A DIVIDED HEART
Luke 21:2 is what Jesus said about the widow who gave her last coin: "The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all!" Am I all in with God and with my children and ministry? Have I distanced myself because of my tremendous loss or am I really giving my all? 66 LL says: "You want a better life now. You're discouraged by how tired you feel and by the promises you wish God would make but knows He has not....You say you want to be more like Jesus but you seem to want more energy, an upbeat attitue, a fulfilling sense of personal significance, to be someone who seizes all the good opportunities for felt happiness and welcomed impact that life offers." Crabb goes on to say something very interesting on p 218 that you won't hear from most sermons today. He says: "In your heart, at least in the part you've so far accessed, you rarely find a desire stronger than your wish to be satisfied with life's blessings, to feel both confident in My Goodness that they will continue and excited about life's opportunities. Your desire for spiritual formation lies on top of those self-focused desires like an attractive veneer. It needs to lie beneath as the controlling foundation of your life." What he said that so stood out to me was how we haven't accessed parts of our heart. That is what couseling has done for me---meeting a guy who helped me to deal with parts of my heart that were not alive. I still have a long way to go and understand little. But I'm alive in ways I could have never ever imagined. And I see life so differently this day...there is Hope in my mess.
EVERY DETAIL OF MY SOUL IN HIS CARE
Luke 21:16 "You'll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There's no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved." Oh my word! Doesn't matter who turns us in or who gives up on us or who distances themselves from us or who is just simply not interested in us...doesn't matter, does it. Every detail of my soul is in His Care. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. "And then—then!—YOU will see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!" Luke21:27. Amen and amen. Don't brush this off. I am saying this to YOU not for a future generation. "My words won't wear out (Luke 21:28). "Be on your guard. Don't let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and shopping...don't go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and the wits to make it through everything that's coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man." Amen!!!!!!!!!!
C. S. Lewis wrote that no man knows how bad he really is until he has tried very hard to be good. It's a silly idea to think that good people don't know temptation. But, it's the veneer on all of us that disguises how bad we really are. Even the disciples didn't know which one of them would betray Jesus. "Do you realize that the hand of the one who is betraying Me is at this moment on this table?" Luke 22:23 says they "immediately became suspicious of each other and began quizzing one another, wondering who might be about to do this." Even Judas looked pretty good up to that point. Christian veneer.
How do we get the veneer off of looking so good and our hearts are not really there? God have mercy on us all!
All powerful words in the reading and what is in 66 LL..and your words too, Bev. No words except we truly don't know how wicked our hearts really are even though we are sinners saved by grace. Sometimes I get small glimpses of some of the wickedness in there and it makes me cringe. Oh how grateful for the blood of Jesus and His mercy and grace. You wrote exactly what I beleive too. Blessings sweet one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the honesty of your post today, Christian Veneer. I guess what we need to do is go forward on faith.
ReplyDeleteEven when we don't feel we are making an impact, we are. We all know our own hearts, and our own thoughts can be downright scary at times.
Just knowing Christ was tempted reassures me that He sometimes had doubts as well. Stay Strong, Pearl sisters, it's by grace we are saved. It's all about grace.
Parts of our heart that are not alive...accessing our desire for spiritual formation as a foundational need and not at the top as a Christian veneer--This made me think of something I learned a long time ago in psychology, Maslow hierarchy of needs where our spiritual actualization is at the top of our needs naturally. Naturally speaking we only seek the next level once our basic need level below is met, but God provides a way for us to be totally fulfilled in relationship with Him without every other need being met. That's why you see happy Christian women in the Congo. That's why miracles can happen. That's why we, too, can be totally satisfied with very little creature comforts, but the fullness of life is available through Christ as a foundational need, not the highest or top or surface need.
ReplyDeleteLuke 22:26 Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant.
Praying for servant leaders this Election Day.
As I read Luke 21-22 and then Bev's post...there I am so guilty.
ReplyDeletePraise God for His Amazing Grace that gives me Mercy and allows me to experience His Peace.
As I read Mary Lou, Jan and Annette's post I could not say it any better.
Bev, thank you for your commitment to challenge me and the other Pearls as we read your post for each day. Today was like so many very poignant and effective to bring me back to my knees at the Cross.
This is a Song I must Sing.
Sylvia
Luke 22:
ReplyDelete19 Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory."
20 He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.
Communion...
I don't want to offend anyone, but the bread and the wine don't change me and open up my heart to Christ for intimacy.
Remembering Him changes me. His body broken, His blood dripping in my place...His love so grand as to leave heaven for this one soul, me...that changes me.
The Veneer...it has to be shattered for Him to commune with me.