Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

Taken from Pat Sczebel's sermon notes at Worship God 09:

A gap is a break in continuity, a break or a hole in an object. How do we recognize the gap we feel with our relationship with God? Here are the symptoms: "Knowledgeable but impersonal walk with God, a struggle with material things, and a definite lack of personal growth. Something is wrong with this harvest; it contradicts the faith that is supposed to be its source." Timothy Lane, Paul Tripp (How People Change pg. 3)

How do we remedy the gap? Look at Psalm 73:1. God is truly good to Israel and is made most clear to us through the work of Christ. We know God is good because "the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Romans 8:16

Consider these quotes from John Piper's book, Desiring God: "Saving faith is the cry of a new creation in Christ. And the newness of the new creature is that it has a new taste. What was once distasteful or bland is now craved. Saving faith is the confidence that if you sell all you have, and forsake all sinful pleasures, the hidden treasure of holy joy will satisfy your deepest desires."

This is easy to say with our lips, but deny the truth in our hearts when temptation comes and we sin. We envy the wicked who seem to prosper and increase in wisdom and riches. We then become angry or irritated with God. David did. Look at Psalm 73 verses 3-15.

Paul David Tripp says this: "The world is so attractive to our eyes and so seductive to our hearts. The creation can seem so much more real than the Creator. The sights, sounds, touches, and tastes of the world can make us more alive than the purposes, promises, presence and provisions of a God who can neither be seen nor heard. This is a battle you do not win once. It is a battle that you must face every day."

I like what Milton Vincent says in his book, The Gospel Primer: "Though saved, I am daily beset by a sinful flesh that always craves those things that are contrary to the Spirit. These fleshly lusts are vicious enemies, constantly waging war against the good of my soul. Yet they promise me fullness, and their promises are deliciously sweet that I often find myself giving into them as if they were friends that have my best interests at heart. On the most basic of levels, I desire fullness, and fleshly lusts seduce me by attaching themselves to this basic desire. They exploit the empty spaces in me, and they promise that fullness will be mine if I give into their demands. When my soul sits empty and is aching for something to fill it, such deceptive promises are difficult to resist."

So, where is our triumph? Again, God's Word provides the answers. Read Psalm 73:16-28.
When I go into the sanctuary, I echo David's words, "it is good to be near God."

What happens to my appetite for sin when I am filled with Christ? My hunger for sin diminishes and the lies of lust simply lose their appeal. "In the gospel I experience a God who glorifies Himself by filling me with His fullness." Milton Vincent

Here are practical applications that will help us bridge the gap.

• Recognize the extent of your own sin. Don't minimize sin and temptation and simply "brush it off". Sin resides in the heart and when we accept the bad news of our condition, the good news of the gospel can have its full affect.
  
• Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Practice confessing specific sins before God and confessing specific sins before others. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
  
• Turn your eyes towards Christ again. Stop the routine that doesn't satisfy. He made an end to ALL our sin. Our sin has been removed for a reason. In Him is everything we need. He stands and knocks wanting to commune. Schedule times throughout your day to refocus your gaze.
• Daily remind yourself of God's grace and goodness. His Word will help us do this. Preach the gospel to yourself everyday. This will fill our hearts with gratefulness, when we see what we deserve vs. what we received. Joy should overflow from a grateful heart.
  
• Daily remind others of His grace and goodness. Move out of your devotion time keeping Christ on your mind onto your lips. Look for ways to talk about Him with others throughout the day. You'll find your soul full with Christ and fleshly lusts losing their appeal. Be mindful of His work in you and in others throughout the day and draw attention to his work.
  

To my rescue...

My friend, Loraena, found the quote I referred to in my last blog post. As I re-read it, images came to mind at how many times I have ran away from opportunities to share the gospel because of a cultural line. This is to my shame. As a mom, I want to protect my kids (and who am I kidding, myself) from the foul language, the stench of pot smoke or the smell of neglected hygienic practices. But, is that what Christ did? Absolutely not. And, aren't they a picture of our un-regenerate state? Most definitely. Read this and tell me how you and your family are getting around cultural barriers. And, might I add, we will not teach our kids to have a love for the lost until we model it to them. Please, let me know what you do to share Christ to all people. And, if you're like me and you aren't, pray with me to have a desire to reach out to the unlovely. Praise God, He did!!

