Heart, Soul, and Mind - What does that mean?

Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus replied: " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

As I have been meditating on this verse this week, it brings up so many questions. Am I loving Him with all of my heart, soul, and mind? What does that mean? When am I going to allow Jesus to be 100% of my life? Or do I tend to give Him the leftovers?

There are 71.6 million people in the U.S. that say they are Christians. Are we using this word too loosely these days? Studies have shown that only 1 out of 10 really actually live any differently than the rest of the world. Are we blending into the world? Do our lives reflect what we say we believe. We tend to say one thing, but do something completely different. I have been convicted lately about being a doer and not just a hearer only.

Some of us can say that yes he is a part of our lives, but that's just it. He is only a part. We stick Him in where we can, but only what is convenient for us. We are not truly putting Him first. We put other things in front of Him. Shouldn't He permeate every part of our life?

I am currently reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. A lot of these same questions are included in this book as he challenges us to authentic Christianity. I would highly recommend it.

Remember there is no such thing as a lukewarm Christian.

Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Creation Reveals His Majesty

It's 3:00 am and I cannot sleep. I had to share this story with you, because I feel it is so important. Today I was looking through some pictures that I took of flowers in my back yard this past summer. I am not a great photographer, but I truly love to take pictures of God's creation. For a few minutes I was taken back by the beauty and all the details of His works. So amazed of how His works are intelligent and intricate, yet so delicate and beautiful.

Then I was reminded of a verse that I was discussing with my friend, Maria, earlier in the day. We were talking about Romans 1:20 (NIV) "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse". Also I like how the Message version explains it. It says "But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse".

So based on this verse we can answer this question: "Does anyone have an excuse for not believing in God? The Bible answers an emphatic NO! God has revealed what He is like in and through His creation. Every person, therefore, either accepts or rejects God. Knowing that God exists is not enough. People must learn that God is loving and that he sent his Son to demonstrate his love for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8)

I am a sinner. All sins make us sinners, big and small. Sin cuts us off from a holy God. (Romans 3:23) All sin leads to death because they disqualify us from living with a holy God. The good news is that the Bible says in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus died in our place for our sins so that we could have eternal life, but we must put our faith in Him. Jesus offers us salvation as a gift , nothing we can earn. We must reach out and accept this gift. Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ and reaching out to accept his wonderful gift of salvation.

He wants to have a relationship with you, not religion. Through spending time with Him, by reading the Bible and prayer, we can get to know Him. So many people know about Him, but don’t truly know Him personally. I could go on and on here, but I am running out of room and time. Do you understand? If not, send me a message and I would love to explain further. I may lose facebook friends over this post, but that is a risk I have to take for something I truly believe in. You see, if I consider you a friend, then I Iove you too much to remain silent.

R.C. Sproul said, “Men are never duly touched or impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God. God’s art speaks of Himself.“

"The purpose of our lives is far greater than our own personal fulfillment, our peace of mind, or even our happiness. It’s far greater than our families, our careers, or even our wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God, your Creator." (Rick Warren)

Can I share one last story? I was saddened the other day when I was reading an article about an atheist group who held a camp this past summer for a group of children. During the camp the children were taught: there is no God; humans are just like animals; there is no purpose in life; when you die, that is the end of you. They say they are encouraging these kids to think for themselves. I beg to differ.

For those who don’t believe, I will continue to pray for you. Please don't wait until it is too late. If I am wrong about this, then I have nothing to lose. If you are wrong, then you have everything to lose.

All of this being said, who am I that He should suffer and die on a cross for my sins?

Offering (by Third Day)

Magnificent Holy Father
I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me

Who am I that You should suffer
Your very life to set me free
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me

This is my offering, dear Lord
This is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life
For it’s all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me

I stand before You at this altar
So many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer
Yet what I have is truly Yours

This is my offering, Love Christy

A Pure and Faultless Religion

Pondering this verse today:

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I really think these two things are related. When you desire one, you give up the other. If I would keep myself from being polluted by the world and sucked in by it's desires and pleasures that never satisfy, then I would take my eyes off myself long enough to look after the orphans and widows in their distress.


Lord,
Give me your eyes to see the needs of those around me and afar. Show me how to reach out to the homeless. Help me not to be so busy in my day to day life that I miss all that you have for me. Help me to prioritize what is really important to you. Show me what part of my daily schedule is wrapped up in selfish motives only to impress others or for my pleasure. Search my heart, God. You know my thoughts. What do you want me to eliminate? I want to be kingdom focused. If people want to call me radical, then what a complement. I don't want to go at this half-hearted. I want to take up my cross daily and follow you. Show me what it means and how to keep myself from being polluted by the world. Give me the courage to do so.
Amen

Before It's Too Late

Just got back from a four mile run or should I say walk. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t for crying so hard. I am talking about sobbing uncontrollably. There is no telling what my neighbors are thinking. One day I am singing Toby Mac songs at the top of my lungs (forgot I had my headphones in and got a little out of control)and the next day I am crying like a baby. But you see, I have the strongest burden on my heart for someone who doesn’t know Jesus.

