"Well Fred, that's quite a spread you ordered, why are you so hungry?" Fred replied with a chuckle, "Well, I'm not actually hungry, at the ranch, I normally just drink some coffee and a glass of milk in the mornings, but, the boys want to go on an all day hike, to fast and pray, and I figure, if I get enough protein in me now, I might just about keep up without having to be craned off the mountain tonight!" Bill replied, "That sounds wonderful! I love what you have done with the ranch, the boys really take to you in a way they don't so much to me. The boys seems to see me as a sugar daddy, but not so much as a mentor...not sure what to make of it." Fred thought on this, and absently swigged some coffee, it was scalding hot, he spluttered, spewed, and lunged for the bathroom, there he was able to squeege the coffee from his mustache and wipe the tears from his eyes, and then returned to the table where Bill sat with a smirk on his face. He sat down; they made eye contact, then both men shared a big belly laugh, the other patrons looked around nervously before returning to their food. Bill, on catching his breath wheezes out, "After all these years, I keep thinking, that maybe some day you'll be able to have a deep conversation and drink coffee at the same time!" Fred grined wryly, and replied, "I'm working on it! By the way, what were you saying?" Bill responded, "I said, I love what you have done with the ranch, the boys really take to you in a way they don't so much to me. The boys seems to see me as a sugar daddy, but not so much as a mentor...not sure what to make of it" "Oh that." Fred said, and thought a bit, taking a careful sip from his coffee this time, "I guess it's because, these boys are up against it when they come, and I was there once. So, I don't know quite how to explain it, but, somehow, I know. Have you ever been up against it Bill?" "No, no I haven't." Bill mused, "I had thought that was a blessing, but..." "Oh, it is!" Fred said quickly, "You were in the perfect place to help me when I was down, and this ranch was your vision, God just gave me to you as a gift to do the hands on and up close part for you. I think your the big picture part, and I'm the small picture part of this equation. You were able to stay above the fray and pull me out of the rut when I hit my dead end, and you also are able to see the horizon in a way I can't, but, in the same way, I am intimately familiar with the rut, and with what happens when you come to a dead end, and don't know what to do, in a way that you aren't." Bill thought on this for a while, and he knew Fred was right, he also heard in his friend an authenticity, a genuine ability to speak the truth, with clarity about what he was or was not good at, in a way that reflected genuine humility, no, there was no pride in Fredrick anymore, and hadn't been for years, there was none of that hidden pride, fake humility stuff either, just genuine authenticity. Breathing a prayer, Bill realized it was time to get to the point, the coffee incident was forgotten, with a voice dripping with emotion he said, "Fred, I'd like to give you the ranch, I want you to steward it on your own, with God now, I'm hearing God ask me to do some traveling, to speak in churches about how we treat the "least of these" in our towns, about how our business is a ministry, and I don't know what else, but, there is an anointing on you, so between you and God, I know the ranch is in good hands." Fred sat up with a start, "Bill! Don't you remember what shape I was in when you found me? I wasted everything, and so far as I can tell, you never taught me anything about managing a huge non-profit like the ranch has become, all I ever learned from you was, talk to God about absolutely everything, even money, and at times, especially money. Of course, you did tell me about the 5 different money categories, charity, giving, saving, investing, and spending, and you told me that each one should be prayed over, so far as what is put in each, because no size fits all. I have been doing that, with great results, but, in all my life, I never met someone who was so visionary, so successful at pulling off big ventures as you, and none of my books or college education helped me. So, I'll take the ranch, and I thank you, but, you have to tell me what the secret is, where does this success actually come from?" Bill thought long and hard about his answer, "Well....to tell you the truth, you have more education than I have, Fred, I only took high school, it's not a secret, it's something you already have, it's called a pure heart, see, the heart has your feelings, intellect, and will in it. Neither of us know what we are doing most of the time, that's why this whole thing worked. Or, I should say, it worked because we listened to God and