Southside's Blog

Most of the world is focused on the birth of Christ now and then at Easter the focus turns to His death. People will attend church services on both of these occasions and feel good about their relationship with God/Jesus. It seems an appropriate time to think about our relationship with God and Christ in light of what’s being celebrated.

Everything in our lives revolves around relationships. Our marriage, children, other relatives, friends, work relationships, etc. Working at relationships is a fulltime effort if you want to cultivate and maintain them.

When asked about their relationship with God people answer “yes, I believe in God”. Just because you believe that God and Jesus exist does not mean you have a relationship with them! I believe you exist, but we probably don’t have a relationship. Think about your relationship with the One who brought you into the world, gives you blessings, sacrificed His Son for you and finally will decide where you spend eternity. Is He not worthy of a very close, loving and obedient relationship? Is His Son who suffered immeasurable for you not worthy?

The professional counselors write that a good relationship with others is made up of the following: understanding, strong foundation of respect, love, honesty, loyalty, trust and strong communication. Communication is the key according to them! I’ll add that working at the relationship is very important as well.

What efforts are needed for a good relationship with God? The religious writers recommend the following characteristics so do an inventory of your efforts for a relationship with God. I’ve added a couple. As you read these take an inventory of your efforts.

First, decide you want a relationship with Him! Being ambivalent about God does not work for Him. Revelation 3:15-17 NIV - 15 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” If your attitude is “I’m giving all I’m willing to give!”, then take a step back and think about your attitude towards God. This statement implies you have more to give to the relationship but are unwilling and not committed!

Love, honor and respect Him. - Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  Do you? Is He your priority? He expects to be. Would your spouse feel like you valued the relationship with him or her if you treated them the same way you treat God?

Pray -Talk to Him. Just as with any other person in your life, communication is essential to strengthening your relationship with God. I Thessalonians 5:17 NLT– “Never stop praying.” Yes he knows what’s in your mind, but He wants to hear from you, frequently. If you do not talk with your spouse, your relationship is not likely to be a good one. It’s the same way with God. At one time I believed formality was required when I talked with God. Now I am very respectful but not as formal. Open your heart and let him know in your words. He can deal with whatever is on your heart.

Obey God's commandments. John 14:15 ESV - “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” People have a tendency to pick the commandments they are comfortable with and discard those they don’t like. Jesus did not say to choose the commandments with which you agree but made a flat statement to obey all! Never think that God’s commandments are outdated and not relevant in today’s world.

Study the scriptures – Study of the scriptures is God’s way of communicating with us.

2 Timothy 2:15 – NIV “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” If you do not make Bible study a regular habit how can you grow your relationship with Him?

Listen for Him – Listening to God Psalm 37:7-9 ESV – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;”. F. LaGard Smith wrote in Meeting God in Quiet Places: “The peace of God comes to us when we use the quiet times in our life to turn our hearts over to God so that He can prepare us for whatever struggles we face.”

Trust Him! Have faith in Him! God does not always answer our prayers the way we want but He wants our trust. It’s not always easy to trust especially when you lose a loved one, lose your job and income, can’t pay bills and put food on the table. How can I trust Him when bad things happen? Why must these things happen?  I have no answers other than to pray for peace through Him. Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”

Mr. Smith spends part of his life living in England.  He watches hot air balloons floating over the skies in the village of Cotswold. He compares in Meeting God in Quiet Places  his trust in God to being in the basket of the balloon: “From my youth I have happily committed my trust to an unseen God. Even now, in most cases, I am truly a willing passenger. And so far the flight has been, if not always smooth, at least accompanied by an abiding sense of security. Over the years, I have been through storms and calm, through ups and downs; through the heartache of broken relationships, the passing of loved ones, the tears of defeat, the fear of loneliness, and the discouragement of my fallibility. But somehow I keep flying. Somehow he lifts me higher. In the safety of his gracious providence he carries me over the rough times and shares with me the joys of a life lived by faith.”

“I confess that there are times when I find faith in God to be as confining as the basket hanging beneath the balloon. Sometimes I can’t understand why I always have to be in his basket, or why I always have to do everything his way. Yet every time I truly turn my life over to God, I invariably forget the basket and find myself concentrating on the beauty. When I let God’s invisible power take control, I am dependent, but oddly free. I am no longer in control, yet I am safe and secure in his leading.”

