Let Me In Please

June 2nd 2018
Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

Let Me In Please

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."

"Hello, is anybody home?" I wonder how long Jesus stands at the front door of our hearts waiting to be welcomed. This verse speaks a lot about Jesus. He doesn't just want to save us from our sins because he feels bad for us, but he actually likes us enough that he wants to "come to our house and have supper", maybe dessert and some board games too, who knows? Jesus wants to be close to us in our hearts, like good friends. But the problem is we don't always allow him to. We keep him waiting at the door.

Whenever company is expected to come over, it is typical to want to clean the house up a little more than usual. Isn't it the worst thing when the company shows up at the door before you are ready for them? You haven't finished the dishes, or vacuumed or finished straightening up the living room? KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. We feel this way when approaching God; that we have to get our house in order before we can let him in. Jesus is waiting and he doesn't care what kind of mess he's walking into. In fact, he has a garbage bag in his hands ready to help us. All we have to do is open the door and let him in.

"Lord Jesus, I thank you that you haven't decided to try somewhere else for supper and are such a patient Lord. Please help me to swing my doors wide open and welcome you into every part of my life. If there are any messes that need to be cleaned up, lets work on that together today. Amen."

Open Heart Surgery

February 15th, 2017
Scripture: Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)

Open Heart Surgery

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

After the Fall of Jerusalem, the LORD assures hope for the People of Israel through the words of Ezekiel the prophet. The LORD speaks of a "spiritual operation" that He will preform as the chief surgeon. He will give His people a new heart and new spirit, replacing stone with flesh. The very core of their being will be changed from the inside-out.

  I've heard the expression used, "stone cold", as a way of saying that a person can be cruel beyond belief, or inhumane. I've also heard the phrase, "set in stone", as a way of expressing permanent action that cannot be undone. I think this is similar to the "heart of stone" that is lodged within the hearts of humanity. But I also believe that nothing or no one is beyond redemption.

God wants to give us new hearts of flesh; living tissue that matures, grows, and contains life. Just as Jesus said, "[Those who believe] have crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24). God also wants to put a new spirit inside of us: The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of His Son.

So next time you think you are too far gone, or that you won't be able to trust ever again, or you will never break the numbness you feel, just remember the Great Healer has an operating table waiting for you. All you have to do is ask God for the surgery and give Him permission to do it. It may take some time to replace that heart of stone, just like real heart surgeries take time, but the end result is always worth it!

"Lord Jesus, thank You that our hearts can be mended, repaired, and ultimately replaced and renewed. I give You full permission to work on my heart, so I can be filled with love and new life. In Your Holy Name, Amen."

The Heart of the Problem

May 4 2016
Scripture: Matthew 15:17-18 (ESV)

The Heart of the Problem

"Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person." 

The Pharisees had their priorities all mixed up. They made their faith into a checklist of tasks you have to do to be saved. One of those tasks was to ceremonially wash their hands... a lot. They had clean hands, 99.5% germ free, no doubt about it, but their hearts were a different story. They ridiculed Jesus for not making his disciples wash up before dinner one evening. He shocked them by his answer that the problem here wasn't in the rituals and procedures, but the condition of the heart. Its not about doing the right things, but becoming the right person. 

One can master the art of putting on a good front, completely hiding whatever heart issues lie inside. But there is no fooling God, for He sees right into the deepest depths of the heart and knows what true washing needs to take place. So it doesn't really matter how clean and neat your life looks on the outside, if your heart's not in it, it will show by how you react and treat other people.

The only ones who know if the heart is sick or not is yourself and God. Sometimes God uses others to point out growth areas that you are unaware of. But this is more than if you are dressing up for church on Sunday, or occasionally forgetting to pray before you start eating your meal. This is about if your heart is aching to be more like Jesus everyday. For when your heart is in the right place, your actions will follow suit. 

"Lord Jesus, thank You that You care more about my heart than how many time I wash my hands. Wash the deepest desires of my heart to become more like you. Don't let me become legalistic, but change my ways to reflect You more and more. Amen."