through various circumstances, we each got our hearts cleaned up. Our ways, ideas, determination, and emotional drivers were removed. It happened because we gave God permission. We don't do, we just are." Fred thought long and hard before replying, and when he did, their were tears in his eyes again, but from something much deeper this time, with a voice husky and full of emotion, he said, "Thanks Bill, I understand, we are who we are and we follow orders from Christ, on some level we are both much smaller picture thinkers than Christ, and our being ok with that and following His desires day to day, and adopting those desires as our own is why we are where we are. Of course, neither of us are billionaires, and there are those who are completely given over to their own thinking, emotions, and will, that are, but they don't have real joy in life. Then there are those who appear to have nothing, sleeping on dirt in poor places in this world who have overflowing joy, because they are also truly succesful, pure in heart, full of Christ. So, I accept this charge, and when God gives me the nudge, I will pass it on to the next person who is pure in heart. Will we stay in touch Bill?" Bill replied, "I thought you'd get it, Amen! Yes, we will still be neighbors, and we can talk regularly, I'm just going to be in and out more, that's all." With that, the food arrived, and the men dug in, especially Fred.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.-Jesus Christ. So, I checked the Greek word for heart in this verse, and while it can mean a physical heart, in this context, Billson's definition is correct I believe. Intellect, Will, Emotion, all 3 sitting in the center of a person, and informing what the person does. That is, unless those selfish drives are cleaned out, in this way, the heart becomes pure, and then, guess what's inside the heart of a Christian? Right in the center of a Christian lies the Holy Spirit, and He will start pulling the levers that make our body do things, in fact, He is already pulling those levers, it's just that our own desires are so loud that we don't always listen, and so it is, that we are not so pure hearted after all. A man, or a woman does, because it's what they either, think, feel, or decide to do, and so you see, the "big 3" control us, Intellect, Will, Emotion. For the sake of clarity, I will add, in many circles, this is called the "Soul" and that is a good name for it too. So, a pure hearted person would theoretically wake up in the morning and get downloads from the Spirit that inform his Will, Intellect, Emotion for the day's agenda. A pure hearted person would pause and seek a divine revelation when she is confronted by anything out of her authority. A pure hearted person understands what her authority is, the weeds in the flowerbed, should be pulled, not prayed about for example. (Although praying wouldn't hurt.) A pure hearted person would see God, in the oak tree that gives shade on a hot summer day, in the finely tuned little squirrel that zig zags on the road, in the difficult person they meet, in the kind person who helps them, and in the poor soul who needs help in some form. I hope by now, your seeing the surrender that comes from all this, to be pure, involves being cleaned, possibly to be purified by fire even, like gold. Ultimately, there isn't much for us to do in all this other than carrying the attitude of the prodigal son on the return trip instead of the attitude of the son on the way out. Note, I said attitude of, not the fear, or shame, those were self inflicted. So, that should be the main thrust of this, to have a surrendered, coming to Christ posture that allows for His cleansing, and that's a big reason why I selected the picture I did. See, God is a gentleman, if we want to do it our own, hard, stupid, bullheaded, pig-poopy way, we may. If we ask to be cleaned up in the Heart, or, the inside, we will be. If being pure hearted does not appeal to you, then this is the end of the chapter for you. If it does though, read the prayers below, as helpful samples, but the pray from the heart, in your own words.
If born again: I want to be pure hearted, but, I cannot do it, I can only come as I am, and that's what I did, smelling like a pig actually, but I met a Father who runs to me and hugged me as a son/daughter before I smelled like one. I also know a Father who made me a son/daughter, with His ring, and didn't leave me in my current state, so, I am staying at Home, and letting Him continue His work.
If not born again: I want to be pure hearted, but, I cannot do it, Lord Jesus, I need you, I am coming to you as I am, and I will let you tell me what's next. You're in charge now.
This has been Chapter 11 of Surrender!? To Who?
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