Wisdom From Above Is First Pure

    This week, let’s dig into James 3:17 and discover what “pure” means when we read, “…wisdom that is from above is first pure”.

pure – hagnos (Strong’s Greek #53) – pure to the very core, holy, uncontaminated and undefiled by sin

    God is pure (1 John 3:3), therefore all His words and commandments are pure (Psalm 12:6, 19:8) – very pure (Psalm 119:140) – every single one (Proverbs 30:5-6).

    Wisdom from above, at its very Source, is pure. Its path is pure; it will not lead us astray or away from God. God’s pure words/commands will enlighten us (Psalm 19:8), chasten us (Hebrews 12:3-11), warn us, and correct us (2 Timothy 3:16-17); they will purify us to the very core when we, in wisdom, hear His words, obey His commands, heed His warnings, and make the necessary corrections.

    Wisdom from above will lead us to have pure hearts (Matthew 5:8, 1 John 3:1-3), and from that purified source (Matthew 12:35-37; 15:18) we will be able to draw words that are pleasant (Proverbs 15:26, Colossians 4:5-6).

    Why do we need wisdom from above?

    Look at all the parts of our life that are to be pure:

• Our hearts (1 Timothy 1:5, 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Peter 1:22, Proverbs 22:11)
• Our consciences (2 Timothy 1:3, qualification for deacons: 1 Timothy 3:9)
• Our minds (2 Peter 3:1)
• Our souls (1 Peter 1:22)
• Our religion (James 1:27)

    We all need wisdom that is from above!

    Asking for (James 1:5-6) and submitting to God’s wisdom that is first pure will purify us. Think about this for a moment:

    God’s word is pure. Psalm 12:6 says that His words are like silver that has been purified in a furnace seven times - so they would absolutely shine, wouldn’t they?

    And Jesus tells us that a wise man is he who hears His words and does them (Matthew 7:24-25, and we know that Jesus only spoke God’s words, John 17:8).

    Now, consider that in Daniel 12:3 it says that “those who are wise” (those who hear and obey God's word) “shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

    These verses make Matthew 5:14-16 so potent - we are the light of the world - we help light the way, show people the path (as the daytime sky gives light for clear sight) - and we, when we wisely hear and obey God's words, will become steady guides (1 Timothy 4:12-13, 1 John 2:3-6) - akin to stars in the sky - to guide people to the truth, in the truth, all the way home! And when they see the good we accomplish - sharing God’s love and the good news with them - they will glorify our Father in heaven!

    When we seek wisdom from its very Source, God will give it to us liberally and without rebuke. Let’s submit to it, let it transform us and purify us so we can shine as lights in the world, proving that His will is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2)!!

    God wants to give you wisdom! Desire the wisdom that comes only from Him – it is the only wisdom worth having, it is the only wisdom that will lead you home to Him; it is the only wisdom that will help you help others to find the narrow gate and follow the difficult way (Matthew 7:13-14)! Are you ready to shine in pure wisdom from above?  

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024… in Purity – A Summary

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

What is Pure?

    The text above tells us unequivocally that God is pure, and from other Bible verses we learned that all that comes from Him is pure; God is the very source of purity:

• His words are pure, very pure; every one (Psalm 12:6, 119:140, Proverbs 30:5-6)
• His commandment is pure (Psalm 19:8)
• His instruction is pure concerning baptism (the waters of baptism, Hebrews 10:22, consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 3:15 and Mark 16:15-16, it is part of righteousness and necessary for salvation)
• His wisdom (James 3:17)

 

What Needs to Be Pure?

    We learned that every part of us needs to be pure, because every part is linked – and we with each other – so we must give constant attention to:

• Ourselves (1 John 3:1-3, Psalm 24:3-5, 51:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 1 Timothy 4:12) and our example so we can properly teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5)
• Our souls (1 Peter 1:22-23, also read and consider John 3:1-8, 1 John 1:8-10)
• Our religion (how we put God’s instruction in action, James 1:27, 2 Corinthians 9:8)
• Our conscience (1 Timothy 5:2, 2 Timothy 1:3, Hebrews 10:19-23, 1 John)
• Our hearts (Acts 15:9, and consider Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 5:8, 2 Timothy 2:22)
• Our words (Luke 6:43-45, Proverbs 15:26, Ephesians 4:29-32, Proverbs 25:11-12)
• Our minds (2 Peter 3:1, Proverbs 16:2, 30:11-14, John 8:43-45, Matthew 7:15, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Galatians 1:6-10, and Philippians 4:8)
• Our eyes (Luke 11:34, read and consider Psalm 101:3-4)
• Our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Romans 12:1-2, consider Matthew 5:27-30, Ephesians 5:1-7, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:13-18, also read and consider Colossians 3:1-17 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)

 

Why do we purify ourselves?

