Preparing Our Hearts for Easter

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 

(Psalm 51:10-12 KJV)

On March 1, 2017, Lent started with the observance of Ash Wednesday.  This is a period of time observed by some Protestant denominations, as well as the Catholic Church.  Lent is simply a time of preparation for Easter.  “Traditionally, it is a time when Christians re-examine their spiritual life and try to discern the quality of their relationship with God.  It is a time of deeper dedication to God and seeking ways in which we can help to further God’s kingdom on earth.”[1] For more on Ash Wednesday, please click here:  What is Ash Wednesday?

Personal Photo

During this time, some Christians choose to fast for a particular time or deny themselves a particular food or activity.  For example, some choose to fast from sweets, while others choose to fast from social media.  For some ideas on how to journey through this time, please see:  Ideas for journeying through Lent.  

For a short video describing Lent and Ash Wednesday please click here:  

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 

(Joel 2:12-13 KJV)

It takes humility to acknowledge this.  Just as Jesus was a humble servant; it takes humility on our part to acknowledge our need for a Savior and to confess and accept forgiveness for our sins.  “Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter:  we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith.”[2]

Lent is a time of preparation to journey to Jerusalem with Jesus and His appointment at the cross.  It is a time for us to consider our own life and death, acknowledging that we are mortal beings and will one day return to the dust from which we were created.  Acknowledging this should be a humbling experience—we are finite beings, created for relationship with our Creator through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Our souls are restless until we are united with our Savior, Jesus.

Personal Photo

Trusting God for forgiveness—repenting of your sins and be completely cleansed from the inside out “declutters” our heart, our inmost being.  Allowing the Holy Spirit to convict you of your sins is part of the process for preparing for Easter.

Taking stock of our life and confessing our sins to God is something that needs to be done at times other than Easter; something that should occur daily.  The process, while important, can also be “messy” and a bit painful.  However, God is thorough and gentle in the process. 

Rend your heart; let God examine it.  Confess your sins before God and accept His wonderful forgiveness and mercy.  Remember that sin weighs us down; confession of sin frees us and lightens the weight that bogs us down.  There is no need to be depressed about what we have messed up or what we have done; it is a time to experience the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus’ forgiveness.

What sins do you need to confess?

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 

(Psalm 51:10-12 KJV)

As a part of your preparation process I encourage you to deeply listen to this worship song by Keith Green.  Let the words penetrate deeply into your heart and spirit.  Sing them from your heart and not your mind to the Lord.  Meditate upon the words. Create in Me a Clean Heart.  

How are you journeying through Lent?

Please join with me in prayer:

Forgiving and Loving God, in humility we recognize that from dust we came and to dust we will return.  We return to You, turning from our wicked ways—confessing our sins—seeking Your forgiveness.  Thank you for forgiving our sins, for healing us, and for setting us free.  Assist us to accept Your forgiveness and live as people set free.  Create in us a clean heart—a heart fully and totally devoted to You.  Fill us with a desire for a clean heart.  Thank you for the renewing and refreshing presence of Your Holy Spirit within us.  Prepare us to deeply ponder all that Jesus did for us on His journey to the cross.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

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[1] From Trinity United Methodist Church Newsletter, February 2016 (slightly edited)

[2] From The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992) pg. 321

Create in Me a Clean Heart: Preparing Our Hearts for Jesus

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. … The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  (Psalm 51:10-12, 17 KJV)

From http://store.augsburgfortress.org/media/images/productsh/6000061218h.jpg 

Today, I would like to continue pondering Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, in our journey to the celebration of Easter—what Jesus did for us in His suffering, death, and resurrection.  Most of what follows is an edited and slightly abridged version of a sermon I developed in 2008.  To read the other posts in this series please click here:  “Ash Wednesday”, “Rend Your Hearts:  The Journey Continues”, and “Rend Your Hearts:  The Lenten Journey Continues”.  

From http://www.blc-denver2.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Lent-Cross.png 

From our earlier consideration (see links above) of rending our hearts before God and being genuinely repentant for our sins; we know that we can experience forgiveness and cleansing from God.  Yes, all of our sins are forgiven through Jesus’ work on the cross.  However, that does not mean that we will not end up facing the consequences of our sinful actions and/or behaviors.  

The few verses of Psalm 51 that I shared above come from a penitential psalm composed by King David, after the prophet Nathan confronted him regarding his sins with Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah. 

David had consequences of his sin with Bathsheba—not only did he commit adultery, he also had her husband killed in battle.  The son he had from that affair died as an infant, which caused David great grief.  Moreover, David’s family was in chaos of one form or another for the rest of his life. 

