Homogenized Faith

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

"Homogenization of milk is a mechanical treatment of the fat globules brought about by passing the liquid under high pressure through a tiny orifice, which results in a decrease in the average diameter and an increase in number and surface area, of the fat globules. The net result, from a practical view, is a much reduced tendency for creaming of fat globules. In addition, heat pasteurization breaks down the cryo-globulin complex, which tends to cluster fat globules causing them to rise."

Simply put, homogenization changes the properties of the milk to prevent separation of fat and liquid. Pastuerization slows microbial growth, allowing for longer shelf-life. Together, these processes give us products that are both more palatable and enduring.

Jesus tells us the pure in heart are blessed and will see God.

As I prayed over this verse this morning, the word pure impressed me, and of course prompted a search for related information.

What does Jesus mean by pure? On the surface you might say, well duh, pure is pure. Right?

Let's take a closer look at the word. According to Miriam-Webster, my trusty online dictionary:
1 a (1): unmixed with any other matter (2): free from dust, dirt, or taint (3): spotless , stainless b: free from harshness or roughness and being in tune —used of a musical tone c: of a vowel : characterized by no appreciable alteration of articulation during utterance.

There's a mouthful. But worthy in all its detail for our purposes. Let's see if we can make it purely clear what Jesus is saying - pun intended :-)

• Our hearts should be empty of all but the word of God.
• Untainted, free of sludge, unblemished, immaculate
• They should be free from harshness and roughness
• What emanates from them should be a sweetly prefect, lyrical sound to God

Jeremiah said the heart is deceitful above all things (17:9) and the Psalms and Proverbs are filled with verses warning about the evil heart of man. So let's consider the list above for a minute - our hearts are full of garbage, tainted, blemished, harsh, rough and probably sound like screeching breaks to God's ears. So how on earth can it be purified?

First it has to be emptied of the garbage. Then it has to be cleansed. It needs some refining (Remember the story of the refiners fire?) And not doubt a good tuning is in order. All of these processes my friends are the work of the Holy Spirit.

Faith in Jesus, trusting that His atoning death and blood shed for all mankind covers our sin and cleanses us of all iniquity, is the process by which we are made acceptable to God. Frankly, I love milk fresh from the cow without all the processes. But living in sin seems pretty good too, until it gives you aids, alcoholism, or bitterness....

Blessed are the pure in heart, those whose hearts have been washed in the blood of Christ, for they will see God.

Now here's the final and pivotal point to this message. As a result of this purifying, we will see God. Not in heaven (yet.) Not in some magical or mystical way. But when we empty ourselves of the junk, there's nothing left in that heart but the image of God. Process that, beloved.

*Father hear my prayer: I will open my heart - Search me in the deepest part - And I will stand in cleansing fire - By You, purified - By You I'm purified - I'm purified for you. In Jesus' name, amen.

*Lyrics, Michael W. Smith, Purified

Mercy, Mercy

Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

We are raised on the Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Jesus tells a story about a wealthy man whose servant owed him a great deal of money.

Let's look at this situation in modern times. Let's just say the wealthy owner of a Cadillac dealership (we'll call him Bob,) provides vehicles and service for Donald Trump, one of the richest men in the world. Bob borrows a large sum of money from Trump to subsidize an addition to his dealership. Now, a year later, there's a recession and cars aren't selling. Bob's debt payment comes due and he doesn't have the finances to pay. So he goes to Mr. Trump and asks for more time to pay off the debt.

In Jesus' story, Trump shows mercy, graciously forgives the debt and wipes the record clean.

The story doesn't end there. Jason, a hard-working wrench-turning mechanic asked for an advance from Bob a few months ago because his wife needed surgery and they had no insurance. Bob loaned him the money to pay hospital bills. Now that Bob's in a crunch, he calls Jason into his office and demands immediate payment of the debt. Jason hasn't got that kind of money, heck, he works on commission and there hasn't been any work coming into Bob's service drive all week. Jason can't repay the debt all at once and asks for more time. Instead, Bob fires him.

According to Jesus' reckoning, Trump would have discovered Bob's unforgiving behavior and demanded he pay up or turn his business over to Trump.

Then He goes on to say that's how it is with God. How can we go to God begging for mercy and forgiveness of our sin, when we expect of others what we refuse to do? Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." We reap what we sow.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Father, may we be acutely aware of how we treat others as we go through our day. Would we be mindful always of Your boundless mercy, Your unfailing grace and eternal love. Move in us to be merciful to others. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Hungry for God

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

As most of us struggle in this recession that has every earmark of impending depression, it would be easy to succumb to despair. Yet this time in history has given Steve and me cause to praise and pray as we never have before.