 “Nothing can surpass the reality that settles in on us when we reach the point with God where we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is in control. When we really know that we have nothing to fear! When we take that confident step and actually get in the basket! It is then, when we have let go of everything that holds us back, that we will know true freedom. And beauty. And breathtaking heights of exhilarating joy!”

Show gratitude to Him - Psalm 86:12 – “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” God wants us to be thankful to Him even in the bad times. Always remember even though things may not be going your way, He is there.

Max Lucado writes on gratitude: “Gratitude gets us through the hard stuff. To reflect on your blessings is to rehearse God’s accomplishments. To rehearse God’s accomplishments is to discover his heart. To discover his heart is to discover not just good gifts but the Good Giver. Gratitude always leaves us looking at God and away from dread. It does to anxiety what the morning sun does to valley mist. It burns it up.”

Be content with Him and His blessings– I do not do well with whinners and I do not imagine God does either. LaGard Smith writes in Meeting God in Quit Places: “In our discontent and greed, we miss what Jesus wants to teach us about true joy. How could we ever be discontented with things here on earth if we put our affections on things above? In view of eternity, what is there to really to worry about in the here and now?

Those who can’t live with godly contentment in the here and now will miss out on the joys of the here and then. Heaven itself would disappoint them!”

How did you do on the inventory? Be honest. It’s not that you won’t fail Him at times but is your whole heart in your efforts to cultivate and maintain the relationship?

Allen Jackson writes in Standing Firm about how we came about our relationship with God and Jesus. We cannot inherit our relationship from someone else but must choose to build the relationship. He asks “Is your relationship with Jesus one you feel you inherited , or is it one you have established for yourself?

Mr. Jackson continues to write about the Pharisees and Sadducees: “We, too, can be outwardly religious and not believe in God. We can sit in church, carry a big Bible, and know every song, and yet have no relationship with Jesus. Let’s examine our hearts to ensure our desire is not to put on a religious show, but to be a friend of Jesus.”

Max Lucado writes in Just Like Jesus: “Our relationship with God is exactly that– a relationship. His invitation in Psalm 27:8 is simple. ‘Come and talk with me, O my people.’ And our response? Lord, I’m coming! We abide with him and he abides with us.”

“Psalm 119:105 says in everything, His word is a “lamp unto our feet.” It’s not a spotlight into the future, but He gives enough light to take the next step.”

“Our “Glory Days” are such because we learn to hear God’s voice telling us to turn this way or that way. Isaiah speaks of it in chapter 30, verse 21. “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go.” Wait until God speaks before you act. Be patient and monitor your impulse. If you feel a check in your heart, heed it and ask God again. Consult God in everything!”

“God rewards those who seek Him. Not those who seek doctrine of religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus himself. And what is the reward? What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus.”

“God’s love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it any more than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn’t love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God’s love never ceases.”

Our relationship with God is an investment in our life now and after death. It’s not that we earn heaven through our relationship but I’m confident what no relationship with Him will get us! God bless you in your efforts to build and maintain your relationship with Him!

I’m certain that I did not cover everything about our relationship with God so send your thoughts and I will share them.    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thanks!

Mike   

Max Lucado, Just Like Jesus: Learning to Have a Heart Like His – 1998 – Word Publishing – Used by permission

Allen Jackson – Standing Firm – 2018 - Intend Publishing – Used by permission

Meeting God in Quiet Places written by F. LaGard Smith – 1992 - Published by Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon 97408 - Used by permission

As a child, I had my own concept of fairness. A spanking was unfair! Well, not every time. My mother telling me how disappointed she was in me was really playing dirty. Taking away what I judged as rights which were actually privileges was totally unfair. My father’s and mother’s response to my charges of unfairness was the classic, “life is not always fair, accept that and move on.”

As I matured, I accepted that people were sometimes unfair and learned to live with it. I still struggled with God’s fairness. He is God so He should always be fair! In the fifth grade my good friend, Jerry, died. He and his father were shooting roman candles around Christmas time. Jerry’s father held the candle by the stick to light it. Jerry copied him only to have the stick fire back into his abdomen. He was treated at the emergency room and released. A few days later Jerry died from an infection. As I looked at Jerry lying in the casket I thought “Why God?” Jerry’s death was totally unfair!! By my standards God had failed in the fairness department!!

