Jeremiah 17:9: Should you Follow your Heart??

I can't recall how many times I have heard people say, "follow your heart" or ask, "What is your heart telling you?" Our culture sends us many messages...some positive and some negative...and as Christians we have the responsibility to test this worldly wisdom against the standard of Scripture. Many pieces of advice given to us by society may sound great, but if they don't align with the one Truth revealed in God's Word, we must reject them. "Follow your heart" sounds sweet and inspiring, etc...but is it biblical?

Unfortunately, it's not. Jeremiah 17:9 reveals to us the true state of our heart. It says:

"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?"

Ouch...not very optimistic news about the state of our hearts. The truth is, our hearts are wicked, and they deceive us. We can't trust in our own fleshly feelings and impulses, because we all have a sin nature.

The advice to "follow your heart" is perhaps the most dangerous when it comes to romantic relationships. "If it feels right, do it," seems to be the common worldly philosophy when it comes to love. The world seems to think that when you fall in love with someone, it's all over...you must obey your heart. That may sound good, but what if you're already married? What if the person you fall for is married? What if he's a drug-dealer, an alcoholic, a convicted felon? Do you follow your heart then? Can you see how this is quite dangerous advice to follow? I imagine you won't "fall in love" at age 16 with a drug addict or a married man. But, many of you will fall for boys who you know aren't living for the Lord. You want a boyfriend so bad, and you like a certain guy so much, that you would rather feed that desire than do what is honoring to the Lord. Our hearts continually deceive us into justifying decisions that don't glorify God. We can't trust ourselves! We must put our trust in God alone!

I'm currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and I am loving it. One reason that I am enjoying it is that it sends such a different message than our culture sends us. In the book (spoiler alert!), Jane falls desperately in love with Mr. Rochester. They seem to be so perfectly suited for each other and their love for one another is passionate and strong. After Mr. Rochester confesses his feelings for Jane and proposes to her, she experiences sheer and total bliss. She is beside herself with happiness and head over heals for her fiance. The only problem occurs on their wedding day, when she finds out that Mr. Rochester has secretly been keeping his insane and uncontrollable wife locked in his attic. After hearing this, Jane is undone. Her feelings for Mr. Rochester remain as strong and fervent as ever before, in fact, she forgives him immediately for deceiving her. However, she quickly decides that she can't compromise her integrity and stay involved with someone who is already married, despite the fact that his wife is demented. Listen to her inner struggle:

"I was experiencing an ordeal: a hand of fury iron grasped my vitals. Terrible moment: full of struggle, blackness, burning! Not a human being that ever lived could wish to be loved better than I was loved; and him who thus loved me I absolutely worshipped: and I must renounce love and idol. One dead word comprised my intolerable duty--'Depart!' (321).

The easy thing for Jane to do would be to stay with Mr. Rochester, the one man she truly loved and adored. At least, that's what her heart was telling her to do. However, she decided to deny her own emotions and do what she knew to be right. She couldn't stay with someone who was married, not matter how much her heart clung to him.

A story like Jane Eyre is practically unheard of today. The advice nowadays would be to let your heart lead you. Following your heart is the easier thing to do, and it will make you temporarily happy as you indulge your feelings. Following God, on the other hand, will be harder. It will mean denying yourself and surrendering your life and desires to Him. But by choosing His way, you will experience the joy, peace, hope, and purpose that you can find no where else. Girls, don't follow your heart...follow God's heart~

Encouragement from J.I. Packer

I just read a really encouraging passage of truth from one of my favorite authors, J.I. Packer, from his book "God's Plans for You." I thought I would share it with you~

"It is a mistake, as we saw earlier, to imagine that the good of which God works is our unbroken ease and comfort. God's goal is, rather, our sanctification and Christlikeness, the true holiness that is the highway to happiness. Constant ease and comfort, therefore, are contentment from their knowledge that God is making everything that happens to them a means of furthering and realizing their glorious destiny. 'Whatever is good for God's children, they shall have it,' wrote Richard Sibbes the Puritan, 'for all is theirs to further them to heaven. If crosses be good, they shall have them; if disgrace be good, they shall have it, for all is ours, to serve our main good.' To understand this statement is to have the secret of abiding contentment in one's grasp" (119).