Every morning we settle on our bed with the Bible. We open with prayer, then we read a chapter from Scripture (currently we're in the book of Joshua,) and dialogue about the reading. We close with another prayer for our day. The more we digest, our hunger for the wisdom of God's word increases. There's a side effect of this daily dose of Scripture - it strengthens our marriage!

Living in this recession has made us starkly aware that all our material goods are meaningless. I look around my house and wonder how I've accumulated so much stuff that I would now love to be rid of. I've actually thought of inviting people to come and take what they want, just to get rid of things! It's because my focus is no longer on the things of this world, but viewed through the lenses of Scripture. There is nothing on this earth that ties me down for I'm free in Christ and looking forward to a heavenly inheritance.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

May we get utterly obese in the spirit as we gorge ourselves on God's word!

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that the things of this world have no hold on us. We seek Your kingdom and are sated, stuffed with Your goodness. May we always be hungry for and feast at the table of Scripture, filling our souls with Your righteousness. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Be Who You Are

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

When I was in grade school, the teacher would ask a question and half the class would throw up their hands wanting to give an answer. Some would push their arm up as high as it would go with their other hand, leaning wildly and lifting their little body half off the chair. Some would wave frantically, like Arnold Horshack of Welcome Back Kotter, little noises escaping their lips begging for attention. Some just sat up tall and stately, stiff-armed, hoping to catch the teacher's eye. The teacher inevitably called on someone who hadn't raised a hand.

I never quite figured out if this was to humiliate the uneducated or to honor those who were diminutive. I suppose that really depends on the teacher.

Personally, when teaching Sunday School, I've always had a tendency to call on those who don't make a big fuss: the shy, reserved, and humble. Not to torment them but because I want them to feel recognized and loved.

Jesus said when we pray, we ought not to make a public display out of it but hide in a closet. He said if we want to be a leader, we ought to wash the feet of those who serve us. He said if we want to inherit the kingdom of God, we must first be willing to give up all our earthly riches.

God said, "be still and know that I am God."

God is not paying attention to the one who's demanding notice. They're well tended by their followers on earth. Whatever we do, we're to do it with all humility, not expecting accolades or recognition. He calls on the one who sits quietly in the background.

Donald Trump may have his riches here on earth, but I wonder where he'll be when Jesus comes for His own.

The Pope may sit on his throne in the Vatican, but how will He answer the One who sits at the right hand of the Father.

The father of a nation may think he's in control in his little oval office, but does He seek counsel from the Father to whom he'll ultimately answer?

You can stand on an pedestal in the world but the reward for elevation is nothing more than the riser one stands upon.

It's hard to resist the desire for recognition in this world. But the riches of heaven belong to those who forbear the test.

Blessed are they who are meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Father, let us be content to graze in the fields and lap at a clear pool. Would we be satisfied to rest in green pastures, gazing toward Your star studded heavens at night. Would we find joy in the little things: the smile of a baby; the hue of a blue jay; the chatter of squirrels. Would we find reward in serving others and peace in shining the light of Christ into a dark world. May whatever we do, honor and glorify You and bring us ever closer to Your kingdom. In Jesus' name, amen.

Christ Our Comforter

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

We are never alone, no matter what we're going through.

Some months ago, I was in a serious slump. I wasn't sleeping well, wasn't satisfied in my devotions and prayer life, and in general was just unhappy, bordering on depressed.

I could probably pinpoint the spiritual/emotional decline to an incident that happened in December 2007. My focus on that incident which filled me with anger and unforgiveness, drove a wedge between my Savior and me. I was mourning a great loss and rather than seek the comfort of my Lord, I tried to handle it myself.

Then one day as I was crying out to Jesus, I submitted all the pain, confusion and anger to the foot of the cross. I said, in effect, "Thy will, not mine be done." I conceded. "Lord, I'm not fighting this battle anymore. The battle belongs to You. I accept that I'm powerless over this situation and I forgive those people. Take this anger from me and make me clean again."

A couple months later, I suddenly realized the fog had lifted, the emotional pain was gone, I had forgiven, almost forgotten, and my cheerful attitude had been restored. Today I'm thankful that I can count my blessings once again and find all my hope in my Savior, not in the things of this world.

