Altar of the Heart

In Genesis 22, we see Abraham being tested by God. God tells Abraham to take his son and sacrifice him on an altar up on a mountain. Abraham obeys and is ready to do it but the Lord stops him saying,  (22:12)"Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

If we take a closer look, someone else was on the altar that day. Abraham's heart was!

1. Abraham surrendered to God by faith though he did not understand all of the circumstances of what was happening. (v3)

2. Abraham considered his sacrifice an act of worship. He said to his servants, (22:5) “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

3. Abraham fully prepared with his heart to do what the Lord asked. He didn't obey half-heartedly. (22:6) Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife.

4. Abraham knew that whatever happened, God was going to provide. (22:8) Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” He even named the place, The Lord Will Provide.

5. Abraham's fear of the Lord and trust was proved. (22:12) Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

What are we being asked to put on the altar of our hearts to give to God? A job? A relationship? 

We may not always get what we want from the Lord but he has promised to provide for our needs.

Maybe God is preparing you for something better, seeing how much he can entrust you with and how much you will trust Him. Remember, he knows your motives for what you are doing. Proverbs 16:22 All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD.

We need to seek Him and bring all of ourselves as a holy living sacrifice. 

And here's the big question. Will we be satisfied if all He provides is Himself?

Russ Lee - Satisfied In You:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TZ7Z__mN-M 

The Power of Words

In James 3:6 we read: "It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell."

This is very evident in the story of four Denver newspaper reporters. The four men met at Denver's Union Station where each were waiting in hopes of spotting someone of prominence who could become a subject for a news story. Seeing no celebrities and frustrated with no story in sight and deadlines due, the men agreed to concoct a false story.

The four reporters concocted a story in which the Chinese planned to demolish the Great Wall, constructing a road in its place, and were taking bids from American companies for the project.

The next day, all four major Denver newspapers, the Times, Post, Republican and Rocky Mountain News featured the fabricated tale on the front page.

Two weeks after the Denver headlines, John Lewis had noticed a large Eastern U.S. newspaper had picked up the story and included information not even in the original story. This newspaper included quotes from a Chinese mandarin confirming the story, with illustrations and comments about the tearing down of the wall. Eventually the story spread to newspapers all across the country and then into Europe. Although the story underwent different versions, the essence remained: the United States was sending an expedition to tear down the Great Wall of China.

It is also speculated that this event helped to fuel the Boxer Rebellion, an anti-foreigner uprising in which hundreds of foreigners, missionaries and Chinese Christians were killed.

Some good questions to ask yourself before speaking or writing (taken from the Rotary Club mission statement) are:

Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Alfred Nobel: Noble man of legacy

A pacifist and an inventor, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel invented dynamite which changed the way we mined, how we built transportation systems and  how we fought on the battlefield. In 1888, when his brother Ludvig died, a French newspaper mistakenly ran an obituary for Alfred which called him the "merchant of death."Not wanting to go down in history with such a horrible epitaph, Nobel created a will that soon shocked his relatives and established the now famous Nobel Prizes.
If he had not witnessed the reaction to his ‘death’, he probably would never have reflected on his legacy to the world. He would not have founded the Nobel Prizes, which to this day are the most prestigious awards one can receive.

Take a look at your life.  If you passed today, what would your legacy be?  Then ask yourself what you want your legacy to be. What are some changes that you can and will make? Is your life filled with "explosive material"? Perhaps you need to use some "dynamite" to get rid of old rubble that is holding you back.

Begin a new life as if you already know the grand ending of it. After all, if we are in Christ, we know the ending of it. "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." Revelation 21:3.
We are never too young or too old to write a new life-script.

 Ephesians 5:2 -  "Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."

Here are some  famous last words:
"Our God is the God from whom cometh salvation: God is the Lord by whom we escape death." - Martin Luther
"Live in Christ, live in Christ, and the flesh need not fear death." -John Knox
"Thou, Lord, bruisest me; but I am abundantly satisfied, since it is from Thy hand." -John Calvin
"The best of all is, God is with us. Farewell! Farewell!" -John Wesley
"I shall be satisfied with Thy likeness--satisfied, satisfied!" -Charles Wesley 

Nicole Nordeman "Legacy" music video:

In Memory

In Mark 14:3-9, we see a woman coming into a house where Jesus is at, who the Gospel of John tells us is Mary. She brings with her an alabaster jar, probably a family heirloom, filled with nard, a rare and expensive perfume which grows in the foothills of the Himalayas. She takes this and pours it on Jesus' head. Some watchers criticize her but Jesus tells them to leave her alone, that she did a beautiful thing with what she had. Jesus then adds that this story will be told all over the world in memory of her! Jesus includes her in His story!

This invitation is open to you and I, if we are willing to give our most precious gifts to him and submit despite what opposition may say. What an encouragement!

Jesus says five things which shows this is an extremely valuable act. First he says, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." The beauty of it lay in its very extravagance. This woman did not spare any  ointment but broke the jar and poured it all out on him.

Second, he said that it was a timely thing she had done. "It was something that could only be done now. Anytime you want to do good to the poor you can, because they are always around." There are opportunities which come in our life which must be seized at the moment; as they never happen again. 

