Having a Pure Heart

By Kathy A. Weckwerth

This past week, the girls and I were going through the storage closet preparing our boxes for a Goodwill run. Just as I pulled a big box down from the second shelf, the old beat up Monopoly box from 1976 fell out all over the floor with pieces scattering everywhere.  As I looked down and groaned, I asked the girls to help me find the pieces. "Mom, I think some of these have been missing for years," Jenessa exclaimed. As I picked up paper money, green houses and red hotels and began packing them away, it reminded me of one of our family's frequent sayings. When we are overwhelmed, I tell the girls or Deano, "Let's just dump everything out on the table and take a look at what we've got."

I had to do that this past week. I got to the end of the week feeling tired, frustrated, angry, and well quite honestly just plain miserable.  When Dean came home, he looked at me and said, "Let's just dump everything out and see what we've got, Kathy."  One by one I listed the frustrations, the troubles, the burdens, the aggravations and got them out on the table.  And one by one, as I looked at each thing, I looked at what was really in my heart; a lot of misplaced sin. There it was....impatience with people for cutting comments, jealousy for things I did not have, frustration with the actions of others, and anger over every one of the recollections flooded my very being. It was very unattractive.  I pulled my Bible out and opened it to Psalm 51 to rediscover what I will be teaching about at our PURE Conference at the end of this month.   During our conference, we're exploring how to have a pure heart with pure motivations, pure intentions and pure actions. Oh, boy, did I need to
do my research! I had none of the above, and was in desperate need of some God-help.

In Psalm 51, we discover that David is dumping out his game of Monopoly all over his own table that day. He's had some troubles and some sin issues. Here's a quick overview for you of his story (2 Samuel): David is 30 years old when he begins his 40 year reign as King over Israel. He has God's favor and wins wars, sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing, decides he wants her for his own, but she's already married to a loyal Israelite soldier named Uriah.  David secretly sends Uriah out to the front lines to get rid of him. Next, Uriah dies in battle, David marries Bathsheba, she becomes pregnant, the baby dies, God is unhappy, and David is filled with sadness, guilt, and lots of remorse. What a sad story. BUT....What a great story to learn from!

The effects of a sinful heart aren't just confined to our own lives....no, they affect others as well. Sin separates us from God and produces negative effects, many times resulting in
tough consequences. For King David, his loss of this child was overwhelming, as was the
guilt of his sins.  Let's dump it all out on the table and look with David at the pieces:

Motivation~ Self-Indulgence, Intent~ Self-gratification, Actions~ Self-centered.

I see a commonality within the whole board game of his life...and quite honestly of all of our lives: self. Scripture tells us in Romans 6:2, "By no means! We died to sin; how can we live
in it any longer?" (NLT)  

In Psalm 51: 1-9, David is repenting of his selfishness. He's begging God for mercy and forgiveness. And then, he takes it a step further. In verse 10 he says, "Create in me a pure heart; O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (NIV)  What's a pure heart look like?
It's a heart where motivations, intentions and actions, are upright and Christ-like. In many other translations, that word "steadfast" is changed up for the word "right." David's prayer
to God is for help to renew ( begin something again) a right (morally and appropriately) spirit, and develop a heart that longs to please God and live without selfish sin.

As I looked at the pieces that I had poured out, they reflected attitudes that were selfish.
The week was filled with poor motivation and poor actions..ending with poor results that weighed heavily on my heart, mind and spirit. It was time to do some serious confession 

and relinquishing of sinful attitudes.  I spent the next few moments quietly sitting alone
and confessing my negativity, my resentment and my frustration. I asked God for
help in maintaining a heart that is pure and not one that is selfish.

The Monopoly box is packed away on the shelf now, patched together with a little Scotch tape and a few missing pieces. As I tuck away one lonely green house back into the box, I ask God to continue to remind me that the house that I live in will be one  where we are continually asking God to create in us....pure hearts. 

Jim and Lynn Zook

Encouragement for Parents:

An Interview with Jim and Lynn Zook 

Lynn: I have definitely noticed a distinct shift in our culture since our oldest daughter was in school. One of the pervasive messages of the day to our young people is that "each person is an individual, and that no person should have any more authority than another because, in essence, we are all equals, capable of deciding what is in our own best interest." This faulty worldview is hurting our children.