    We purify ourselves because God is pure and He has told us that we must also be pure, if we hope to see Him (1 John 3:2-3, Matthew 5:8). We purify ourselves because we have come to understand and appreciate that we were purchased with Jesus’ blood; we are not our own, we belong to God, and anything belonging to God is to be pure. Jesus’ sacrifice granted us cleansing and when we are baptized our sins are washed away and our souls became pure and spotless (Acts 22:16). From that point on we do all that is necessary to maintain our purity before God because we look forward to seeing Him and being found by Him without spot and blameless (2 Peter 3:10-14, 1 John 2:28).

…we were purchased with Jesus’ blood;
we are not our own, we belong to God,
and anything belonging to God is to be pure.

     Without Jesus’ sacrifice we would still be held helpless in bondage to sin (Ephesians 2:11-13, Romans 6). Jesus died to redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people – Christians – who are zealous for good works ---> people using their purified hearts, minds, eyes, words, and bodies for good (Matthew 25:34-46, Titus 3:1, 8, 14)! God has told us what practices cause impurities (with command to remove them) and has graciously told us what good and pure things we must practice instead – He has provided all we need to maintain our purity – it’s up to us to make proper use of His provision of both time and instruction!      

    Denying self, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24, 1 John 2:3-6) won't always be easy, but it sure will be worth it! When we consider what awaits us, what God holds out for us in both blessings and in hope for eternity, what He asks of us is small (Romans 8:18-19) – it is worth our every effort and our every sacrifice!

    Are you ready to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind (Matthew 22:37)? Are you preparing yourself to flourish even more in 2024 in purity?

You can do it! So can I!! 

Flourish Even More in 2024… in Purity – What Needs to be Pure?

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    As children of God we all hope to see Him as He is, so we take this passage seriously and work on purifying ourselves daily, so we can look like Him who is pure.

    Last week we learned of all that is pure:

• God (1 John 3:3)
• God’s words (Psalm 12:6), every word (Proverbs 30:5-6), they are very pure (Psalm 119:140)
• God’s commandment (Psalm 19:8)
• The waters of baptism (Hebrews 10:22)
• Wisdom from above (James 3:17)

    Pure means clean, untainted by impurities/evil, without fault so that means that God, His words, His commands, and His wisdom are all pure, clean, untainted by evil, and without fault. Think on that again for a moment: no sin can be in God’s presence (Psalm 5:4), His words and commands are for our good always (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), and His wisdom is a tree of life from which we will obtain unsullied guidance that will lead us home to eternal life with Him (Proverbs 3:13-26). It also means that the waters of baptism (Hebrews 10:22) are without fault and it is there that we are washed and made pure from all our sins; it is there that we become children of God and begin maintaining the purity God granted us.

    This week, let’s look at what needs to be pure:

1. WE DO! If we are children of God, we need to be pure (1 John 3:1-3, Psalm 24:3-5, 51:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 1 Timothy 4:12) and we need to be teaching younger women, by word and example, to be pure and chaste (Titus 2:3-5).
2. Our souls. We purify our souls by obeying the truth and being born again (John 3:1-8, in the pure waters of baptism) of incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:22-23) and we maintain that purity by confessing our sins to God whenever we stumble (1 John 1:8-10).
3. Our religion. How we serve God day to day is visible to others. Do we prove by our words, choices, and actions that God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect? (Romans 12:12) We can, by loving and helping widows and orphans in their troubles – doing all we can for those who need help (James 1:27, 2 Corinthians 9:8).
4. Our conscience. We, like Paul, can serve God with a pure conscience (1 Timothy 5:2, 2 Timothy 1:3). When we trust that God has washed away our sins when we were baptized, we, too can serve Him with a pure, untainted conscience (Hebrews 10:19-23). If you need reassurance, please take time to carefully read the letter of 1 John –  when you sin, confess it to God and He will forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1:9), if you practice righteousness you are righteous (3:7), etc. You can know, you can have confidence, and you can have a clear conscience!
5. Our hearts. Our hearts are purified by faith (Acts 15:9, and consider Hebrews 11:6) and only the pure of heart will see God (Matthew 5:8), and loving one another as God commands is only accomplished when it is with a pure heart (1 Peter 1:22, think about Matthew 5:44-48), we cannot be double-minded and hope to be a benefit to God’s work (James 4:8, Romans 12:9). A pure heart is necessary to be a real help to our brethren who, alongside us, are fleeing youthful lusts and pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace – we need to be showing them what it looks like to call on the Lord (wholly reverence Him, lean on Him, and learn from Him) out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22).
6. Our words. Our words show others where our hearts are focused; we need to keep our hearts pure so our words will be too (Luke 6:43-45). The words of the pure are pleasant to the LORD (Proverbs 15:26) and we are to use our words to build others up (Ephesians 4:29-32) – pure words of love and humble help, showing sincere consideration for their souls (Proverbs 25:11-12).
7. Our minds. Our minds need to be pure (2 Peter 3:1) so we do not taint God’s pure words and commands, tweaking them to suit our impurities (Proverbs 16:2, 30:11-14) and so we aren’t led astray by the lies of the devil (John 8:43-45) or by teachers and preachers who don’t tell us the Truth (Matthew 7:15, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Galatians 1:6-10). We need to fill our minds daily with God and His pure words of guidance and instruction and keep our minds pure by being mindful of what we listen to, watch, read, and scroll (consider the things we are to think on, Philippians 4:8).
8. Our eyes. Our eyes need to be pure (Luke 11:34). Our eyes will always be open to find what we keep our mind focused on – for example: if you keep thinking about white vehicles, you’ll begin noticing them everywhere. If we keep thinking on evil desires our eyes will find opportunities to fulfill it (read and consider Psalm 101:3-4).
9. Our bodies. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, you are God’s, and not your own (1 Corinthians 6:18-19), we are to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2) and use our bodies (every part of them, as seen above) to glorify God, not to pursue lusts (consider Matthew 5:27-30, this applies to women toward men as well, whether in reality, on screen, or in books/magazines). We need to be alert to our thoughts, words, and actions, being careful that there is not even a hint of impropriety (flirtations, lewd speech, etc.) or immorality (lust, fornication, etc.) in them (Ephesians 5:1-7). Our bodies are not for sexual immorality but for the Lord. Sexual relations are a blessing within marriage (Hebrews 13:4) and anything outside of the bounds of marriage is sin (1 Corinthians 6:13-18, also read and consider Colossians 3:1-17 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

