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The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
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Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Sunset Outlet entrance
Yesterday we stopped by one of our favorite route destinations, Sunset Grocery Outlet in Lebanon County. It's not "woke" but rather "based" although the management may be unaware of what those terms now mean.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

"Cleaning House"

Message summary: Cleaning a house is much like that of cleaning our heart and soul. There's a lot of junk we need to toss from our lives so that we make room for Christ to inhabit and rule our lives. It's the I made a decision in 1971 to accept Christ into my life and receive His forgiveness. In one sense my "house" was cleaned at that moment of conversion but in another sense the cleansing had just begun and is ongoing over 50 years later and will continue till I am called home.

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"Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:20-22).

Garden shed (click to enlarge)We just cleaned out our garden shed. It was a real mess since we hadn't thoroughly cleaned it for several years. In the process of building our house addition project this last winter it served as a catch-all where we just threw everything in to get it out of the way. We didn't have the foresight to take a "before" picture but were so pleased afterwards with the tremendous improvement that we took an "after" photo and share it with our readers assuming some may even be remotely interested! Many of you know the fulfillment of cleaning up and cleaning out a room.

Did you know the Bible has rules about cleaning houses? In fact the heading for a section beginning in Leviticus 14:23 is "Laws For Cleansing Houses" (ESV). These rules mostly pertain to ceremonial cleansing though practical hygienic aspects are still applicable today. In fact the NIV uses the heading, "Cleansing From Defiling Molds". We know how serious a mold problem can be in a house.

Cleaning our houses (garden sheds, garages, barns, etc.) is important for a well-ordered life but today we consider in our text a call from Peter that we are to cleanse the inner person, especially considering the portion, "if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable".

Pastor David Guzik  writes, "the phrase is "if anyone cleanses himself": Paul is talking about a cleansing that isn’t just something God does for us as we sit passively; this is a self-cleansing for service that goes beyond a general cleansing for sin. There is a main aspect of cleansing which comes to us as we trust in Jesus and His work on our behalf; this work of cleansing is really God’s work in us, and not our work. This is the sense of 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But there is another aspect of cleansing which God looks for us to do with the participation of our own will and effort; not that it is our work apart from God, but it is a work that awaits our will and effort: If anyone cleans himself. This aspect of cleansing is mostly connected with usefulness for service, and closeness to God. (2 Timothy 2 Commentary)

The first step to cleansing ourselves from what is dishonorable is when we confess our sin and accept Christ as a Savior. Everyone needs to begin with that step. "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Any attempt to clean up in a manner pleasing to God without this step will be futile. D. L. Moody said that "God doesn't seek for golden vessels, and does not ask for silver ones, but He must have clean ones."

But there is also an ongoing aspect to staying clean expressed to believers in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". We know that even after the heavy duty cleaning of our garden shed it will get cluttered and dirty again. (Brooksyne would say I clutter more than her, but truth be told, we both need to tidy up our storage space regularly and return items to their assigned location. Overall with a tidy room we will waste a lot less time hunting for tools, have better inventory of our possessions, and do less finger pointing as to who did not return the tool!)

Cleaning a house is much like that of cleaning our heart and soul. There's a lot of junk we need to toss from our lives so that we make room for Christ to inhabit and rule our lives. I made a decision in 1971 to accept Christ into my life and receive His forgiveness.  In one sense my "house" was cleaned at that moment of conversion but in another sense the cleansing had just begun and is ongoing, now over 50 years later and will continue till I am called home. 

A vessel of honor for God,
A vessel of honor for God,
Sanctified, holy, that I might be
A vessel of honor for God.


Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying man Daily prayer: Father, I want to cleanse myself from that which is dishonorable, so that I can be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy and useful to You, the Master of my house, ready for every good work. Help me to flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those of the faith who call on You from a pure heart to not only cleanse me from sin but maintain a right spirit within me all the days of my life. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Prayer adapted from 2 Timothy 2


Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Lord Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary"  Watch on YouTube  Randy Rothwell

"Vessel of Honor, Nearer I Am Thine, O Lord"  Watch on YouTube  Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Amish field work
Late yesterday afternoon I took a neighborhood bike ride and passed our new neighbor doing field work with his team. An Amish family bought a large farm on the other side of Donegal Springs Road  (on Carmany Road) and is building a new house.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

Carmany Road wheat field
This wheat field on Carmany Road will be harvested soon.
How many of you like long farm lanes like we do?
(Click on photo to enlarge)

Finally today:

First seasonal morning glory
Normally our very prolific morning glories bloom later as we recall but this year we already have some blooming. This one is near our front picket fence and will climb an arbor over the gate through the summer and even fall. These morning glories resow every year from seeds Brooksyne planted some 20 years ago. Even all the disruptions during the construction of our addition did not hinder them!

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.



Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."



 
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