Pure in Heart

The book of Ruth is brief story of unforced compassion. When tragedy struck, Ruth had no obligation to help her mother-in-law, but chose to stay with her anyway. Boaz was not required to care for or redeem Ruth, but chose to pay the price anyway. This makes it easy to see why people might make a connection between the life of Ruth and Matthew 5:7 - Ruth was merciful, and another showed her mercy.

Matthew 5:7-8New International Version (NIV)

7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.

The first verse is pretty clear, but the second is a bit more cryptic. What does it mean to have a pure heart? What does it mean to see God? What if I'm not sure that my heart is pure, or at least all the way pure? Will I still get to see God?

The phrase about a 'pure heart' can be found a few others places in Psalms, but the most well-known place is in Psalm 51 - the psalm of contrition that David prayed after realizing the extent of his sin around the affair with Bathsheba. David prayed for God to "create in me a pure heart."

David's 'pure heart' was not dependent on his ability to be pure; it depended on God's ability to make David's heart pure. It's God's work in us, not our innate pureness. For that mater, our ability to be merciful is also dependent on God working in us to soften our hearts and to help us be merciful to those around us, especially those who don't appear to deserve mercy. God works in you to share mercy with others, and chances are that through those experiences, you will see God!

Whatever

Some people call this the "whatever" verse (saying it like they are a disinterested teenager). It might be a bit trite to use this in response to the word being used by a young adult who is less than excited about life, however spending time thinking about the words to this verse might prevent someone from getting into that mindset.

Philippians 4:8New International Version (NIV)

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

It is really important to fill your mind up with the right types of things, otherwise it is too easy for the devil, the world, and our sinful desires to creep into our brain's focus. It might be fruitless to tell a child to stop whistling; by just saying their phrase the child's brain is still locked into that activity. Instead, what should the child do? "Stop whistling and think about how we can help our neighbor who has surgery yesterday."

What good things can you fill your mind with?

Fruit

The Fruit of the Spirit may be one of the better known Bible passages, and it is a favorite for use as a memory verse. One of the more common mistakes is hearing people say, "The fruits of the Spirit." Fruit is singular in Galatians.

Galatians 5:22-23New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Theologically it's not a huge problem, but I think there might be a temptation to say, "I've got the joy fruit, but not much of the patience fruit." While it's true that different people have varying temperaments, the passage is really saying that the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit is all of these things.

When we are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in us, then we are producing great things and others are able to take notice of this. God's blessings on your fruit bearing!

Third Article

There are a lot of good things written about the power of the Gospel and grace as rediscovered by the reformers of the sixteenth century. However, one of the clearest descriptions of our helpless situation before Jesus and new life in Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit can be found in Luther's meaning/explanation of the third article of the Apostles' Creed.

The meaning to the 3rd Article of the Apostles' Creed

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; 

but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; 

in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, 

and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

The first article describes what the Father does as creator and provider. The second article narrates the saving work of Christ. The third article is more of a list than either a description or narrative: Holy Spirit, holy Christian church, communion of saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body, life everlasting. Growing up I remember wondering why we never learn what the Holy Spirit does; instead we just get a list of church things.

But that's what the Holy Spirit does! The Holy Spirit creates the church by working faith in the hearts of people, a connection or communion of all who are in Christ whether alive or in heaven, regenerating lives through forgiveness, giving us the hope of a resurrection of all people because of the resurrection of Jesus, and working in us life now and into eternity. We can be very thankful that the Holy Spirit is more than the first item of a list!

Stay Connected

What good would a computer be with no power cord? Imagine getting the nicest laptop that is made with great graphics, sound, and processing speed, but no way to power the computer to make it run; no battery left and no cord to charge the battery. How frustrating would that be?

This might be a current translation of the analogy that Jesus was using in John 15, probably as the disciples were walking with Jesus near a vineyard.

John 15:5New International Version (NIV)

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

A branch which is not connected to the vine is not going to live very long, and it has no chance to creating any grapes. The only way for the branch to be useful is if it stays connected to vine. The only way for the computer to be useful is if it stays connected to a power source. The only way that we can be useful is to stay connected to our creator, redeemer, and sanctifier. Stay connected to Jesus!

