A New Heart

Hard-hearted.

This is how Ezekiel 36:26 ends: I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." 

These are the words of God given to the house of Israel through His prophet Ezekiel. Why did they need new hearts? We find an answer a few verses later in Ezekiel 36:31. The people of Israel needed new hearts because their ways were evil, deeds wicked, and practices detestable. They were sinners. Hard-hearted.

So are we.

I don't need to tell you.

We know. We all know, even if we're not willing to admit it. Even those who refuse to acknowledge God recognize there exists a standard of perfection from which we all fall short. We're selfish, greedy, and hateful. We lie, steal, and cheat. We commit adultery, idolatry, and immorality.

Our ways are evil, deeds wicked, and practices detestable. Just like those people of old.

We need new hearts.

As you read Ezekiel chapter 36, there is an interesting twist that is not often brought out. It is found explicitly in verses 22 and 32. Stop now and read  the whole chapter, or at least those two verses. Go ahead, this blog will be here when you get done.

 Do you see it? God's promise to give them new hearts and everything else He speaks of is not for their sake, but His own.

Why? Because they had defiled and profaned His name, and God wanted the nations to see Him for who He truly is.

Wow.

What does that mean for us?

By us, I mean Christians. I know we are made into new creations and receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ, and in fact that will be the topic of my next blog. Still yet, I believe there is further application for even those of us who believe.

What if we, like David in Psalm 51:10, need to pray, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. What if we need this, not for our sake, but for the sake of the holy name of God and Jesus Christ? What if we have hearts of stone. What if we have defiled and profaned His name? 

Maybe it means we need a new heart.

I'm not talking about being saved again. I don't adhere to that belief; I believe we are saved once for eternity. I'm talking about, like David, realizing that my heart has become impure and my spirit less than steadfast. I'm talking about God opening my eyes and refreshing my soul. I'm talking about the realization that I'm not always the poster child for Christianity, and sometimes my words, thoughts, and deeds don't lift Christ up, but rather tarnish His name.

There are times when I need a new heart for the lost, the broken, the misguided. My heart needs to be softened for the poor, the sick, the weary. My spirit needs renewed to see God, His Son, His mercies. It's not my soul that's in danger, but rather the souls of those who see me as a representative of Christ. If they see a heart of stone in me, what do they think of Him? 

A new year is coming.

It's a time to reflect, evaluate, plan, and hope. What better time to ask God to shatter our stony hearts, renew our spirits, and truly lift up His name!

A New Command: Love One Another

That's a tough act to follow.

Consider not only the words, but the setting. Jesus told His disciples this in the Upper Room, at the Last Supper. He has washed their feet, predicted the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, and told them He is going somewhere they cannot follow, meaning He is going to die.

Immediately Peter declares he would follow the Lord anywhere. Jesus knows better, and predicts that His lead disciple will deny even knowing Him not only once, but three times. Phillip then jumps in and asks Jesus to show them God so that they can all believe, still then not realizing God was standing right next to him.

Still, Jesus loved them.

And us.

We're no better than those who shared Jesus' last meal. We refuse to recognize what He's done for us, betray Him for the idols of this life, and deny ever knowing Him when threatened by the world. We promise to follow Jesus anywhere, but jump off the bus at the first little bump. We cry out to Him asking to see His hand in our lives, blind to the fact that our lives are the very evidence we seek.

And still Jesus loves us.

How can we not love one another?

When Jesus said,"As I have loved you, so you must love one another,"  He wasn't just talking about giving up His life for His friends (John 15:13). He was also talking about loving them despite their weaknesses, their failings, their ignorance and outright stubbornness to accept the truth. Jesus loves us despite our imperfections. And we are to do the same for each other.

Is there a brother or sister in Christ who you find it hard to love because you never seem to agree? How do you think Jesus felt? He knew He was right, but still the disciples argued with Him. What did He do? Did He refuse to be with them, give up on them and find someone else more in line with His way of thinking? No. He loved them. Then He told us to do the same.

A new command for a new year.

Maybe this speaks to you, and maybe it doesn't. Maybe you do this already, love your brothers and sisters in Christ just as He loves us. If so, let us not grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). 

But maybe, just maybe, some of us have room for improvement. Maybe we don't love that brother or sister as Christ loves us because they don't look like us, or like different worship music, or have a ministry calling different from ours, or whatever. Christ loves us not only because of our strengths and commonalities, but despite our weaknesses and differences.

Consider that when you see your brothers and sisters in the new year. Do you love them, all of them, the way Christ loves you?

Let's start the new year off right; with love. Who knows what might happen.

All Things New

This world, too, shall pass.

One day, it will not be a new year we celebrate, but an entirely new world. All we know, and that which we do not yet, is temporary.

For some, this brings great hope and joy, while for others it causes angst and turmoil. We like this world. It is good, as God said after He created it. What we have is all we know, and sometimes we have difficulty letting go of the known to embrace that which is unseen.

