{Your Heart Here} Week 3

January 22, 2012

Isaiah 29:13-14

And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.  Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”

The Far Away Heart

God’s people did not always follow their creator, deliverer, and savior.  Despite all the warnings.  Despite the very public and sacred commitment that was made.  Despite all the commandments designed to keep the people focused on God.  The people gave their hearts to other things.  For some it was idols and false gods.  Others gave their hearts to their business or family instead of God.  The worst offenders were those who gave their hearts to religion and religious practices while ignoring God Himself. 

"They honor me with their lips”, but “Their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules”.   These are God’s people standing in God’s house outwardly doing all that God had commanded, while setting a public example of what it means to be God’s person while not actually listening to God.  It is a half-hearted witness.  It is faith expressed outwardly while being ignored internally.  It is religion motivated by something other than following God.  They are described and hypocrites and fools. 

Yet God did not turn away from his people.  Instead, he decided to astound them with his works, his wisdom, and his intelligence.  God sets the rules for worship and the life of his people. Have our “rules” become more important than God’s rules and work?  

{Your Heart Here} Week 2

January 15, 2012

Revelation 3:15-21

“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see…

Your Works?

The Lord says, “I know your works”.  What we believe is important, so is what we do.  Halfhearted faith does not please the Lord.  “I am about to spit you out of my mouth”, says the Lord.  This does not sound pleasant.  In our quest to believe the right things and say the right things we can forget to do the right things.  The picture here is of a foolish people.  They believe they have everything right and have their act together while being completely unaware of how far off target they are.  Being intentionally unaware of reality is always a mark of foolishness.  How aware are we about the reality of our walk with God.  Are we pretending to be greater than we are?

The call of the Lord is to take action.  He does not condemn.  Instead, He offers ways for His people to change.  He says “buy from me”.  He uses the language of the market.  Take action.  Do this.  Find prosperity in what I have for you, says the Lord.  Wealth, clothing, and the ability to see reality are all found in the Lord.  The Lord desires His people to be “hot”.  How willing are we to invest in what the Lord has to offer?  He is at our door…will we answer?

{Your Heart Here} Week 1

January 8, 2012

Matthew 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Your Heart?

Where is your heart?  This is a question we all continually wrestle with even when it isn't a conscious thought.  It is a question central to life.  Our motivation to live each day is guided by what is in our heart.  Some things are natural to the heart.  We love and need to be loved.  Our sense of justice, fairness, and morality are driven by the heart.  What we believe about life, death, meaning and purpose are also natural to the heart.  While the heart provides motivation, that motivation needs to be channeled in positive ways.  The choices we make in life provide that channeling.  Bad choices lead us down heartbreaking paths.  Good choices fill us with passion and joy as our lives gain significance.  A question to consider…Who knows our hearts better than our creator?

The disciples entrusted their hearts to Jesus.  They worshiped him.  He guided them.  He channeled the powerful natural motivation of the heart towards what the heart is suited for.  God does not offer heartbreak.  He offers life abundant.  Here we see Jesus calling his disciples to channel their hearts to making more and better disciples in Jesus name.  Are our hearts similarly channeled?

Jesus Came...To Give Life

December 25, 2011

John 10:7-10 

“Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

To Give Life…

How do we know what is true?  How do we know what is real?  So often we are told one thing and discover something else.  The world is full of half-truths and it is not always clear what is real and what is fake.  Jesus came to clear things up.  “Very truly, I tell you”.  There is no falseness in Jesus.  In Jesus you don’t find half-truth.  Jesus is simply true.  Following Jesus brings us clarity in life.  Jesus came to give life, to make life clear, and to have a meaningful life.

Yet many do not discover this life.  What seems as if it should be crystal clear often feels cloudy and uncertain.  It is because there is a gate.  Jesus uses the shepherd analogy to illustrate choice.  Jesus is the gateway to life.  Yet in order to discover this life we must enter in.  “Whoever enters by me will be saved.”  Other gates lead to death and destruction.  Other gates appear to be good and meaningful, but never live up to their appearance.  It is faith that allows life to become clear.  It is belief and acceptance of Christ as savior and Lord that leads us to green pastures.  Jesus speaks the truth and invites us to believe it.  Will we?

