Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart

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Wednesday, February 25, 2015

The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.  People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7b (NLT)

 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

I heard a new hymn this morning; actually it was written by Rev. George Croly in 1854, so its new-ness is only to me; I love it already! 

Listen carefully to this prayer for God’s presence and leading.

1 Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart, 
wean it from sin, through all its pulses move. 
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as you are, 
and make me love you as I ought to love. 

2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, 
no sudden rending of the veil of clay, 
no angel visitant, no opening skies; 
but take the dimness of my soul away. 

3 Did you not bid us love you, God and King, 
love you with all our heart and strength and mind? 
I see the cross there teach my heart to cling. 
O let me seek you and O let me find! 

4 Teach me to feel that you are always nigh; 
teach me the struggles of the soul to bear, 
to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh; 
teach me the patience of unceasing prayer. 

 

5 Teach me to love you as your angels love, 
one holy passion filling all my frame: 
the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove; 

my heart an altar, and your love the flame.  [2]

My heart an altar, and your love the flame

Anyone who has ever tasted of the presence of God by His Spirit understands the heart-cry of this prayer – the hunger of a soul to have God’s indwelling presence to guide and bring personal spiritual awakening and alertness. 

This hunger is the soul’s cry to be able to please God more than anything.  And I have to confess that, in all the years since the Spirit of God first moved my heart to claim Jesus Christ as my Lord, I have never gotten over the pull of that hunger.

Another song made popular by Bill and Gloria Gaither says exactly how this hunger to serve God plays out in the soul…the longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

So we have two realities here, the pull of our heart’s hunger to please and serve God, and the precious joy of that desire growing with the years as we serve Him.

It’s not a promise that everything will taste better, or heal faster, or go smoother; it’s a heavenly reality that God is faithful and loves you, no matter what happens.

For You Today

Make your heart an altar for the Holy Spirit to burn with God’s love.

There’s nothing sweeter.

There’s nothing truer.

There’s nothing more eternal!

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[1] Title image:  By Ziko-C, via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Information on the hymn and image of George Croly:  via Hymnary.org

Latte Salute; Scottie Salute; Sermon Salute

Thursday, October 2, 2014

 “O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord.  “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight.  I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light.  I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. 
I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.      Hosea 6:4-6 (NLT)

Last week President Obama set off an Internet viral storm with his salute to the Marine Officers, holding a Styrofoam coffee cup in his saluting hand.  Of course the critics weighed-in, dubbing it Latte-Gate.  Then, of course, somebody dug up President “Bush’s” Scottie Salute, as he held his pet dog. 

So…was it insolence, indifference or just plain goofiness?  I won’t add my opinion to that fire, but I do want to talk about the Sermon Salute.

Hosea’s life could not have been comfortable.  He delivered his sermon to the religious/political leaders of Israel (that’s like me preaching to the Bishop’s cabinet).  It’s a safe bet there were few nice sermon, Preacher comments at the door that day.

What provoked this sermon was that God viewed it as offensive that His people were showing up, but their hearts were nowhere to be found.  Thousands of burnt animals on an altar cannot take the place of a heart on fire for God.  God’s mercies and grace were new every morning, like dew on the grass.  But the nation’s gratitude and love were asleep in the pews.

So, what constitutes a heart on fire?

·        Is it a hearty “AMEN” during the sermon?

·        Is it never missing a Sunday worship service or Bible Study?

·        Is it doubling your tithe?  Singing in the choir (loudly)?

·        Is it preaching, teaching, and keeping the church’s records?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

It all depends on WHY you do what you do.

I’ve known preachers who presented sermons they found on the Internet, or in a book, as if every word was their own.  Was that a heart on fire for God?

I once knew a church and community mover and shaker who annually matched the church’s children’s home offering so he could personally hand-deliver it to the board of directors.  It didn’t hurt when it came time to ask for something.  Was that a heart on fire for God?

One man used to clip his nails (loudly) every Sunday as I preached.  He seemed to be able to keep in rhythm with the sermon points.  As I would get to the end of every other sentence, he’d holler out AMEN, punctuated by another “snip”!  All through the sermon it would be AMEN – snip; AMEN – snip!  Was THAT a heart on fire for God?

Well….was it?  Any of them?

You know where I’m going with this; I can’t tell you if a person’s heart is on fire for God, because I’m not equipped to judge the motives of someone else.  But the actions of others are like a red flag that makes you wonder what’s driving the things people do.

And neither are you.

The best we can do is as Apostle Paul warned; we should examine our own heart’s motives and see what is found wanting. 

And while you’re examining, be ready to move heaven and earth to rearrange your thoughts, words and deeds – your whole life if necessary – to agree with what God declares in His Word.

And then participate in Christ’s death and resurrection with a heart ablaze with love for the God whose heart is on fire for you.

For You, Today…

World Communion Day this Sunday – Bring the matches!

Holy Heart; Healthy Heart

Friday, February 21, 2014

When I was a little guy, I’d come in from playing rough-'n-tumble with the guys; Mom would send me to the bath.  I'd run the water, sit on the edge of the bathtub, wet the end of the washcloth, and clean a little spot right in the middle of my forehead.  I could then announce with a clear conscience that I'd washed.  Mom would say, "Get real!"

Reality says that if you are not 100% clean you are still dirty.  In a spiritual sense you are never clean, simply by quitting one or two bad habits and going to church; that is reformation.  If you get rid of all the bad habits, go to church all the time, go on mission trips, sing in the choir and give all your money – that is incredible reformation.  And it still isn't enough; in fact, it's not even what God wants, or what He requires! God requires a transformation.  Your heart must change before your actions mean anything! 

How do you do that?  How do you change?  YOU don't!  Christ does it in you!    

There is a principle of love that says you love what the one you love loves.  Paul says to get rid of all that shopping-list of bad things, but our problem is that we love those things; we have a base nature that tends to get worse, not better.  

The only way to get rid of all those bad things is to love the opposite.  

When you begin to place your heart’s affection on Christ, the one Who died for you, your desire for the baser things in life will begin to grow strangely dim.

Today…for YOU

Where will your mind dwell today, earth….or heaven?