Jim: I have noticed a huge shift towards disrespect of all authority, whether in classroom environments or toward coaches, youth leaders, church leaders, parents, civil authority, and ultimately, God. Children disrespect adults, disregard their advice, and ultimately believe they can figure out what is best for themselves without needing a lot of input from those who have more experience, wisdom or capability. Although this frightening shift has been going on for some time, I believe it is accelerating and is now making it very difficult to raise this generation for Christ. Ultimately, rebellion is the root of all sin, and this disrespect of authority is a symptom of the sin of rebellion.

Jim & Lynn Zook's Daughters

2.  Do you feel that today's girls have more pressures than they did when your oldest was a teen?

Lynn: Yes, it does seem that way. I think the single biggest reason for this is a result of the many options in social media. Quite honestly, it is now impossible for a parent to truly monitor their children's exposure to electronic media. Between Facebook, iPhones, texting, e-mail, computers, movies, and Twitter, a young girl can be exposed to a myriad of unhealthy images and messages.

Jim: When my oldest daughter was a teen, the computer was our greatest concern. That is no longer the case and we have had to limit the amount of media of many kinds we allow our children to have access to, in order to keep better track of what our children are exposed to. The move toward data plans on smart phones presents a whole new challenge in managing our children's exposure to unhealthy influences.

3.  Does it seem like today's little girls are being pushed and expected to grow
       up faster?  Dress more adult like?  Act more adult-like?

Lynn: Absolutely! About a week ago, I took our youngest girl, who is 10 years old, into Toys "R" Us. She had earned the right to pick out a toy based on her hard work and effort in our home. I felt a bit dazed by the whole experience. So many of the toys for her age group represented teenage girls in various forms of dress that were extremely edgy, sexualized, and completely immodest. Of course these toys were all depicted as "beautiful" and "cool". Although there were definitely some wonderful toys for children her age, I was disheartened to see that the majority were pushing young girls towards looking forward to a time when they could dress like, act like, and be like "real" teenagers in the way they dress and choose activities. Our daughter is not emotionally ready to deal with most of the scenarios these toys depict. Her heart does not need to be worried about dating, dancing, driving a car, or picking out a career just yet.  

4.  As Godly parents today, what advice do you have to us to help encourage
      our children to remain Christ-like and pure?

Lynn: Children emulate what they see. There is no substitute for a deep love for God modeled by a parent. It is contagious! We desire our children to see that we deeply love the Lord and that we want to please and honor God with our lives. It is Jim's and my desire to model a longing to bless the heart of God. We often speak about the things we are praying for regarding our children and others. Then we consistently pray together about those things as a family. Praying for and with our children is powerful. Prayer purifies our motivations and aligns us with God's will.

Jim: In addition, we are consistently reading and memorizing the Scripture on a daily
basis. It says in the Scripture that "God's ways are not our ways". If we want to know how
God thinks, and how to be pure in heart, we have to read the Scripture. It is not intuitive to
a child to pray for an enemy! In fact, it's not natural for me to do that either! People are not pure in the way they love. But when we read the Word together, we realize what it means to be like Christ. For instance, if I am to be like Christ, I have to pray for those who mistreat me. It challenges me to lean on Christ for His strength. Little by little, spending time in the Word of God and memorizing it with my children helps us both to discover what it means to think like Christ. I still marvel as I see how the Word changes the way my children think and act.
It is God's Spirit who does the work in their hearts.

Lynn: I think life is a great teacher of God's principles. In fact, God's wisdom is often apparent to an honest observer. It is actually possible to see the deep truths of God lived
out right in front of our eyes. I try to use every teachable moment to call attention to how God honors His Word in the world around us. When a poor choice isn't working for someone, I call attention to it and talk about it with our children. I talk about how that choice violated God's law. When something someone chooses is wise, I call attention to it as well. I'll say, "Do you see how that deep truth from God's Word saved that person from harm?" My children
are now quicker to see, in specific ways, how God's truth works in real life.

Jim: Children can begin to observe with their own eyes how sin really does produce "death" and how Christ's words produce life and good things to those who hear them. God's truths are timeless. Societal pressures lose their luster in light of the long-term troubles they cause to those who ignore God's deepest truths.

