Heart Dwellers

 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15: 4-5

In our church's Good Friday services, when we read the Scripture where the crowd screamed, "Crucify Him," after Pilate asked what should he do with Jesus, our pastor mentioned how each of us present that night, had at one or another betrayed Him, or in some way, lived in such a way where our hearts also cried, "Away with Him!" I agree. I know such was true concerning my own heart. It also got me thinking as to just "who" might be lurking in our hearts, even with our belief in Christ? I thought of three types of "heart dwellers," and I share them with you today.

The first of course would be Judas, the betrayer. Some years back, I heard a woman named Alicia Brit Chole speak on just where Judas might be found in our heart? Where have we made room for Judas the Betrayer? If we're honest, we know that we have. It may be painful, indeed will be painful to confess it, but we have all betrayed Him to some degree in our faith lives. We've betrayed Him in our compromises with the spirit of the world. We've betrayed Him in our disobedience. We've betrayed Him when we've lived in self-indulgence. We've betrayed Him in every instance where "we knew to do right, but did not do it." That this is so can't be denied, but what does the knowledge of this do in us? Are we broken in our admission, or, have we found ways to rationalize, even deny that it is so? Where is Judas lurking in our hearts? Where does he dwell even now?

Secondly, I think of Jacob. One commentator called him, "The Trickster." Jacob was always maneuvering and manipulating to bring about the fulfillment of his desires. Even those desires that were in accordance with God's will. Rather than abide in Him, trusting Him to work in his life to bring about the fulfillment of His promises, Jacob would actively seek to work, most often through deceit, to get what he wanted. He was, in every way, a trickster.

Where does Jacob the Trickster abide in our heart? Where do we, like him, maneuver and manipulate to make life work the way we want it to? Where do we manipulate not only circumstances but people so that where we want to get to is reached.? Where does Jacob lurk in our hearts? Where does he dwell....even now?

Last, there is Peter. Peter the one who boldly declared that he would never cease to follow Jesus, that he would never deny Him. Peter, the man who denied Him three times on that black night when Jesus was first taken. I see him as Peter The Doubleminded. He had a mind and heart to follow Christ wherever He led, but also a mind and heart to turn back in fear when that path led to danger and death....and a cross. When the sacrifice required was seen as to much, too great? Where are we like Peter? Where does Peter lurk in our hearts? Where does he dwell....even now?

The deeply convicting truth is that all three of them can be there, and be there at the same time. And they will continue to be there, heart dwellers, until we evict them by the power of His Holy Spirit. Such power was present in the lives of Jacob and Peter. Each of them had their crisis moment where Jacob the Trickster and Peter the Doubleminded were put to death. Jacob on that night when he wrestled with God, and Peter, when the Holy Spirit came upon Him and the rest of the 120 at Pentecost. The Trickster spirit and the Doubleminded spirit were ousted for good in those encounters with God. Have they been ousted in you, and in me? Or, do they continue to dwell in our hearts, occupying space meant for Christ alone? If so, how much longer can we go on like that? What will be our cost?

Last, there is Judas.....the Betrayer. Judas never had such an encounter with the Holy Spirit. His betrayal was such that he was driven to suicide over it and hung himself on a tree. He died with the spirit of betrayal still dwelling in his heart. Father, grant us that this spirit will no longer dwell in ours. May the only Dweller in our hearts be Christ's Holy Spirit. May it be that there is room for no one and nothing else. Jesus first, Jesus last, Jesus always. Jesus....the Dweller in our heart. May we live in the wonder of the Jesus Heart.

Blessings,

Pastor O