Webster’s definition of fairness as an adjective is in accordance with the rules or standards; legitimate. As an adverb means it is without cheating or trying to achieve unjust advantage. We each have our own version and standards of fair.

Webster’s definitions don’t always match ours. We develop our own set of standards from life’s experiences. We at times even try to judge God’s fairness by our own standards. Do we have a right to judge God’s fairness? No, He’s God! He is the standard! God should not and cannot held to our standards.

Jesus is God’s son, and He did not try to judge God’s fairness. In the face of the awful death He was facing, He did ask God to deliver Him but there was no charge of unfairness. There was no whining. Jesus knew that whether it was fair or not he had to endure for our sakes!

Recently I experienced the God is “unfair” attitude with one of my CASA boys. I asked him and the foster parent at the end of our visit if we could pray. The foster parent said “yes” but the boy gave an emphatic “NO”. God had let his Nana die. Nana had taken care of him and acted as his parent. That was unfair and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with God. He is angry with God, the foster parent, me and you if you met him!

Since that meeting I’ve thought about how I could answer the teenager to hopefully help him. I have struggled for a long time with the charges that God is unfair. So what should I say to people who have that attitude? Sometimes it just takes a great deal of faith and trust to live with God’s ways.  Accepting God’s decisions can be very difficult, and our faith is the one thing that pulls us through.

“

The author, Daniel Darling, from NRB wrote an article Is God Fair? Maybe Not, but He's Right. Mr. Darling writes about the parable in Matthew 20 where the workers that came in the last hour of the day received the same pay as those that started work the first hour. As you read what he has to say, think about your attitude.

Mr. Darling: “Sadly, many Christians in America, walk around feeling as though they’ve been cheated. They ask questions like, “Why can’t I be healthy like others?” or “Why does God allow him or her to be married?” or “Why couldn’t have I been born into a wealthy family?”

“Unfortunately, the church itself has become an unwitting accomplice in this unbiblical thought process. We’ve tried to market Christianity as the better alternative, where life will be more successful. This may be true, but we must realize that Christianity is not about benefiting and taking and getting more of what we want out of a cosmic, vending-machine God. It’s about worshipping a God who has given us far more grace than we deserve. It’s about following the example of Jesus in sacrificing for the good of others.”

“We should view everything we’ve got in life as a gift from God, not complain when things don’t go our way. Because thankfully, we don’t have a God who is fair, but a Heavenly Father who is always right.” 

“Grace gives us the proper perspective on life’s seeming injustices. As hard as it is to fathom, the most tragedy-struck Christian has tasted overwhelming amounts of God’s grace. More than even that soul deserved.”

“So if we were to be completely honest, we wouldn’t want God to be fair. If He was, then He wouldn’t have sent Jesus to pay for our sins and we would be bound for a hopeless eternity. And He wouldn’t walk beside us daily, giving us strength. He wouldn’t extend His hand of forgiveness when we fail.”

“Instead, we should be glad we serve a God who is right. Because we’re not getting what we deserve. Nobody who walks this earth is. Instead, we’re getting something far greater. His grace.”

Recently, I quoted a prayer from Allen Jackson where he says to God “you’ve never failed me.” Can you say Amen to that? I try to say that but do not always make it. We need to practice what Mr. Darling writes, keep our perspective and have the same attitude as Mr. Jackson.

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” ― Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones: Everyone Needs a Miracle – Used by permission

Thanks

Mike   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Daniel Darling, NRB  Is God Fair? Maybe Not, but He's Right.  Used by permission.

Standing Firm  Allan Jackson - Intend Publishing – 2018 – Used by permission

Max Lucado writes in his Daily Devotional:

“When Martin Luther’s co-worker became ill, the reformer prayed boldly for healing.  “I besought the Almighty with great vigor,” he wrote.”

“As John Wesley was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, contrary winds came up.  And when he learned the winds were knocking the ship off course, he responded in prayer. “Almighty and everlasting God…command these winds and these waves that they obey thee, and take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go.”