God never promised Christians an easy or comortable life. In fact, He promised us trials, suffering, and persecution! How do we maintain our joy in Christ through these seasons of pain? By remembering that God is still in control, that He still has a plan, and that He will work everything together for good for those who love Him (Rom 8:28).

1 Peter 5:8: Our Enemy

1 Peter 5:8: "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."




I'm not sure where the image of the devil as a cute little red creature with a tail, horns and pitchfork came from, but I know that it certainly didn't come from the Bible. It makes me sick around Halloween to see children dressed as little devils. It made me so uncomfortable in high school that our school mascot was a demon (which is why I had no school spirit and never purchased a class ring, demon t-shirts or other paraphernalia!). Why do I take things like this so seriously? What troubles me is that the world is making light of something that is gravely serious. The Scriptures don't paint Satan as a cute little mischievous creature. The Scriptures paint Satan as a savage beast out to kill.

Peter warns Christians in this verse to be "sober" and "alert." We are to be on our guard against spiritual attack at all times, protected by our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:13-20). Though it is a grave mistake to give Satan too much credit and focus on Him too much, it is also a tragic error to ignore him altogether. There is a spiritual battle going on that we can't see with our own eyes. We must remember who our enemy is and be on our guard against his devious schemes, temptations, and outright lies. How do we do this? Stay in the Word, which is the only truth, and pray that God will "keep us from temptation, and deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13)

The reason Peter instructs us to be "sober" and "alert," is because we have an "adversary, the devil." If you are someone who thinks she has no enemies, think again! As Christians, the devil despises us. What does he spend his time doing? This verse tells us that he "prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour." He is a troublemaker. He isn't just a bit mischievous, he is a thoroughly vicious and evil beast. What is he trying to devour? Well, the good news is that he can't take away your salvation. However, he can attempt to weaken your faith, rob you of your joy, and make you an ineffective and unproductive Christian. Right now, I feel that I am under attack from the enemy. I know that as someone in vocational ministry, he especially hates me and wants to destroy my work. He is relentlessly trying to discourage me and bring me down. Perhaps this is the reason that the average tenure for a youth minister is 1 year! Its hard to persevere while under attack.

That's the end of the verse, but I don't want to leave you on such a depressing note! As I said before, while we must soberly understand the reality of demonic assault, we also shouldn't give the devil more credit than he deserves. Remember that the devil's power is nothing compared to the all-surpassing authority, dominion, power, and majesty of our God. God is still in control. Satan knows all too well that his demise is coming, and he will be cast into eternal torment one day soon. Until then, we don't have to be afraid of him, because we have God on our side. Satan and his minions are nothing before Him. They tremble at the sound of Jesus' name. He has the victory over evil, and as believers, we share in that victory. We don't need to be afraid...just alert. Be aware that you have an enemy who is trying to bring you down, but you also have an infinitely more powerful God who loves, protects, and cares for you.

Caring for the Orphans~

James 1:27 says this: "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

There's no getting around it...God has called Christians to care for the orphans. This means, that as believers, we're called to be ministering to the orphans of this world in some way or another. This could be by adopting an orphan either domestically or internationally. It may mean committing to daily prayer for the orphans to be protected from harm and placed in loving Christian homes. It may mean giving financially to orphanages or families who do feel called to adopt. Or it could mean flying overseas and ministering to orphans all over the world firsthand.

My sister Julie and her husband Flynn have felt called to adopt a baby from Uganda. They are just starting out in the process, and need all the prayer and encouragement they can get! Please commit to praying for them and consider making a donation if you are led~
http://crattyfamily.blogspot.com/

What Will Be Said At Your Funeral??

Recently, I attended a funeral in the Dallas area for Clint Dobson, a pastor who was tragically murdered at his church. I've never personally known someone who was murdered, and it's unthinkable to imagine something so horrendous happening to anyone you know. Because of the nature of Clint's death, I was unsure of what to expect at his funeral. Could God be glorified after such a tragic end to the life of one of His servants? After attending that funeral, I can answer a resounding yes to that question.

