Is it Clothes or the Heart that Makes the Man?

I saw these “ancient" photos and how stylish and dressed-to-the-nines we were back then. I remembered Mark Twain’s quote: “Clothes make the man! Naked people have little or no influence on society.” I had to laugh at that thought and visual! This first photo is my Mom and her best friends, my mother and father-in-law in their Sunday best. Check out those hats and gloves! That was the church apparel style 50+ years ago. The next photo was of us 30 years ago, in our backyard -- all dressed up for church in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. That's what we did "back in the day"! We were on purpose to dress our best. I learned that as a little girl in the "Jackie Kennedy" era, when we wore the pillbox hats, gloves and frills. I remember my Mom saying that we dress up for church because we're going to be in the presence of our King and we want to give Him our best.

Though I personally still carry that mindset even today as a product of my upbringing, I've come to understand that just being in church and praising and thanking God is what is most important. And, clothes DON'T make the man. What makes a man is a heart after God. I'm just thrilled when I see anyone worshipping God with me in their vast array of clothing styles -- from athletic wear, ripped jeans and shorts to suits, ties, and dressy dresses. And, bless my Mama's heart -- she meant well in saying "we're going to be in the presence of our King", but today I'd remind her...our KING lives IN us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) -- and Who is inside us -- is what matters.

I’m not going to be that little old lady that is whining about the good old days when we did things this way or that way. This is the good new days and God wants us to COME as we are: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Where I'm going with this post is of far more value and worth than our outward appearance. God isn't looking for the perfect ensemble or the latest fashion statement. God is looking for those who desire to be His fully devoted followers. The question is "How much time do we spend working on our hearts -- the part that matters most to God?" "Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart." I Samuel 17:31

That scripture was God’s explanation to the prophet Samuel of how God could pick a little kid (David) over impressive looking warriors. In this case, God had chosen a young man who didn’t look like he measured up or was even qualified for the job. In David's case, and in our case, God is looking for those who trust Him with their whole hearts and who live with the desire to keep their hearts pure and pliable. So, today, let’s represent Him in the way we act and look by "dressing up" our hearts. After all, the KING is right here....right NOW in our hearts!

It’s a “Come as you are Party”! WARNING: This is longer than usual, but it holds the keys to an EVERLASTING PARTY.

Back in “my day”, there were a lot of those “Come as You Are” parties. Here’s what that meant: You’d get a phone call from a friend and whatever you were wearing at that moment, was what you had to wear to the party. Folks would show up in their jammies and slippers or jogging suits or draw-string sweat pants, work-out clothes, paint-spattered overalls or gardening grubbies. The honor system was honored, and people, blushingly, wore what they were caught in.

Those were way before today when ragged jeans and t-shirts are acceptable almost everywhere. Back in my day “Sunday best” was the only acceptable attire for most occasions. I remember my mom making sure I wore gloves (and often a Jackie Kennedy pillbox hat) to church. BTW – you should see how many pairs of dress gloves we are selling at Mom’s Estate sale. Whew!) It was a point of etiquette and as standard for that attire back then as jeans and a t-shirt are today.

But, one of these days…..we will have a “Come as You Are” moment when our race on this earth is done and it will take our final breath. With our world in such disarray because of the enemy’s tactics to create chaos, hatred, confusion, bitterness and death, we need to be dressed in our best (spiritually speaking), to be ready to go at any moment, as sudden as a phone call or as quick as the flash of a camera.

Billy Graham did his best to get his audiences ready to meet God. Twelve years ago today, March 12, 2006, Billy spoke these words at a “Celebration of Hope” in New Orleans not long after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city:

“Tonight I want to speak on something that all of you are familiar with, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I remember watching on television the approach of Katrina. I didn’t have any idea from what I heard that it was going to be the storm that it turned out to be. I was like everybody else. I knew it was a hurricane. I knew it was dangerous, but I had no idea the punch that it would have. In fact, I had never even heard of the levees in New Orleans; I’d never heard people talk about them. And then all of a sudden they began to tell us that the levees had given way and we saw the devastation that happened. We watched the brave, wonderful men and women in helicopters who helped carry people to safety. And we knew that a God of love was watching over us. The Scripture says, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). God loves you.

Now, the Scripture says that man has a terminal disease; we’re all sinners and we’ve all broken God’s law. It’s a terminal disease because we’re under the sentence of death. Every one of us is going to die. War does not increase death. Hurricanes do not increase death, because death comes to everybody. Every one of us is under that sentence -- not only physical death but also spiritual death.

Spiritual death means that we are separated from God forever, and the Bible calls that hell. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ. It has been said that the ultimate statistic is that “one in every one person is going to die.” Most of us in this auditorium will not be alive 75 or 80 years from now. All are subject to death.

Whether you are a young person here tonight or an old person like me, you’d better decide for Christ here and now, because you never know when your turn is coming. Some of the words that Jesus used to describe eternal loss are lost, perished, condemned, punishment, torment, hell, everlasting fire.

