Pure of Heart

So lately I haven’t been able to figure out my life.  Goals, decisions, hobbies, etc.  You name it, I’m confused on it.  But doesn’t it seem like this happens to a lot of us too often.  The whole question of what should I do with my life?  What type of job should I have?  What do I do with my spare time?  Or the common high school graduation question: What are you going to do next?  And so many don’t know.  Why?  Why all this confusion, especially for a Christian!?

I have come to the decision that it is only because we have lost focus on what is GOD’S WILL, not what is our wants or talents or capabilities.  We’re so busy looking for God’s will everywhere, except in His word.  He is the master of your life, even if you get caught up in what James calls our own pleasures and desires causing warring [(and I’m convinced this is not just physical wars, but warring of our spirit against our flesh) in chapter 4:1-3]. 

How can we say we are seeking to have pure hearts towards God when we are all consumed with thoughts of ourselves and what will please us.  What about our Lord, our King, who gave up His very life for us (in torturous pain) so we would have no worries about eternity?  What about our Lord, our God, who provides food, clothes and shelter for us daily?  Who gives us so many things ABOVE the necessities, including pleasantries that we don’t deserve (anywhere from candy we didn’t expect to have to best friends to the use of the Internet).   What about Him?

So I looked up many passages on what is God’s will for believers, but also for wives (since that’s what I am).  I’ll list some of that here, but you can look up scriptures for God’s will for your situation (student or disciple, child, father, friend, serving, giving, money, etc.).

2 Peter 3:9 Shows that God’s will is that everyone comes to salvation.  - SO WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH WITNESSING AND KNOWING GOD’S WORD SO WE CAN WITNESS

Mark 3:35 Shows that God’s will is that we listen to Christ, listen to God and heed Him!  -SO WE SHOULD BE READING THE BIBLE AND MEDITATING ON WHAT IT MEANS AND APPLY IT TO OUR LIVES

1 Thess. 5:16 Shows that God’s will is for us to be joyful, to pray and to give thanks  - SO WE SHOULD BE FINDING OUR JOY IN THE LORD (NOT WORLDLY ACTIVITIES), PRAYING OFTEN AND ASKING GOD FOR GUIDANCE, BEING THANKFUL AND MAYBE EVEN MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR

1 Pe 2:15 Shows that God’s will is to do good acts, serve God and love Christians  - SO WE SHOULD BE DOING GOOD THINGS TO HELP OTHERS AND SHOW GOD’S GRACE (KNOWING THIS DOESN’T SAVE YOU, BUT IT’S SOMETHING YOU’LL DESIRE TO DO ONCE SAVED), SERVING GOD, NOT OURSELVES, AND LOVING CHRISTIANS

1 Tim 5:3-16 Shows that God’s will is to honor and help widows that don’t have anyone else to help them –SO WE SHOULD BE VISITING GRANDPARENTS, CARING FOR THE ELDERLY IN OUR FAMILIES, CARING FOR THE ELDERLY AT OUR CHURCHES AND FINDING OUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND HOW TO HELP THEM IN THOSE AREAS.

Look up passages!  Post them here.  How can we do God’s will?  What practical ways can we perform God’s will?  If we do God’s will, won’t we be satisfied!  Won’t we be content!  Won’t God provide for our needs and bless us with godly desires?  Let’s do it people.

These are movies (cartoon and live action) that I have found out are clean.

Clean meaning: they don't take God's name in vain (not even once!), there are no sex/nudity scenes, none or extremely little sexual innuendo (I mean to the point you probably wouldn't even catch it), there is very little, if any sorcery/magic or occult references, and no vulgar language.

I know some people have a thing with violence, drugs, alcohol and smoking being present in a movie. For those I would say start with these movies but look up further reviews or take caution when viewing. I do not pay much attention to that type of stuff because it does not hinder my spirit. However, take some comfort that if it is something constant throughout or overwhelming the plot of the movie, those type of movies wouldn't be listed here. In addition, there won't be any horror or murder-filled movies here either. I don't believe those type of movies are God-honoring in the least. But be aware there are a very few exceptions to the above "clean" definition. Those will have a notation next to them of what and why I thought they should be listed here anyway.

