A Stony Heart

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JESUS SPEAKING

“But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” (Matthew 30: 20 – 21)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The gospel is a powerful force; like a raging river that gouges out valleys and tears apart mountains, the gift of salvation transforms lives. Many eagerly receive God’s message but lack the proper foresight; they do not understand the magnitude of the changes God intends to perform in their lives. Genuine faith is costly; the price of salvation is death; death to our old lives and sinful habits. We must willingly be destroyed in order to be remade in the image of Christ. Those whose hearts are stony initially experience a brief relationship with God, but desperately cling to their old familiar ways; thus abandoning their faith when it requires true change.
As the story goes, when a famous gangster named Mickey Cohen was released from prison in the 1950’s, a Pastor by the name of Bill Jones made it his personal mission to convert him to Christianity. When Jones presented Mickey with the gospel, he said a prayer and accepted Jesus into his heart. Soon, word of his conversion spread, and many were amazed to hear that this once villainous mobster had turned to Christ. Although Mickey enjoyed being called a ‘Christian,’ he refused to live like one. He soon lost touch with Pastor Jones and began hanging around with his old buddies from the criminal underworld. The disheartened Jones confronted Cohen to tell him that as a Christian he needed to put some distance between himself and his old criminal associates. Puzzled, Cohen responded, “Jones, you never told me that I had to give up my career. You never told me that I had to give up my friends. There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, and Christian businessmen. So, what’s the matter with being a Christian gangster? If I have to give up all that – if that’s Christianity – then count me out.”
Sadly, Mickey’s story is not that uncommon; out of the four different types of soil Christ describes, the stony heart can be the deadliest; for within it there exists the greatest propensity for self-deception. The belief that a verbal profession of faith without corresponding actions is sufficient for salvation is a lie. With their lips they affirm Christ, but with their lives they deny Him. Continuing in behaviors such as, pornography, fornication, drunkenness, idolatry, and dishonesty, etc., contradicts the rebirth that all Christians must undergo. Anyone who identifies with this type of soil, has one of two choices to make; continue forward in delusion or get honest with themselves and surrender to a new life with Jesus; a life of repentance; a life free from darkness and unrighteousness; a life lived as a disciple of Christ. May the Lord give us the courage, the strength, and the conviction to make the right choice.
“Lord Heavenly Father transform us into the image of Your Son. May we lay down our old lives to take up our new ones. May our relationship with You be deep and meaningful. May our lives always confirm our verbal professions of faith. If we have not fully committed our lives to You, reveal to us the areas where we have refused to change; and by the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us to conquer them. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!

Serpents and Doves

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JESUS SPEAKING

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and as harmless (innocent) as doves.” (Matthew 10: 16)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Those who accept the Holy Spirit and forsake evil are cleansed of all unrighteousness. They are made pure and holy; rendering them as innocent as doves. And yet, unlike natural born children whose innocence is accompanied by ignorance, the ‘reborn’ child of God retains the knowledge of good and evil. In the heart of every believer, innocence and wisdom exist in harmony. The serpent that Jesus speaks about is a creature that symbolizes wisdom. In Genesis, God created the serpent to be the wisest of all the animals. Characteristically, snakes are rarely surprised, they are always aware of potential predators, and they are patient. In an evil world, God’s eternal offspring must apply comparable wisdom to avoid destruction. How can we love those who are evil, while also making sure we don’t get eaten by them? Only through God’s divine guidance can someone be both a serpent and a dove.

Some years ago a man entered the coffee shop where I was studying; it was late and there were very few customers. He began speaking in a broken English accent and was behaving in a peculiar manner. He started drawing attention to himself by flirting with the workers behind the register. When the employees were distracted, the man leaned over the counter and snatched some money from the tip jar; quickly concealing it. I rose up and approached the counter. When he turned around, I greeted him with a stern look. “Put it back,” I insisted. “I’m so sorry” he replied; admitting to his thievery; he returned the money and asked for forgiveness. He explained that he was starving and in desperate need of money. My heart softened a bit and I informed him that what he really needed was Jesus. I offered to help him so he didn’t have to steal. I gave him a bible from my car and some money. After gratefully receiving these blessings, he departed. Like a serpent, God gave me the wisdom to recognize evil and oppose it. And yet, like a dove, I avoided despising the man, and instead I showed him love, and I cared for him according to God’s will.

The Lord has called every follower to be wise; equipping us with the ability to recognize and oppose evil. But believers must also be harmless and innocent; showing love and affection for those who oppose what is good. While the wicked seek to destroy the faithful, Christians are called to love, to serve, and to convert sinners. Walk wisely in the ways of God,. Reach out to the lost and bring hope to the hopeless, and you will know the joy of the Lord forever.

“Lord Heavenly Father, give us the wisdom to avoid being harmed by evil while at the same time opposing it. May we be kind to those who walk in darkness and be willing to love the wicked. Let Your light shine brightly in us and through us, that we might direct others away from destruction and toward eternal life. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.” God bless all of you!

Being a Good Steward

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JESUS SPEAKING

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16: 10-12)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

There are two kinds of riches; earthly riches and heavenly riches. The heavenly riches are eternal; and thus far more valuable. The word ‘Mammon’ that Jesus uses in this scripture is a reference to earthly possessions; things entrusted to our care by God; like jobs, a car, a home, a wife or husband, money, a career, etc.) God has given the earth and everything in it to mankind as a temporary possession. Every man and woman is a steward of what God had given them. A steward is defined as ‘someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else.’ How someone handles this mortal life, indicates whether or not they will inherit eternal life with God.

Many years ago my Dad worked for a distributing company. They owned many trucks, which necessitated the hiring of drivers. He would often interview the prospective employees. According to my Dad, as part of the interview he would accompany the individuals out to the parking lot where he would peer into their automobiles. If their car was neat and orderly they might be hired. However, if their automobiles were messy and in disrepair, they wouldn’t get the job. Some of them would complain, but my dad would tell them, ‘If this is the way you take care of your car, this is the way you’ll treat our trucks.’ They had failed to take care of their possessions, so they were rejected from employment.

Today, the things that we have in this life are not ours. Our wives, our kids, our houses, our cars, our friends, our families, our bodies, and even our money; it all belongs to God, and we are tasked with taking care of what we’ve been given. If we succeed in being good stewards of our current possessions, then we will receive for ourselves, eternal possessions from God. If we haven’t lived as Christians in this life, how can we expect to receive eternal life?

“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You and we ask that You would give us the desire to serve You; that our possessions in this life might serve Your purposes and further the spreading of the gospel message. May we be good stewards of what You have given us, that we might one day inherit true riches. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!