May we learn from King David what it means to be truly sorry for our actions! Psalm 51 is rich in imagery regarding this.  Psalm 51 is a penitential psalm, a prayer of cleansing and forgiveness—a necessary confession after his sin with Bathsheba.  If you take the time to read Psalm 51 in its entirety, there is sadness and lament in the opening, which turns to joy in the later verses. Sadness over sins committed; joy from being renewed and restored to favor through confession. 

Notice something else about what God desires in this psalm?  God does not desire our sacrifices; He requires a broken spirit and a broken and a contrite heart as we read in Psalm 51:17—“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”  Sacrifices are meaningless, if our heart is not in correct alignment—it is nothing more than going through the motions.  Repentance really is not there.  God desires our loyalty and thanksgiving.  May we all be as humble and joyful as David in our relationship with God!  Humility makes a difference.

From https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8e/eb/23/8eeb23e3c1b756868098de15a2739ac2.jpg

Create in me a clean heart…create in me a clean heart oh God.  This is the great King David’s heart cry after he was confronted and rebuked by Nathan, the prophet, regarding his affair with Bathsheba (which you can read about in 2 Samuel 11).  We, too, should cry out to God, from the depths of our heart and soul the very same words.  Create in me a clean heart…create in me a clean heart oh God.  And let us add to that do not take your Holy Spirit from me and restore to me the joy of my salvation.  Here is a question for you that must be answered individually:  can we truly say from our hearts to God: “create in me a clean heart and restore unto me the joy of my salvation and take not your Holy Spirit from me”?  

The Lenten season is a good time to take stock of our lives and to see where we stand with God.  Let us consider the sins that we need to confess to God, in the privacy of our own thoughts and mind.  Like King David may we truly humble ourselves—opening ourselves up to God—the one who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves!  We might as well be honest; God already knows what we have done.  What better time then now to admit to God (and to ourselves) the things we need to confess, to get rid of, and to be cleansed of than during Lent?  

From https://i.ytimg.com/vi/twOm7mEtw0g/hqdefault.jpg

I believe that we will be happier and healthier if we allow God passage into our hearts and to cleanse us from unrighteousness.  I believe that God longs to give us new, clean, fresh hearts—hearts that will be for Him and Him alone. All it takes, as we see in our Scripture from Psalm 51 and in Joel 2:12-13 is humbly returning to God and rending our hearts—allowing Him to see what is inside.  

Yes, the interior of our hearts and lives may be a total mess—fetid, foul, smelly, dirty, messy, and in total chaos.  We may be embarrassed to open the door to God just enough to see His face; fearing that He may put His foot in and come in on us against our will.  Rest assured, God will not come in without our inviting Him.  He is a gentleman; therefore, He will wait until He is invited.  God will not force His way into our lives.  He is persistent, though, and loves us all far too much to leave us to our own devices without trying to do something.  God can handle our fetid, foul, smelly, dirty, and chaotic lives and make something beautiful out of it, if we approach Him with a soft, humble, and contrite heart. After all, look at what He did for David, the great king of the Israelites.  He can and will change us!  We will never, ever be the same again! 

From https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2014/11/19/17/03/heart-538009_960_720.jpg

Trust God—repent of your sins and be wholly cleansed.  Allowing the Holy Spirit to convict you of your sins is part of the process of preparing for Easter.  

Rend your heart; let God examine it.  Confess your sins before God and accept His wonderful forgiveness and mercy.  Remember that sin weighs us down; confession of sin frees us and lightens the weight that bogs us down.  There is no need to be depressed about what we have messed up; it is time to experience the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus’ forgiveness.

Please take some time and deeply listen to this worship song preformed by Keith Green.  Let the words sink deeply into your heart and spirit.  Sing them from your heart, not your mind.  Meditate upon the words.     

What have you learned through rending your heart before God?

Please join with me in prayer:

Loving Lord, Thank You for how willingly You create a clean heart within us; all we have to do is humbly ask You to cleanse us.  We know that from dust we came and to dust we will return.  Fill us with the desire to crave nothing more than a clean heart and your presence.  Direct our focus each day to search our hearts and confess our sins and receive the forgiveness You so richly provide. Help us to see sin from Your perspective, not ours.  Thank You for Your forgiveness and the changes that it affects in us.  Thank You for the renewing and refreshing presence of Your Holy Spirit within us.  Create in us a clean heart—a heart fully and totally devoted to You.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Note: Some ideas, thoughts, and concepts are from a variety of resources including the Cokesbury commentary volume that includes Joel and from www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=66286

Rend Your Hearts: The Lenten Journey Continues

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:   And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  (Joel 2:12-13 KJV)

From https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/02/18/09/51/in-640517_960_720.jpg

Today, I would like to continue pondering Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, in our journey to the celebration of Easter—what Jesus did for us in His suffering, death, and resurrection.  Most of what follows is an edited and slightly abridged version of a sermon I developed in 2008.  To read the other posts in this series please click here:  “Ash Wednesday” and “Rend Your Hearts:  The Journey Continues”.  