As I was reading the words of Jesus this morning, I realized I'd been in a period of mourning over the situation a year ago. While I went through a necessary process that included pouring out my anger and frustration to God on a regular basis, shutting myself away from those who might console me and allowing myself to wallow in self-pity, Jesus never left my side.

I don't know what might have happened, how differently things might have turned out had I not relied on my Savior to see me through that dark valley. But I do know He blessed me with comfort, strength, hope and healing, walking with me every moment.

Heavenly Father, how amazing are Your ways! You are sovereign, holy and perfect. Yet from Your high heaven You pour out Your mercy and grace on us through the person of Jesus and counsel of the Holy Spirit. Thank You Father, that You always walk those dark valleys with us and comfort us in trouble. Thank You for Forgiving us those times we turn away in anger and misunderstanding as You draw us gently back with a nudge from the Holy Spirit. We love You and praise You, in the name of Jesus, amen.

Humbled for Heaven

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Long before Jesus was born, the wise King Solomon penned these words: When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

To be poor in spirit suggests one who's down on his luck, low man on the totem pole. The Greek word used in this instance is ptockos, which means to crouch as a beggar or pauper. The Greek word for spirit is pneuma suggesting the very soul, the breath of life. Blessed is the word Makarios, indicating extreme good fortune, supremely blest. The fortunate, Jesus tells us, are those whose souls are hungry. Those who hunger for Him.

It's been my experience that prideful people have no sense of need in their lives. They're often independent, relying on themselves and taking credit for any accomplishments they achieve.

Those of faith who struggle in one way or another, draw closer to God in seeking to understand, accept, push through and rise above their circumstances. They demonstrate deeper compassion for one another, a longing for wisdom rather than material possessions, and a hope for the future.

Jesus is not just talking about people who are in a low position. He's talking about those who lower themselves spiritually, being humbled, prepared for God's purposes.

Heaven is our destination. The things of this world are temporal and slip through our fingers like salt through a sieve. Don't get hung up on stuff. Whatever you don't have here, don't feel cheated. Trust me, God has so much more to offer when we get home. I believe (and this is strictly my opinion) that the less we have here on earth, the more blessed we'll be in heaven.

When God sees people who live in opulence while there are millions starving and oppressed around the world, who do you think will find a better reward in heaven? I'm not saying wealthy Christians will not receive God's blessings. On the contrary, if they have abundantly shared their wealth in caring for the needy, the Lord will pour out His blessings on earth and in heaven. But those who have no love for God, who give to the needy only for the sake of tax shelters, have all the reward they will ever know. And I'm certain the greatest riches of this earth are like dirt compared to the inheritance we have in the kingdom of God.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Dear Heavenly Father, the older I get, the more I understand this principle. The material goods of this world just don't mean a thing. They bring but little pleasure, and the more we have, the more we seem to want. It's never enough. Rather, may we acquire hearts like that of Albanian Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, famously known as Mother Theresa, who lived to serve the poor, walking by these words of Jesus throughout her life. Would my humble life honor You Lord, would I keep my eyes heavenward. In Jesus' name, amen.

Gone Fishing

Matthew 4:19 "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!"

The root of the word disciple is discipline. Jesus is saying, let me teach you discipline so you will be attractive to others.

A young man I know has some really disgusting habits. He burps loudly apologetically, laughs at others' troubles, has unhealthy hygiene practices, uses foul language and is generally offensive. People rightly steer clear of him. There are psychological reasons this young man is so disrespectful of himself and others but I won't get into that now. The point is, this young man is undisciplined.

If people don't want to be in my company, there's a reason for it. Everything about us sends messages to others: how we dress, our manner of speech, attitudes, personal hygiene and the subjects we talk about, just to mention a few.

I read an article that carp seem to like sweet, clean foods. This man was successful in catching lots of carp using corn for bait. People also like things clean and sweet. You won't draw a crowd if you offer them stale bread. But put out a pan of fresh hot cinnamon rolls and you'll find the masses moving your way.

Jesus commanded us to be salt and light in the world. In order to do that, we must first allow Him to discipline us. Because His time on earth was limited, His teaching was recorded for our benefit. His word prepares us to be used for his purposes to draw people to Himself. We must sweeten our souls to be inviting bait for those seeking the kingdom of heaven. We can do that by pouring the word of God into our hearts.

