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There is a lot in Scripture that is difficult to accept; difficult to believe. There is a lot that is at odds with what our reason or what our society says. There is a lot of difference between what God’s heart tells us as shared in His Word and what our own hearts tell us.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Hebrews 3:12

As Shakespeare put it, “there’s the rub!”We seem to constantly be comparing the two – God’s way or ours. God’s Word or ours. God’s heart or ours.

And with any seeming “win” we think we have in these situations there is something else which accompanies it – the path toward evil; toward destruction; toward death.Having a heart that believes God in one thing but denies in anther is grossly inconsistent, spiritually dangerous, and disastrously foolish.

Yet we seem comfortable – even desirable – of that dichotomy.
Brothers and sisters, this must not be!

When there is a difference between God and us – our heart and His, His must win! Always! In every area!

It’s ok to feel and know there is tension between the two, but when it comes down to it, God calls on us to have a heart that fully fears, loves, and trusts in Him regardless of how we feel about it. He calls us to follow His will and directions, even when they conflict with what we think it best. He calls us to have a heart that believes in His love and salvation in Jesus over and against anything else that we may believe.

And here’s something beautiful: He knows that we have a hard time with this, so what He demand of our heart, He freely gives! Through the Holy Spirit, our hearts are turned to Him in faith; turned to Jesus in salvation; turned to Him in obedience.

We will continue to have doubting hearts at times. There will continue to be tension at times, and God knows that. But in those times of uncertainly and doubt; those times of a difference in our hearts, look to Jesus on the cross and to the empty tomb and believe! Take the next steps in faith through the Holy Spirit, even in the doubt. Live in the believing heart of faith He gives and strengthens us with constantly!

Acknowledge the tension but move forward with a believing heart in faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures

• Hebrews 3:12-19
• Mark 10:17-22

“Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15

I think sometimes we equate that with entering with tantrums, trying to get our way, and have everything the way we want! We mistake child-like with childish.

Of coure that’s not what’s meant.

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.

Mark 10:15

It means loving God in a way that He is the center of our universe and where, in our eyes, He can do no wrong. It means trusting God, knowing He will take care of us no matter what, forever. It means fearing and respecting Him, knowing He is God and we are not and that, no matter what, His way will always prevail.

When we take our faith in a childish way instead of child-like, we expect things to revolve around us and not God.

One of the ways we do this is in how we plan and deal with our “legacy.” How will I be celebrated when I pass? How will I be remembered? How will my name – how will I live on?

How foolish! How juvenile! How childish!

What people do to “celebrate us” after we pass is fleeting. Whether or not people remember us is irrelevant. Whether or not our name ‘lives’ on is ridiculous.

Whether or not people celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil is what endures. Whether or not people remember Jesus is what is all relevant! Whether we do all we can to let people know that Jesus and His name alone lives is what is all important!

Our whole goal in life and death should be knowing, living, and sharing Jesus! He should be our focus in legacy.

And the beautiful thing is, through faith in Him, we already have the best, everlasting, beautiful legacy we could imagine – Heaven with Him! He makes our lives here worth living and our lives hereafter guaranteed!

Why do we need people to celebrate us when the angels celebrate our repentance and return to Him? Why do we want or need others to remember us when God does? Why do we need our names written large on tombstones or buildings when they are already written on the palm of His hand?

Through faith in Jesus, we already have the perfect legacy for all time – Jesus! Celebrate, remember, and share Him, with a child-like, and enduring faith!

“We thank You, Lord, for the perfect, lasting gift of Jesus, who has forgiven our sins and given us His name as a guarantee of the legacy of Heaven that awaits! Grant us Your Spirit to celebrate, live and share Him so their everlasting legacy is secured, too. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

Scriptures

• Mark 10:13-16
• Psalm 128

There are usually two extremes when thinking about our sin. We either think it is too great for God to forgive (it’s not) or we think too little of it and justify it, knowing it’s forgiven anyway.

Just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Romans 6:19bc

I suspect we normally fall into the latter camp of thinking.

We usually think too little of our sins, or think of them as too little. We minimize them. We excuse them. And we keep engaging in them.

Jesus tells us in Matthew that if a hand or foot or eye causes us to sin, we should cut it off.

That sounds pretty serious!

He says that is we temp others into sin, it would be better to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

That sounds pretty serious!

Yet we usually gloss over those words and get right to forgiveness. Right to mercy. Right to the Gospel.