In the reading from Joel, we can see once again where God invites (the initiative is always with God) us to return to Him.  In fact, God longs for our return to Him.  The gates of repentance are always open; therefore, we have no reason to wait until a special day on the church calendar or even for a church service!  We should always confess of our sins quickly to restore our relationship with God.  We come to God just as we are—no matter how dirty that may be—He cleans us in a way that truly cleans us—our efforts to clean ourselves up is futile!

As we repentantly turn (or return) to God, rending our hearts, our lives and changed—completely reoriented.  We find that we must completely reorient our lives when we turn to God—the choices we make will change too.  It is no longer so much about what we want; rather it is about what God wants.  His desires become our desires.  

When we desire what God desires, we will find peace and joy and rest.  Not only that, but we will also be working out of God’s strength and not our own—in so doing  we will find (perhaps much to our surprise) gifts, skills, and abilities that we did not know we had obtained.  We also discover that we desire to obey God, no matter the cost.

From http://www.blc-denver2.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Lent-Cross.png 

The obedience God desires costs us in some way; it also costs others who our in our life.  What are the costs?  Our behaviors change—how we spend time, how we spend money, and who we spend time with—therefore, our relationships with others change.  If nothing else, people will not understand and in that lack of understanding, they may treat us in less than kind ways. This cost extends to confessing our sins—repenting—establishing a relationship with the Lord each day. 

However, we must use care and always remember that an action on our part does not obligate God’s sanction.  God, being God is never obligated to His creation, nor does He ever owe us anything.  Yet He is always gracious to our cries for help and deliverance.  Yes, God blesses His children (much more than we deserve), however, we cannot just assume He will and then go off in a corner and pout like a three year old if He chooses to not give us what we want when we want it!

From http://livegreaterfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lent.png 

Yes, God will indeed forgive our sins when we confess to Him with a truly repentant heart.  However, it is important to note that while God has forgiven us and remembers our sin no more; we still have to live with the consequences of our sins.  For example, take a person who was an alcoholic or a drug addict and has come to the Lord; receiving forgiveness of his/her sins and is truly living a new life as a brother/sister in Christ, who no longer lives life as before—the alcohol and drugs are a thing of the past.  Although he/she is regenerated, he/she has to deal with the health or perhaps legal consequences of the old lifestyle.

It is clear there is much to ponder when it comes to rending our hearts and truly turning to the Lord for forgiveness.  Change will happen—the results will change not only our life but also the lives of others around us.  This is not simply a one time thing but a work that happens over time.  Yes, we are saved in an instant—a moment in time.  The development of our new life in Christ takes years—coming to completion in heaven. 

As we continue our journey through Lent and prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter, I encourage you to continue to keep your heart soft, tender, and open to God’s thorough searching and cleansing process.  No matter how it may feel now; God’s work is for your good.

From http://live-from-the-heart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ashes-heart.jpg 

How have you obeyed God; what was the cost?

Please join with me in prayer:

Gracious and Loving God, thank You for keeping open the gates of repentance. Remind us to search our hearts each day for sins we need to confess.  Reveal to us our “pet” sins or those “hidden” sins that we try to ignore or tell ourselves are not a real sin or not a big deal and confess those, as well.  Help us to see sin from Your perspective, not ours.  Thank You for Your forgiveness and the changes that it affects in us.  Guide us to desire nothing more than to live a life that is pleasing to You.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Rend Your Hearts: The Journey Continues

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:   And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  (Joel 2:12-13 KJV)

From https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/02/18/09/51/in-640517_960_720.jpg

Today, we continue to consider Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, as we prepare to celebrate Easter—what Jesus did for us in His suffering, death, and resurrection.  Most of what follows is an edited and slightly abridged version of a sermon I developed in 2008.  To read the first post from Wednesday, please click on “Ash Wednesday” in the first line of this paragraph. 

Ash Wednesday is a time to consider our mortality as well as a safe place to commune with God—allowing Him to search our hearts—confessing our sins or hurtful, unjust actions—as He shines the light of His precious Holy Spirit upon us.  God forgives us, when we humbly repent, may we accept His wonderful forgiveness and gift of a “new start”, during this time of preparing for Easter.    

From http://www.blc-denver2.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Lent-Cross.png

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:   And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  (Joel 2:12-13 KJV, emphasis mine)

The Old Testament prophet, Joel, states in verses 12-13 to return to God with all of your heart and to rend your heart and not your garments.  To me, returning to God with all your heart is to be totally in love—passionately in love with God and having the humility to admit that we are in dire need of forgiveness and that we cannot save ourselves.  We are so in love with God that nothing else matters; our eyes are on Him alone.  Our relationship with Him is our first priority.  Ideally, He should be the first person we think about when we wake-up and the last person we think about when we fall asleep. 