Let's spend some time meditating today on what areas of our lives we need to sweeten up. Here are just a few things we might consider dumping in the useless bait pile:

• Gossip
• Bragging
• Turning our backs on those in need
• Swearing
• Losing our temper
• Telling off-color jokes
• Listening to offensive music
• Gluttony
• Dressing inappropriately
• Sarcasm

I'm sure you can come up with more. Now in place of the garbage, let's fill our tackle box with lots of good things like:

• Kindness
• Generosity
• Giving your time to help a worn out mom
• Bringing hope to the hurting
• Encouraging words
• A meal for a troubled neighbor
• Helping a coworker
• Praying for the sick
• Visiting a hospital or nursing home

Add your own ideas. There are many ways you can sweeten the hook to attract the spiritually hungry.

As we head out the door today, let's do it with a sweet spirit, disciplined hearts and the desire to go fishing with the Lord! He knows where we're going and will supply the right bait.

Heavenly Father because You are infinitely wise, we head out to the sea of life with Your desires in mind. There are big fish and little fish, old fish and young fish, all lost and spiritually starving. We seek Your word for discipline, accept what You teach us and go according to Your plans. May we be wise and steadfast fishermen for Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Father Knows Best

Matt 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

God is watching. As I ponder Scripture, I read the verse several times through, listening to what the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart through the Words of God.

We would all imagine Jesus is saying, "stop sinning, your time is short and there's no time to waste." That could be it. I heard something more from our Savior this morning.

Turn from your sin, God is near.

The kingdom of heaven has always been near us because God is alive and well and still involved with His people.

Remember the show Father Knows Best? I'll use Jim Anderson as an example because he was considered a good and wise dad. Let's just say he's our dad and he follows us around all day long, watching what we do. He even climbs into bed with us. Now, do you suppose if we had Jim Anderson tailing us around all day we might do things a little differently? How would our grammar sound? What kind of words would come out of our mouths? How would we carry ourselves? What would we do with our time? When we're at work, would we slough off some of our duties or would we be attentive, careful and steadfast with every task? What would we eat and how often? What would we drink? How would we act in every private moment?

We would act a lot differently if our good dad were following us around all day and night. How much more should we care, knowing our Heavenly Father is here with us every minute?

Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near. The Lord watches over us as a loving father cares for his family. He doesn't want us to fail. He's not watching to make us nervous and miserable, but to guide us back onto the right path when we get separated. The Holy Spirit is our constant companion, pushing us towards the path of righteousness. Sometimes we wander off on our own. Turn around, He is never far off. Father knows best, let's get back on track.

O Lord God who sits in heaven, we honor Your name. Forgive us for straying off the path and doing our own thing without a thought for Your holiness. We repent and receive Your forgiveness, sweet Jesus. Holy Spirit, may we be attentive to Your every prod today and stay on track. May we trust in our Father who knows best. In Jesus' name, amen.

Worship Only God

Matthew 4:10 Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."

This morning, I climbed out of bed, made coffee, packed lunches for Steve and Michael, and did a little Bible study and prayer with Steve before he left for work. My normal routine is to then go immediately into my own quiet time of Bible study and worship (my faith blogs are part of that daily regimen.)


Today, I found myself sidetracked by some old photographs of a friend from my youth. Without a thought, I took the photos from their frames to scan them, and cleaned the glasses from each frame. I kept myself busy with this project for a good half hour before I realized what I was doing. I had to ask myself, why am I doing this now?

I can't say it was Satan drawing me away from my quiet time with God but I can say with absolute assurance, it makes the enemy happy any time we take our attention from Jesus and put it on things of this world.

As I cleaned those photographs I was reminded that this girl had once been my idol. She had befriended a lonely child and introduced me to a world of fun, laughter and trouble. She gave me great pleasure at a time when there was none in my life. Then I noticed that in the photos, she looked utterly miserable. There was a void in her soul that only God could fill. And for years, we allowed ourselves to be instruments of the devil.

Today, I have a friend in Jesus. Satan still tries to take my eyes off of my Lord. But I can say with confidence, (or should we say Godfidence?) "away from me Satan, Jesus the Word tells me to worship and serve only God!"

* Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that You're my God! You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me! In Jesus I rest my case, amen.

* Here I am to Worship, lyrics by Tim Hughes

King of all days,
O so highly exalted;
Glorious in Heaven above.
Humbly You came
To the earth You created,
All for love's sake, became poor.

Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God!
You're altogether lovely;
Altogether worthy;
Altogether wonderful to me.

And I'll never know,
How much it cost,
To see my sin,
Upon that cross,
No I'll never know,
How much it cost,
To see my sin
Upon that cross...

But here I am to worship...

Matt 4:7 The Scriptures also say, Do not test the Lord your God.

