible--as its Lord, then He favors that country with prosperity, protection, and stability. Right now, it is true that we as a nation are the recipients of God’s rich blessings. But by the design of a few, America is being drawn away from the influence of Christianity. We can see the corruption that has resulted from the last century’s attempts at ignoring the country’s godly foundation. Our greatest enemy is not an external threat, but a menace within our own borders: our disintegrating moral character.

To steer our nation back onto the right path, Christians must speak up. Our next step is clear and simple: repent of the sin of willful ignorance--not only as individuals but also as a church--and get involved in the life of this nation. Jesus tells us to be salt and light, that is, to influence others with scriptural truth. (Matthew 5:13-14 -- Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14..Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid). KJV

One way to do this is by voting intelligently Know the candidates’ platforms, and vote according to the principles of God and our country, even if doing so won’t benefit you personally. This is the believer’s spiritual responsibility.

With God’s Love

Lois

THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

OUR HELPER FOR ALL OCCASIONS

JOHN 14:15-18 -- If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (helper) that he may abide with you for ever, 17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. KJV

Have you ever wished for an emergency telephone line that rang in heaven? The truth is that we have something much better. The Holy Spirit lives inside us to be our helper in ever situation.

The night before His crucifixion, Jesus warned the disciples that He was about to depart. The news probably confused and frustrated them, even though it wasn’t the first time He’d spoken of His death. But the Lord offered His followers reassurance that He would send them another Helper. The Greek word for ‘another’ implies that the new Helper would be like the previous one--a divine being with access to the Father. As promised, God’s Spirit came to dwell in men and women who receive Jesus Christ as Savior. (Acts 2:1-4).

Our Helper has a distinct role within the Trinity. The Father reigns over all, while the Son sits at His right hand, interceding for believers. The Holy Spirit, meanwhile, enables Christians to accomplish the work God has designed for each one to do.

The Father knew we couldn’t follow Him without help--that was why Jesus told the disciples to delay spreading the Gospel until after the Holy Spirit’s arrival. Whatever we are called to do in daily obedience or in lifelong vocation, our Helper offers direction. And when we are beset by tough times or temptations, God’s Spirit provides strength and encouragement.

The Holy Spirit is involved in our life intimately and personally He is more a part of us than our bones and blood. We are privileged to have a divine Helper guiding us on the path of God’s will.

With God's Love,

Lois

THE NEED OF RELYING ON GOD

PSALM 127:1-5

EXCEPT the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3. Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. KJV

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The principle of this psalm is that all human efforts are in vain unless they have God’s blessing. This principle is applied to four areas: building a house ….guarding a city…working long hours…having children…….It is possible to accomplish them purposefully and with eternal value without God’s blessing. The psalm includes, incidentally two practical reason for having children: they bring you joy and they protect you.

With God’s Love,

Lois

FACING DEATH UNPREPARED

LUKE 23:39-44

If you had only a few more hours to live, and you were not a believer in Jesus Christ, where would you look to try and find comfort or hope?

Every day, numerous people face death, but sadly, many of them do not know Jesus as Savior. Some individuals, however, in a final act of spiritual acuity, receive Christ on their deathbed. You may argue, “But they can’t really be Christians then, can they? They sinned their entire life and accepted Jesus only because they were afraid of dying. They don’t get the same reward that I will get, do they?

Well, think about the repentant thief on the cross next to Jesus. Scripture is clear that this was a vicious, violent, guilty criminal. There is not even a hint that he was wrongfully accused. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by the most despicable means possible. Surely, he was not a person we would consider a “good guy.”

But as the lawbreaker hung on his cross, something stirred within him. The Spirit began to work in his heart, and in the moments before his death, he was for the first time made alive in his spirit. He accepted Jesus, and Jesus accepted him.

You see, the wonderful salvation upon what Jesus did for us. This means that there is nothing your or I could ever do to “deserve” being saved. When we realize that His love is open to all people, even to those we despise the most, we can truly give Him all the glory for the great things He has done.

With God’s Love,

Lois

GOOD, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH

MATTHEW 19:16-26

Today’s Scripture passage describes a man who may seem quite familiar. Church tradition calls him the “rich young ruler,” but you probably know him as “coworker,” “fellow church member,,” or even “friend.” You see, the tale of the rich young ruler is alive and well today.

This character reveals one of the fundamental errors of the Christian life: he thought salvation was something he could earn. He came to Jesus because he wanted eternal life. However, as the story unfolds, we get the definite impression that he was simply looking for a formula of good deeds that would produce the desired results. Simply put, he wanted to check “salvation” off his lifetime”to-do “list.

Jesus saw through his well-meaning exterior and evaluated the condition of his heart. Then He cut through the pretense and went to the core of the matter. He told the man to let go of that which gave him the greatest sense of security--his wealth. Unwilling to do so, the man left Jesus sorrowfully. He knew he could not surrender his true love, money.

Was Jesus saying al believers must give up their money in order to receive eternal life? Certainly not. The Lord was instead stressing a point that is still essential today: Anything that is more important to you than faithfulness to God must be removed from your life. Period. The rich young ruler had done some good, but his good wasn’t good enough. By what standard are you measuring your good--your own, or Jesus’ substitutionary death on our behalf? Only one is good enough.

With God’s Love,

Lois

GRACE TO KEEP GOING

2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10

Paul is speaking: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet (beat) me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8.For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. KJV

When you listen to someone speak, what gives their words “weight”? Most often, we measure a person’s message against his experience. Therefore when we come to the apostle Paul’s discussion of God’s sufficiency, we ask, “Is this something Paul can really talk about?” We see from his life that the answer is a resounding YES.

The apostle’s personal testimony reviews some of the hardships that confronted him. (2 Corinthians 11:22-28) He was imprisoned, beaten, threatened, stoned, shipwrecked, robbed, chased, and mocked throughout his entire ministry. On top of all this, he had a persistent, unrelenting “thorn” oppressing his body (2Conrinthians 12:7-8).

You’d think that God would keep His best servants in perfect health. Yet, here we see that although Paul prayed for relief, God’s answer was not what he expected. Rather than bringing a grand, sweeping cure, Paul received a deeper answer: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2Cor. 12:9).

Through that difficulty God taught Paul a vital lesson: It does not matter how weak we think we are, or how oppressed, or how downtrodden. In God’s hands, we can do amazing things.

Perhaps you struggle with your own “thorn.” If so, rather than praying for a quick fix, ask God what He wants to accomplish through your weakness. Your human frailty just may be the vessel through which God can display His unlimited power to the world.

With God’s Love,

Lois