Temple of the Holy Spirit

Do you like to try things that are really hard?

Sometimes we might not want to try something really hard because we are not sure if we will be able to accomplish the task or not. No one likes to fail, so sometimes we don't want to even make the attempt. It is hard when you doubt your ability.

But it can be hard when you don't doubt your ability, as well. Sometimes we are a little too sure of ourselves and this may not make a good impression on the people around us, whether we are successful or not.

There is a third option that I would like for you to consider instead of the first two:

1. Thinking too little of myself (I'm not good enough)
2. Thinking too highly of myself (Of course I'm good enough!)
3. Thinking about God within us (The focus is on God, not me)

This is how Paul wanted the Corinthians to approach some hard situations.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20New International Version (NIV)

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.Therefore honor God with your bodies.

It is awesome to rely on the God who is your source of life inside of you, giving you the ability to accomplish all that he would have you do!

Wherever You Go...

It's good to hear encouragement, but it begins to be troubling if you hear the same encouragement over and over again. If you were in line for the scariest new ride at Six Flags and the person said, "You'll be fine," it might make you feel better, but hearing that phrase four or five times might make you feel a little nervous. If you weren't nervous about going on the ride, you might be nervous, now.

Moses had led the Israelites through some of the most amazing events in history: plagues in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, miraculous food in the desert, receiving God's law on Mt. Siani, and defeating powerful kings as the approached the Promised Land. Now Joshua is about to take over. Maybe he was he was nervous, or maybe he was not nervous enough for what would be required of him in the future starting with the fortress city of Jericho. Four times in the first chapter of Joshua this new leader is told to be strong and courageous, in addition to the the same phrase at the end of the previous book.

Joshua 1:9New International Version (NIV)

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Maybe you are nervous about something coming up, or maybe you should be a little more nervous than you are. Either way, God's words to you are to be strong and courageous - God will be with you wherever you go!

Apostles' Creed Background

A brief background of the Apostles' Creed:

For many years after the time of the apostles, the teachings were passed orally, and Christians were persecuted for their beliefs by Romans, among others. Early in the fourth century, the Roman Emperor, Constantine, turned the tables and declared Christianity the official religion of the empire. The Christians of that time were passionate but not very organized, so the emperor brought together the most influential leaders in the local churches, referred to as bishops, and charged them with the duty of crafting a statement which could define the basics of the Christian God. This was known as the Nicene Creed since this council happened in the city of Nicaea.

Over time, a rift developed between the culture and communities centered in Rome and Constantinople.  The Western church of Rome did not have the same traditions as the Eastern church of Constantinople. The division came to a head when some leaders in the Western Church made a slight revision to the Nicene Creed, and while the Eastern Church did not disagree with the theology, they were opposed to changing this defining document.

In an attempt to keep the the church from splitting, a more ancient but less defined creed known as the Apostles' Creed, used mostly at baptisms, was brought back into use to take the focus off of the controversial wording of the Nicene Creed.

The Apostles' Creed was not written by the Apostles, but it followed the teachings of the Apostles. The early church relied heavily upon the teaching of the Apostles since they were the ones who were closest to Jesus and witnessed what Jesus said and did. The New Testament books all have a connection to at least one Apostle, and the Nicene Creed attests to their leadership with the phrase, "one, holy, Christian, and Apostolic church."

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

When You Need Help

I have felt guilty about my prayers at times. People will sometimes remind me how selfish I am when I am praying, always asking for things from God for myself. In wars it has been said, "There are no atheists in foxholes." I think the phrase means that in a desperate situation like a battle when someone would be hiding in a small hole to shoot at the enemy, people will not turn to atheist beliefs (an atheist is someone who believes there is no god), but to some higher power to help them. People most often seem to pray when then need something.

But guilt is not from God. God forgives sins, he doesn't use past sins to make you feel bad, and he also encourages you to follow his commands as you go forward in life. He also wants you to pray to him when you need help. This Psalm confirms that!

