Happy Monday

Please remember those in the path of Isaac when you pray today... 

 

A Clean Heart by Luann Prater

"It is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" Mark 7:15b (NIV 1984)

When I was little, if I talked disrespectfully to my parents, they would wash my mouth out with soap. It tasted awful! But one thing it didn't do was wash away the attitude in my heart that caused sassy words to spew from my lips.

Jesus told the people, "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean'" (Mark 7:15b, 21-23 NIV 1984).

Whew, that is some list! But why did Jesus take the time to name each one of those evils? We know that not one word in the Bible is wasted, so there is purpose behind Him listing each one to the crowd. Maybe there were folks there who looked good on the outside, but their hearts were unclean.

Perhaps, like me, they were not surprised when He mentioned murder, adultery, or theft. But I wonder what the reaction was when Jesus included more hidden sins like arrogance, envy and greed too.
The dictionary describes arrogance as "an offensive display of superiority or self-importance; or overbearing pride."

At first glance, we may think that doesn't apply to us. But if we let the Holy Spirit shine His search light on our heart, we may find times when we have thought, "Well, at least I'm not THAT bad," or "It's amazing her kids turned out as good as they did."

Envy is pretty sly at hiding in our hearts as well. It is the feeling of discontent with regards to other's success or belongings. Does your friend have a new car, a great body or a nice home? If so, do you ever look at her with jealousy and long for what she has? If so, that's envy. Ouch!

Then there is greed, the excessive desire for wealth or possessions. Maybe we don't think we are excessive in our want for more, but how much time do we spend trying to make more money or get more stuff? And how stingy are we with what we have?
What would it look like to take those three definitions and clean them up?

• Un-arrogance: a gracious display of selflessness• Un-envy: being completely content with all of our blessings• Un-greed: a desire to share what God has given us

That sounds like a clean heart to me!

Today I challenge myself with the words Jesus spoke, "It is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" Today, I will set my mind to being un-arrogant, un-envious and un-greedy. Yes, today I want to live with a clean heart.

Dear Lord, thank You for shining Your light on my heart so I can see where it is unclean. Illuminate those sins that I dirty myself with and cleanse me from the inside out. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Daily Smile:

Three Hymns

The Sunday before Christmas, a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money. He asked the people to consider donating a little more than usual into the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he'd like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate. A very quiet, elderly, saintly looking lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. 

Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanks asked her to pick out three hymns. Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three most handsome men in the building and said, "I'll take him and him and him."

Projected path of Isaac as of 1AM CST Monday...  Living on the East side of any Tropical Storm or Hurricane is not good... Please remember those in the path of Isaac when you pray today...