    God is pure, His Word is pure; this includes, of course, Jesus (John 1:1-5, 14) – we need to know God the Father so we can imitate Him as dear children (Ephesians 5:1), we need to know the Son and walk as He walked (1 Peter 2:20-24, 1 John 2:3-6). We need to learn of their purity and conform ourselves to it (Romans 8:29). We need to study and know God’s pure commands and abide in them, asking Him for wisdom when we are lacking (James 1:5, 3:13-17) so that we can easily see what is pure (good) and what is impure (evil, Hebrews 5:14).

    Are you ready to flourish even more in 2024 in purity?  Our pure and holy God has provided us with all that we need to be wholly pure in His sight – let’s reverence God and His provision enough to inspect our hearts, minds, and habits, and to make the necessary changes to maintain our purity each and every day!  

You can do it! So can I!!  

Flourishing Even More in 2024… in Purity – What is Pure?

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    We need to be purifying ourselves because God is pure. This action is ongoing; it is a continual effort put into learning and doing what is necessary to be pure and to maintain purity. Jesus granted us access to purity by His sacrifice (Titus 2:14) and we become pure when we are baptized; having our sins washed away (Acts 22:16, Romans 6:4, 1 Peter 1:22-23), but now what?

    First, let’s learn what is pure:

• God (1 John 3:3)
• God’s words (Psalm 12:6), every word (Proverbs 30:5-6), they are very pure (Psalm 119:40)
• God’s commandment (Psalm 19:8)
• The waters of baptism (Hebrews 10:22)
• Wisdom from above (James 3:17)

    As we continue (or begin) our practice of purifying ourselves, we need to learn of God's purity so that we comprehend that He is in every way worthy of our whole faith and trust. We need to learn to keep our eyes on God (Colossians 3:1-2) and imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1) because He is pure. We need to read His words and obey His commands (James 1:21-25) because they are pure. If we have not already, we need to recognize our need and wash in the pure waters of baptism. And we need to ask God for wisdom because He will liberally give us the purest form (James 3:13-17)!

    As the Lord wills, spend time each day this week with God in prayer and in reading His word - think on the hope you have to one day see Him as He is. Determine to put His commands into practice and ask Him, in faith, for wisdom – He won’t be upset if you ask for it daily! Doing these things will develop a desire in your heart and mind to be pure just as He is pure! Are you ready?

You can do it! So can I!!

Sing and Make Melody - Purer in Heart, O God, Help Me To Be

    For the final hymn in our "Sing and Make Melody in Your Heart" series I have selected a song that is a plea we all should be making to God, a plea for purity:

"Purer In Heart, O God"

(written by Fannie E C Davison, 1877)

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;

May I devote my life wholly to Thee

Watch Thou my wayward feet;

Guide me with counsel sweet;

Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;

Teach me to do Thy will most lovingly.

Be Thou my friend and guide;

Let me with Thee abide;

Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;

That I Thy holy face one day may see.

Keep me from secret sin;

Reign Thou my soul within;

Purer in heart, help me to be.