If we return to God with all of our heart, we admit our need for what He has, we also show our humility.  We know from 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) that: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  God is ready and just to forgive us and to heal us.  Yet at the same time, we cannot return to God without rending our hearts.  After all, God is holy and due to His holiness, He cannot be around sin.  Yet, when we are truly humble and confess our sin, seeking forgiveness, He is quick to forgive. 

From  http://livegreaterfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lent.png

Joel’s words should call us to action today, as we journey through Lent.  God wants us to grieve our sins but not so much in an outward way but in an inner way as we truly take stock of our inner life.  By rending our hearts, instead of our garments (in the OT rending garments was a sign of great grief and mourning) we are able to focus on what our hearts are telling us.  It also is done in the sanctity and privacy of an “inner room” or our “prayer closet”.  It is there that we can truly commune with God and receive our reward from Him much like the humble tax collector in contrast to the pious Pharisee (see Matthew 6:1-6). 

Therefore, I encourage you to use some quiet time during this season of Lent to allow God, the Holy Spirit to search you, to know you, and to try you—shining the light of His love and presence in your heart—pointing out to you your sinful, hurtful ways and a time for seeking forgiveness.  This taking stock should be done more than just during Lent; it should be done regularly…rather like cleaning house!

What is your heart telling you?

From http://live-from-the-heart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ashes-heart.jpg

Please join with me in prayer:

Forgiving and Loving God, We admit that we are sinful people in dire need of forgiveness.  We confess that we need Your forgiveness and Your healing touch in our hearts and lives.  During this season of preparation for Easter, guide us to open our hearts to Your spotlight searching out the sin, the yuck in our hearts and lives; allowing you to cleanse our hearts and spirits.  As we become aware of our sin, may we be quick to seek Your forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  Thank You for Your forgiveness that cleanses us and frees us to be Your people in an increasingly dark world.  In our freedom, guide us to speak healing words to those all around us who are in need of freedom found only in You.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Rend Your Hearts

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:   And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  (Joel 2:12-13 KJV)

From https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/02/18/09/51/in-640517_960_720.jpg 

Today (Wednesday, February 10, 2016), is Ash Wednesday—the beginning point of Lent—which is observed in some Protestant denominations, as well as the Catholic Church.  Lent is a time of preparation for Easter.  “Traditionally, it is a time when Christians re-examine their spiritual life and try to discern the quality of their relationship with God.  It is a time of deeper dedication to God and seeking ways in which we can help to further God’s kingdom on earth.”[1]  For more on Ash Wednesday please click here. 

During this time, some Christians choose to fast for a particular time or deny themselves a particular food or activity.  For some ideas on how to journey through this time, please see:  How can I observe Lent?

For a short video describing Lent and Ash Wednesday please click here: Ash Wednesday and Lent in two minutes. 

It takes humility to acknowledge this.  Just as Jesus was a humble servant; it takes humility on our part to acknowledge our need for a Savior and to confess and accept forgiveness for our sins.  “Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter: we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith.”[2] 

From http://www.blc-denver2.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Lent-Cross.png

Lent is a time of preparation to journey to Jerusalem with Jesus and His appointment at the cross.  It is a time for us to consider our own life and death, acknowledging that we area mortal beings and will one day return to the dust from which we were created.  Acknowledging this should be a humbling experience—we are finite beings created for relationship with our Creator through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Our souls are restless until we are united with our Savior, Jesus. 

From http://livegreaterfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lent.png

Trusting God for forgiveness—repenting of your sins and be completely cleansed from the inside out—“declutters” our heart, our inmost being.  Allowing the Holy Spirit to convict you of your sins is part of the process of preparing for Easter. 

Taking stock of our life and confessing our sins to God is something that needs to be done at times other than Easter; it is an every day thing.  The process, while important, can also be “messy” and a bit painful.  However, God is thorough and gentle in the process.  

Rend your heart; let God examine it.  Confess your sins before God and accept His wonderful forgiveness and mercy.  Remember that sin weighs us down; confession of sin frees us and lightens the weight that bogs us down.  There is no need to be depressed about what we have messed up or what we have done; it is time to experience the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus’ forgiveness.

What sins do you need to confess?   

From https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Crossofashes.jpg

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  

(Psalm 51:10-12 KJV)

From http://live-from-the-heart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ashes-heart.jpg

How are you journeying through Lent?

Please join with me in prayer:

 

Forgiving and Loving God, in humility we recognize that from dust we came and to dust we will return.  We return to You, turning from our wicked ways—confessing our sins—seeking Your forgiveness.  Thank You for forgiving our sins, for healing us, and for setting us free.  Assist us to accept Your forgiveness and live as people set free.  Create in us a clean heart—a heart fully and totally devoted to You.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

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[1] From Trinity United Methodist Church Newsletter, February 2016 (slightly edited)

[2] From The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992) pg. 321