"Now that the wall is down, the servants of Christ are called to crawl over the rubble with the message of salvation. It is comfortable to stay in the sphere of people like ourselves, seeking refuge in a familiar ghetto of Christian contacts. But we cannot wait for non-Christians to cross the culture gaps, to scale the walls to get to know us well enough to see Christ’s grace in our lives...We who have experienced this grace are the ones who must climb the walls, build the bridges, and suffer the stresses of culture shock. People who know Jesus must pay the price to pierce the barriers between peoples." -Dennis E. Johnson

The last time I had a Jehovah Witness at my door was after I had either Lydia or Micah. I had been home only days and was in no mood to talk. That was either two or four years ago. Living in the country really cuts down on the door-to-door calls we used to get in the neighborhood.

Have you ever experienced the panic, don't-know-what-I'd-say feeling when anticipating these knocks on your door? I sure have. But, this day, I was excited when I saw I had a J.W. on my porch. I stepped outside without any hesitation. I knew what I believed and I knew I knew my God. Personally. All through the redemptive work of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. And, I have the Spirit of the living God abiding in me. Bring it. :)

So, here we stand with smiles, convictions, scripture, and passion. Neither is budging. It was peaceful to know I could defend my faith but heartbreaking to see that here two women stand so sure they are right, but someone HAS to be wrong-and it wasn't me.

That sent me on a self-searching journey. Why isn't it me? How do I know I have eternal life? Because I know my God. He is a Triune God, Creator of all and I have sinned against Him. I deserve His justice-eternal separation and an eternity of punishment. I know His incredible love for me. Instead of leaving me in my desperate state, He poured His wrath on His only Son-my Savior, Jesus Christ.

So, she left content for us to be in disagreement and I shut my door with a heavy heart. Oh, that her eyes would be opened as were mine.

Why do I know truth? Because of undeserving GRACE.

Thank you, Lord.

After these encounters, it's so easy to self-evaluate and wish this and that would have been said. Scripture came to mind after she had gone. This keeps me humble that I need to commit God's word to memory and to plead for the work of the Holy Spirit to bring it to my mouth.

This is my third time listening to this message. Entire message is timely for Christians in America.

Sharing the Gospel in a Most Humble Way

This past Saturday, I found myself in an embarrassing situation. It started when I decided to get the girls' hair cut.

Pigtails and Crewcuts is a children's salon I spotted several months ago while sitting in the parking lot waiting for my sweetie to return from R.E.I. When the time came for Emily and Lydia to get their hair cut, I was excited to take the girls in to this establishment. Everything about it seemed a perfect way to treat my girlies. Mommy and daughter time. Oh, and Nana time, she was with us. A girl's day out.

So, I call to make an appointment and was told they don't make appointments but if I call on my way in, she'll put our names on the list. Okay, this sounds great. I call when I am ten minutes out and get on the list.

Before coming in, I had shown pictures of other locations to Emily and Lydia and so they are excited too. The idea of getting to sit in your choice of vehicle and watch a movie while you get your hair cut was too cool!

Here we go hand-in-hand off to have some fun at Pigtails and Crewcuts. Even the name puts a smile on my face. That smile soon turned to pursed lips soon after walking through the doors. As we enter, I am met with a forced smile from the receptionist and have a clipboard shoved at me informing me I need to fill this out. So, I do. No thank you when I hand it back and no indication that someone will be with us soon. My biggest disappointment here is that my kids weren't greeted.

There were two stylists, both busy. One was finishing up and the other maybe about half-way through. We sit and wait. And wait. And wait. When the first stylist had finished, I notice she disappears. Hair is still on the floor from her client and there's no sign of her. Anywhere. The receptionist then leaves and I notice her down the hall and out back smoking. Nice. I sure hope she doesn't bring that breath in to my children. Thankfully, she's only the receptionist. Well, moving on.

By this time the second stylist has finished and I have waited over 15 minutes without one person talking to me. Oh, except the friendly clientele. In the meantime, the receptionist has cleaned the first station and does a good job putting things back in place and wiping things down. Then, I get the shocking question, in an I'd-rather-be-somewhere-else-tone, Okay, who's going to be first? Oh, nuh-uh. We did not just sit here for a very long time being ignored to have my girls go one at a time causing an even greater delay in my day. "We are on a time schedule. I was under the impression both of my girls could get their hair done at the same time," I say. "Well, the other stylist is on break," she says. HELLO!! Could she not have told me that when she walked away? Wouldn't it have been nice to say, "Thanks for waiting, she'll be with you in a moment." To say I was irritated is an understatement. I'm big on customer service. My wait time can be tolerated if you just smile and let me know what's going on.