 6.  Jim, as a dad, do you have any advice on how to raise girls who are secure
       and self confident?

Jim:  Kids become more secure when they know this truth: God has a specific plan for their lives! God has created each one of our children for a purpose. They have a chance to make a difference in this world if they follow Christ closely and use their God-given gifts for His purposes. People often become insecure when they don't have a sense of who they are. It
has been my job as a father to help my girls see who they are in Christ, to help them know what their strengths are, and then train them to use their strengths for the Kingdom. I also believe that girls who have connected with their Heavenly Father's love and approval are secure in their everyday lives.  

7.  Lynn, as a mom, do you have any advice on how to encourage your
      daughters to save sex for marriage?

Lynn:This is a big topic and one that I would need more time to really do justice here.
I will say though, that in our home, we have chosen to break down all the aspects of this topic in order to talk about the emotional, spiritual, social, and physical considerations of why saving sex for marriage makes excellent sense. God's requirement to abstain before marriage is completely wise. It is important to address this as a topic that has multiple levels, and to start talking about it to our daughters from a young age. Then you can add more information as your child matures. This topic is not just for "the talk"! This is a topic that needs

focused parental time and attention over a period of years in order to examine the truth of God's Word from different angles. Choosing to remain pure before marriage has far reaching implications on our daughter's future marriages and personal lives, and therefore, cannot be grasped or communicated capably in just one conversation.    

Pastor's Perspective:  

Dad's and Daughters

By Pastor Brian Bontrager 

The challenge of raising our children to love and
revere our Heavenly Father has never been a more daunting task for new parents and even for those parents who have been around the block so to speak.

My wife Chris and I are some of those parents who have been around the block. We have two daughters, Nicole 20 & Emily who is 16, and I can truly say that I have loved every stage of seeing them grow into young women thus far (andI don't expect that to change). We are nearing the end of the "rearing stage" and are blessed in that both Nicole and Emily are both seeking to know the Father more deeply and to live for Him.

The sexual purity of our children is a dominating concern for us parents. We have seen
the pain, struggles and relationships destroyed as a result of sexual sin and to protect our children in this day and age is a challenge to say the least.

Books and advice abound on the subject of helping our children to stay "chaste," but often leave us with a hopeless sense that we will never be able to be a perfect parent.

It never ceases to amaze me as a follower of Jesus how the instructions that directly for the parent concerning child rearing are very few in the scriptures. That gives me relief in knowing that if I follow a few basic and yet powerful principles, I can see my daughters grow to be pure in heart that flows from a genuine love for our perfect Father.

The greatest principle for the dad is to be an example for the child to model. Deuteronomy 4:9 "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.
Make them known to your children and your children's children ...

 From the very beginning, our perfect Father says, keep your soul diligently and ... lest they depart from your heart. In other words, tend to my own relationship with the Lord and have a sincere heart for God. I will teach this by telling, or teaching my children Biblical principles but the greatest way I will teach them is by my example. My children will love and be devoted to the Lord much in the same way that I am. They will learn from who
I am far more than by what I say.

 Thirty years ago when I was in youth ministry, I heard Josh McDowell say, "You can con a con, and fool a fool, but you can't kid a kid." It's true. Here's a great example of this principle in action. A number of years ago I had expressed to Chris my desire to be completely pure and to resist the lust of the eyes. I told her that whenever we were out driving, walking or even watching TV, that if there was a woman that was sensually and inappropriately dressed

Pastor Brian Bontrager

that she should tell me to "look left honey" (or right if need be) so as to look away and not struggle with any battle of the mind. She was VERY HAPPY to help me with that and immediately began to assist me. One day, we were driving down the streets of town and there were a group of teen girls walking on the right side of the street with short shorts on and just being teens when out of the back seat, seven year old Emily yells, "LOOK LEFT DADDY." I was blown away as my seven year old had at least some understanding of purity and that she was learning so much by observing me. They are watching and learning from us every day.

Guard your heart and you will form theirs.

Here is a sneak peak excerpt from our upcoming magazine interview with Rebecca St. James:

Check out Rebecca's new album 'I Will Praise You' now available at http://rsjames.com

Hit Pick List  

BLM'S Favorite Book: 
The Message Remix: The Bible in Contemporary Language by Eugene H. Peterson - Unabridged Audiobook on MP3

BLM's Favorite Song: "You Are More" Tenth Avenue North

(take time to watch their youtube video and join us at the PURE Conference in St. Cloud on October 29th to hear the Dave Herring Band sing this song.)