Jesus came to give us life.  Real life.  Meaningful life.  Life that does not end.  Life that matters.  What’s more, he came to give us this life abundantly.  Jesus isn’t about keeping people out.  He does not treat life as a scarce resource to be guarded and hoarded.  He gives life abundantly to all who believe.  Following Jesus isn’t a mystery.  Living well is possible.  We simply need to believe and trust our creator, savior, and Lord.  I wonder, do we know and live in this life?

Jesus Came...To Us

December 18, 2011

John 1:10-14 

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.  He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.  So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

To Us…

What does Jesus look like?  I wonder if we would we recognize him if we saw him.  The simple reality is that the world God created did not recognize the creator when he came.  His own people, even Christian people, not only didn’t recognize him, but rejected him.  What got in the way?  What blinded these people?  What blinds us?  We must be careful, intentional, and open minded in our approach to Christ.  We must not let things, traditions, and opinions keep us from seeing the Lord who has come to us.

For those who believe God provides an experience and a relationship that surpasses anything else in all creation.  He remakes us.  He forgives us.  He provides us with an inheritance that cannot fade away.  We become God’s own children.  God does this for those who believe.  This belief isn’t just agreement.  It is faith.  It is belief that fundamentally changes how we approach all other things.  Belief like this can never be casual.  It is not something we can take for granted.  From belief comes new life.  From new life comes a new way of living.  In this new way of living we become like Jesus.

The creator has come to us.  He has made his home among us.  He still comes to us.  He still makes his home in our hearts and minds.  Those who believe are the very children of God.  It is a glorious life.  A life connected to God in powerful ways.  How has the love and faithfulness of God impacted your life?  What does it mean to be God’s child?  How have we seen his glory?  Let’s think on these things so that we might fully know our Lord and Savior.

Jesus Came...to Serve

December 11, 2011

Matthew 20:25-28 

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

To Heal…

How seriously do we take the mission of Jesus?  Jesus is clear as to his purpose in coming to us.  He came to give.  He came to give his life for us.  He came to do what we could not do for ourselves.  The life Jesus lived was a life of service. 

Can we say the same about ourselves?  Christmas is filled with so much stuff.  Activity after activity.  Shopping trip after shopping trip.  One more dish to make, place to go, or gift to wrap.  Some of these things are good.  They are acts of service.  They are time and money given to our families, those in need, and in service to the Lord.  Others are not so good.  They are obligations that add little to our lives and do little to bring joy to others.  Perhaps focusing on what is good while stepping away from the bad can enhance our relationship with God in meaningful ways.  Is this what Jesus was talking about when he said “among you it will be different”?

Have you ever watched a child open a Christmas gift they did not care for?  Its 10 seconds of attention before that child is on to something else.  Do we ever treat Christ this way at Christmas?  What gift do we give to our Lord and Savior?  How much attention are we willing to offer the one who created Christmas in the first place?  What if worship was at the center of Christmas?

How can our families, our church, and our lives be different?  How can we serve as Jesus served?  In giving ourselves to good things, things that glorify God, we can find the true meaning of service.  Perhaps in service we can see the true meaning of Christmas.

Jesus Came...To Heal

December 4, 2011

Matthew 8:14-17 

When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever.  But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him.  That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.  This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.”

To Heal…

Jesus does amazing things.  Where he sees sickness, he brings healing.  Peter’s mother-in-law simply needed a touch on the hand and she was well.  Others required a simple command from the lips of Jesus to turn from chaos to wholeness.  All those who were sick found healing in Jesus Christ.

After Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount he cleansed a leper (the worst and most disgusting disease of the day) and healed a Roman Centurion’s (outsider) servant sight unseen.  Jesus backed up his words and message with action.  The way of Jesus is a way that moves all people from sickness, chaos, and trouble into health, peace, and wholeness.  Jesus came to us in order to make us well in every sense of the word.

Jesus is the Messiah.  The words of the prophet Isaiah are lived out as Jesus overcomes the diseases he encounters.  The ministry of Jesus is true.  The prophecy has been fulfilled.  This is cause to celebrate.  It is cause to rejoice.  The one that was expected has arrived.  The Messiah is with us.

Yet it is not long before the religious leaders of the day begin to be troubled by all this healing.  Even as Jesus lived out the well-known prophecy of Isaiah those who claimed to follow God did not recognize him.  They felt threatened by him.  Jesus offers healing to the faithful.  He came to guide people in the best way to live.  Are we seeking the healing of Christ?  Are we living in faith? Jesus continues to do amazing things.  Can we recognize them when the happen?