Third, she did what she could. It was all that was open to her. She could not make him a meal; there was no time for that. She could not make new sandals for him; there was no time for that. She did what she knew how to do, using her gift.

Fourthly, the offering was insightful. Jesus says, "She has anointed my body beforehand for burying." It is interesting to go through the Gospel accounts and see how many times Jesus said to the disciples that he was going to die. Not one of them believed him -- except Mary of Bethany. She believed him, and understood that he was here for that purpose. This is what motivated her. She understood that he was heading for burial and Jesus knew that.  There is nothing more comforting to us than to be understood in what we are trying to do for Jesus.

Finally, what she did was deserving of being remembered. Jesus said, "The story of this beautiful act will be told in memory of her wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world." Here we are 2000 years later, fulfilling this very word, telling again of the act of Mary of Bethany, when she anointed our Lord's head and feet. These elements constitute what Jesus called, "the beautiful thing she has done to me."

Psalm 141:2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Third Day - My Offering:

Questioning Jesus

When Jesus went before the high Priest in John 18:19-23, he was questioned about his teachings and his disciples. The same questioning happens today. There are those who truly are seeking to know just what it is about this man and his teachings that set him apart from others. Jesus's response is great:
"I have spoken openly to the world. I have said nothing in secret."
He has given his Word to the world and made it plain for all to see.
Jesus then puts out a challenge to all hearers who doubt what he says "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?"

But Jesus also holds us  believers accountable when he tells the doubters to ask his followers " Ask those who have heard me what I said to them, they know what i said". What a responsibility!
In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect". It all starts in our hearts, as we seek to honor the Lord, we will desire to live for Him and be prepared when others ask about the hope we have been given.

Lessons from the book of James - Wealth Management

The rights to private property and personal freedom are inseparable. However wealth from inappropriate means and misuse of money can often get us into trouble.

James 5: 2-3, "Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire." Wow, harsh words! Silver and gold don't have the ability to rust, so he was actually talking about their hearts. Where your treasure is there will your heart be also. 

2 Cor 12:14, 1 Timothy 5:8, It is necessary and encouraged to save and provide for family. However it is wrong to store up money if you owe someone else. James focuses on not only what we do with our wealth but how we earn it. And we are all wealthy here in America, we put our spare change in car ash trays.

Deut 24:14- "Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns."

Each of us have people that we hire, even if we are not a business owner.  We all have bills to pay, credit cards, mortgages, rent, etc. and each have their terms when the money should be provided to them and they expect to be payed on time. Honor and integrity should be talked about more these days.

Leviticus 19:13
Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.

Are we investing for the long term? A common Quaker saying is "tell me what thou need and I will tell you how to live without it."
Now is a good time to streamline, get out of debt and become mobile! Of the ten commandments, there is one that is in the heart: coveting, which deals with motivations of the heart.

Now wealth is not a bad thing, there were godly men who were able to handle wealth, such as Abraham and Job.

Wealth can bring uncertainty but the only certain thing we know is that we will stand before the Lord someday.
 If our heart is set on things we will soon become discouraged. However if it is set on the Lord, we will be uplifted knowing that He will soon return and climax his promises!

We should be redeeming the time, a sense of urgency to make everyday count. Create alternatives with each opportunity.

In Schindler's List, he realized towards the end, the long term implications of his short term actions. There were wasteful years but if he had been a little more committed and aware of his stewardship he could have saved more people.

What good is a million dollar house without a home? What good is a million dollar diamond ring without love?

What we keep, we lose, but what we give to the Lord, we not only keep but get interest on.

Music Video "Rich Young Ruler" by Derek Webb:

The Most Important Victory

I have recently been reading stories of faith and courage from those during the Civil War era. During this time, this brought a huge dilemma to the preachers in the North and South. Unlike other wars, this war pitted America against America, brother against brother. It must have been hard for them to know what God wanted from them in such a terrible time in our nation's history.
Pastor Joseph Atkinson spoke to the heart of the matter in his Thanksgiving day sermon on September 18, 1862:

"Never were Christians called to more diligence, self-denial, courage, benevolence and industry than at this solemn juncture; and it is, at such a time as this, that God and all good men are most fruitfully active. In a contest like this every man must serve his country according to his ability and in his appointed sphere. Everyman must find the place and the duty suited to him, and to which he is suited. None can be more important than practical, prayerful labor for the religious welfare of our heroic soldiers; directly  seeking their salvation by preaching to them by writing and distributing tracts, hymns and Bibles and by praying for them, by tender sympathy with them in the trials and temptations to which they must be inevitably exposed. If God should breathe over these Confederate States the spirit of devotion, of humility, of dependence and of faith, it would be better than any victory in the field, however brilliant, for it would be at once a proof of His favor and a pledge of our prosperity."

 Even though the South lost the war, it gained much in the spiritual realm. Confederate men and women learned devotion, humility and dependence on God.
When we go through battles in life, we may not win every one but we can gain much if we are willing to learn from our defeat.

1 Samuel 15:22,
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrificesas much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.