    All I could find out about the writer of this song was her life span: 36 years (1851 - 1887). This song is known to have been written in 1877, when she was 26 years old.

    A sincere prayer, a plea for purity of heart.
    Seeking God and asking His help.
    Simply beautiful.

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    Do you have this hope? Are you a child of God? If so, purify yourself!

purify - it is a verb, an action - a daily action, sometimes a moment to moment action. It means to make/keep pure, to continually remove anything that pollutes or contaminates. A conscientious heart is needed to keep watch always.

    What can pollute our hearts? The all-encompassing answer - SIN. The more problem specific answer - anything that tempts you or turns your attention from God and godly behaviour. I'll list a few:

~ Lust/Pornography: It. Is. Everywhere. Let's keep it simple. If you are married, your husband is the only person you have the right to look at (or think about) in any state of undress. Period. Do not allow yourself to see (or think about) someone's nakedness in reality, in a book, OR on a screen. God has blessed you with the gift of marriage, don't disregard it or disrespect it, honour it!

If you are NOT married, there is NO ONE in this world whom you have a right to be viewing (or thinking about) in any state of undress, in reality, in a book, OR on a screen. It's just that simple. Sexual temptation is one of the strongest tools the devil has in his toolbox. Be diligent about your purity in this matter. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Ephesians 5:1-7, and consider Matthew 5:27-30 (not a command only for men).

~ Filthy Language/Swearing: If it's in your heart, it will come out of your mouth. Don't let it in. Turn off the reel/streaming/TV. Stop the conversation. If it is in your heart already, begin purifying your heart, determine daily to remove it from your thoughts (Psalm 19:14). Please read Colossians 3:1-17 and Ephesians 4:29-32.

~ Complaining: Complaining is a way of life in North America. The world allows you to believe that it shows your acute awareness of your surroundings and your supposed rights. We complain about everything. Sarcastic humour is everywhere. Did you know that when you complain you bring yourself down, you bring others down, and you disobey God? Read Philippians 4:14-15. What can you do instead of complaining? "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

~ Anger: Anger/agitation can make us spew complaints. We are to be very careful of our anger. The only rightful anger is that of defending God and His word if it is being blasphemed, but that type of anger does not lose its rational thought, it does not lose control; it is under complete control and appropriate and allows our words/behaviour to be in check (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Colossians 4:5-6). So if your anger does not fit that description, purify your heart of it. Stop and get it under control. Work daily at it. Some verse to study: Psalm 4:4-5, Ephesians 4:26-27, James 1:19-20, Colossians 3:1-17, also consider Proverbs 29:11.

~ Jealousy: Jealousy and coveting what others have/get is another problem area that spurs on complaints. Are your resentful of the work you have to do? You finish your “paying job” and you have another whole day’s worth of work waiting for you: tidying up the house/yard, making dinner, washing the dishes, doing the laundry… you see your husband and family lounging on the couch waiting for their evening meal and you start complaining how you’re the only one who does any work in the house, nobody appreciates you, etc. etc. If jealousy-based complaining is your weakness, pause in your complaining and consider ALL that you have: a functioning body and mind, a husband and/or family to love, food to serve them, amenities to make your life easier. Take the time to read and really think on James 3 and 4 this week. Read and re-read those two chapters and add in Psalm 73. Pray that God would help you overcome your compulsive complaining and develop a heart that is pure in its praise and appreciation of God's gifts and blessings!  

    Trust in God. He will give you the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 2:18). Trusting in His goodness, His rightness, and His hope He has given you will help you to keep yourself pure in heart every day. 

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:7-8,10 NKJV)

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be!

You can do it! So can I!!

Link to listen to hymn:

Sing and Make Melody - Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen

    This week, we will look at a spiritual song that teaches us as we sing:

"Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen"

Written by Albert W T Orsborn (1916) 

Stanzas 2-3 written by George L Johnson (1934)

Let the beauty of Jesus seen in me,

All His wonderful passion and purity.

May His spirit divine all my being refine;

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

When somebody has been so unkind to you,

Some word spoken that pierces you through and through,

Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

From the dawn of the morning to close of day,

In example, in deeds, and in all you say,

Lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet,

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

    Jesus exemplified the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We need to walk as He walked (1 John 2:3-6) so that the fruit of the Spirit can be developed in us as well!

    This song, I believe, is based on 1 Peter 2:18-24. I encourage you to read this passage. I will highlight some of the thoughts written there:

    First, Peter speaks of servants submitting to their master, the kind masters and also the harsh. He says in verse 19, "...this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully." "...when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God." (v. 20)

    What?? Why??