This person means the world to me. He is a good man with a big heart. He has been such a hard worker all of his life. Always been a giver, not a taker. Made some bad choices along the way, but haven’t we all. Does kind things in secret. Dependable... I know that he will be there for me if I ever need him. But, that’s not how it works. The Bible makes it clear that no one is good enough. Romans 3:23 We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. That’s why Jesus had to die – to pay the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

Unfortunately, he is missing it. Time is ticking away. He is looking to the world for a happiness in which he can’t find. Surely by now he would know that. Yes,sometimes things can bring temporary pleasure, but it doesn’t last. Soon you want something else that can’t satisfy. I wonder if he thinks he will have to give something up. Little does he know that those things are nothing compared to the great riches of knowing Jesus Christ. Jesus wants us to come just as we are. We don’t have to clean up our lives first. In fact, we can’t without Him.

I have talked with him, cried with him, pleaded with him, and prayed for him. I don’t know what else to do except pray. I can’t make that decision for him or I would. Believe me. I am not sure how much longer he will be here on this earth. Of course, none of us do. We had a conversation on the phone the other day regarding life and death. I asked him if he thought it would just be over once he died. I asked him if he thought that we just happened to live here for a few years and that was the end. If that is reality, how sad. I told him about God’s love and His plan for us… about how God loved us so much that he gave His Son, Jesus, to die for us so that we might have eternal life. I use to think that sounded weird or like nonsense, before I knew Him, but now I understand. God opened my eyes to my sin and what a mess I was. I realized how unworthy I was and how I needed a savior. Now He is changing me every day from the inside out. I now realize my purpose in this life and eternity.

You see, this is not our home. Don’t you think there is something more than just this? In Romans 1:20 it says through creation we see His invisible qualities and divine nature. Think about how the Sun is just far enough away that it doesn’t burn us up. Think about the millions of stars, the moon, and the 350 billion galaxies out there. Think about the millions of different trees, grasses, and flowers. Think about all of the different animals and insects. Think about how a seed is formed and grows into our food that we eat. Think about how we are breathing in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. Think about how plants are just the opposite. Think about how the human body works. Think about our DNA structure, chromosomes, and cells. Think about how a baby starts as a tiny egg and develops into a person. This didn’t just happen in a BIG BANG. The BIG BANG theory is for the shallow minded. I heard someone explain it this way. Take a big box of legos and throw them up in the air to land on the floor and what does it create… ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Their has to be a creator. Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.


Also one of my favorite scriptures is Job 38. Read through it and ponder.

R.C. Sproul said, “Men are never duly touched or impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God. God’s art speaks of Himself.“ The purpose of our lives is far greater than our own personal fulfillment, our peace of mind, or even our happiness. It’s far greater than our families, our careers, or even our wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God, your Creator. (Rick Warren)

Jeremiah 29:11-14a For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.

The last thing I wanted to say to this person, but I didn’t get the chance because he changed the subject, was:

“If I am wrong about this, then I have nothing to lose, but if your wrong, then you have everything to loose.”

Satisfy by Tenth Avenue North

Just wanted to share this song with you from Tenth Avenue North. It has ministered to me so much over the last few months. It seems as though we try to fill our lives with so many things that just don't satisfy.

Psalm 145:16 "You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing".

Isaiah 58:11 "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

Lord, satisfy me and wean me off all the unnecessary stuff in my life that has no eternal value.

Are You a Wave Runner?

Almost every day I drive across the lake to get to my home. The view is almost breathtaking. I can’t imagine that I will ever get tired of it. It is so peaceful. Scattered across the lake you will find sailboats, fishing boats, pontoon boats, house boats and every once in a while you will see a wave runner jumping from wave to wave. Recently I have been like that wave runner.

James 1:5-8 (NIV)
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Have you ever asked God for wisdom on something you have been asked to do and He gave you the answer, but then you doubted it or tried to justify why you shouldn’t? Or maybe you kept all your options open in case you decide not to do it.

Recently, I was asked to do something that I knew was in God’s will, but was such a fear of mine. I prayed about it and was hoping that God would say, “No, it is not the time.” One minute I would say I was going to do it and the next minute I would change my mind. How could God possibly want someone like me to do this? This was certainly not my gift. If anything, it was my biggest fear. I kept searching for a way to get out of it…kind of like Jonah. Until a friend said to me, “It all comes down to obedience. You either obey God or disobey God on this.” Wow! That was a pretty strong statement. Not really what I wanted to hear.

You see a doubtful mind is not completely convinced that God’s way is best. God’s Word like any human advice can be rejected or disobeyed. Waves are restless based on different environmental factors such as wind, gravity, and tide. Doubt leaves a person as unsettled as a tossed about wave.

