A Clean Heart Is A Free Heart - Mother Teresa

A Clean Heart Is A Free Heart in the words of Mother Teresa

"A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love. Purity, chastity, and virginity created a special beauty in Mary that attracted God’s attention. He showed his great love for the world by giving Jesus to her.

There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. 

Find them.

Love them. 

Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.  Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness.

Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well.

                        The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. 

                   But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. 

                                                    It is not mortification, a penance. 

It is joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. But we are perfectly happy.  I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ask yourself “How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?” Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery.

Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing.

A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace."

Much Love, 
Pastor Singleton

Is the Bible Your Love Language?

Every generation laments the absence of their era’s music, fondly recalling “when music was good”.  We believe our generation provided the best: music, sound and creativity. Moreover, we unequivocally pronounce our era and genre as both King and Queen of esteeming the most profound lyrics.  With a second for nostalgia I remember:

When Countless were the tears Sade helped me cry after a break up;                                 When Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell instilled within a quest for an insurmountable love;

When Luther saaaang hope.

Of course, I could cite many, many more. Yet, the one significant constant of my choice of music was/is: its ability to articulate my range of emotions and offer expression for those very low moments when I was numb, lost and beyond words. Music for me was instrumental in developing my understanding of love and relationships.

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Music has that unique and universal ability to produce utterances bellowing within; to soothe pangs; to decry and celebrate the sorrows and joys of relationships; to quiet our tumult; to reveal our psychosis; to define love, etc.

My favorite music helped me understand people, relationships and the importance of love. As shared, music was pivotal for my growth in interpersonal skills and relationships but I underestimated a resource of greater value.  The Holy Bible in its basest sense is a recount of love and relationships; in fact, if one seeks to know how to love and how to be loved, the Bible is the authority.

Music about love is good but can’t compare with God the author, 

inspiration and creator of Love!

John Wesley said of the Bible: “We know, ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,’ and is therefore true and right concerning all things”. As we strive toward greater understanding of love, God, each other and developing healthy relationships, the Bible should be our primary reference and guide. Wesley also was quoted saying, “Let me be homo unius libri” (Let me be a man of one book), which meant Scripture was his first and primary source for understanding but not his only source.

As we know all healthy relationships are grounded in love; therefore, the knowledge of love should be our pursuit.  And real love is only discovered and learned through God; thus, the Bible is our key.  I John 4:16-17a says, “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who love, live in God and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect…”

What if everyone began all relationships with an understanding that love begins with how much God loves us 

and our every endeavor was to live for and love like God?

God created us for love and if we are to truly know God’s intention for love, let’s continue our journey by using the Bible as our primary source for understanding. Jesus says in John 14:21, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them”.

Our best hope to experience love is not remembrances of “when music was good” but in every day opportunities of learning the depths of God’s love for us.  As we read Scripture, we will discover even more than music, Scripture speaks to every circumstance of life.

The story of God and his people begins with and continues with God’s love for us.

If you think your generation's music captured expressions of love best, consider this bible passage written in 900 B.C. (and read the entire book later):

You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride.

You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes,

with a single jewel of your necklace.

Your love delights me, my treasure, my bride.

Your love is better than wine, 

your perfume more fragrant than spices.

Songs of Solomon 4:9-10

As we read and study Scripture, we discover God’s love for us and learn how we are to love God and our neighbor. The Bible is a love story that can transform our life, our relationships, our mind, body and soul. Through Scripture, we will find the ebbs and flows of relationships, we will witness the discord of deceit and the harmony of hope and everything between. Most of all, we will see the love of God at work teaching us and inviting us to do the same.

Questions to Ponder

1. Did you know that love begins with God?
2. How can we know God’s commandments unless we read and study the Bible?
3. Will you commit to making the Bible your primary source of learning and understanding all things?

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton

Over There, Over There, Over There!!

In a few days our oldest son turns six years old; while he still maintains toddler status, I readily admit he and his four year old brother are master teachers.  Sometimes I marvel at their wisdom which confounds their innocence and age.  Moments where their responses belie their infancy causes me to wonder "If they have been here before?" Through their awareness, insights and observations, my little fellas continue to inspire, challenge and encourage me. For instance, they responded with enthusiasm and joy as my wife and I taught them the importance and value of serving others during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

In a Wal-Mart parking lot, they introduced themselves and assisted about forty people with their carts by saying, “Hi may I serve you today by helping you with your cart?” People (mature and young) were gracious and most extended them an opportunity to serve. My surprise sprung from those denying our innocent babies such a learning moment. Still, the master teachers were not deterred nor their spirit dampened.  Upon each acceptance or denial immediately their sights were set on the next opportunity, screaming "Over There, Over There, Over There" (at the top of their lungs) as they pointed to another customer pushing her/his cart toward their cars.

The spirit and heart of a child is inclined to serve and sensitivity

Are we adults so hardened, frustrated and disappointed that our bent toward loving and serving others has become severed? What could otherwise explain our self absorption; our refusal to share the love of Jesus; our disconnection from those known as the Least (the imprisoned, oppressed, poor, suffering, widows, etc.)?

Jesus invites us to have an Over There mentality. Jesus teaches the adults (us) to emulate him, the Master Teacher, by pointing to the children as the model of His love and embodiment of His Kingdom. Not only are we to serve the Least but we are to have an enthusiasm and joy as we are serving.  

The number of birthdays we experience or how long we have been members of a church is not the barometer for our commitment to Jesus.

We discover the degree of our commitment in our faithfulness to Jesus. We realize the measure of our commitment every time we declare Over There to our next opportunity to share and demonstrate Love as Christ taught us.

Jesus challenges, chastises and corrects his disciples (us) as they attempted to legitimize spiritually wayward adult tendencies; as they sought to preempt the master teachers from experiencing the Master’s wisdom and His expectation of us all. In Mark 10:13 – 16, through His rebuke Jesus calls us to serve Him and to scream Over There at every opportunity:

¹³ ”People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.”

1. Perhaps, we need to revisit and embrace our innocence?
2. Perhaps, we are succumbing to being adults and have lost our sense of child-like wonderment to serving and Loving?
3. Perhaps, we need to rededicate ourselves to Over There?
4. Perhaps, our hearts and ears need to hear the stern rebuke of Jesus? 
5. Perhaps, we need to experience our lives in the embrace of Jesus arms?
6. Perhaps, we are to live in the reassurance that His desire is to bless those that are childlike, serving others and continually looking Over There for more opportunities.   

Much Love,
Pastor Singleton