Now, I've tried to divide up the ones I have personally seen and can attest to and the ones I've only read reviews that claim they are clean (by the above definition). There are a few that I've seen and remember as being clean, but I cannot remember it so clearly that I would stake a claim of completely clean. These are noted by "iffy".

Unfortunately I can't remember many (as there are less and less completely clean movies out), so if you need a larger selection, just check out Plugged In Online. It is the best Christian movie/music review site I've found so far. Very detailed and even gives the number of times certain cuss words are used, a rating on violence, details on any spiritual content, etc.

Please comment with your thoughts on these movies and tell me if you know of any clean movies that I should list here. There are more than these but this is what I'm starting with and will add them as I remember or find them.

I've seen:
Amazing Grace
Up
The Colony (iffy - the review is clean but I cannot personally remember the details of the movie)
The Preacher's Wife (iffy - the review is clean but I cannot personally remember the details of the movie)
Kingdom of Heaven (iffy only about how violent [overly?] it may be, completely clean otherwise)
10,000 BC
City of Ember
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Enchanted

Expelled
Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (contents some sorcery/magic, but is a very good parallel to Christianity)
Narnia: Prince Caspian (contents some sorcery/magic, but is a very good parallel to Christianity)

Kung Fu Panda


I've found reviews for:
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Now if you know of any movies that fit these qualifications. I'll check it out and hopefully add it to this list.

So I was pondering what this meant in application to myself and my husband helped me to see. The disciples were so busy sulking and sorrowing over their "lose" that they didn't see what Jesus had been telling them all this time - that He would return and rise again on the third day. They didn't want to believe and that's why Christ says it was because of their hardness of heart. We have to get our eyes off of self and see the Lord and all that He has done for us and all that He is doing for us. That is certainly one thing that I need to see and know. We should seek the Lord in revealing any hardness of heart and increase our faith. If they had simply been in His Word (even the Words of Jesus), they would have known His promise and believed it and been ready when it was completed. We also need to be in His Word, learning, memorizing His promises so that we are ready when they come into action in our lives.

Lord, help me to remember these words. Help me also to remember to be a servant. That my life is YOUR life, that You purchased it and I am happier when You are in control and I'm being a willing servant. Help me also to remember to pray to You often throughout the day, for I cannot make it even a moment, let alone an hour without Your guidance. I love You and thank You for speaking to me about myself. I need it. In Jesus' name, amen.

I read Mark 2:18-28. Jesus told them that something NEW was happening. The Pharisees, scribes, wondering why in the world aren't your disciples fasting, observing the Sabbath. Why aren't they doing the routine thing that "holy" men do? Jesus explained that those laws and rituals were in place because He hadn't came. They were for us to get close to Him (God) and now that He (being GOD!) was there, there wasn't a point. The Sabbath was made for man, but Jesus supercedes it. Not that we should take that out of context (as having rest is still important and fasting is still important!) but Jesus is proving His deity and power.

I love to think about that Jesus is doing something NEW with our lives. Now that He's here there is no turning back to life before. If you do, you still can't be the same because the Lord won't leave us alone :) We can no longer be comfortable with sin and being stagnant. We have to grow and change b/c He is God and we must become increasingly like Him and less like us.

Today I read Psalm 86, which reminded me to come to God with everything (v. 5, 7). I don't know how or why I forget that. I also didn't realize how much I have lost my deep desire for my Lord, like that OH I LOVE YOU PRAISE YOU I'M JUST GOING TO SING TO YOU AND SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS ALL DAY desire for Him. That love relationship.

v. 11-12 says:
Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart.

We can't be half-hearted and wrapped up in self, we must use ALL that the Lord has given us to enjoy an ongoing relationship with Him, daily. We can't just do what we want, watch what we want, listen to what we want and think it doesn't effect our walk. Everything we are engaged in effects our walk with the Lord. So we need to have our whole heart with Him. Like when we first fell in love with our mates. That deep desire.

Interesting that this is my first post! O_O But it completely works because that is what I will be writing about in terms of music that's out there, movies, any media really. Any topic that the Lord lays on my heart I will be discussing here in terms of Purity of our Hearts as Christians.