A Pure Heart
The gospel holds out the grand possibility of a pure heart. The starting place of a pure heart for the Christian is the cleansing of the heart provided by Jesus Himself through His blood and the purging work of the Holy Spirit. A pure heart is an examined heart; a soul-center that has pure
A Good Conscience
Paul outlined what good Christian teaching is all about when He said to Timothy, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” This was Paul’s vision for the outcome of Christian teaching; what a true disciple is supposed to look like. The
Get a Conscience
Much of the law and prophets was meant to give God’s people a conscience about things that the surrounding cultures did not have. Conscience was to be rooted in the nature of a Holy God and being made in His likeness. Over time the gospel has given us a conscience about caring for the
Not Just Once
Sweeping, washing and cleaning are activities that we have to repeat to keep our houses in order. You just can’t do it one time. Spiritual housekeeping is the same way. We do not get by with a single confession or repentance. Our surrenders must be lived out. We have to do what needs to
Mountains and Valleys
The mountain top is where we want to be. The valley may be where God really meets us. We prefer ecstasy over sorrow; we prefer calm over storms. We prefer ease over toil and pleasure over pain. We don’t always get our preferences. What you are going through now you likely did not ask
An Accusing Voice
When our lives are met with difficulty or tragedy, sometimes we may hear a voice which says, “This has happened because you did something wrong; it is because you sinned.” This teaching that your problems are because of your sin is denied by the whole book of Job. The disciples wanted to blame a
With Sinners
How many people came to hear the sermons of Jesus because He went to sinners’ parties? How many felt welcome in His presence because He talked with them and even ate with them? He did not live isolated from a world of need; He went to where they were. He was severely criticized because
Touching the Untouchables
Jesus violated purity laws by touching the untouchable. He touched lepers. He touched a dead body. He was touched by a woman who was hemorrhaging, which would have made Him unclean. Jesus shocked the people of His day by crossing lines to touch the untouchables. Every culture has them. Who are your untouchables? What
Cheating
The practice of cheating is not in line with our Christian walk. Cheating happens in too many of the following ways. Cheating on taxes by not reporting income. Fudging on insurance claims. Failure to scan all items at checkout. Failure to give a day’s work for a day’s pay by just killing time or
Guided to Ministry
In our prayers for guidance we often expect a voice or a special open door. Could it be that love itself, shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit, guides us? If I love my neighbor as myself, will not that love guide me to lift the load they carry? Will not compassion move
The Spirit And Vocation
Jesus’ reception of the Holy Spirit at His baptism marked the beginning of His ministry, His work on this earth. The Holy Spirit is given to us for our work on this earth. We have made the Holy Spirit to be about wonderful religious experiences in our unrelenting self-focus. He is given to us,
Moral Pollution
The earth, air and waters of our world have become very polluted by our trash. Society around us is polluted by other kinds of trash: violence, moral decay, rage, hatred and loss of ethics. All this, and more, pollutes the cultures in which we live. If this rotting pollution would go away, and love
God Communicates
Idols “have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see” Psalm 115:5. The God of Israel is a speaking God. He spoke through the prophets. In these last days He has spoken to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). He speaks to the mind and heart by His Holy Spirit.
Fear Not
The Christian is not to be a promoter of fear. Jesus has rescued us, even from the fear of death, so we do not need to fear those who might take our life. Believers, who have put the weight of their whole trust on the Lord, know better than to fear. Fearing people keeps
Your Story Matters
Never underestimate the story of God’s work in your life. To do so is to underestimate the Lord’s handiwork. Your story affects others more than you can know. Your story encourages your friends to go on. Your own story may be used as a multiplying influence on many other stories. Tell the story of
Born By Glory And For Glory
The power that overshadowed the tabernacle (Exodus 40:28-32) is the power that overshadowed the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35). She conceived and brought forth the One who “tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). This power through which the Son was conceived is the power that hovers over us to create new birth. The hovering Spirit comes
Red Lights And Green Lights
I passed through a busy intersection that had 11 red lights and 3 green lights. What is there about human nature that we have to shout out for people to stop in such powerful ways, lest lives be lost? The “Thou-shalt-not” commands are there to help us avoid danger and death. We need red
Your Neighbor
Jesus had just answered an inquiry about having eternal life by giving the questioner the Great Commandment of loving God totally and your neighbor as yourself. “But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’" (Luke 10:29). It seems that we want to wiggle out of this command by disqualifying
Life In The Son
When we were enemies of God we were abiding in death. But by the gift of God’s Son, who by His own death trampled down death, we now have life. Eternal life has already begun for those reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. This Life that came down from Heaven is revealed and embodied
The Lessons Of Suffering
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word…It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” Psalm 119:67, 71 (NASB). There are things that we learn in suffering which we learn no other way. We can discover a deep intimacy with the Suffering
The Winsome Witness
There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. Sometimes silence is the best witness. Our incessant talking can have the undesired side effect of driving people away from the Lord we want them to love. We are to be “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.” When the fruit of
Celebrate Life
We need to learn how to celebrate life, not just tolerate it. Just because we have problems does not mean that we cannot enjoy all the gifts God has placed around us. Life is not problem free. We all have to deal with problems and solve them as best we can. We must not
The Beauty Of Creation
The beauty of creation is a gift of the Creator to His creatures. It could have been made gray and bland. It is not. It is colorful and tasty. The wind blows fresh oxygen from a distant rain forest. There is fragrance from nearby flowers. Songs waft over our soul from the birds in
Keeping Covenant
One of the worst things that could be said about a person in the ancient world was that they were a covenant breaker. There are covenants for community, marriage and our relationship with God. Churches have covenants of belief and conduct. God’s faithfulness to His covenant with us is called righteousness. He is faithful,
Forgiving As Worship
We pass forgiveness on to others because the Lord in grace did not demand justice for our infractions, but out of love, and for the relationship He desired with us, freely forgave. Those who have sinned must be patient with sinners. Those who have been forgiven need to find ways to forgive. Forgiveness of