Imagine how John must have been torn. He lived in this world, just as do we, but had revealed to him what God had in store for the future. How hard must it have been for him to continue living in imperfection after having seen perfection. If only we could all have that same vision of the future . . .

We can.

No, I do not believe that God is likely to take each of us into the the future to see His planned new creation. I do, however, believe that He has shown us enough in His word to give us the hope we need to face that coming world not with trepidation and fear, but faith and hope.

Hints at God's new creation can be found throughout the Bible, but our most clear and thorough peek at what is to come is given to us in the final two chapters of God's Word. Revelation chapters 21 and 22 paint a nearly unimaginable picture of beauty, peace, and perfect harmony between men and God. This is God's endgame.

And ours as well. 

What we see in those two chapters is a hint of what eternity will be like. Look beyond the structure and the environment of the city and see what really matters: Us and God, side by side. Forever. That is the beauty, the promise, the hope I have in God's plan for a new creation.

I will be with Him, and He with me, with nothing in between. Forever.

There is nothing new under the sun.

So are the words of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. And this is true, at least for now.

But one day, according to His own words, God will make everything new.

That's a new I can look forward to.

The Fullness Of Joy

Does that mean I have to smile?

I am not an outgoing, happy-go-lucky, smile on my face all the time extrovert. I don't go gaa-gaa over cute puppies, cry at sappy movies, or jump up and down when my team scores a
goal/run/touchdown. I don't think I've ever been described, by anyone, as radiating joy. 

I am serious. Introspective. Some would say bookish, but I prefer studious. If you were to look at my profile picture, that is my happy face. Let's just say I'm smiling on the inside, Okay?

Joy is not something that just happens.

If it were, Paul would not have to instruct us to be joyful. Oh sure, we are naturally going to be full of joy when life is going well. At our weddings, the births of our children, when the Cubs win the World Series (you'll probably have to smile from heaven on that one). Joy comes easily then.

One of the words in the passage above, however, should bring us pause. Be joyful always. 

 Now, it's possible Paul is just exaggerating a little here. Maybe he doesn't mean always. Maybe he means always, when things are going the way we want them. When we are happy. When life is good. The problem is, he clarifies two verses later when he says, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Oh, and notice that verses 16-18 are all part of the same sentence. Not separated ideas, but one fluid thought. They all go together.

Be joyful always. Give thanks in all circumstances. Sounds like the first chapter of the book of James. Or the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:11, 12.

That's not going to just happen on its own.

Joy is something you have to do.

If we are to be joyful always, if we are to give thanks in all circumstances, the only conclusion we can come to is that God wants us to be full of joy and thanks in the good times and the bad.  When we get married, and when we struggle 5 years later. When our children are born, and 15 years later when, as teenagers, they cause gray hair. When the Cubs win, and when they, well, do what they do best (sorry, Cub fans are just easy targets!).

Joy is a choice. You decide whether to be joyful or not. Paul says to be joyful, and to give thanks. James says to consider it pure joy when we face trials. That's not going to just happen. That's something you are going to have to do. 

How in the world?

I like what Peter says in I Peter 1:6. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. He is talking about being joyful despite suffering and grief and all kinds of trials. How? You have to go up about three verses and read I Peter 1:3-5.

Did you read it? Do you see it? The answer to joy is right there. I could tell you what it is, but that wouldn't be fair. God wants you to experience His word personally.

If you want the answer, you're going to have to look for yourself.

You'll be glad you did.

 

 

 

5 Days to Bethlehem--Day 5

The journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem probably took 5 or more days. Imagine what those five days were like.

Day Five--The Savior is born.

The stress and fear of the past five days disappeared as Joseph looked into the peaceful face of the child before him.

He had arrived. A son. The Son of God. On earth.

The circumstances of His birth could not have been more humble. Unable to find a suitable place for his wife to stay, desperate to find shelter, Joseph had finally arranged for them to spend the night in a stable. No sooner had they arrived than the time came.

The Child was born in a stable meant for lambs, and wrapped in simple cloths. To keep Him off the cold, wet ground, they lined a manger with straw and placed Him there.

Joseph had little recollection of what happened next. Shepherds appeared, having been told by a host of angels that the Messiah had been born. They told others, and everyone came to see the Christ, the Lord. Many were disappointed. They saw only an ordinary child, born to the most ordinary of parents.

They were wrong. They were oh so wrong!

Joseph knew. He knew the truth. In this stable, in that simple manger, lay the Son of God. Kneeling before his son, praising his God, Joseph wept a prayer of pure joy, hope, and love.

Thank you God, for today our Savior has been born.

5 Days to Bethlehem--Day 4

The journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem probably took 5 or more days. Imagine what those five days were like.

Day Four--Hope keeps us going.