    Here's why: "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps." (v.21)

• Jesus committed no sin
• There was no deceit (deception/fraud) found in Jesus' mouth
• When Jesus was reviled (criticized in an angry, abusive, and insulting way), He did not revile in return
• When Jesus suffered, He did not threaten
• Jesus committed Himself to "Him who judges righteously"

    Think about that for a moment. Jesus was in the middle of a trial for His life and saw and heard all the hate-filled lies being said about Him and instead of reacting, He committed Himself to the only One who knew the truth - the One who judges righteously - His Father in heaven.

    Do we trust that God knows the truth? Do we trust that He knows our heart and our clear conscience in a matter when we are being accused of wrong? Do we commit to Him in these situations, knowing He is the righteous judge who sees what man does not/cannot?

    Jesus bore our sins on the cross. Why did He do that? Why did He suffer wrongfully?
Why did He silently allow these things to happen to Him?

    So that we, having died to sins (Romans 6:2-4), might live for righteousness!! It was by Jesus’ suffering/death that we have a hope - that we have healing!!

    How do you live for righteousness?

    You follow Jesus' example!

    Though you may face times of struggle and hurt you do not revile nor spit out angry, abusive, insulting words. You do not threaten - nor even think it in your heart! You trust that God sees and God knows, allowing you to be still. You let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you!

    Pray to the One who judges righteously! Ask Him for wisdom and help to live like Jesus, in the beauty and holiness of humble obedience!

    Meditate on 1 Peter 2:18-14 this week and let this song remind you of Jesus' beautiful example and His desire for you to live for righteousness!!

You can do it! So can I!!

Fix It So You Can Flourish: Transformed By Renewing Your Mind

    Our passage to read and think on throughout this week, as the Lord wills, is Romans 12:1-2:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (NKJV)

    Following in Jesus' footsteps (1 Peter 2:21, 1 John 2:6) we learn to humbly submit to God, sacrifice our wants and desires (Matthew 16:24), and obey His instructions and commands so that we can be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:13-16) and be pure just as He is pure (1 John 3:3). We will determine to make good choices in our attitudes, our words, and our actions so that others will know that we belong to God!

    When I was younger my Dad explained Romans 12:2 like this: Pour Jello into a mould, after it sets, you turn it out and you have a lump of Jello that looks exactly like the mould. The Jello conformed to the mould it was in! We conform to the world when we let it shape us, which will leave us looking just like the world!

    God wants us to be transformed (undergo a change in character). How do we do this? "...by the renewing of your mind." Fill up your heart and mind with God's word motivates us to try harder each day to make good choices in our speech, our attitudes, our actions. Read and think on Ephesians 4:17-32 as it echoes these thoughts. 

    If we put in the self-sacrificing effort, God will provide the transforming renewal!

    Determining to do things God's way will take faith and trust on our part, but it's well-worth our every effort because we will soon prove to ourselves - and to others - that His will is "good and acceptable and perfect."

    Only when we transform ourselves by doing what God has told us to do can shine as a light in the world (Matthew 5:14-16). Only when we are different from the world can we show the world that there is a different way!

    Let's be the living sacrifices that God wants us to be, so that we can prove that His way is the best way!

From wherever you are right now - BEGIN!

Cultivating Pure Hearts So We Can Magnify God

    Good morning!! This week I would like each one of us focus on our heart - the source of our thoughts and words (Proverbs 23:7, Luke 6:45).

    In order to declare God's greatness to the world around us we need to uproot the weeds of complaining, comparison, jealousy, envy, lust, gossip, and anger, to name only a few.

    From wherever you are right now, begin to remove the weed-enhancing influences in your life: soap operas/TV shows/movies/online videos full of immorality, gossip, and bad language; music and/or books that fills your mind with impurities like lust, adultery and fornication. Maybe for you it's idle mind time where you indulge your negative imaginings/anxieties and let the 'worst case scenario' play out in your mind's eye or it could be that you allow yourself to look back on memories of your sinful past with longing. Whatever it is, get to the source and work to remove it from your life.

"... brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

    We should be determined each day to do the work and make the necessary choices/changes that will keep us heading toward a purer heart (1 John 3:1-3). Make time to be with others who are also trying to live right before God:

"Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    When we change our heart, our motives will become loving, our attitudes will improve, our words will reflect the peace and contentment that comes from acknowledging God's blessings of provision in all things!

    We can do this! We can polish our armour and reflect light into the darkness of this world! Let's purify our hearts and magnify God, declaring His greatness and the greatness of His way!

"Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favour my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long." (Psalm 35:27-28 NKJV)

You can do it! So can I!! 

Those Who Call on The Lord Out of a Pure Heart

“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace 
WITH THOSE WHO CALL ON THE LORD OUT OF A PURE HEART.” 
(2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    We have spent time this year in understanding what righteousness, faith, love, and peace look like and we learned why it is so important to obey this command and continually pursue these so we can live righteously, faithfully, in love, and at peace.