Psalm 50:14-15New International Version (NIV)

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
    fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

So go to God when you need help - he wants to listen. Also go to God when you are doing well, and tell him thanks! Blessings on your prayer times with God.

Blessings

I remember my dad telling me about his childhood, and one thing that his mom (my grandmother) would tell her children was not to miss the blessing. Our church almost always finished the service with the blessing, a hymn/song, and announcements. If someone had to leave church early (maybe to go help set up Bible study or something like that) it was okay with Grandma if they missed a song and the announcements, but it was important to stay and be blessed by God through the words that the pastor would speak, and these were often the words used to for the blessing.

Numbers 6:24-26New International Version (NIV)

24 “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

This is sometimes known as the Aaronic Blessing or the High Priestly Blessing because God told Moses that Aaron, the high priest, should bless the people of Israel using these words found in Numbers chapter 6.

Image of Aaron, Israel's first High Priest

We don't talk about blessings very often in our present-day culture, but it was incredibly important for the Hebrew culture. Jacob stole his brother's blessing, and Isaac knew the importance of the blessing so he couldn't take it back and give it to Esau. Genesis 27 Later Jacob wrestled with God all night and would not let him go until he was blessed. Genesis 32 The foreign prophet Balaam was paid to curse the Israelites but blessed them instead because that's what God wanted to happen. Numbers 22 

As you reflect on these words, I hope you are able to see, hear, and feel God covering you with his blessings. May his peace be with you!

In the Beginning

The beginning of John's Gospel is similar to the very first book of the Bible.

John 1:1-3New International Version (NIV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

This was on purpose. During John's life, people did not question whether Jesus was a real person - he had made headlines across the country and everyone knew at least a little about this guy's life. Not everyone knew, however, that he was God. John wanted his readers to know right from the start that Jesus was really God all the way back to the beginning of time.

Some historians would say that Jesus was an important figure that we should study, but deny that the person could really be God. CS Lewis, a Christian author, said that Jesus was either crazy for claiming to be God, a liar, or else he really was the son of God. There is no reason to follow someone who fits into the first two categories, but if he is really God, we should pay attention!

It might seem like a strange way to describe Jesus - the Word. The term comes from the Greek word 'logos' which sometimes refers to a 'word,' but it would more appropriately be described as the thing that comes before the word. Before there is a word that comes out of your mouth there is a thought that comes into your head. That thought which precedes the word is the logos, and the One who precedes the world is Jesus. Jesus did not come into being 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem - Jesus was around since the beginning, since creation.

God is...

God is:

• powerful
• awesome
• amazing
• creative
• faithful
• righteous
• just
• holy
• wonderful
• almighty
• majestic

This is not a complete list. There are many more ways that we can describe God, but the disciple John defined God in another way - love. We should be full of love because we are full of God, and God is love.

1 John 4:7-8New International Version (NIV)

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

A Defining Moment

If you were to ask most Christians what the key event in history was, they would point to the cross. All of the Old Testament points forward to the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ, and all of the writings after the Gospels acknowledge this is the main message of the Bible. The act that defines who God is, for Christians, would be the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

What about the people of the Old Testament? What would be the moment that defines who God is for the Jewish people before Jesus was born? The key event was deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 6:6-7New International Version (NIV)

6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

The Hebrew Scriptures are peppered with phrases that describe the Lord as the God who brought us up out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. There is no image like the cow for Baal or the countless Egyptian or Greek gods; The Lord was known for what he did, not for what he looks like. God delivered a helpless people from slavery.

We can be very thankful that our deliverance was from more than just a group of people; we were slaves to sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus' victory is also our victory, and now we are free to worship a God who is known by more than just what he looks like; our God is known for what he did and what he does!

Roadblocks

Sometimes it's really good when things don't work out the way that you want. In the moment it is really frustrating and irritating, and it's not really fun at all, but often this annoyances can help people grow.

When you hit a roadblock, I believe you have three main options, and any of these options could be helpful depending on the situation.

1. You could give up.
2. You could examine what you could do better.
3. You could have a stronger resolve about reaching your goal.