Joseph was as tired as he could ever remember. Strangely, though, the trepidation and downright fear of the previous days had melted away. Admiring his wife as she bravely soldiered on over the rough terrain caused him to check his attitude.

All he had done since beginning this journey was worry. He'd thought about God, trusted Him even, but never thanked Him, never looked forward with hope and anticipation to what God had in store for him.

Joseph had so much to be thankful for. Yes, his people were under the control of a pagan empire forcing them into further submission by demanding an odious registration process. Yes, he and his wife faced difficulties because of her pregnancy. Yes, God's path was not easy.

But God had chosen the people of Joseph as His own. But God had promised to never leave them nor forsake them. But he was a husband, and was going to be a father. Maybe God's path was not easy, but few things worthwhile ever were.

Joseph was thankful for his heritage. He was thankful for God, His provision and care for the Jewish people. This was not the first difficulty Joseph's people had faced, nor would it be their last. Always before God had provided, guided, protected Joseph's people.

More than that, Joseph realized as he looked ahead up the rocky path, God had always provided for him. Never had he been without what he truly needed, and so many times he had been blessed with more than he could have asked. Like today. God gave him Mary as his wife, and soon she would have a son. A son Joseph would raise as his own.

Thinking of the child filled Joseph with hope. They would call him Jesus, as instructed by Gabriel, the messenger of God. His name would mean The Lord Saves. He would be the Son of God, and was destined to save God's people from their sins.

All of this had come to them from God. This child was the blessed hope of Joseph's people. This child was to be the Messiah!

Joseph did not understand, but he did not have to. All he had to do was believe. All he had to do was hope. With God, nothing is impossible. That's what Gabriel told Mary. That's what Joseph believed.

God would get them to Bethlehem. God would bring His son into the world. What would happen next, Joseph knew not. All he knew was that God was with them, and that gave him hope.

Tomorrow they would reach Bethlehem. Whatever came next, Joseph would face with hope that only faith in God could provide.

To be continued . . .

5 Days to Bethlehem--Day 3

The journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem probably took 5 or more days. Imagine what those five days were like.

Day Three--It only gets harder.

Joseph wasn't sure they were going to make it. Mary was a strong and determined young woman, but she was only human. Between the stress of her pregnancy, the stress of the travel, and the stress of God's message to them, he didn't know how she continued on. He was barely able to keep himself going, and he wasn't carrying the fate of the world in his womb!

He knew Mary believed. Even though she spoke of it infrequently, they had spoken of it. It. The message of Gabriel. His words of unbelievable weight. You have found favor with 
God . . . You will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus . . . The Lord God will give him the throne of 
David . . . His kingdom will never end . . . So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God . . . Nothing is impossible with God. 

Nothing is impossible with God. Did that include the Messiah being born to a humble carpenter and his wife who faced the shame of being pregnant before being married? Did that include Rome calling for a census causing that carpenter to take his wife, heavy with child, to the little town of Bethlehem? Did that include finally throwing the yoke of Rome from the neck of God's people?

Joseph was a man of faith, but also a man of action. He worked with his hands, his back, his will. Gifts given to him by God, but given to him to use. Faith was a tool he found more difficult to wield. Faith was less precise than his square or plumb line, less telling than his rule, and certainly slower to respond than when he struck his chisel with his hammer.

Unlike his other tools, Joseph didn't, couldn't know what the result of using faith would be. God's plan was a mystery. Faithful men often found their faith working in ways they would have never imagined, nor chosen. Like Noah. Or Joseph. Samson. David. Faith wasn't easy. Like the tools of a carpenter, the better one got at using faith, the harder the jobs became.

This particular exercise of faith was no exception. Joseph had finally trusted God with the pregnancy of his wife. He trusted God to bless their marriage. He trusted God in taking this trip to Bethlehem to register with Rome. He trusted God would provide.

But the trip was not going to get easier, and Mary wasn't going to get any stronger. She was barely keeping up now, and the trip was only going to become more rigorous. As they approached Jerusalem, the terrain became steeper, more difficult. Joseph had made the trip many times. He knew how hard it could be, especially this time of the year with the rain and the cold.

Nothing is impossible with God. Just how far did that go? If a man believed that, what could he do? Elijah called down fire from heaven. Moses lead God's people through the parted sea. But could God do this? Could the child Mary carried truly be what Gabriel said. Could it really be like this?

Joseph wasn't sure they would ever know. He'd barely slept in three nights, and knew Mary had slept little more. He wasn't sure how they could make the rest of the trip. And if indeed Mary's time came when they arrived, how could she possibly go through the pains of labor as tired and worn out as she was?

No, it certainly wasn't going to get easier any time soon. Joseph had trusted God this far, and he knew he had no choice but continue to have faith. He was in too deep, had gone to far to turn back now. God was always faithful. God kept His promises. God was good. All the time.

Nothing was impossible with God.

That didn't mean God's way was always easy.

To be continued . . .