The Heart Test

"1 Chronicles 29:17 near the beginning of the verse says that the Lord tests the heart and has pleasure in uprightness. This is obviously an uprightness of heart. It is not only in the outward appearance of being good but in the recesses of the heart where no one can see except the Lord Himself. Am I pure of heart? All things are open to the eyes of Him with Whom I have to do! What will He find when He looks in me? Will it be uprightness of heart? Will it please Him?"

These questions should be asked daily. The reason is that we are exposed to the pollutants of the world daily. Between the influences of the flesh, the world and the devil we are exposed to a lot! It can be overwhelming. 

The good news is that when we are upright in our hearts we can make it through. Psalm 7:10 says that God is our defense and saves the upright in heart. We can't lose when God is protecting us. 

How do we develop uprightness of heart? First of all we have to commit ourselves to the Lord's work in the heart. It starts at the point of salvation and goes on into our spiritual walk with God. We have to also guard our hearts. Jesus talked about light and darkness going in to the body through the lamp of the eye. Obviously there is more than just a physical thing going on here. We walk by faith and not by sight. So what we 'see' is very important. What are we dwelling on in our thought life? How many ungodly influences are we listening to? These are the influences that can darken our hearts. 

Instead of being influenced by the world, the flesh and the devil allow yourself to be led by God. The Bible tells us to look unto Jesus. That looking to Jesus implies that you look away from everything else in order to focus the whole of your attention to one thing. Jesus has to be your one thing. When you focus on Him you will listen to His voice, see what He is doing and do the same and you will catch His heart; an upright heart. 

Take the spiritual heart test today and ask those tough questions. As you find the results make the changes necessary to have an upright heart. God's pleasure will be on you and you will have Him as your defense! 

Day 291 - The Worth You Have

"God was waiting for them to come. So I had them sing the song again and closed my eyes and waited on the Lord to do His work in the hearts. When I opened my eyes there was a woman standing in front in tears. It is worth it to go after souls."

Read that last line again. 

You are worth going after. I am worth going after. I know that because the God of the universe, Creator of all things, Author and Most High went after us. He looked at our condition and patiently waited for us. In the fullness of time when He had given us all we needed to prepare for His coming He came down to our level. Jesus, the Son of God, God in the flesh, came for us. He showed us God's heart in word and then in deed as He died on the cross. 

He saw us as worth dying for. He saw us as worth waiting for. He is still waiting. Lest anyone think that God sends people to Hell or is happy about people going to Hell consider that God is patiently waiting for the full number of people to come in to salvation from Hell. He knows that exact moment. In fact when you see the events unfolding in Revelation realize that even through catastrophe and demonic attacks like we have never seen He is still offering salvation to those who will believe. 

Our worth is not based on our goodness. Our worth is based on His goodness and love for us. The value of something is placed by what someone will pay for it. God payed the ultimate price for humanity with the purchase price of the life of His Son Jesus. 

The next time you think that you are worthless, too stupid, too ugly, too sinful, or too whatever else, remember that God is too in love to leave you there. He wants you. He loves you. You are worth it. I am worth it. 

Lastly, others are worth it. If you have experienced the saving power of Jesus then God wants to live His life through you and save others. Just like we needed Jesus so do those who are lost and don't even know it. These are people who Jesus died for. They are worth my life being lived in a way that witnesses the goodness of God to them. I will unashamedly and unreservedly tell people about Jesus because they are worth going after. 

Have you received this wonderful saving goodness of God? If not click here and watch the video. 

What amazes you about the goodness of God? How can we let others know they are worth going after? 

Day 243 - No Man Knows

"It's crazy to think that someone came to church today and they didn't make it home."

Last year a man came to church and had a heart attack. He was transported to a nearby hospital and died. Thankfully we found out that he was a believer and had a solid relationship with the Lord. We know where he is now. 

Jesus speaks of his coming as a thief in the night. No man knows the day or the hour He will come. We need to be ready for His return. We need to live right and help others with their eternity as well. 

I have heard young people say "I have time". How foolish. I have done funerals for young people. Some have said "On my deathbed I will get right with God". I am not so sure that will work because God sees the heart and if it isn't genuine it won't be accepted. God is no fool and He isn't mocked. 

Today is the day of decision and now is the time of salvation. If you haven't yet given your heart and life to the Lord I would like to offer you the opportunity (click here). If you know that you're born again but haven't been living like you should it is time to repent and renew your relationship with the Lord. Pray and ask forgiveness and start now on the things you should be doing. 

How do you feel when you think about the Lord's return? What are some ways we can prepare for His coming?