    We are to pursue these things with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

    We have recently learned that ‘calling on the Lord’ is appealing to God for help, for guidance, for worship; fully acknowledging Him as supreme in authority, to the point that we desire to be named after Him/His Son --> “Christian” (Acts 11:26). We can rightfully wear the name Christian when we are IN CHRIST, part of His body, the church (Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 1:18).

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: How do we get INTO Christ? We must not only believe in Jesus, we must not only repent of our sins, we must not only confess our faith, we must also be baptized for the remission of our sins. Many churches today do not teach the necessity of baptism, teaching instead that it is merely a sign to show others that we’ve already been saved. The problem with that teaching is that the Bible says otherwise. Please read 1 Peter 3:18- 21 – BAPTISM saves us! Sounds rather necessary, doesn’t it? This act, if done in faith, is the point that we obey God fully, and it is the point when God washes our sins away. Why else would Ananias, who was directly instructed by Jesus to inform Saul of Tarsus of what he must do, instruct Saul to “arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16)? Faith alone won’t save us. Repentance alone won’t save us. Confession alone won’t save us. Even baptism alone won’t save us. But when put together, in full obedience to the only God of this universe, we can be saved because His Son, Jesus Christ, died for our sins, allowing us to be forgiven by God’s grace. That’s what the message of salvation in Jesus Christ sounds like as found in the Bible.  That is how you are granted the name “Christian,” that is how you become part of the body of Christ (in Christ), the church (Romans 6:1-14, Galatians 3:26-29, Colossians 2:11-14)!

“THOSE WHO CALL ON THE LORD OUT OF PURE HEART”

    We have learned that having a pure heart means to have a heart that is innocent, sanctified, and set apart to God, a heart that is morally pure. So, I draw the conclusion, that those who seek God, who make appeal to Him, and have hearts that are morally pure and innocent (whose sins have been “washed” away) are the very same who make up His church. We are to flee youthful lusts and pursue after righteousness, faith, love, peace with the church belonging to God’s very Son, the church He established in Acts 2! We are to help one another flee sin and pursue God and all His ways!

Consider now, this passage: 

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love for the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Peter 1:22-23 NKJV)

    We purify our souls in obeying the truth (see note above), and we are to love one another sincerely and fervently with a pure heart. When we love one another sincerely and fervently, we will be willing to encourage and correct in order to benefit the other (Ephesians 4:19, James 5:19-20). When this is done with a pure heart, godly wisdom should be what guides our words (James 1:5, 3:13-18, Ephesians 4:12-16), because we appeal to the God of heaven, the only source for true wisdom! And having been born again (please read John 3:1-7, baptism IS necessary!) of incorruptible seed – see 1 John 3:1-3 – through the word of God, we purify ourselves, keeping ourselves pure through continued learning, obedience, and appeal to God through prayer and thanksgiving!

    Continue to flee youthful lusts as you grow up in Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16). Continue to pursue righteousness (living right before God, humbly obeying all His commands), faith (without it, it is impossible to please Him, Hebrews 11:6), love (selflessly seeking the higher good for others, to be a benefit to others), and peace (with God and with man). Allow members of the church to help you and look for ways to help them too (Galatians 6:9-10). We are all in this together!! Keep trying! Don’t give up!!

    God provides all you need to succeed!! Do it His way – it is always worth every effort!! What you’ll get in return is unfathomable – blessings upon blessings!! Continue to pursue God today!!

You can do it! So can I!!   

 

Children of God Have Pure Hearts

“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue 
righteousness, faith, love, peace 
with those who call on 
the Lord out of a pure heart.” 
(2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    Over the past few months we have studied about these noble and necessary pursuits and as our study of 2 Timothy 2:22 is coming to a close we have looked at what it means to call on the Lord – to appeal to Him, trusting Him and obeying His instruction no matter what – and this week I would like to look at the necessity of a pure heart.

“Behold, what manner of love 
the Father has bestowed on us, 

that we should be called children of God! 

Therefore the world does not know us,

because it did not know Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God; 

and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,

but we know that when He is revealed,

we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, 

and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself,

just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    Are you a child of God?

    Do you have the hope found only in Jesus (1 Peter 1:3-5)?

    If you answered ‘yes,’ you need to be purifying yourself – making your heart morally pure and right in God’s sight – you need to be continually turning away from youthful lusts and diligently running toward being more righteous, more faithful, more loving, and more desirous of peace with both God and man!

    When we work daily at purifying our hearts, seeking God and humbly obeying Him in all we do, we are better able to help others in reaching their spiritual goals. Each one of us should desire to be this kind of helper, to be an example to those around us, to be an encouragement and a giver of good, godly advice to those who are walking alongside us on the Narrow Way.  

    If the Lord wills, next week we will look at another verse that will help us know how to purify our heart and then see how 2 Timothy 2:22 is an instruction that will lead to mature Christians and a healthy church!