This is when my flesh and all my warm fuzzy expectations that just got squashed take control. The gal on break comes out after hearing me complain to the others that I have waited a long time and I thought the girls could go together. When she comes out, I hear in a rather fake, forced voice, "Oh, look, here she is now." No way am I going to be the cause of this poor woman missing her much needed break. I've worked retail. I understand the need to step away. I do not hesitate to tell them that from the moment I walked in I felt as if we had interrupted a private party and that I was not impressed with their customer service. I waited too long and we were not staying. I take my children and we leave. All the way to the car I'm getting, "Mommy, how come we're not staying?" I reply sharply, "Because those women weren't very nice."

Huh. Who's not being very nice here? All of a sudden I have a wave of convicting thoughts. Look at how you have just behaved, I hear. I must go back in and apologize to those women. My mom says she is going to wait in the car so it's me and my girls. I take a deep breath, ask the Lord for wisdom and enter back into the salon where the three ladies were chatting and I genuinely apologize for my behavior. I should not have gotten so upset and been so rude but most importantly I tell them, "I am a Christian and what I did was not glorifying or honoring to God and that's what my life is about." Silence.

I then ask if they would please cut my daughters' hair? They smiled and said they'd be happy to. Smiles were still forced and I'm not sure they enjoy their jobs but when they finished (both girls got to go together), I thank them and apologized once more. One tells me it's fine, we all have our days. To that I replied, "It's just a reminder to me at how imperfect I really am and how grateful I am to Jesus Christ who took my punishment on the cross." To the receptionist I also apologize and she says it was just a misunderstanding. To her I say again, "I'm reminded at how I mess up and need the work of Jesus Christ."

This is not my ideal way of showing my faith but boy, is it the most honest real way. Yesterday, it was a great day to be in the house of the Lord. The message reminded me that the gospel of Jesus Christ is unstoppable because Jesus is alive and working. The gospel is spread abroad by the working of the Holy Spirit through His people. I don't want the ladies of that salon or you, the reader, to see a woman who had a case of guilty conscience and did a good thing by coming back in. On the contrary. I want them and you to see a hopeless sinner who serves a mighty God. I hope they are curious about this person mentioned, Jesus Christ and ask themselves, what does it mean that He took the punishment. I can only trust in the working of the Holy Spirit to take my fumbling words and open hearts as He so chooses.

I will be back to Pigtails and Crewcuts and hope to always bring in the light of Christ and the Love of God.

It had been years since I ventured out on Black Friday. I'll admit there was a little bit of excitement at the thought of getting good deals on my Christmas gifts so this past Thanksgiving weekend, my sister-in-law and I got up early and headed in to mingle with the other crazy holiday shoppers.

The story I'm about to share is not so much about shopping but about cancelled debt. But first some groundwork. Okay, Becky and I go into Macy's as I want to buy my sweetie a dress coat. Well, I found one. A really nice one. The price tag? $350.00. Ouch. That's definitely not in my budget. Then I see a sign that says 50% off. Okay, a little better. Then another sign. Take an additional 10% off if you open a Macy's credit card. And an additional 15% for using your card on this particular day. Alright, I might be able to do this. Now, let me interject here that Doug and I are on a debt-free path. We don't use credit cards. If you look in our wallets you'll find a debit card, Costco card and a library card. Well, at least in mine. Doug is allergic to books. Okay, and a Taco Del Mar punch card but I'm getting off track. Point is, we use cash for everything and on one other occasion, I opened a store credit account to receive the introductory savings and had it paid off before the bill came in the mail. That's who we are.

Well, that's who I am now. But it wasn't always that way and that brings me back to my story. So, here I am with a handsome new black dress coat for my best friend for Christmas. I cheerfully lay down my purchase at the register and am greeted by and even cheerier cashier and I tell her I would like to apply for the Macy's store credit card. We smile our way through the process and I listen to how crazy it had been earlier in the morning as we await the results and get an approval code. My smile soon faded as I find out that I was denied credit. Excuse me. What? How can I be denied? I know this isn't a case of no credit looks like bad credit because I have open credit cards with zero balances. But, not too many that I look like a liability. I knew how the credit process worked, I was in banking for six years. This doesn't make me an expert but I was definitely taken aback by the discouraging news. Well, the still smiling cashier rummages through her pile of newspapers and finds a coupon that grants me a 10% savings so I can still buy the coat. Thank you, cheery Macy's worker.