Day 203 - The Devil's Grip

"From the Word: Exodus 8:28 Pharaoh tells Moses that the children of Israel can go worship but he says not to go too far away. Not too far from his reach and their bondage. He will give a little if he doesn't lose his grip. Sin and the devil alike will allow us to go to church and worship The Lord if we don't go too far into Christianity. If we don't get radical and forsake the way of the world the devil is ok with us attending church, praying and even reading the Bible as long as they don't lose their grip on us. With God it is not so. There is no compromise. He tells us to go neither to the right or to the left and the way is narrow. We are to fix our eyes, our hearts and our minds and have one focal point; Jesus."

I don't think I need to say much more than that. Anyone who has struggled with sin knows the devil doesn't give up easily. He wants to dominate our lives and keep us in bondage. The Bible lays out two things for us to do in order to send the devil packing: 1. Submit to God. 2. Resist the devil. It sounds easy but when faced with temptation it seems like it is the hardest thing to do. The good news is that God has given us the power of His Spirit to do what He asks of us.

You don't have to stay in bondage to sin. God has freed those that have been born again from the devil's control. You simply need to submit to God and resist the devil and the devil will flee.

Have you been born again? If not click here. What are your thoughts on Exodus 8:28, sin and bondage? 

Day 120 - It Never Gets Old

"I always love looking into the eyes of the people getting saved. It never gets old seeing the faces of people ready to be brought to life. Some smiling, some in tears, some afraid, some ready. I pray they all are fruit that remains."

I get the unique privilege as a preaching pastor to give altar calls and to see the fruit of my labors in the gospel. We cast the net and then we gather in the results. The most wonderful part of it all is that it never gets old. We do an altar call every service and it never gets old. 

I never tire of seeing the joy of someone who is happy to be in church giving their heart to the Lord. I never tire of seeing the tears of repentance streaming down the faces of men and women who are leaving behind a world that chewed them up and spat them out. I never tire of seeing the broken and the hurting come to Jesus for healing and restoration. 

My prayer is that every one becomes a disciple, following Jesus for the rest of their days.  It is a heartbreak to think that thousands walk our aisles every year but only hundreds return and commit. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for the hundreds. As a pastor, and a Christian, I want to see people locked into Jesus for all their days. That is why I do what I do, why I preach and teach with passion, why I pray for the lost. 

It never gets old. 

What blesses you most when you see people make a decision to follow the Lord? How can we encourage people to come back to church? 

Day 108 - A 'Good' Day

"Today while I was at the grocery store I saw a worker there who is a believer. I got in his check out line as I usually do when I see him. As I was leaving after I paid I said have a blessed Good Friday. He responded that his friend had text him that it wasn't good for Jesus. I think the contrary though. 

Truly today is Good Friday. Good because it pleased the Father to carry out His plan of redemption even though it cost His Son's life. Good because Jesus had the joy that was set before Him and endured the cross. Good because saints and sinners remember what was done this day. Good because the church gathers and remembers and celebrates her King."

What a contradiction that the day that God in the flesh is crucified has been named "Good Friday". And yet the Bible is filled with statements like this that to the natural mind make no sense. You have to die to live. You must be born again. He who is first shall be last and the last shall be first. The way to life is narrow and there are few who find it and the way to destruction is wide. Many are called but few are chosen. The way up is down (humble yourself and He will lift you up). 

To our natural minds we may ask questions such as "Why would God allow suffering?" or "If God is good then why is there so much evil on the earth?" The answer is that to our natural minds these things don't make sense. But to someone who has truly experienced the power of what happened on Good Friday who now has been born again by laying down their old life in death and being raised in new life we now have a new perspective. We don't blame God for evil we blame the flesh, poor choices, and the evil one for the things going on around us. We have a new perspective on suffering too. We see it building character and causing us to walk in love and in the Spirit. 

For us, any and every situation is now under the transforming power of the resurrected Lord. He is good and makes our worst days into good days too. 

Have you experienced the power of the cross? Has your life been made new? Are you born again? If your answer is "No" click here.  

What are your thoughts on "Good Friday"? How has your life been changed from bad to good?

Day 96 - The Sweet Spot

"In the morning services we had 57 salvations! I don't think we realize what a move of God is going on at our church. Our prayers are heard for the lost and are being answered."

In sports the sweet spot refers to a place where your greatest strength is achieved. For us as Christians there is a sweet spot as well. It is in our weakness. God says that His strength is made perfect in weakness. That means that when we are weak yet dependent of God it is the sweet spot. 

When I read the numbers of people who responded last year to our altar calls in the morning services over one weekend I am overwhelmed and humbled. Recently I preached a weekend and before I ever got to the message in any of the services I gave a simple call for salvation and dozens of people ran to the altar. 

I am not bragging on myself. How could I when I hadn't even preached the message yet? It wasn't my eloquence or influence. I was simply in the sweet spot. Totally relying on God. In my weakness He showed Himself strong. 

In your weakness pray and lean the whole of your person on God. Totally depend on Him and His strength will come through. 

Have you seen God come through in a time of weakness? What does it mean to depend on God?