A Heart For Jesus

  “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭ESV   This verse was part of a letter written to the Church at Laodicea, the people had become lukewarm, perhaps complacent, maybe even a bit proud or self-righteous. Blinded by their successes and prosperity they had forgotten God; that their many blessings had come from Him.  Reminds me of the parable of the rich fool found in Luke 12:16-20(ESV), “And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; rela...

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬ I’ve often thought this verse applies to those who’ve lost a loved one. After all, the Bible says in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (ESV). It’s a source of comfort to know He’s near during such losses. But I wonder if it holds a deeper meaning? Could it be that we find comfort in mourning our own weaknesses, sin, or even bad habits? In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus compares a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee is proud and puffed up as he approaches God, while the tax collector can’t even raise his eyes to heaven. He’s humble, recognizing his sinfulness and seeking God’s mercy. Then there’s Paul in Romans 7:15, 18-19: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry...