Thursday, October 11, 2012

It Really is All About Your Heart!

I have been a bit out of spiritual commission here lately. In a valley if you will...

Every single time I have made concerted efforts to climb out Satan has crafted someone to give me a swift kick in the teeth only to knock me face down at the foot of the proverbial hill I was climbing. I've been quite mad at times if I'm brutally honest and I know you expect nothing less than honesty...I mean gosh if you are reading this you are probably on your own journey of sorts with stories and experiences you could blog about...

As a Christian...I am supposed to love God and love people and I really want to do that, but I know I cannot do that and do it well until I get back to the Father on how to handle those that are not so nice. I know what I am supposed to do, but sometimes doing it is another matter. I read something today that hit me square in the face. "You don't really know if you are walking in love until you have an opportunity to walk in love." This is so very true...

God wants to love on us, but we have to receive that love by getting into His presence through reading His word, praying, and serving other people. Am I the only one who battles with making the intentional time to do this? I think NOT! I have struggled with all of the above lately. This is clearly the problem.

1 John 4:16

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

I am just so very thankful for God's Holy Spirit and His loving willingness to never leave me nor forsake me even when my misery is caused from my own doing sometimes.

Dark and trying times will come to all of us as we grow and mature in Christ. As we learn to navigate and handle ourselves, we develop more into the likeness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ if we yield to the truths of His word.

Psalm 119:111
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

If the truths in His word are complete and totally trustworthy then why on earth do we struggle so desperately with giving our hearts over to our creator who wants only the very best for us? Unfortunately, many Christians never develop mature Biblical knowledge. The church is sitting full of people who drink from a giant sippy cup of milk. Let's face it, none of us can really put a lot of wholehearted faith into something we don't fully know or understand. The things mom or grandma might have lived out or talked about won't sustain you when the refining fires of life are lit. Here is another sobering thought...a good number of those in church profess to be saved because of an experience they had as a youngster. The sad truth is they are lost to this day. I know this to be true because this was me a few years ago. Not all of them, but a good number. I am going to say this loud and clear... YOU CANNOT COME TO CHRIST WITHOUT EXPERIENCING A CHANGE INSIDE YORU HEART! I want to add, this change is not anything you do in and of yourself. It is a change that happens inside you because of what Jesus Christ has already done on the cross. The change in your life happens when the eyes of your heart are opened and you surrender yourself to God by accepting Jesus as your savior and making Him Lord over your life. I beg you to examine your heart today and know that you know where you stand with your creator.

Psalm 119:160
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth forever.

Here is another powerful quote from a story I was reading in my study time. "When you are blind, you just can't assume anything. And the problem is you get a picture in your mind and if you get it wrong, you just live inside the mistake." So many are spiritually blind and they think they know the truth, but in actuality they are living inside a distorted mistake of the truth. And...sometimes those that know the truth fall right into the enemies trap of deceptions and distraction. They too are then rendered useless for furthering God's kingdom. If God's people are rendered useless then we are done...there is no one else to reach the lost. He has given us the task of reconciling a lost and dying world to himself through the Holy connection we have in the Spirit that came to us through the blood of Jesus!

Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Many people say they "believe in Christ" but I am learning this means different things to different people. Obviously, those who believe in Christ based on anything other than what God's Holy Word teaches, are living inside a distorted mistake of the truth.

We have a tremendous responsibility to present our testimony without blemish.

Romans 2:23-24
You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed month the Gentiles because of you."


You know what? God does not place expectations of perfection upon us because we were incapable of such a performance. That is why he sent His son, Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Compared to a Holy God of "perfection" we will NEVER do enough good or right enough wrongs to assure an eternal connection with our creator.


Until we surrender our hearts to God and receive His very heart through Jesus, we will NEVER taste or see the things of God. I had to learn the hard way, no one is able to see in faith the things of God when they are filled and puffed up with pride. A spirit of brokenness has to come and the realization of who we are in comparison to a Holy God must be realized. It is in this sweet place of brokenness that God can reach inside us and draw us unto Himself. Even then...we still have the ultimate choice as to whether we will repent and turn from our old selfish ways to receive His son Jesus for our salvation or reject Him. I know the enemy is fighting night and day against each of us and as long as time marches on the intensity of the battle will only rise to new heights!

God's word says this...

Matthew 7:23
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Other Christians should be our fruit inspectors aka accountability partners in love. We need each other inside the body of Christ. We have a personal responsibility to live with clean hands and help each other. We can't run around eating our own because that is precisely what the enemy would love to see on our dinner menu!

What are you having for dinner...God's word or other Christians?

If you are reading this and realize you are lost...by all means run to Jesus! If you are a Christian reading this and realize God's love has grown cold in you...Repent and Return to Holiness!