Those who are pure in their thinking are happy, because they will be with God.
Matthew 5:8
What does it mean to be pure? The definition tells us that to be pure is to have no flaw, defect or stain. It also means to have no mixture of foreign elements. What a good definition for the Christian. A Christian has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and stands before God without a flaw, defect or stain. Why? Because when God looks at a Christian, he sees His perfectly pure Son, Jesus.
How important is it to be pure in our lives? Who may go up on the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy Temple? Only those with clean hands and pure hearts, who have not worshipped idols, who have not made promises in the name of a false god. They will receive a blessing from the Lord; the God who saves them will declare them right. (Psalm 24:3-5) Who is going to be in heaven? It will be those who are pure.
Being pure begins in our hearts, in our thoughts. But what people say with their mouths comes from the way they think; these are the things that make people unclean. (Matthew 15:18) What we take in to our minds is important because it influences the way we think, the way we talk and the way we live. In order to live a pure life we must come out from among the world as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:17. No, this does not mean that we move to the top of a mountain or a desert island in order to keep ourselves pure. It means that we exercise self-control over what we allow into our lives. Stay away from those things that take us into the darkness of the world ruled by satan. Focus on what is good and right and pure. Live a holy life. (I Peter 1:15) Allow your life to be transformed by God as you live for Him. (Romans 12:1-2)
What will be the benefit of living a life of purity? We shall see God. The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children. The reason the people in the world do not know is us that they have not known him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He really is. Christ is pure, and all who have this hope in Christ keep themselves pure like Christ. (I John 3:1-3)
Put a song in your heart today as you live to be like Christ! Live to be pure.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Blessed When We Grieve
They are blessed who grieve, for God will comfort them.
Matthew 5:4
What does that mean? I’ve known some who believe that it means Christians should never be happy. They believe that we must live with a long face, saddened by life in general and never smiling. Is that what Jesus meant?
It cannot be. If it was, He would never have said that He came to give us an abundant life. An abundant life is not one that never contains a smile. Yet, sometimes I think we’ve forgotten that there are times when we should grieve. What exactly does the word grieve mean? It means to feel or express grief or sorrow. Did you know that grieving can lead to happiness? How is that? Think about these examples.
In Luke 7 there was a woman who cam and stood at the feet of Jesus weeping. She even washed the feet of Jesus with her tears. She was grieving. Jesus blessed her beyond anything she could have imagined. Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48) Her grieving led to forgiveness.
In Luke 15 the prodigal son grieved the fact that he had given up every blessing he had in order to go to the foreign country. In the foreign country he had found that nothing turned out the way he thought it would. As he was in the pen with the pigs, he mourned the state that he was in. As a result, he returned to his father who was waiting to bless him.
Those who were being taught by Peter and the apostles on the day of Pentecost were grieving the fact that they were the ones who had crucified the Savior. As a result they cried out to Peter and the others asking what they could do. Then Peter said to them, “Peter said to them, 'Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' ” (Acts 2:38) The result of this was the salvation of many and the beginning of the Lord’s church.
Do you want a song for today? We should grieve that there are those who are away from God. We should grieve when we sin because we know the separation it brings between us and God. How will this grieving bring comfort? Just as it did with those above, comfort comes from coming to or returning to the Savior. Comfort comes when we know that we have been saved and that our new home at the end of this life will be in heaven. Our grief leads us to salvation. This should put a song in your heart for today!
Matthew 5:4
What does that mean? I’ve known some who believe that it means Christians should never be happy. They believe that we must live with a long face, saddened by life in general and never smiling. Is that what Jesus meant?
It cannot be. If it was, He would never have said that He came to give us an abundant life. An abundant life is not one that never contains a smile. Yet, sometimes I think we’ve forgotten that there are times when we should grieve. What exactly does the word grieve mean? It means to feel or express grief or sorrow. Did you know that grieving can lead to happiness? How is that? Think about these examples.