As our Savior stood at the edge of a cliff, looking out over a vast valley of His own creation, Satan had the gall to tempt Him to jump off and trust God's holy angels to bear Him up and save Him.

With each temptation the enemy put forth, Jesus' only answer was the word of God. He quoted Scripture.

This speaks to the admonition that we are to store the word of God in our hearts (Deut. 11:18, Romans 10:8, Eph 6:17.) There are a great many Scriptures that remind us of this. A brother in Christ has given us three good reasons of his own to memorize Scripture. Rather than plagerize or try to come up with my own profundity, read them here.

The word of God stored in our hearts is our greatest defense against the devil's schemes. While there are many ways we can seek help in dark times, there is nothing as powerful as the promises of God, for provision, safety, strength, hope and every good thing.

Take heart. Whatever troubles you today, we can count on God's word to see us through.

Heavenly Father, we are warned not to test You and sometimes we find ourselves crying out, "show Yourself Lord, that I might know You care about me!" Yet we know by the power of Your word that You are God, unchangable, merciful and loving God whose promises are kept. You forgive us our weaknesses and childish demands, blessing us all the same. Today we recommit our trust to Your word alone, who is Jesus. In His holy name we rejoice! Amen.

Comfort: 2 Cor. 1:3

Hope: Hebrews 6:18-19

Healing: Luke 8:47

Peace: Romans 8:6

Strength: Phil 4:13

By God's Word We Live

“No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

This is deep. This topic of God's Word was part of Pastor Fred's sermon at GracePoint Community Church yesterday, as we are studying the book of John.

John begins his gospel with: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Jesus was in the beginning with God and was God. Jesus is God. And by the power of God's Word, through Jesus Christ, everything came into being. Without Jesus, nothing exists.

It's not just food that sustains us, it is the very word of God. Jesus Himself is the giver and sustainer of all life. Whether people choose to believe in Him or not, that's the Scriptural truth.

Food only fuels our bodies. Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit whom He sent when He ascended back to heaven, fuels our souls, the actual essence of our being. Without the spirit, we are nothing more than organisms. Because we have a soul, we are set apart by God, unlike animals who move by instinct, driven by need. We are driven by the Source of the universe, God Himself.

I will write no further today. Let's just savor these words of our Savior and consider the depth of them. For they are the very words of God Almighty.

People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

We are because You said so. Praise You! Praise Your holy name O Lord! In Jesus name, amen.

God spoke, You lived, Your light, to give.
We're blessed to be, from sin, set free.
Your Word, we love, sent from above.
We give You praise, for all Your ways.
Our Lord doth reign, to thwart our bane.
My soul to will, as Spirit filled;
Connected by the Lord on high,
We worship You, Your word is true.

Hearing the Words of God Through Jesus

This blog will be a daily devotion using only the words of Jesus. Each post will take a specific phrase, sentence, paragraph or section of Scripture quoting the words of Jesus. I believe much will be revealed about the heart of God by examining His words.

Proverbs tells us, as a man speaks, so he is. Therefore, whatever comes from our mouths is very important. We will be looking at what came from the mouth of Jesus, incarnate God, Savior of the world. We begin with the book of Matthew Chapter three, verse fifteen. For the sake of depth and clarity, I'm going to be using several translations of the Bible.

Matthew 3:15 Jesus said, "It must be done because we must do everything that is right." NLT
"Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness."NIV
"Permit *[it to be so] now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." NKJV
"Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. KJV

I don't know why the gospels are laid out in the Bible as they are. But it's strikes me as supernaturally powerful that these were the first words recorded from the mouth of Jesus in the New Testament.

If we never knew the context of that statement, it pretty well sums up the message of God. Whatever you do, do it because it's right.

Heavenly Father, wow. What a powerful way to begin Your ministry on earth. I'm pretty sure the writer's of the gospels and the scholars who put them together in one volume had no idea what they were doing when that first statement of Jesus was recorded in the New Testament. I'm also quite certain You did. Nothing happens on this earth without Your permission. Forgive us for blundering through out lives without consideration for all You have to teach us. Help us as we travel this road with Jesus, with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, to grow along spiritual lines and draw closer to our Savior in discipleship. Grant us opportunities to share what we learn with others. Thank You for this day and for all that we are, have and do, in accordance with Your will. Give us the strength, courage and character to do what's right in Your eyes. In Jesus' name, amen.

* Bracketed words or phrases were added by the translators as the original Script was either missing or the language did not contain the sentence structure used in English.