puricare chronicles: Purity

Showing posts with label Purity. Show all posts

Friday, February 5, 2021

SOAP BUBBLES FOR THE SOUL - “Pure in heart” makes us clean lanterns through which God can shine His light of love and truth. As God renovates our hearts to be more like His, He not only cleanses away the bad, but He replaces it with the good. He instills in us the right way of thinking, feeling, and acting — His way, in His likeness — so that what we give out is not self-centered but God-centered. “Pure in heart” is a heart centered on God, fueled by His own character, mindful of His purposes in the world. Pure hearts are needed today to direct people’s attention to the quality of God’s love, to the strength of His character and goodness. Whatever deadlines and schedules call for our attention, whatever temptations pull at our hearts, let’s take time each day to be in God’s word and talk with Him. Let’s allow His truth to wash over our souls and cleanse them from the dirt we’ve accumulated by walking in the world. Just like the waves that continually wash over the beach, God’s “waves” of truth and lovingkindness cleanse us day by day. - "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." - I walked onto the beach and stood in awe. It wasn’t the whitecapped waves that captured my attention or the small flock of pelicans that flew nearby. It was the soap bubbles. The ocean was edged with soap bubbles, or what looked like them, as if God were cleansing the waters. White foam stood at attention along the beach, a reminder of what “clean” looks like.

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Soap Bubbles for the Soul

“Pure in heart” makes us clean lanterns through which God can shine His light of love and truth.

As God renovates our hearts to be more like His, He not only cleanses away the bad, but He replaces it with the good. He instills in us the right way of thinking, feeling, and acting — His way, in His likeness — so that what we give out is not self-centered but God-centered.

“Pure in heart” is a heart centered on God, fueled by His own character, mindful of His purposes in the world. Pure hearts are needed today to direct people’s attention to the quality of God’s love, to the strength of His character and goodness. Whatever deadlines and schedules call for our attention, whatever temptations pull at our hearts, let’s take time each day to be in God’s word and talk with Him.

Let’s allow His truth to wash over our souls and cleanse them from the dirt we’ve accumulated by walking in the world. Just like the waves that continually wash over the beach, God’s “waves” of truth and lovingkindness cleanse us day by day.

Katy Kauffman

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8 NKJV)

I walked onto the beach and stood in awe.

It wasn’t the whitecapped waves that captured my attention or the small flock of pelicans that flew nearby.

It was the soap bubbles.

The ocean was edged with soap bubbles, or what looked like them, as if God were cleansing the waters.

White foam stood at attention along the beach, a reminder of what “clean” looks like.

I played tag with the waves, and then stepped into a foamy mound.

My toes didn’t feel it as much as my heart did.

Clean.

A sense of being made new, washed, set right.

“Clean” is a refreshing word, a reality usually achieved through hard work and care.

It takes hard work to keep a house clean. How much more our hearts.

Just as it seems impossible to keep an entire ocean clean, it can seem impossible to keep our hearts pure all the time.

Yet Jesus adds “pure in heart” as a condition for happiness and blessing.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8 NKJV)

Blessed are those who are “free from wrong thinking, corrupt desires, and impure motives.”¹

Happy are those who are free from the stain and misery of sin.

The blessing they receive is seeing God Himself — understanding more of who He is because they learn how to think as He does, in purity and holiness.

Drawing close to Him without any sin or guilt reminding them that they can’t.

Knowing Him like never before and walking life’s road with Him.

Just as the waves continually lap onto shore and retreat into the ocean, bringing with it sand and shells, the word of God rushes into our hearts when we study it and pulls away the gunk and grime of everyday living.

The Lord who spoke the sacred words of the Sermon on the Mount is the same Lord who today cleanses His church with the truth.

With the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26 NKJV), Christ keeps His bride pure.

When we obey the truth, our souls are purified (1 Peter 1:22).

Staying clean is no longer an improbability in a world filled with sin, guilt, and shame.

It can be a reality as we stay close to the Cleanser of our souls and Renovator of our hearts.

It can be a daily reality of continual cleansing.

“Pure in heart” makes us clean lanterns through which God can shine His light of love and truth.

As God renovates our hearts to be more like His, He not only cleanses away the bad, but He replaces it with the good.

He instills in us the right way of thinking, feeling, and acting — His way, in His likeness — so that what we give out is not self-centered but God-centered.

“Pure in heart” is a heart centered on God, fueled by His own character, mindful of His purposes in the world.

Pure hearts are needed today to direct people’s attention to the quality of God’s love, to the strength of His character and goodness.

Whatever deadlines and schedules call for our attention, whatever temptations pull at our hearts, let’s take time each day to be in God’s word and talk with Him.