 Until then, continue to pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of pure heart and remind yourself daily of the wondrous truth that God loved us SO much that we can be called His children - let that fact spur on your continued purification of your heart and mind!!

You can do it! So can I!!

Follow Jesus and Flourish

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour." (John 12:24-26 NKJV)

    Over the course of this year's study - Be More Like the Son in 2021 - we have found that in order to flourish we must let go. Let go of our own notions and ideas and dig into God's word for the truth, let go of our stubborn independence and submit to God and His wisdom and instruction, let go of our selfish desires and live lives that are pure and holy and helpful to others. 

    Like the seed of grain we must have a willingness to be buried (in baptism, Romans 6), so that we, in full submission to God and His commands, can flourish and bear abundance of fruit! We must learn to hate our life in this world ('hate' meaning to love God more than the things in this life), and to look forward with earnest regard for life eternal with Him (2 Peter 3:10-18)!

    Jesus said, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me..." Follow His steps (1 Peter 3:20-24), don't turn from the path He has created for us (Matthew 7:13-14, Hebrews 10:35-39, consider also Joshua 1:7), carefully learn His steps, His character, His care, and allow yourself to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29-30) as you put His ways into daily practice!

    "If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour."  Just reading that statement is thrilling, but it is a promise that God can/will/does fulfill! Read and think on passages like Romans 8:12-17 where we find that we, who are led by the Spirit (letting God's Word, the Bible, be our guide), are children of God "and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (v17) and also Ephesians 1:3-14 where we discover all the spiritual blessings we have when we are in Christ (in the church, His body, Ephesians 1:22-23)!

    Are you determined to Be More Like the Son in 2021? Are you willing to follow Jesus's steps?

You can do it! So can I!!

     

Be More Like the SON in 2021

    Many of you know that my Dad is a preacher. Growing up, I remember Dad often wrote a New Year's theme sermon and its title, as per his style, would rhyme with the new year number; something like: "Increase Our Faith in Thee in 1983." 

     As you can tell from the title of this post, I am following suit. I realized then when my dad was creating those annual themes and I know now that when something rhymes people are more apt to remember it (consider the ability to recall song lyrics), so, our theme for this year is...

Be More Like the SON in 2021

    God calls us by the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14) to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29-30). All that Jesus did, all the He endured and suffered, He did to leave us an example so we could follow His steps (1 Peter 1:21)!

     Whether you are a seasoned Bible student who has studied Jesus many times, a beginning bible student who is wanting to know more about Him or you find yourself somewhere in between, I believe that there is always room for improvement, there is always more we can learn from Jesus and the example He left for us to follow!

     Consider this theme as you go through your week - and let this song (with rhyming lyrics!) prepare your mind and heart to Be More Like the SON in 2021! 

  Click the link below to listen to "Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me"

Loving One Another With A Pure Heart

 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth 

through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, 

love one another fervently with a pure heart…”  

(1 Peter 1:22 NKJV)

    It is God who purifies our souls from all uncleanness when we obey the Truth by being baptized (Acts 2:38; 22:16) and then as Christians, when we stumble, we can pray to God, confess our sin, and He will cleanse us (our souls) from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-10).

    Having a pure heart is OUR responsibility! We must determine daily to maintain the garden of our heart: tilling the hardened areas, making them tender and receptive to the Truth, clearing the stones of offense, pulling out the thorns of distraction (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23), and carefully tending the seed of Truth (Luke 8:11), nurturing it through obedience (James 1:25), continued study (Acts 17:11), and prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17); allowing it to purify our hearts. And just as actual plants purify our air, giving us a better quality of life, so too will God’s holy Word!!

    When we are baptized, not only do we have our souls purified by God but we also become part of the body of Christ, we are now members of His body with all others who have obeyed the Truth (1Corinthians 12:12-14, Acts 2:47, Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:15-16)! We have brethren! Brethren who flee the same things we flee, who pursue the same things we pursue – consider 2 Timothy 2:22 – and our need to have a pure heart not only benefits us but will benefit them as well!

    God commands us to sincerely love our brethren, without selfish motives or hypocrisy (consider 1 John 3:17-19) and this can only be accomplished with the next command “love one another fervently with a pure heart.” It is only when we work to keep our heart pure that we can be sincere in our love and sincerity in our love will lead to fervency - loving to our full potential! – doing all we can to help, encourage, guide, and benefit our brothers and sisters in Christ!

    If God has purified your soul, do all that is necessary to purify your heart and to keep it pure! Discover the better quality of life that God’s Word provides when we let it take firm root in our heart as we hear and obey it!  Love your brethren with a love so sincere that it will motivate you to keep your heart pure, in doing this you may just encourage your brethren to do the same! We are all in this together and it is only with pure hearts that we can reach our full potential!!

