How's your heart?

How's your heart? That can be a very important question. Towards the end of last year, a very dear friend of ours (my wife and me), who was 81 years of age (the same age as I currently am!), but full of life, and joy, and who always seemed to be in the best of health, died unexpectedly. The cause of her death? A sudden heart attack. The Emergency Services were called, but it was too late. Now, I have to say that this dear lady was a true disciple of Jesus and we believe, firmly, that while the physical body died, her spirit - the very essence of who she was - went to be with her Saviour, to be eternally with Him. However, it would appear that her heart - the physical organ - wasn't as strong as those who knew her had believed!

The heart, as well as being a physical organ, has long been considered to be the seat of our emotions; the seat if decisive action; and the seat of belief (as well as of doubt!). The heart symbolises the centre of our moral, spiritual, and intellectual life. It is the seat of our conscience and life.

And Almighty God knows our hearts well! Through the prophet, Jeremiah, He states that "I YHWH search the mind and try the heart, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." (17:10). After the global flood, He pronounces that "the desires of the human heart are evil from youth;" (Gen. 8:21; NABrevd).

The Lord Jesus informed His disciples that "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." (Mark 7:21-23).

Father God searches, and weighs, our hearts by the teaching of the Scriptures. He opens our hearts, to His truth, and gives us a new heart when we come to the Christ, in confession, repentance, faith, and commitment. He gives us a heart that is sensitive to His presence, His leading, and His love. Speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, He states: "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances." (36:26-27), words originally declared to the Children of Israel, but applicable to all.

Don't ever hesitate to take to Him whatever is on your heart. He already knows it, in any case, but He doesn't want you to bear its pain, or celebrate its joy, alone!

So, "How's your heart?"!

Lessons from the "House of Mirrors"!

I don't honestly know if such places still exist. I certainly haven't seen one for many, many years. However, when I made a quick search for one, I did discover that they are based on "The Galerie des Glaces" (Hall of Mirrors) - perhaps the most famous room in the château of Versailles. It took the place of the rooftop terrace overlooking the gardens which formerly connected the apartments of the king and queen. The construction of the room began in 1678 and finished in 1684. The gallery is more than 70 metres (230 ft) long, and it is lined with 17 wide arcaded mirrors, designed to match and reflect the windows opposite facing the gardens. (from Wikipedia).

Of course, the Hall of Mirrors of which I am thinking is the one in which multiple mirrors combine to make a kind of maze, through which visitors must pass. The mirrors, themselves, are of different shapes, and planes, and cause one to see oneself in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

I have read of a Moorish palace with a beautiful, grotto-like, entrance which is, apparently, quite intriguing. Notices at the entrance announce the wonders and beauties that may be seen inside. However, upon entering, the visitor discovers that the interior is simply a mass of strange mirrors! Regardless of which way he turns, he sees himself from a different angle. 

Glancing ahead, the visitor appears to be tall and thin; looking to the right, he encounters a curved mirror that makes him appear to be broader than he really is. Different mirrors provide differing reflections, deceptively luring him onwards, and bringing him face-to-face with strange reflections of himself - some flattering; others much less so! 

Of course, some people seem to spend their whole lives in this way! No matter in which direction they turn, they see nothing but 'self', until sometimes the view becomes exaggerated, and completely unrealistic. A little success, and they become so gratified that, in their own twisted imaginations, they grow to huge proportions! They need to take some heed to the words of Rabbie Burns, the Scots Bard: "O wad some pow'r the giftie gie us, tae see oorsels as ithers see us"! (To a louse).

God's written Word warns us to guard against pride in self. So Paul writes to the early disciples of Jesus in Rome: "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us." (Rom 12:3; The Living Bible)

"Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves," Don't take yourself too seriously, or nourish your ego on every compliment you receive. If you do, the distorted mirrors of pride will often make you appear taller than you really are. However, a bloated opinion of yourself is both unhealthy, and unspiritual, and may even prove to be embarrassing! Jesus said: "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honour , lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:8-11).

May we tend, more, to the attitude of John the Baptiser who said, with regard to the Lord Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30).

What is a Christian?

On a number of occasions, over the years, I have preached on the question: "What is a Christian?"  I have come at the question from different angles, and provided a number of answers to it.  However, someone from my Facebook contacts placed the following on their page and, as well as sharing it on that particular social medium, I want to share it here.  I wish that I had read it a long time ago - and if I preach on that same subject in the future, I will undoubtedly make reference to this.  Indeed, I may well quote it in full!

I hope that many who read it 'get the message'! 

The Cracked Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers on your side of the path but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Well, of course, it's only a fable.  To the best of my knowledge, water pots don't speak to their bearers!  However, like many fables, it has a very important message.  I meet so many people who have a very low self-image.  Their nose is too large; their eyes are too close; they don't have a 'perfect' figure (whatever that may be!); or any of a few dozen other attributes - and that's just in the realm of the physical body.  We could go on to mention those who are unhappy with their job; where they live; the neighbours they have; etc., etc.

So what is the answer to those who suffer, perhaps for many years, from this image of themselves that is, in fact, from the evil one?  May I suggest that it is, first of all, to recognise that we are made in the very image of Almighty God?  "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Gen 1:27). This, of course, has no reference to our physical constitution, for "God is Spirit" (John 4:24), not a physical Being (Luke 24:39; cf. Matthew 16:17). That “image” then consists of what has been described as "...spiritual qualities, in man’s mental and moral attributes as a self-conscious, rational, personal agent, capable of self-determination and obedience to moral law."

Then again, not only am I created as a spiritual being (my physical body is no more than the vehicle that my spirit uses in this life - although, for the disciple of Jesus, it is also a Temple of God the Holy Spirit, and ought to be cared for as such!), but I am also considered to be of such value to to God the Father that, in the Persona of the Son (see my book!), He paid the penalty for my every sin, as He hung on the cross at Calvary.  The beloved disciple, John, wrote: "... if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:7).  Note, please, two things in those few words - (a) all sin is covered - even the sins that I have not yet, in time, committed; and (b) this is conditional upon my 'walking in the light' - confessing my sin to Him, and receiving His forgiveness and salvation.

The third thing to remember, if you are a disciple of Jesus who is suffering from a low self-image, is that you are a child of the King!  "When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him." (Rom 8:15-17).  As I am "in Christ" (Phil.4:7, inter al), I am a joint-heir with Him; a prince in the Kingdom of God (or princess for the females!).  If knowledge like that doesn't make you walk tall, then I don't know what will!

Of course, it all depends on becoming part of the family of God.  If you are already a part of that wonderful family, then don't let the enemy keep you under a low self-image a moment longer.  If you are not - well, you know the answer!  Come to Him, now, in repentance and faith, and enter a life that will instantly raise your self-image; that will provide a purpose for your living; and that will, at the end, see you enter His presence, for eternity!