Let’s allow His truth to wash over our souls and cleanse them from the dirt we’ve accumulated by walking in the world.

Just like the waves that continually wash over the beach, God’s “waves” of truth and lovingkindness cleanse us day by day.

Then purity won’t be an ideal that’s out of reach, but a reality that we possess and treasure.

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1. Beebe Kauffman, A Whole Lot of Wonderful—Application of the New Testament for Today (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2018), 43.

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies. Her Bible studies for women focus on winning life’s spiritual battles, and she has the privilege of editing compilations written by Christian authors from around the United States.

Her Bible studies include 2 Timothy: Winning the Victory, and Faith, Courage, and Victory. Lighthouse Bible Studies’ newest compilation, Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, is a 2020 Selah Awards finalist in the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

Katy contributes regularly to three blogs on writing, including Edie Melson’s "The Write Conversation" which was named Writer’s Digest 101 Top Websites for Writers. Katy’s poetry can be found at thoughts-about-God.com, and her devotions, articles, and poetry can be found in online magazines.

Katy graduated from Luther Rice College & Seminary with a BA in Religion (2004), and she has taught the Bible to women and teens. Her other treasured ministry experiences include seven international mission trips and seven years of teaching ESL.

She loves to spend time with family and friends, paint landscapes and skylines, and do yard work in the morning sun. Connect with Katy at her blog, Winning the Victory: Strategies for Everyday Christian Living, and on Facebook and Twitter.

https://www1.cbn.com/devotions/soap-bubbles-for-the-soul

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A Pure Heart

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https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-pure-heart-pure-heart-thats-what-i.html

Monday, April 30, 2018

ANCIENT OF DAYS - What does God's title Ancient of Days mean? - The title "Ancient of Days" is from the Old Testament prophetic book of Daniel. Daniel 7:9 refers to this Ancient of Days, stating, "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire." This Ancient of Days sat on a throne as king. He wore bright white clothing and had hair like wool. Both likely symbolize the purity of the Lord. The fire likely symbolized purity and judgment. The wheels may also refer to His power and ability to move in any direction He pleases. Daniel mentions this title two other times in chapter 7. In verse 13 we read, "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him." Here the Ancient of Days is God the Father and the son of man is a Messianic reference to Jesus. In Daniel 7:21-22 we also find, "As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom." Here a sweeping vision is given regarding the return of Christ to give judgment as part of Daniel's end times vision. The Ancient of Days is a clear reference to Deity. The idea appears to refer to God being from the beginning or from of old.

Ancient of Days

What does God's title Ancient of Days mean?

The title "Ancient of Days" is from the Old Testament prophetic book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:9 refers to this Ancient of Days, stating, "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire."

This Ancient of Days sat on a throne as king.

He wore bright white clothing and had hair like wool. Both likely symbolize the purity of the Lord.

The fire likely symbolized purity and judgment.

The wheels may also refer to His power and ability to move in any direction He pleases.

Daniel mentions this title two other times in chapter 7.

In verse 13 we read, "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him."

Here the Ancient of Days is God the Father and the son of man is a Messianic reference to Jesus.

In Daniel 7:21-22 we also find, "As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom."

Here a sweeping vision is given regarding the return of Christ to give judgment as part of Daniel's end times vision.

Based on these three passages, the Ancient of Days is a clear reference to Deity, but in what ways?

The idea appears to refer to God being from the beginning or from of old.

This sounds very similar to what we find in

– Psalm 90:2 that God is "from everlasting to everlasting" or,

- Isaiah 44:6 that refers to God as "the first and … the last."

The overall idea is one referring to the eternality of God, an attribute unique only to the Lord as the Supreme Being or Ancient of Days.

Some scholars also suggest that the concept of Ancient of Days refers to God existing before or prior to the existence of days.

If so, this would agree with what is found in the first verse of the Bible that declares, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

This opening is followed by God's creative work in six days and rest on the seventh.

The first day of creation included the creation of light and the separation of light from darkness into day and night (Genesis 1:5).

The Ancient of Days existed prior to these days of creation, existing literally as the Ancient of Days.

There is some debate among scholars regarding whether the title Ancient of Days refers to God the Father or God the Son in these passages.

Daniel 7:13 is clearly referring to God the Father since the "son of man" comes before Him.

Because some see Daniel 7:22 as referring to Jesus returning in judgment, the Ancient of Days is here often viewed as a reference to Jesus.

In either case, Ancient of Days refers to Deity, emphasizing the idea that the Lord is eternal.

Further, Daniel's prophecies predict a future day when the Lord will return to provide a perfect final judgment.

https://www.compellingtruth.org/Ancient-of-Days.html

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The Ancient of Days

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Jesus Called Himself The Son of Man

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