In Luke 7 there was a woman who cam and stood at the feet of Jesus weeping. She even washed the feet of Jesus with her tears. She was grieving. Jesus blessed her beyond anything she could have imagined. Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48) Her grieving led to forgiveness.
In Luke 15 the prodigal son grieved the fact that he had given up every blessing he had in order to go to the foreign country. In the foreign country he had found that nothing turned out the way he thought it would. As he was in the pen with the pigs, he mourned the state that he was in. As a result, he returned to his father who was waiting to bless him.
Those who were being taught by Peter and the apostles on the day of Pentecost were grieving the fact that they were the ones who had crucified the Savior. As a result they cried out to Peter and the others asking what they could do. Then Peter said to them, “Peter said to them, 'Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' ” (Acts 2:38) The result of this was the salvation of many and the beginning of the Lord’s church.
Do you want a song for today? We should grieve that there are those who are away from God. We should grieve when we sin because we know the separation it brings between us and God. How will this grieving bring comfort? Just as it did with those above, comfort comes from coming to or returning to the Savior. Comfort comes when we know that we have been saved and that our new home at the end of this life will be in heaven. Our grief leads us to salvation. This should put a song in your heart for today!
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
The Only Name
Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:10-12
In the last blog we talked about foundations. I want to go a little deeper on that subject. People place their faith in many things like we talked about but so many place their faith in people. It is obvious because if you ask some where they worship, they don’t say anything about Jesus. They will tell you that they attend Bro. so-and-so’s church. You hear others talk about following this or that famous person. Sometimes someone will speak of basing their way of life on some other person’s life plan.
We must know that no person on earth can be our foundation. There is no other name except the name of Jesus. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11) The name of Jesus is the only name that we should claim. Building your life on anyone else is like building on the sinking sand.
There is no other name which we should wear. Have you ever noticed that when you ask someone what their “religion” is, you get all kinds of answers. How many of those answers contain the name of Christ? If you are what God would have you to be, the only answer to what you are “religiously” is a Christian. You should always claim to wear the name of Christ and no other.
Where is your foundation? Is it based on an organization that was created by man or by Christ? Is it based on an earthly person or on Jesus? What do you call yourself, by a worldly name or by Christ? Choose today to base your life on Jesus. Put your faith and trust in Him. Confess His name freely to those around you. Submit to being buried with Him in baptism so that you can rise to live a new life wearing His name only. Y
You will have a song in your heart when you choose to build your life on Jesus, the only name.
Acts 4:10-12
In the last blog we talked about foundations. I want to go a little deeper on that subject. People place their faith in many things like we talked about but so many place their faith in people. It is obvious because if you ask some where they worship, they don’t say anything about Jesus. They will tell you that they attend Bro. so-and-so’s church. You hear others talk about following this or that famous person. Sometimes someone will speak of basing their way of life on some other person’s life plan.
We must know that no person on earth can be our foundation. There is no other name except the name of Jesus. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11) The name of Jesus is the only name that we should claim. Building your life on anyone else is like building on the sinking sand.
There is no other name which we should wear. Have you ever noticed that when you ask someone what their “religion” is, you get all kinds of answers. How many of those answers contain the name of Christ? If you are what God would have you to be, the only answer to what you are “religiously” is a Christian. You should always claim to wear the name of Christ and no other.
Where is your foundation? Is it based on an organization that was created by man or by Christ? Is it based on an earthly person or on Jesus? What do you call yourself, by a worldly name or by Christ? Choose today to base your life on Jesus. Put your faith and trust in Him. Confess His name freely to those around you. Submit to being buried with Him in baptism so that you can rise to live a new life wearing His name only. Y
You will have a song in your heart when you choose to build your life on Jesus, the only name.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Foundations
Is the foundation important when you build a house? Try building one on the wrong foundation and you will quickly find out how important it is. Build on the wrong foundation and the house will crack and separate. The cost to repair it can be tremendous. Some try to build their houses on sand to get as close to the water as they can. When the strong winds of the hurricane blow, they find that the sand cannot hold their house and it easily blows away. The foundation is important.