You can do it! So can I!!     

  

Using God's Light to Achieve and Maintain Purity

 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

Cleanse your hands, you sinners; 

and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” 

(James 4:8 NKJV)

    Drawing near to God means drawing closer to the very source of Light that illuminates all that we think and do (John 3:19-21). Many “Christians” seem content to imagine themselves on the outer edges of the Light; content to acknowledge God, pray to Him when they’re desperate, and attend weekly church services, but they don’t prefer to draw closer to Him, to dig deeper into His Word so they can learn to obey Him better. I say “imagine” because quite often they are not on the outer edges of the Light, but rather on the outer edges of the darkness, satisfying their desire to live like the world while fooling themselves in thinking they are followers of Christ (consider 1 John 2:9, Romans 12:2).

    God wants us to joy in His marvelous Light (Psalm 36:9)! He wants us to draw near to Him in His Light and allow it to show us our faults and errors so we can remove/change them and thus purify ourselves just as He is pure (1 John 3:3)!

    Sinners who have chosen to draw near to God must ‘cleanse their hands’ – meaning wash their hands of their past deeds; turn away from them and no longer seek the ways they used to follow (Luke 9:62, Hebrews 10:36-39; 11:24-26).  When we are buried with Christ (in baptism) we rise as a new person, a person who is to walk in “newness of life” (Romans 6:1-14), a person created according to God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24), who seeks to do only God’s will and no longer our own.

    Christians, those who have already been baptized for the remission of their sins, also have a command in this James passage – we, who can still be double-minded, must purify our hearts!

    What does it mean to be double-minded?

    Well, it can mean that we say all the right things and appears to be a faithful follower to those on the outside but inside our home or inside our own mind we are fuming, angry, vindictive, judgmental, hateful and hating. It can mean we bless God and moments later curse men (these things out not to be, James 3:9-10). It can mean we follow God but allow fear to override our faith, letting anxieties take over (God can help, please take your fears to Him, Philippians 4:6-8). It can mean we pray for something but then doubt whether God will even provide (consider James 1:2-8).

    Do you see yourself in any of these scenarios? I know I have found myself among them at times! It is vital to draw near to God and allow His light to shine on us and in us so that we can see the shadowy areas that need to be removed!

    Let us do all that we can to work daily at purifying our hearts, so we can be sincere and true in all that we think and do!

You can do it! So can I!!

 

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” 

(Matthew 5:8 NKJV)

    The scripture we looked at last week – 1 John 3:1-3 – stated that because we have hope as God’s children to see Him as He is, we work at purifying ourselves because God is pure.

    Here in Matthew, we have an excerpt from one of Jesus’ first sermons stating the same thing – those who are pure in heart will be blessed because they will see God.

    Let’s look at what “pure in heart” actually means.

    Pure in heart does not mean having clean and healthy arteries in the bodily organ that pumps our blood. The biblical heart is our mind, the fountain of our thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, purposes, and endeavours. It is the ‘inner man’ that we work daily to purify and keep from evil influence; the “new man” that was “created according to God in true righteousness and holiness’ (Ephesians 4:20-24) when we were baptized into Christ (Romans 6:1-13).     

    Keeping our heart pure means that we keep ourselves, our very thoughts, from corrupt desires, we do our utmost to avoid sin and sinful thoughts. We live clean, innocent, upright lives by serving God with utter sincerity, singleness of heart; making our loyalty and faithfulness to God our #1 priority. It means we wholly devote ourselves to obeying Him.

“Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God 

with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”” 

(Matthew 22:37 NKJV) 

    Take an honest look at what you look at (or do) each day because it all stores up in your heart. That crude, unwholesome humour you chuckle at online (and then even share for others to read), those posts with coarse language and/or swearing, those posts that encourage you to hold on to anger and resentment by justifying it according to man’s wisdom. What about those “friends” who love nothing more than gossiping and backbiting, or the books/movies/TV shows full of filthy language, adultery, and fornication? The list, unfortunately, can go on and on. Maybe it is necessary to truly visualize Jesus sitting right beside us while we scroll/post online, watch TV, and have a conversation – would we still make the same choices we’ve been making? God does see/hear everything we do/say, so let’s do all we can to scrub our hearts clean of bad influences!

    It will be worth every effort to read, study, and apply God’s Word to our lives each day! To have the blessed hope of one day being admitted into God’s presence in heaven, to be privileged to see our beloved Father and Creator should motivate us to try harder and do more to purify our hearts and keep our hearts pure each moment we are blessed with!!

You can do it! So can I!!

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? 

Or who may stand in His holy place? 

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 

who has not lifted his soul up to an idol, not sworn deceitfully. 

He shall receive blessing from the LORD, 

and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” 

 (Psalm 24: 3-5 NKJV)