At the funeral, there was testimony after testimony given of the quality of Clint's life on earth. Many things were said, but the same message pervaded the entire service...Clint lived His life wholeheartedly for the Lord. Above all else, He loved the Lord with all of his heart, mind, and strength. He loved to preach, to study God's Word, to debate theology, and to minister to other people. He also dearly loved his sweet wife Laura and was fully committed to her and their marriage. What an amazing legacy to leave.

If I were to die today, the things said about Clint are exactly the things I would want to be said about me. I would love to be able to leave this earth fully confident that I had lived my life for the Lord alone....that I had loved Him above all else, that I had loved His Word, that I had passionately ministered to others, and that I had loved my husband unconditionally. Clint's funeral really inspired me to reevaluate how I am living my life and seriously consider what would be said about me if I were to die today. I want to encourage you to consider the same question. If something were to happen to you, and you were taken from this earth today, what would people say about you at your funeral? What would your obituary or your tombstone read? Could people honestly come forward and state that you lived a life of fierce devotion to the Lord above all else?


Check out this news clip about Clint's funeral service:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=8004425&syndicate=syndicate&section

A Disturbing Video...

I don't want to beat a dead horse...but I do feel compelled to comment on the Rob Bell controversy in my blog, specifically for those who haven't heard of this situation yet. The reason I want to put in my two cents, is because Bell's video flat-out scares me. It's haunting. The frightening thing is that he is one of the most well known Christian figures today (over 50,000 followers on Twitter), yet he is very clearly in this video rejecting the gospel message of the Bible and preaching a very different gospel. I recently wrote a post on the passage in Matthew 7 that talks about false teachers, who Jesus calls wolves in sheep's clothing. Rob Bell is definitely a wolf, but he has taken off the sheep's clothing...he is clearly balking at the biblical and orthodox Christian view of the gospel and exposing himself for the false teacher that he is. Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODUvw2McL8g

I obviously can't comment on the book, because it hasn't been released yet, but I can comment on this video. In this promotional video, Rob Bell criticizes a comment someone made saying that Gandhi is in hell, and scoffs at the claim that only a few will go to heaven and the rest will burn in hell for eternity. It's an appalling thing to say for someone who claims to be a Christian and is leading a church of thousands. What he is promoting is the idea of universalism and possibly an annihilist view as well.

Universalism teaches that all paths lead to heaven, and the annihilist view teaches that hell isn't eternal punishment (people who go to hell will die there). Both of these views go against clear biblical teaching. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” It is clear from these passages and many others, that we are only saved through Jesus. He is the only way to heaven. Gandhi was a hindu, not a believer in Jesus, so unless he made a deathbed confession of faith that no one knows about, he is in hell. He did many good things on earth, but the Bible clearly teaches that being good won't get you into heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The fact that hell is eternal punishment is an extremely troubling truth, but it is truth from Scripture nonetheless. If we want to call ourselves Christians, we need to accept the whole Bible...not just pick and choose which passages we would like. Revelation 20:10 describes the horrible reality of hell, saying, "And the devil who desceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever," and 20:15 says, "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."

We have to realize that hell is what we all deserve. No one on this earth can deny that they are wicked sinners, born into this world bent on rebellion against their Creator. It is our own wretchedness that puts us under God's wrath, and we have no one to blame for this but our own wicked selves. God shows His great mercy to us by sending His only Son to die for all of us who didn't deserve salvation (Romans 5:8). Those who believe in Christ and accept His gift of salvation will live eternally in the Kingdom of heaven, while those who refuse to ackowledge him will burn eternally in hell. Revelation teaches that even during the Tribulation period, when people are seeing with their own eyes the power and judgment of God, many will still refuse to repent of their wickedness and will continue to worship idols rather than acknowledge the true God (Rev. 9:20-21). The judgment of hell is not a reflection of how awful God is, because without judging sin, He wouldn't be just or holy. He would be a weak, passive, and tolerant figure...not one to be revered and feared.

