Have you ever thought that just maybe you might need a heart vacuum? I have many times. It would make things so much easier, don’t you think? Just drop the crumbs from your mouth, heart, face-attitude and vacuum them up. A dust buster, upright, canister or shop vac, any kind, would do.
When we starting dissing one another we need a quick way to clean up, because we are dissing our friend, Jesus, as well as others and ourselves?
Philippians 2:3-5: Message
3) Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. 4) Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 5) Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
How does Christ Jesus think of Himself? How do you think of yourself? How do you think of others? Are you dissing yourself? Others? If so, calculate the dissing x2 and see the One that you are really dissing.
Let’s look at the dictionary’s meaning of diss:
verb: act or speak in a disrespectful way toward : he was expelled for dissing the gym teacher.
noun: disrespectful talk: the airwaves bristle with the sexual diss of shock jocks.
Kiss
noun: a touch with the lips in kissing.
• used to express affection at the end of a letter (conventionally represented by the letter X) : she sent lots of love and a whole line of kisses.
Psalm 2:12: Message “Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God–you won’t regret it!”
Psalm 2:12-“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Christ Jesus thinks of Himself as a King, the Son of God, Messiah and that He is to be honored as a Royalty because He is all this and more.
Think of yourself as Christ Jesus thinks of himself! Let each of us write our own life story according to: Psalm 119:1.
“Psalm 119:1 Amp; BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God’s revealed will).”
I am afraid to say more, as I need to check out my own life and vacuum my heart to see if my conversation and conduct aligns itself at all times with the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a task! Some of us are talking about cleaning up after the holidays. Spring cleaning our homes and garages and wonder how we will tackle and accomplish such a major job after letting things go for so long.
Now imagine spring-cleaning your conduct and conversation. Come along and let’s make a team and team clean!
I just have to add this scripture to serve as a dusting cloth with a little polish to make us shine.
Philippians 2:14-16:
14)Do everything readily and cheerfully–no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! 15)Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night 16)so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.
thedailylily.com 
Excellent call to repentance, Sara. Your article made me think of the proverb where Jesus said in the Gospels that a fountain cannot give off sweet water and poinsoned water at the same time. Can you imageine Kissing Jesus with lips that lie, or talebear or gossip or slander or accuse or judge or mock? Jesus would turn His countenance away from us if we tried to embrace Him with a heart full of revenge or retaliation. Jesus said, that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord”, will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but only those who do the will of the Father. Lip gloss won’t do it. Lip service won’t do it but lips touched by the hot coal from off the altar; circumcized lips. That’s what I need; that’s what the BODY OF CHRIST needs.
Sara suggests we look at ourselves like Jesus looked at Himself. Well, He laid down His life for His friends…those who would come to love the Father God and do His will. Do we regard ourselves as ones who would do such a selfless act out of unprideful LOVE? Hmmmm/
Sara said we need a little polish to make us shine. If we will be obedient to the Heavenly call, the GLORY OF THE LORD will make us shine and we shall see HIS face “shining as a glory of grace.” (song Sara Mullennex ’91)
Your article inspired these thoughts and pictures for me: I think of my own life as a garden with a cycle of seasons that I grow through. No two winters or springs or summers or falls are ever alike though. Last spring good intentions, resolutions and goals were planted and my garden looked tidy, pretty and well-kept, blossoming under the soft showers and sunshine. Late spring downpours caused rampant vine growth, practically choking out the tender perennials. Then summer’s heat caused some plants to wilt and languish though the weeds gained new strength and vigor. Fall’s frosts drove perennials to bed and left anuuals withered and forlorn. Now it’s winter and time for cutting down and removing the overgrown, vacuuming up the leaves and debris that clutter and smother my garden and pruning back excess growth on many shrubs and trees. How naked and revealing my garden looks now. These, however, are necessary measures to produce an even healthier and more productive garden next year. And, hopefully, a bit wiser and more pro-active, I will try to make sure I get down my preventative weed control before the problem gets a foothold again next year for
I want my garden to be the living proof you speak so that I know I didn’t do all this gardening for nothing. Thanks.
Very good analogy. Sounds like many of us need to do the same thing in keeping our gardens beautiful and productive. The Song of Solomon says something like this. “….they made me the keeper of the vineyards but my OWN VINEYARD have I NOT kept.”
Time to vacuum out the dead leaves. Even in the Winter one sees tress alongside the road that still have their dead leaves hanging on them. Sort of sad to see.
I pray for bright green plummage to burst forth, shortly…”a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters and streams…with the south wind of the Holy Spirit blowing upon my garden..let the Voice of the DOVE ” be heard in my garden. (-quotes from SONG of Solomon)
but, could you or would you be able to relate this to a person instead of a tree or plant. After all you do know that I am a poor gardener. After reading chickenfarmer and needles hatching eggs for the first time it would take a little teaching, practice, etc. for me to hatch a chick from an egg. I feel the same about gardening. I love the beauty of the garden. I find it interesting how an expert like you brings a garden forth year after year.
But, I am still looking as to why people seemly have trouble bringing forth a garden of beauty in their daily lives. Especially when put to the test. I can depend on my flowers but not sure about my mouth, heart, head, attitude, etc.
Maybe you could give some simple steps how to go from rose to real heart that speaks and acts with prejudice, pride, deceit and lies.
Well…I actually work with a backpack vaccuum cleaner and to me this would be the best type of vac. to use as it is on ones back and much closer to ones mouth..one could be quick to repent(suck up the sin and dump it)fast..and Kiss the son real quick as soon as you/I said the wrong thing then He (The Son) wouldnt be displeased or angry very long with us….dj
Why after year after year do we keep saying the wrong things? Are we seeing wrong or do we have a secret of something in the treasure box of the heart.
I think we keep saying the wrong things, day after day, time after time for the same reason we do things over and over that ARE NOT PRODUCTIVE IN OUR LIVES…but we want it…JUST ONE MORE TIME. It reminds me of the story someone wrote, the author of which I do not recall, who was commenting on Pharoah’s response to Moses when Moses asked him when the plague of Frogs (GOD’s response to Pharoah’s disobedience) should cease so the Isrealites could go worship the Living God.
Pharoah responded…”Tomorrow”! The author commented, ” JUST ONE MORE NIGHT WITH THE FROGS!”
In school they say kids learn about 80% or more from what they see role modeled. If you think about it, it is an awesome responsibility for teachers and anyone who is involved in raising up a child to role model the correct Christ like behavior. Lord may we call upon you each morning to control our tongues and actions to line up with that of your Son.
Rena,
Thanks for your input. Your comment on the tongue is right. In the Book of
James we are told, more than once, to watch our tongues, ie. (KJV) James 1:
19 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, SLOW TO
SPEAK, slow to wrath:” Also, James 3:8 we are warned about the tongue: “But
the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” An
UNRULY EVIL, what a definition!! In the Book of Proverbs 18:21 we are
told that the tongue has the power to speak life or death. We MUST carefully
choose our words; especially, when we are one of the greatest influences in a
child’s life. Needles
I must add one of my favorite scriptures that has helped me and still helping as I love the analogue given by the writer.
Proverb 25:11 AMP “A word fitly spoken and in due eason is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”
I must add the second part of the verse as well from message. “12… And a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.”
WOW! Why don’t I just add verse 13…”Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool
drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!”
I am beginning to think we can’t find a subject under the sun that is not in my little black Bible! What about yours?