Sample Lyrics:

"She knows all the answers   

 You are more than the choices 

Interview with Dave Herring from The Dave Herring Band

1.  We heard that you recently accepted a position as Senior Pastor at your
      church in Dassel, MN. How is that going for you?  

It's not as much of a 'senior' pastor role as it is a co-pastor role. We decided that we didn't
see the need for a hierarchy of staff, and in a small church we do so much more than our job descriptions. I was hired as the Worship Pastor, but now my job is simply a 'Pastor.' When
we hire our Family Pastor, we will work together to lead the church. 

  2.  So you have a brand new cd out called "Invocation EP." What made you
        choose that title?  

A few months ago, I was writing a call to worship for my church. That's simply what an invocation is - it's a call to worship. I tried the song at community events and youth gatherings as well and found the song worked really well in worship. When we were recording the studio tracks for our album, 'Invocation' was not scheduled to be recorded. It was added at the last minute because we felt that a call to worship is what our album would be about. I'm very glad we did, because it's personally my favorite track on the album!

The label 'EP' means 'extended play.' It essentially means that while this album is our first release, it's not necessarily our first full album. 'Invocation EP' is a collection of 6 studio tracks, 4 live tracks, and 3 folky/acoustic versions of our songs.

3.  You write a lot of your own music for your cds. Where does your inspiration
      come from?

It comes from two places - community and Scripture. I write songs for the purpose of connecting to and leading the local community. I try to write in a way that speaks personally to them. An example of this is our track titled 'Hope in You.' I lead worship for teens quite a bit, and there tends to be so much darkness and hopelessness in their lives. I wanted them to know that there is hope in Christ - that nothing is hopeless. The lyrics are focused on getting over shame, guilt, and allowing yourself to be loved by God. The music is written in a style that they connect with - fast, upbeat, and plenty of rock guitars (which is different for me because I'm an acoustic/folky kind of guy!).

4.  On this new live cd, you have a variety of musical styles. The whole cd is  
       amazing, but my favorite is "Hope in You." What's the story behind that
       song?  

I started writing 'Hope in You' back in 2009 when I first moved to Minnesota. I wrote the chorus in a time of praise and thanksgiving to God. I personally needed the reminder because 2009 was a very difficult year for me, and God had made himself evident as he brought me out of that season. I simply wrote: 'You are the way, You are the truth, and there is hope in You. You are the life, You bring good news, that there is hope in You.'

That chorus rested on a page in my songwriting book for almost two years. Sometime in the first part of 2011, I finished the song by summing up the gospel - from creation to Christ. I wanted to make the song available for congregational worship as a song of praise, thanksgiving, and even evangelism to those who hear it.

5.  Rumor has it that your band is made up of a bunch of pastors. Tell us
      about that.

The rumors are true! We have a very interesting and unique thing going on in Dassel/Cokato called DC United. It's literally Dassel/Cokato United. We try to focus on Kingdom ministry rather than warring over doctrines, denominations, and divisions. I've been leading worship for the quarterly DC United service for 2 years with some of these guys, so Dave Herring
Band is really an example of what comes out of Kingdom ministry.  Specifically, Jim (keys) is a pastor at Hope Community Church in Howard Lake, while Steve (lead guitar) just relocated from First Baptist in Cokato to a church in Pipestone, MN. Our bassist Jesse is from Dassel Church of Christ where I minister, and our drummer Jake plays at both Dassel Church of Christ and Hope Community Church.

6.  When people listen to the cd, "Invocation" what is it that you hope they take
      away from their experience?

I want the listeners of the album to get to know Dave Herring Band - to know our hearts, our ministry, and our passion for worship. This album is intended to be a 'call to worship,' and future projects will hopefully usher the listeners deep into the presence of God.

 For more information about the new cd "Invocation", go to http://daveherringband.com

Daylight Savings Time 

Reminder! On Sunday, November the 6th, 2011 you will need to set your clocks back one hour for the "fall back time change." The official time to
reset your clocks in most U.S. cities is 2:00 A.M.   

Simplify Your Life! Women's Conference

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Edgewood Family Fellowship, Cedar Rapids, IA

http://bestlifeministries.com/october-15-2011-cedar-rapids-ia

PURE Women's Conference (concert with Rebecca St. James)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Calvary Community Church, St. Cloud, MN

http://bestlifeministries.com/pure-conference-2011