I beg you not to be deceived by blatant false teaching such as that demonstrated in this disturbing video. As believers, we must speak out against heresy and ardently defend the gospel of Jesus Christ. God help us!!

Is Revenge Really Sweet?

Lee has been studying 24/7 for the bar exam lately (which he takes this week!), which means I've had some extra alone time. Usually when he's busy, I use some of that time to catch up on my chick flicks (not Lee's favorite movie genre). I had been really wanting to see You Again, and I'm ashamed to say, I also had Revenge of the Bridesmaids in my Netflix queue as well (you probably haven't heard of the latter--it is a recent made-for-TV movie, which I hope doesn't make you lose all respect for me). I enjoyed both of them, though I thought You Again was far better. Not only did it have much better acting, a better plot, and better filming, but it also had a much better message.

In case you haven't seen either of these movies, they both involve the issue of revenge. In Revenge of the Bridesmaids, 3 girls plot to overthrow their evil high school nemesis's upcoming wedding. The bride-to-be is arrogant, selfish, and conniving, and her rivals must rescue the unsuspecting groom before it's too late. You Again has a similar plot. The main character goes back home for her brother's wedding, only to find out that he is marrying the evil girl who used to bully her in high school. She makes it her mission to expose the bride for who she really is and stop the wedding from happening, also in order to save the oblivious groom (question--why are these guys so clueless??). The movies are very similar in that both are seeking revenge on someone who has seriously wronged them in the past. The difference is that in You Again, the main character, Marni, realizes that revenge isn't quite as sweet as she thought it would be.

In Revenge of the Bridesmaids, the girls succeed in sabotaging the wedding, exposing the bride for who she really is in front of all her wedding guests, and ultimately getting what they want in the end. The message this sends is that we have a right to put mean people in their place and expose them to the world. If we seek revenge on those who have wronged us, we will triumph. In You Again, Marni successfully exposes the bride, Joanna, at her rehearsal dinner, showing a video of Joanna in her evil high school days. As a result, her groom walks out on her, and she is completely humiliated...this also results in a physical fight between the two girls. Marni has her revenge, but it hasn't been sweet or satisfying. Her brother is enraged that she would ruin the best weekend of his life, and her parents are shocked at how vindictive she has been. The message in this movie is that seeking revenge does not pay off. Marni got what she wanted by exposing Joanna, but it only made her feel guilty and miserable in the end.

As girls, we're great at holding grudges and getting back at the ones who have wronged us. The revenge we seek on someone probably won't be as drastic as that attempted by the girls in these movies, but it happens on a smaller scale all the same. We seek revenge by gossiping about the person and putting him/her down in front of others. We seek revenge by giving people the cold shoulder. We give dirty looks, we snub people, we flirt with the guy we know our friend likes, we intentionally hurt them in order to make ourselves feel better. But does this work? Do you ever actually feel better after doing any of this? Putting down someone may make you feel better for a little while, but don't you always end up feeling guilty for being so catty?

What does God have to say on the topic of revenge? Here are a few verses on the topic that can speak for themselves. Leviticus 19:18 says, "‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." Romans 12:17-21 says, "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. 'But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'"

God clearly doesn't want us taking revenge out on each other. Instead, we're called to forgive and show love to those who have wronged us. This doesn't mean that justice shouldn't be served and lies shouldn't be exposed, but it does mean that there is no room for a vengeful, vindictive attitude toward those who have wronged you. Remember that you are not in the role of punisher/judge. God clearly says that vengeance is His alone. Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." People will eventually reap the consequences of their actions. Nobody gets away with wickedness completely scot-free. Hebrews 4:13 says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." God sees everything that is going on, and it will one day be exposed and judged...but it's not your job to do the exposing and punishing. When you really think about it, what gives you the right? Surely you have wronged others yourself, haven't you? I know I have!

Revenge may make for an interesting and exciting movie plot, but it doesn't pay off in real life. Repent of any grudges you may be holding against people who have wronged you, and release those feelings of retribution over to God~