“Boldness in prayer is an uncomfortable thought for many.  Storming the heavens with prayers? God has invited us to pray as such!  Scripture says, “So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  Dare to pray boldly!”

Some of the Bible translations use the word “bold” and others use “confidence”.  Here are two thoughts from commentaries:

“We are not to cower anxiously before His magnificent presence. Rather, we are encouraged to come to Him and to keep on coming to His throne, without fear or doubt. We are to come to Him freely, constantly, ceaselessly, and persistently.”

“Now boldly is a somewhat incongruous word; it neither conveys the original, nor does it correspond to our sense of propriety. The thought would be far more beautiful and far more naturally represented by a more literal translation - ‘Let us come with frank confidence’ to the throne of grace. The word literally means, if we go to the etymology of it, speaking everything. You can easily understand how naturally that becomes an expression for the unembarrassed, unrestrained full out-pouring of a heart. You cannot pour out your heart in the fullest confidence to a person you do not respect, but if you get with someone you entirely trust, how swiftly the words flow. and how very easy it is to tell out the whole heart. Just so with this great word of the writer of this Epistle, descriptive of the temper and disposition with which men are to go to God - with confidence, full, cheerful, and unembarrassed, and which expresses itself in full trust, exactly as one of the old Psalms says - ‘Ye people, pour out your heart before Him.’”

Based on the happenings in our world today we do need to approach God often with boldness and confidence. This does not mean we are disrespectful or have to cower either but to tell Him what is on our hearts. Read carefully: Philippians 4:6-7

English Standard Version

“6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.”

As you talk to God, remember you can take everything to Him. Always give Him the praise and thanks He deserves!

Thanks

Mike    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

I found the following on Facebook:

“You never really know the true impact you have on those around you. You never know how much someone needed that smile you gave them. You never know how much your kindness turned someone’s entire life around. You never know how much someone needed that long hug or deep talk. So don’t wait to be kind. Don’t wait for someone else to be kind first. Don’t wait for better circumstances or someone to change. Just be kind because you never know how  much someone needs it.”

Nikki Banas

We all have the capability to be kind but get so busy with ourselves that we don’t think about it or work at it. Children really need us to be kind to them. Too often their parents abuse and neglect them. They need us to be kind.

All people need to be kind, especially Christians. If others see kindness in us, they can be influenced for Christ. If they see unkindness, they can be turned off towards Christ. Work at and practice kindness. Your life will be better, and you will be blessed!

Thanks

Mike   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There are those that will assure you a verse is in the Bible that reads: “God helps those who help themselves.” I’ve never been able to locate it nor can those who quote the phrase, but many will declare it is there!  Sounds reasonable and there may be some truth in the saying.

The phrase originated as the moral to one of Aesop's Fables.  It has been commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin as well.

The internet gives three thoughts to the phrase’s meaning. Depending on self is key!

(1.) to be able to come out of a bad situation by self-help rather than hoping for divine intervention

(2.)to be able to help one's own self

(3.)to make a plan to help your own self out of a situation

Read the following by Max Lucado: “So the sisters of Lazarus simply wrapped their concern in a sentence, and they left it with Jesus. They did not tell him how to respond. No presumption. A lesson for us perhaps? Christ responded to the crisis of health with a promise of help. “‘Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death.’” (John 11:4 NLT). Lazarus, we learn, will find himself in the valley of death, but he will not stay there. Because Christ was with him. Remember, friends, you are never alone.”

In place of relying on “self” do we ask God’s help in resolving our problems and issues then meddle in them by telling Him how to go about taking care of them. If we ask God for His help, then do not provide multiple choice options for Him. He’s got this! Trust and have faith! Let Him have the problem or issue and be patient. For those of us who have a patience problem read the following verses:

Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, ”declares the Lord.”

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

 Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Now, practice these verses!

*Consider this prayer by Alan Jackson: “Heavenly Father, I admit that I at times been impatient and have doubted that You were listening to my prayers. I know that I ought to trust You now as I have in the past. You have never failed me or let me down. Your love has been poured out in my life many times. Help me, Lord, to be still and wait on your answer. In Jesus’ name, amen".

Thanks!