Now, I'm on a mission to find out why I was denied. Actually, I forgot about it until the letter came that said, you recently applied for credit...blah, blah, blah...you were denied...blah, blah, blah...here's the number you can call to find out why you're such a loser. LOL. Okay, I dial the number and find out that back in 1994 I had a charge of $159 and some change on a Meier and Frank card and the last payment received was in 1995. Oh yes, back in 1994. I had graduated from High School and went crazy with credit. I wasn't surprised at the charge, I was surprised it was still showing up. This debt shouldn't be there. I seriously thought I had covered all my past debts, including the ones that went to collection agencies, in the summer of 1999 when I was graciously given a debt consolidation loan from my employer at the time, South Umpqua Bank. How did we miss Meier and Frank. And what about the seven year rule? Or even the ten year rule? Apparently, those rules don't apply to Meier and Frank, now known at Macy's. The debt is not active, meaning they aren't trying to collect on it, but as long as it shows on their record, I can't get a credit account. Ever.

This made me think about my debt to Creator God. My sin is an offense to His Holy nature. I deserve to be punished forever in a literal lake of fire because of my rebellion and hatred to His law. I was dead in my sins. I owed a debt that I couldn't pay. Even an eternity in hell wouldn't satisfy God's demand for righteousness.

Oh, but praise be to God almighty that He plucked me out of my hopeless state. Glory to God that Jesus Christ became the One who paid a debt He didn't owe on my behalf. Colossians 2:13-14 soothes the weary soul. And you, who were dead in your trespasses...God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with it's legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. Hallelujah! And Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.

My sin is no longer on the record books. Even when I continue to sin! Jesus paid it all. I will never be denied my access to God. I will never receive a letter that reminds me of my mistakes and sin. Jesus Christ redeemed me. He purchased my life with His own. He died so that I could go free. Oh, the unexplainable joy and gratitude that fills my heart. No wonder we will have an eternity to praise the Lamb.

One last thought. I heard this from John MacArthur. He said, "Folks may admit they aren't perfect. But what they need to see is the sin in their good." Nothing we do on our own will merit favor with God. What are you trusting in? Unless you see yourself as a broken sinner running as fast as you can toward destruction, in need of a Savior, the wrath of God still abides on you. John 3:36, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

Come to the One who absorbed that wrath and claim the promise, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:9

Two more and I'm done

I'm really not trying to stretch out my birthday blabbings but I forgot to mention some very special gifts I received for my birthday. One friend has an amazing ability to remember people (all ages) on their birthdays and then gets them special, relevant gifts. She knows exactly what would be appreciated and this last birthday was no exception. My dear friend gave me a lovely Willow Tree ornament that commemorates kindness and an Evangecube. I love this thing. It's a great way to share the gospel and the beautiful thing is, it doesn't have words. I love tracts and pamphlets about Christ but sometimes you have to interject truth or correct false doctrines. The EvangeCube is illustrated nicely. If you don't have one, I suggest getting one. It can keep you polished on sharing the gospel and if you're a visual person like myself, the images can be a guide as you talk about Christ even if you don't have the cube with you.



One more loving gift was dinner and a movie with some very dear friends. This was the first time the six of us have gotten together without any children. Between the three couples, we have 8 children that were watched by loving family members. The fellowship was sweet, the food was good and the movie was excellent. At some point I want to write a review on the movie Fireproof. Let me just say that this is a must see!

Vitals

My friend Jennifer and I went into Portland to the Vital Records Office and made it back without any scars. Going into Portland, I set my expectations high that I'm either going to get lost or become anxious over parking or get lost. It was a surprisingly uneventful event. First, we found it with no problem because it was 7 blocks away from where I used to work. Second, we didn't have to pay for parking because a very nice man gave us his parking receipt that had an hour and fifteen minutes left on it. Third, we were in and out with 4 birth certificates in about 15 minutes.

But, here's the sad part. I wanted to pass on the parking pass that had a good hour on it, so I walk through the parking lot looking for someone who I can "bless." The first guy I approached had just ran his debit card and was already retrieving his ticket. Too late. I then walk a little farther, dodging a woman in her minivan trying to park, and wait for her to roll down her window so I can give her this parking ticket. Mind you, it's only a dollar to park for an hour. So, I give her the ticket. She saves a buck. But, what struck my spiritual heart and conscience is that I wonder why I don't have the same enthusiasm, courage and willingness to get the gospel into someone's hand? What am I so afraid of?

Ironic that I was at the vitals office. A place that hands out certificates of birth, death and marriage. Go deep with the spiritual comparisons found in scripture on each of these.