The Bible says that God gave His Son on the cross and made Him to be sin for us. Think of Jesus. He became sin. Not His sin, but yours and mine. God laid on Him the iniquity of us all, “Who His own self bears our sins on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24). “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust” (1 Peter 3:18), and the Bible says that if we are to ever get to heaven and have the peace of God in our hearts, we’ll have to come to Him. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). Has that happened to you? What do you have to do?

First, you must repent. That’s the first sermon Jesus ever preached, the first sermon John the Baptist ever preached. “Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'” (Matthew 4:17). And tonight He says to you, “Repent.” What does repentance mean? It means that you are sorry for your sins, that you’re willing to turn from your sins.

The second thing you must do is believe. The word “believe” that’s used in Scripture means to commit. You commit yourself to Jesus. The Bible says, “God commands all men everywhere to repent and to believe and be converted to Him” (Acts 17:30), and “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is” (Hebrews 11:6). And it says, “But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

I saw in a cartoon where someone wrote to a pastor and said, “Dear preacher, what does God mean when He forgives us?” The pastor wrote back and said, “All your files are deleted.” God deletes all your files. They are totally erased.

Once in a while a newspaper reporter writes that I have Parkinson’s disease, and that’s true, but that’s a minor disease compared to what I really have. About four years ago I had four brain operations, and today I have two shunts in my brain. I can feel them here on the back of my head, and they hurt every day.
One night, I knew I was dying, and I think the doctor did as well. I didn’t think I could survive. And in my darkness, I called upon God. All of a sudden, all of my sins since childhood came before me. And underneath them was written, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Now tonight, if you’re not sure of your relationship to God, if you’re not certain and you’d like to be certain, I want you to come and stand in front of this platform, and say by coming, “I want to know that I’m ready to meet God. I’m opening my heart and letting Jesus come in.”

If there’s a little voice speaking inside of you saying you should come, that could be the Holy Spirit drawing you. Don’t resist Him. The Scripture says, “He that hardens himself shall suddenly be lost” (Proverbs 29:1). Come.”

With those words, Billy Graham sent out a “Come as You Are” party invitation. For some time now, I wanted to throw this party, and I think Billy Graham’s words are the best I could use in this blog and Facebook post today to invite you to it. It’s time to come into the Family of God. Please come today. Pray this prayer that Billy Graham led audiences in, and believe with your heart, and you will be ALL READY when you are called to God’s “Come as You Are” party:

“Dear God, I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe He died for my sin and that You raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Jesus, I put my trust in You and I surrender my life to You. Please come into my life and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Flying By the Seat of My Pants = Kisses From Heaven

Missing my home church service yesterday morning because of timing, I headed out for Texas. It was a spendidly gorgeous day with the sun shining so brilliantly. I was bound and determined to attend service somewhere, and as it turned out, the timing was perfect for me to stop in Durant, OK.

Durant has a special connotation for me. It is where my 19 year old Mother and my 31 year old father drove to where Dad's best friends lived, who stood up for them as they got married in Durant. There were 12 years difference in their ages, but it was a match made in heaven. Sweet memory for me as I drove through that sleepy little town, past Southeastern OK State University and made my way to St. Williams Church.

As I drove up to the church, I knew I was going to be in the minority. Most of the attendees I saw going in were beautiful Hispanic people wearing their Sunday best. At first I thought the service would be only in Spanish, but I was pleased that it was all in English. What pleased me even more were the beautiful young girls all dressed in gorgeous white gowns and veils (looking like little brides) and the boys in their Sunday best, standing in the foyer when I walked in. I had to grab a photo of them. I made a spectacle of myself when I said, "Everyone look here -- smile big and say cheese!" They did. It is such a beautiful sight and such a momentous and touching occasion.

First Holy Communion (usually in second grade), is a defining moment and really big celebration for Catholic families. The day of First Communion is one they've spent months preparing for, learning the significance of the price Christ paid when He died on the cross for us, and then as He commanded at the Last Supper "As often as you do this (receive Holy Communion), do it in remembrance of Me." These kids have looked forward to this day with great anticipation -- the day when they are intimately united with Jesus Christ. This day is one the kids will never forget -- and it will be up to the parents', families' and friends' prayers and examples that will help ensure it.

The final little photo is a precious little girl and boy that sat behind me in church. The little girl kept tapping me on my back. I felt her love. I think she knew I was a Nana, just like at my home church where my godson and his sister, give me love-taps, hugs and kisses. I know they are heaven sent...in Tulsa AND in Durant, OK.

I love schedules and I also love "winging" it because when I just run with the wind and I trust that my steps are ordered of the Lord, He gives me some of most precious moments. I felt it big time yesterday. Psalm 37:23 "The steps of a good man (good woman) are ordered by the Lord: and he (she) delights in His way" -- (the way that led me to Durant, OK to witness a little piece of heaven on my way to my little piece of heaven with my kids in Texas). I'm just thanking God, once again, for shining His light brightly into my world.