Ther is no litmus tape.

Psalm 86:5
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you.

There is no litmus tape, no requirement for obtaining God's love and grace. It is free and available to anyone no matter who they are, no matter what they are.

Its there for you to plug into it, if there is any condition, it is that you ask for it by calling on him.

Where is your heart?

Matthew 6:19-20
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Wait a minute! We like treasures here on earth don't we? Our society surely has this verse backwards. I would like to think that have it straight but when I make an inventory of my thoughts, thoughts of the treasure here on earth does occupy more of my time that I would like it to.

Ever wonder where Judas was when Jesus spoke these words? Did Jesus make I contact with him? After all, he was the group's treasurer. Obsessed with money, he held on to the money bags for dear life. Then one afternoon he heard this verse. Did it cut him like a knife?

And then the last sentence give us some sobering thoughts. Where do we like to spend our money? That's where we find our hearts. That is so true.

Imagine a street drunk. He wants spends every dime on a bottle. That's where his heart his. The gambler has his heart in the casino. Anything else he does without heart.

Where is your very own heart? Right now to me it seems like mine is in mortgage and credit card payments (not that I like those!). That's definitely a place I don't want my heart to be in.

How about you?

Got Action?

1 Peter 1:13
Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

This is a great verse to begin the new year with! I don't typically participate in new years resolutions. I always think, why wait till the new year to resolve to do something?

But if you are going to have a resolution, this is as good as it gets. It is a really interesting verse to me because it provides clear guidance on how to be a person of action but is somewhat counter to the ways of this world.

In this world, people often find action in an out of control emotional response. Typically a response to a self induced crisis that's a result of procrastination, disobedience or carelessness (I know this quite well). In other words, when we feel the heat of our consequences we spring into surely action. Often, this action is either ill adviced, ineffective or wrong.

Our verse today teaches us what real action is. It is something born out of self-control and complete reliance on the grace of God not self.

So if we are going to make any new years resolution, may I suggest we begin with this verse? Begin with total reliance to God and ask him to give us the power to be self-controlled so that our first step today or any day is under his total power and grace.

Knowing this, we can take bold action today and every day when we prepare our minds as we acknowledge him and his mighty power that resides in us. We should no longer fear ineffective action because it is the all mighty God working through us that accomplishes the things we do for His glory.