I also love The Message version of this passage:

James 1:2-8 (The Message)
2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5-8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Prayer:
Lord,
Help me not to be like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. I don’t want to waiver back and forth in everything that I do. Lord, if this is what you want me to do, then may you give me the power and strength to do it and may you get all the glory.

Preparing for Sunday Morning Worship

Good Saturday Morning! Hope your weather is as beautiful as it is in Tennessee. I thought this would be an appropriate day to share with you about some things I have been reading about preparing for Sunday morning worship. I don’t know about you, but some times I don’t prepare for Sunday morning worship the way I should and it affects my whole day. I have found that if I prepare mentally and physically the night before to receive a word from God it changes everything. I have two things to share with you. The first was a quote from Mark Hall from Casting Crowns that I received via twitter this week and the second was an article that I found on John Piper’s website @ Desiring God. I hope you enjoy.

Mark Hall:
Do we worship & serve as debtors trying to pay God back for what He has done or as His children responding thankfully to Who He is?
You're no debtor. You're a child of the Most High! Let your worship and service be a response to His goodness and presence in your life

John Piper:

“Take Heed How You Hear!”: Ten Practical Preparations for Hearing the Word of God on Sunday Morning by: John Piper

A Meditation on Luke 8:18:
Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.

1. Pray that God Would Give You a Good and Honest Heart

The heart we need is a work of God. That’s why we pray for it. “I will give you a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26). “I will give them a heart to know Me” (Jeremiah 24:7). Let’s pray, “O Lord, give me a heart for you. Give me a good and honest heart. Give me a soft and receptive heart. Give me a humble and meek heart. Give me an fruitful heart.”

2. Meditate on the Word of God

“O taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8). On Saturday night, read some delicious portion of your Bible with a view to stirring up hunger for God. This is the appetizer for Sunday morning’s meal.

3. Purify Your Mind by Turning Away from Worldly Entertainment

“Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). It astonishes me how many Christians watch the same banal, empty, silly, trivial, titillating, suggestive, immodest TV shows that most unbelievers watch. This makes us small and weak and worldly and inauthentic in worship. Instead, turn off the television on Saturday night and read something true and great and beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Your heart will unshrivel and be able to feel greatness again.

4. Trust in the Truth That You Already Have

The hearing of the Word of God that fails during trial has no root (Luke 8:13). What is the root we need? It is trust. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream.” Trusting in the truth is the best way to prepare yourself to receive more.

5. Rest Long Enough Saturday Night to be Alert and Hopeful Sunday Morning

“All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). I am not laying down any law here. I am saying: there are Saturday night ways that ruin Sunday morning worship. Don’t be enslaved by them. Without sufficient sleep, our minds are dull, our emotions are flat, our proneness to depression is higher, and our fuses are short. My counsel: decide when you must get up on Sunday in order to have time to eat, get dressed, pray and meditate on the Word, prepare the family, and travel to church; and then compute backward eight hours and be sure that you are in bed 15 minutes before that. Read your Bible in bed and fall asleep with the Word of God in your mind. I especially exhort parents to teach teenagers that Saturday is not the night to stay out late with friends. If there is a special late night, make if Friday. It is a terrible thing to teach children that worship is so optional that it doesn’t matter if you are exhausted when you come.

6. Forebear One Another Sunday Morning Without Grumbling and Criticism.
“They grumbled in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of the LORD” (Psalm 106:25). Sunday morning grumbling and controversy and quarreling can ruin a worship service for a family. When there is something you are angry about or some conflict that you genuinely think needs to be talked about, forebear. Of course if you are clearly the problem and need to apologize, do it as quickly as you can (Matthew 5:23-24). But if you are fuming because of the children’s or spouse’s delinquency, forebear, that is, be slow to anger and quick to listen (James 1:19). In worship, open yourself to God’s exposing the log in your own eye. It may be that all of you will be humbled and chastened so that no serious conflict is necessary.

7. Be Meek and Teachable When You Come

“Receive with meekness the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Meekness and teachability are not gullibility. You have your Bible and you have your brain. Use them. But if we come with a chip on our shoulders and a suspicion of the preaching, week after week, we will not hear the Word of God. Meekness is a humble openness to God’s truth with a longing to be changed by it.

8. Be Still as You Enter the Room and Focus Your Mind’s Attention and Heart’s Affection on God

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). As we enter the sanctuary, let us come on the lookout for God, and leave on the lookout for people. Come with a quiet passion to seek God and his power. We will not be an unfriendly church if we are aggressive in our pursuit of God during the prelude and aggressive in our pursuit of visitors during the postlude.

9. Think Earnestly About What Is Sung and Prayed and Preached

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20). So Paul says to Timothy, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Timothy 2:7). Anything worth hearing is worth thinking about. If you would take heed how you hear, think about what you hear.

10. Desire the Truth of God’s Word More Than You Desire Riches or Food

“Like newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). As you sit quietly and pray and meditate on the text and the songs, remind yourself of what Psalm 19:10-11 says about the Words of God: “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible.