A PURE HEART

Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

During Ladies Prayer, I meditated on the fact that it was the Day of Atonement in the Jewish Religion and began to thank God for His atoning blood that covers our sin.  I am so thankful that we no longer are required to offer the blood of a spotless lamb because Jesus became the perfect Lamb of God.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

As I continued to worship and praise God for this great sacrifice I felt that God whispered in my ear, “All I wanted then and all I want now is a PURE HEART!”

Let us take a mind trip back…It is the morning of the big day.  The Day of Atonement begins at sundown, the scurry of preparation is over, the final requirement now rests on the shoulders of the High Priest.  He is well aware of the requirements of the Law that passed down through Moses.  They ring through his head as he goes step by step…the purification, the special garments, the linen turban, the specially prepared incense to burn and finally, the bowl that would hold the blood for the atonement.  Yes, they were all there; all ready and waiting.

Then the moment came…the High Priest slipped behind the veil into the Holy of Holies to deliver the blood of atonement to the altar.  He had followed every step perfectly, the blood had been delivered and he comes back from behind the curtain….all the boxes were checked and he was unchanged…this glorious day; the one chance to come into the Shekinah Presence of God had become just A RITUAL….the right garments, the right words, the right instruments of praise, the right offering, BUT….the heart had been forgotten.

Isaiah 29:13 ….these people draw near with their mouths and honor me with their lips but have removed their hearts far from me.

Allow your mind to journey back to this moment…What about me???  Has entering into the Presence of the Lord become just a ritual?   We have perfected the look, the clothes are just right, the hair is arranged perfectly, our incense burner is filled with the latest Praise and Worship songs; we know when to stand, when to kneel, what words to repeat and when to raise our hands or say Amen.  We even have the facial expressions down pat…the look of “Godly” sorrow, awe, concern and concentration on the message being delivered or the Bible passage we are reading…BUT WHAT ABOUT MY HEART???

SERIOUSLY….God isn’t concerned about your dress, hair, worship rituals and even your facial expression; besides I can promise you when you really get into the Holy of Holies and God’s presence enters to commune with you, YOUR FACE WILL BE ALL UNDONE, and you won’t care or even notice.

God isn’t concerned with our rituals.  In fact, I believe they have become a stink in the nostrils of God blocking out the sweet smelling savor of our worship.

GOD IS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR PURE HEART

A pure heart doesn’t mean you have done everything in the right order or even that you haven’t stumbled, failed or fallen down.  A pure heart is honesty before God, sorrow as you crucify this flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to do its work in you.  It is handing over your will to Him and following wherever He leads…then it is time to bring out the “Censer of Praise.”  Let the sweet smelling savor waft into the Heavens as you worship with a pure heart because GOD CAN SMELL AGAIN!

A SETTLED ACCOUNT

Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past

Every day we are writing and producing the Legacy that will eternally bear our name.  When you are passed from this life, what will be the first thought, word or memory that will enter the mind of those to whom your name will be spoken?  What stories will be passed down to your great-grandchildren?  Will they be fraught with misdeeds and bad choices or full of faith, giving glory to God? 

YOUR CHOICES TODAY DETERMINE YOUR LEGACY TOMORROW!

This morning’s news announced the death of the famous playboy, Hugh Hefner.  In the reporter’s words, his legacy was framed with these words, “The man that turned many little boys and young men into temporary thieves.”  Would any of us want that epitaph on our tombstone?

Oh but it went so much further than thievery….This is a man that using one of the most powerful tools in Satan’s arsenal, provided an avenue to destruction for so many.  I have received many emails and letters documenting the destruction left behind as young men’s hearts and lives were forever changed by Mr. Hefner’s legacy.  

Women were objectified and the women themselves traded their self-respect and purity for momentary fame.  Homes and marriages have been and are in the process of being destroyed, children have been sentenced to single-parent homes and wives struggle with self-esteem and being good enough.  No, I would say that even today, as Mr. Hefner waits to face God, this is not the legacy he wanted to leave.

Before you accuse me of judging and remind me that only God has the right to judge, let me say, Mr. Hefner’s choice and actions have already judged him, just as our choices and actions judge us.  The only way we can get the sentence commuted is through the Blood of Jesus.

Every one of us will stand before God bearing an “Account of our Life.”  When it is opened, what will be found?  An Account full of emptiness….empty promises, empty achievements, empty accolades from this world, broken families, lonely children, destroyed lives OR…. An Account that was settled long ago!

An account wiped clean by the Blood of Jesus; an account full of the Holy Spirit; an account of leading and guiding our families in the ways of God; an account of lovingly pointing others to Jesus Christ; an account of daily glorifying God!

IT IS YOUR LEGACY AND YOU CHOOSE THE AUTHOR!

Place the pen of your life in the Hands of the One who created you.  Allow Jesus Christ to write the legacy you leave behind.  Allow Him to work through you to create the memories of your exploits…Your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all those yet to be born are counting on you.