Mike    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*Standing Firm – Alan Jackson  - Intend Publishing 2018

First, I want to thank Kevin Collier for his lesson today on unity and give him and his lesson an Amen! I’ve been writing on this article for a while. His lesson helped me finish my thoughts. You can see and hear his lesson on our website.

Disagreements have probably existed since Adam and Eve. There was most likely a huge one after they were exiled from the garden. Abraham, Moses and Noah differed with people. Paul and Barnabas had a “sharp disagreement” over who they would take on a journey. Even the apostles asked for Christ to solve the disagreement about who was the greatest among them. People can disagree with God. They accuse Him of not answering prayers in the manner they requested.

Husband and wives, parents and children, especially teenagers, friends, bosses, colleagues, and just about any number of people can disagree.  We disagree on ball teams and the officials calls during a game. If you don’t believe me, go to a little league game sometime and watch the actions of some of the “adults”.

Disagreements are inevitable. I even disagree with myself sometimes after I reflect on something I did or said! It’s not the disagreeing that is a problem but our actions and attitudes that cause problems. Some  people have a real knack for raising the level from simply a disagreement to a harsh conflict.

I’m on Facebook but don’t participate on Twitter or any of the other social media outlets. Many of the writers on FB are really vicious in attacking those who differ with them on their political ideology and Biblical beliefs. It seems in today’s society that differing with others results in an attitude that you are a terrible and evil person. People write vicious things under the cover of social media they would not say to someone else face to face. Is social media to blame for these things? No, because the person is expressing what’s really in their heart!

I’ve unfollowed some relatives on FB who believe if you are not liberal like them then you are ignorant, an idiot or just pick a demeaning word of your choice to describe yourself. There is a man on FB who is so conservative that you are just an evil  person and are trying to ruin our country if you differ from him. It’s ok to feel strongly about your political philosophy but it’s not ok to be like the following description In Ephesians 4. Notice my emphasis of “all”.

Ephesians 4:31-5:2 ESV – “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

The same verse is also true about disagreements concerning your religious beliefs. People feel and express the following at times: “If you disagree with my Biblical beliefs then you are hell bound.” I’m aware of a man who spends time on an internet Bible discussion group of being told he is hell bound. He believes the water Jesus turned to wine was alcoholic and the other person told him he was going to hell for believing that. Read Romans 14:1 ESV – “Accept the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” The emphasis is mine.

Kay and I were members of a congregation in Memphis that totally dissolved over worship style after 50+ years of existence. The disagreements were over a worship team, raising hands during songs and clapping hands while singing. The elders tried two worship services but that created more disagreements. I will not write about all the different actions and reactions of the members but do believe that God was sad and very unhappy.

Some individuals  all to eagerly announce eternal judgement on others who disagree with them. Whether the wine was alcoholic are not is a matter of opinion to me. Why do people believe God gave them perfect interpretation of the scriptures? My intent is do as the Bible directs but I’m capable of being incorrect. To think you have perfect interpretation is arrogant. I do not intend to offend anyone but think about your treatment of and attitude towards others when you disagree on what the scriptures say. Loving others is important with your relationship with God. Some people spend very little time in Bible study relying on their parents, spouse, ministers and others to develop their beliefs. This is dangerous to your salvation! Read and pray about 2 Timothy 2:15 – ESV – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

There are disagreements concerning our salvation which will clearly be a deciding factor on judgement day but remember the marque on a church: “Love everyone and let God separate them!”

Max Lucado writes: “We can be respectful. We do not have the right to be arrogant and to point a finger. Of all the people who should not be arrogant it is those of us who believe we are saved by grace.”  Quoted from an article: The Beauty of Disagreeing Agreeably from a Jen Hatmaker Podcast

“Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.”

 Max Lucado, When God Whispers Your Name - Published June 4, 1999 by W Publishing Group

We need to maintain our love for one another as we disagree. Jesus still loves us through all things! Pray for unity!

Thanks

Mike   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

As a youngster I remember men leading public prays asking for God to forgive us of our sins both of commission and omission. At that time, my thinking was that commission meant an outward act. Sins of omission were services  we should have performed for God but neglected. As I matured, I begin to understand that all sins are developed in my heart and it did not take an outward act to commit sin.