Is the same not true of our lives? How important is the foundation of your life? If you build your life, your marriage, your career on something that is not firm, you will have trouble. What foundation should we build on? The only foundation that is firm and true is the foundation of Christ. He is the One on which we should build everything.
The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ, and no one can lay down any other foundation.
I Corinthians 3:11 (NCV)
So many people try to live with their foundation built on their bank accounts, the number of “things” they have or the people they know. None of these can stand during the tests of life. Money can be depleted, things can break and people can disappoint you. Jesus will do none of those. He will never go away, He is perfect and He will never let you down. He will always be there to provide comfort, strength and hope.
Is it always easy to build on Christ? No. Why? It is not always easy because to live this way means fighting against the way of satan, the ways of the world. We may need to adopt a new attitude. We may have to change our actions and even our friends. Following Christ means that we will live differently from many around us and that is not always easy to do.
Can you do it? Yes, you can. It is your decision. Leave the shaky foundations of the world. Build on the only foundation that will stand no matter what happens. You will have a song for today when you are building your life on the foundation of Christ.
Is the same not true of our lives? How important is the foundation of your life? If you build your life, your marriage, your career on something that is not firm, you will have trouble. What foundation should we build on? The only foundation that is firm and true is the foundation of Christ. He is the One on which we should build everything.
The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ, and no one can lay down any other foundation.
I Corinthians 3:11 (NCV)
So many people try to live with their foundation built on their bank accounts, the number of “things” they have or the people they know. None of these can stand during the tests of life. Money can be depleted, things can break and people can disappoint you. Jesus will do none of those. He will never go away, He is perfect and He will never let you down. He will always be there to provide comfort, strength and hope.
Is it always easy to build on Christ? No. Why? It is not always easy because to live this way means fighting against the way of satan, the ways of the world. We may need to adopt a new attitude. We may have to change our actions and even our friends. Following Christ means that we will live differently from many around us and that is not always easy to do.
Can you do it? Yes, you can. It is your decision. Leave the shaky foundations of the world. Build on the only foundation that will stand no matter what happens. You will have a song for today when you are building your life on the foundation of Christ.
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Not at Home
While traveling to a conference a few years ago, I experienced something I didn't expect. The large sign across the big door said "Welcome to Canada". For a few minutes, instead of excitment that usually comes with the idea of seeing new places I felt a little queasy, kind of a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why, because I realized that I was not in the USA anymore. Now, for sure, Canada is not like going to a far away country like China but the fact remains, this is not home.
I wonder. Do you ever feel that sinking feeling when you remember that, as a Christian, you are not at home? The line of the old song goes, "this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through...". I was missing my home, my family and friends. Do I feel the same way about God, Jesus and all those who have gone on before me?
Could it be that we have become too comfortable in this world? Way too comfortable even in our struggles?
"While we live in this body, we have burdens, and we groan. We do not want to be naked, but we want to be clothed with our heavenly home. Then this body that dies will be fully covered with life."
2 Corinthians 5:4
Make sure you are ready for it! Trust God, believe in Him and that His Son, Jesus, is the Savior of the world. Turn around and set your feet on the path leading home.
In Jesus you can have a song for today knowing that your heavenly (real) home is waiting for you!
I wonder. Do you ever feel that sinking feeling when you remember that, as a Christian, you are not at home? The line of the old song goes, "this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through...". I was missing my home, my family and friends. Do I feel the same way about God, Jesus and all those who have gone on before me?
Could it be that we have become too comfortable in this world? Way too comfortable even in our struggles?
"While we live in this body, we have burdens, and we groan. We do not want to be naked, but we want to be clothed with our heavenly home. Then this body that dies will be fully covered with life."
2 Corinthians 5:4
Make sure you are ready for it! Trust God, believe in Him and that His Son, Jesus, is the Savior of the world. Turn around and set your feet on the path leading home.
In Jesus you can have a song for today knowing that your heavenly (real) home is waiting for you!
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