‘Let’s not dwell on the sins,’ we seem to be saying. ‘Give us the Gospel and forgiveness and let me move on (and keep on sinning).’

Certainly there is forgiveness through faith in Jesus. That is beyond dispute and should never be minimized. Yet if we belittle the sacrifice of Jesus in accomplishing our forgiveness, we belittle the true measure of Grace we are really receiving.

We constantly seem to live in our old ways, presenting our bodies for ‘impurity’ and ‘lawlessness.’ But that should not be!

We need to humbly ourselves like a child; truly repent in sorrow of our hearts, doing all we can to change our ways from this time forward with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit; and then in His mercy and grace, joyfully stand up in His forgiveness to new life and new living!

If our actions don’t change, our heart probably hasn’t either. If our heart hasn’t changed, our faith is either stagnant or diminishing. If our faith is stagnant or diminishing, we are in danger of heading to a time when we lose it altogether.

Take your sins seriously. God does. Move to amend your sinful ways. God will help you. But do not lose faith or hope. Rather, take even more seriously God’s grace through faith in Jesus.

“The wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 6:23).

“Lord, forgive. Lord, help. Thank You in Jesus, my Savior. Amen.”

Scriptures

• Matthew 18:1-10
• Romans 5:20–21
• Romans 6:19, 23

There is a lot to unpack in today’s reading, and we can’t and won’t cover all of it. But the basics go something like this: our hearts go after and desire all kinds of things to fulfill our passions and glory to satisfy our pride.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:7-8

Our hearts are far from God, even through His heart is with us.

He is jealous for us. That’s why Jesus came, suffered, dies, and rose; so that we could be with Him forever. Yet for reasons beyond comprehension, that isn’t enough for us. We want more. We want to satisfy our ‘bitter jealousy,’ ‘selfish ambition,’ and ‘passions’ instead of being utterly and completely devoted to and desiring of Him.

How foolish!

We need to repent! We need to “mourn and weep.” We need to return to Him in humility and with a new, clean heart. We need to “draw near to God,” desiring Him only and let the rest fall away.

That is impossible for us on our own, but it is so much easier when we see His heart seeks us out; His life given for ours; His love shown through acts of sacrifice. His heart is with us! He has already drawn near to ours – and He wants ours to draw near to Him! When we repent, turn, and draw near to Him, we see Him closer and more satisfying of all our wants and needs than we ever thought possible!

“Forgive us, Lord, for hearts that haven’t desired or sought You. Break us and turn us back to You and let all other things fall away. Move us to draw near to You in everything at all times and, in so doing, see You, Your heart, Your love, and Your mercy, through Jesus! In His precious name, amen!”

Scriptures

• James 3:113-18
• James 4:1-10
• Jeremiah 29:13

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”

Such goes the common saying.

But we know that’s not true. At all.

Words constantly hurt, in many ways.

I’m not saying we should be delicate and offended by what everyone says, but I am saying that words matter. They have meaning even beyond just what is said. They bear weight. They have lasting significance and standing.

No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:8

Our Scripture for today says that if a person does not stumble in what they say, they are perfect and that no one can tame the tongue. It reminds us that what we say stains our body and sets the course of life on fire.

That is powerful!

And scary.

And condemning.

“With [our tongues] we bless [God] and…curse people…made in [God’s image.”

That truth should disgust us and convict us.

We are held to a higher standard in what we say, how we say it, and to whom we say it. We should be lifting people up and pointing them to Jesus, not tearing them down, belittling them, and condemning them.

But it actually goes further than this.

Scripture likens calling others “fools” to breaking the commandment on murder and puts in danger of hell!

Wow!

The solution? Setting our hearts on Jesus and keep our words those of praise, of thanksgiving, of edification, of glory! Singing songs of praise with our hearts and lips! Letting the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts be expressed in our words and letting the rest wither and die.

This is not possible by us. It is only possible by, in, and through God! Left to ourselves, we will continue to slip – in heart and tongue. But living out the indwelling Lord, both will edify and uplift!

Jesus has died for our sins – all of them, including those of our imperfect tongues. May we take His forgiveness to heart, sing His praise, and lift others up in our actions and words all our days!

Scriptures

• James 3:1-12
• Matthew 5:21-22
• Isaiah 50:4-10
• Psalm 116:1-9 (Confession and Absolution)