Quotes from writers on the internet. Some are unknown:

“The heart, according to the Bible, is part of man's spiritual makeup. It is the place where emotions and desires begin; it is that which drives the will of man towards action.”

“The seed of every sin known to man is in my heart.” ― Robert Murray McCheyne

“In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed "sinful".”

“Thoughts become sin when we nurture them, dwell on them, allow them to lead us down a path of more thoughts that are wrong. They are sinful when we allow them to inspire sinful attitudes and they are especially sinful when they compel us to act in a sinful way.”

Scriptures tell us that the heart or our spiritual makeup is where sin first manifests itself. People blame God for their sins. “He made me this way so I’m not responsible for my sins.” God did not make us to sin but did give us a free will to act however we choose. 

A variety of people believe that it does take an outward action before we sin. Their thinking is that if they have an attitude or thought but do not act on them, then they have not sinned.  Read the following scriptures about actions, thoughts and attitudes fostered in our hearts:

Matthew 5:28 – “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Matthew 15:19 - “For out of the heart come evil thoughts--murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

Proverbs 23:7 – “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, said he to you; but his heart is not with you.”

Genesis 6:5 – “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.”

Mark 7:21-23  “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,  adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

So if the sin begins in my heart, what action do I take to fight sin? Proverbs tells us to guard our hearts: Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” What does it mean to guard your heart? How do I guard my heart? The Hebrew word for guard or keep means to set a watchman over it. God and the Holy Spirit are the watchmen. Through our following His direction in the Bible and through much time in prayers our hearts will be guarded. When the sinful thoughts or attitudes enter your heart instead of nurturing them ask for help in resisting.

In addition we need to start by following Deuteronomy 6:5 – NIV “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” If you don’t love the Lord with every ounce of your being, don’t expect much help in your war with Satan.

Do not try to fool God: Galatians 6:7 ESV – “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

Psalm 119:9 NIV – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

Proverbs 4: 20-21 NIV – “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.

Do not let them out of your sight keep them within your heart.”

Ezekiel 36:25-27 NIV – “I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.”

We are all tempted and that is not a sin but when we cultivate the temptations in our heart they grow into sin. I read an article on the website Unlocking the Bible. Sophie McDonald’s, “How Do You Guard Your Heart”. The following is an excerpt from the article:

“What does this mean for us? Consider the following questions as we seek the Lord for his Spirit’s help in aligning our lives with his Word”:

“Are you actively setting the Word of God as a watchman over your soul by reading it and hearing it preached?”

“Are you filtering your circumstances, decisions, thoughts, and responses through what God’s Word says?”

“Do you prayerfully seek the Lord, trusting the One who gave you a new heart to protect it?”

“Are you trying to guard your heart in your own strength, or acknowledging your weakness and trusting the all-sufficient One to be your defender?”

There was a period of time in my life during college and for a while after that I did not guard my heart. I always knew God was there, but no cultivation of our relationship was happening. I did none of the things Ms. MacDonald suggested! Fortunately, I’m an example of God’s love and patience. He hung with me in times I moved away from Him. I believe he will do the same for anyone, but you have to make the move to come to Him with a totally new attitude.  There is a quote from the author Clausewitz about war in a novel I’m reading: ”you must prepare for the enemy’s capabilities, rather than his intentions.” We know Satan’s intentions so now we must recognize that he is capable of anything to separate us from God. Always be prepared for the devils onslaught. Ephesians 6:13 ESV – “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

“The Divine Artist isn’t finished. The earth is his studio. Every person on earth is one of his projects. Every event on earth is a part of his great mural. He is not finished. The scripture says in Philippians 1, “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.” Remember, friends, you are never alone.” from Max Lucado’s Daily Devotional

He’s always there for us when our heart is ready for Him!

“God’s love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn Him. Ignore Him. Reject Him. Despise Him. Disobey Him. He will not change!”

“Our hearts seem so far from His. He is pure; we are greedy. He is peaceful; we are hassled. He is purposeful; we are distracted. He is pleasant; we are cranky. He is spiritual; we are earthbound. The distance between our hearts and His seems so immense. How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?”

Max Lucado – From his article A Heart Like Jesus, March 19, 2014

Thanks

Mike   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.