Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Wearing an ACCEPTABILITY CLOAK before God S31e48 Mt5:8
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Being pure in heart doesn’t happen by accident.
A pure heart is a heart that is KNOWN.
A pure heart is a heart that enjoys the affection of God.
We do not wear an INVISIBILITY cloak before God, but an ACCEPTABILITY Cloak.
A pure heart is one of borrowed purity. Find out how:
https://youtu.be/3rSfRMZ_j-4
Wearing an ACCEPTABILITY CLOAK before God S31e48 Mt5:8
Blessed are the PURE in Heart, for they shall see God Mt.5:8
Imagine you are a pastor and you have a congregation of the IMPURE. Think of another Pastor who has a congregation of the PURE. Of course you’d rather have the PURE. Why? Because the purity has been already taken care of, this congregation is ready to be of service, of use, of some practical good starting right now.
The impure has to go through a season of purification first.
A Pure person is one who is ready to be of service.
Clean, prepared, purified.
A pure person does not have to first go backward towards purity before she is ready to be of service.
Get the purity taken care of so that you are capable of use
Are you spiritually ready, pure, now?
God helps and we help.
Being pure in heart doesn’t happen by accident
It is important. It is beneficial to myself, neighbors and church It is a state of readiness, that some good work has already been done.
What is purity?
Ps 24:3-4
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
2 Tim 2: 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23
Call on the Lord from a pure heart
One of the most disturbing passages in the OT is Gen 6: 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
If God were honest with mankind, this is what he’d say about them. It is a sentiment much stronger than what I often say: knuckleheads. God’s sees great wickedness in the intentions of our hearts and thoughts of our minds. As Ps 90:8 teaches: When we set our secret sins IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR PRESENCE, what does God find: Evilness. We are EVIL in comparison to Him
Yet our beatitude has great news:
Blessed are the PURE in Heart, for they shall see God Mt.5:8
We can “achieve” purity. There is even such a thing as Pure in heart
I don’t think this means ritual purity, dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. Not attendance, generosity, service merit badges, or atta-boys from your pastor.
A pure heart is one liked by God.
A pure heart is a heart looked upon favorably by God Himself
139 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Attending activities, discerning thoughts, searching intent, Acquainted with my ways and words.
1.A pure heart is a heart that is KNOWN
And affirmed with affection
A pure heart is one that is assessed and appreciated
I see you, I know you, I love you
I have made you lovely
We do not wear an INVISIBILITY cloak before God, but an ACCEPTABILITY Cloak***
I have endeavored to positionally makeu acceptable before Me
How did you get to thirst for righteousness? He helped tune your hearts that way.
How would we achieve and exercise mercy if I hadn’t extended mercy first to you?
How can a HOLY God view what we know to be evil and wicked (especially in comparison) view us a pure of heart
A: only with some help here
A pure heart is one that has been and is ASSISTED
A pure heart is one of borrowed purity. Jesus lends His acceptability before the judging eyes of the Father
The acceptability-cloak that I wear declaring me pure, has been borrowed from Jesus. He willingly gives it, knowing the state of imperfection that I have.
We have talked yesterday that a pure heart is ready to go, ready to be of service, that is A pure heart is AVAILABLE
A pure heart is known at depth
A pure heart is known affectionately
A pure heart has been assisted by the borrowed purity of Jesus
And His acceptability before the Father
Today we exchange evil and wickedness for a pure heart.
Only God could make this possible.
Let’s praise Him out of a pure heart. It is only possible thru Him.