Maybe it doesn't sound like giving up would be a good option and sometimes it is not, but if you are trying to get to Chicago by taking Interstate-44 West from St. Louis, stopping may be the most helpful thing you can do.

Maybe there is something that needs to be adjusted to make you better and accomplish what you are trying to do. Learning from losses in the regular season might be really helpful as you approach playing postseason games.

Maybe you are doing the right thing in the right way and others just aren't able to see it yet and they need more time to see what you see. Many good inventions were not understood the first time they were explained, but after some time and effort others were able to see the benefits of different technological advances.

Proverbs shares some wisdom, and I believe it is really helpful when looking at life's roadblocks.

Proverbs 19:20-21New International Version (NIV)

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

The first verse points out that wisdom from other people can be really beneficial, but ultimately the Lord's purpose prevails in verse twenty-one. The roadblock may be God speaking to you.

Maybe that's not the right way to say it, because I don't think God is the roadblock. Instead, the road block makes you pause for a while which can take the focus off of yourself and put it back on Him, back on God where it belongs. Many times people, even good Christians, will get caught up in doing things for God rather than being with God. Spending time with God is a good thing, and that roadblock might be just what you need before you are able to move forward.

May you spend time listening to the wise, considering the plans of your heart, and centering your life on God's purpose; it will prevail anyway.

Who are you fooling?

How do you handle a failure? How do you react when something you arranged does not work out well? Even worse, what do you do when you make a mistake and the consequences affect other people?

We live in a sinful world, and these things are bound to happen. The hardest one has to be when you do something wrong but you don't want to admit it. Blaming someone or something else was even the reaction to the first sin - Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the snake! Genesis 3 The disciple, John, had something to say about what we should do when we sin.

1 John 1:8-9New International Version (NIV)

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Look at that first line. It's pretty easy to say that if we claim to be sinless/perfect, the truth is not in us. The other part of the sentence is a little surprising, though. It says that if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves. The crazy thing is that it doesn't fool anyone else - everyone else knows!

Imagine a little girl being questioned about a missing cookie by her mom, and picture that girl with cookie crumbs still on her face. When she claims she didn't eat the cookie, she's not fooling her mom, she's just fooling herself. She has deceived herself into thinking she can get away with it.

That's a lot like us, thinking that maybe God won't notice our sin, and that the people around us will think we're perfect if we can keep up a good act. It doesn't work. However, when we finally 'fess up, God is faithful and just and forgives our sins for Jesus' sake because he loves us. That cleansing or purifying from sin may not look fun, but it's way better than holding onto the sin!

Best Evangelism

How do you tell other people about Jesus. This is a very verse about spreading the good news, also known as evangelism.

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

The interesting part of that verse is that it looks like the best evangelism, is not knocking on doors. Peter tells us to always be ready to give an answer.  An answer is only possible if someone asks a question.  The key, then, is to to live in such a way that people ask you that question; let your light shine so that they ask who your Heavenly Father is and give glory to Him (Matthew 5:16).

Who are the people that you are around? Do all of them know Jesus? How could you live so that they ask you a question about what you believe about Jesus?

God will give you strength and words to do this - blessings in your work!

God is Faithful to His Promises

Jacob had a pretty big disagreement with his brother, Esau. Jacob had lied to his father to steal a blessing away from Esau, and now Esau was ready to murder him because his anger was so great.

Even though Jacob was guilty of lying and stealing God was still going to use him. In addition to those sins, Jacob did not even claim God as his own; just recently as part of the plot to steal Esau's blessing when Jacob showed up with food so quickly, he told his dad that it was because, "the Lord, your God, gave me success." Genesis 27:20 Jacob said it was Isaac's God, not my God; he didn't even say our God! However, God remained faithful to his promise to Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob would be blessed, but the road would not be easy.

Jacob would have to leave for a while. God didn't fix everything for him so that he could just walk back to his parents and brother and live happily ever after - Jacob went away. He was gone so long that he would not see his mother again, but God made a promise to Jacob the first night he was gone:

Genesis 28:15New International Version (NIV)

15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jacob was gone for a while, but God was going to bring him back. It took more than a month, more than a year, more than a decade... Jacob would not return to that location for twenty years, but went he did come back it was with a dozen kids and large herds of animals that now belonged to him.

Maybe the times you are going through are pretty easy, and that is great - a reason to be thankful and praise God! However, try to remember in the hard times that God will not break his promise to be with you always to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20  He has a great future for you, even if it's hard to see in the midst of difficult times.

May God bless you with His Peace for the journey ahead.

Free

In a college class about money I was taught that nothing is free. The phrase that they used is, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Someone may give you a coupon for a free meal, but the person might have to buy the coupon. Maybe a friend would buy you lunch, but that friend would have to pay for it. Maybe the restaurant is having a big celebration, but even if the restaurant is giving out "free meals" someone is paying for that food and workers making the food (probably the restaurant's owner). Someone else has to pay for the food, so there is no such thing as a free lunch.

That word "free" (here in it's adverb form, freely) really stands out in this passage:

Romans 3:23-24New International Version (NIV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Grace is completely free to us, but it came at a great cost to someone else. Because of the price Jesus paid on our behalf, we are all declared perfect in God's eyes through grace.  Jesus paid it all.

Your Mindset

A few years ago, an author named Carol Dweck wrote a book called Mindset. The book looked at how people learn, especially young people when they are students. The question hanging over her research was related to whether some kids are naturally smart, whether they work harder, or what type of combination is needed for success.

In one test she had two groups of fifth grade students and gave them all a series of tests with some of the questions being at their grade level while others were much harder. One of the groups was more successful and worked at the harder problems longer. Both groups were given feedback, but the type of feedback was different.  One of the most amazing things is that the group that was told, "You are smart! You must be really good at this!" in order to boost their self-esteem actually did worse.

It turns out that when kids are told, "You are smart." or "You are strong." or "You are talented." they believe it until it doesn't feel true anymore. At that point, it is easy for them to give up. They doubt that they are really smart, talented, strong, or any other quality; they would rather not disappoint the people around them by failing in front of them causing their praise to be untrue.

So what was the other group of fifth graders told? Their feedback was, "You must have tried really hard on those questions." When they felt like others noticed the effort more than the results, those kids were encouraged and continued to try while the others had stopped.

Sometimes there is a voice inside of us telling us that we are not smart enough or good enough. The tempter would have us look at our own inadequacies and become discouraged and give up, but God encourages us to look past ourselves for strength. Our trust should be in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-8New International Version (NIV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.

Sometimes you may feel weak or insufficient for the challenges ahead; that is okay because it might be true that you are weak and insufficient. However, when you are able to look past yourself and trust in the One who empowers you, He will provide a way and the ability to accomplish what He has planned out for you. It might be helpful to try harder, but you won't be successful unless you Trust Him!

A Part to Play

Rebekah had a part to play; God was faithful.

God had made a promise to Abraham and Sarah about the child they would have, but the promise would not have extended past Isaac if he would not have been married to Rebekah and fathered Israel and the nation from him. The promise was not just that Abraham would be blessed, but that all people would be blessed because of what God was doing. This same message is repeated many times throughout Scripture.

Deuteronomy 7:9 New International Version (NIV)

⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Rebekah had faith to leave her home and marry Isaac at the request of a servant. God's story involved many different people, and it continues to involve many people all over the world.

Rebekah had a part to play, and so do you. God is faithful.

Saved by Grace, Not Works

The memory for this week is one of the passages that Lutherans treasure because it summarizes much of the changes that Martin Luther worked to demonstrate. Early in his life most people had a feeling that they needed to do enough good things in their life to make God happy. They imagined that God had scales and would measure out the good and the evil deeds - those with too much evil would go to hell, but those with a lot of good works could be punished until they could finally enter heaven. Martin Luther, himself, was very afraid that he was not measuring up to God's standards. These words were very encouraging to him:

Ephesians 2:8-10New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are saved only by the good that God does, but he allows us to do good, as well, Those good things do not earn heaven for us, but they help show our thankfulness for all he does for us!