Category Archives: 2018

1 John, 2018, Ephesians, Ezekiel, Genesis, Gospel of John, Jeremiah, Romans

Hearts & Minds

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Approximate reading time: 3 minutes 

Follow your heart. 

It’s often advised, especially in Hallmark movies. Now, don’t get me wrong I have watched and enjoyed more than my share of Hallmark movies. They are relatively clean entertainment, albeit predictable. I digress. 

However, reading today I was counseled that following my heart is not the ticket to successful living.  No. No. following my heart will devastate not only my life but others.  

Jeremiah 17:9 (CSB)9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? source

Now what? If I cannot, and obviously I should not, follow my own heart, what? 

How about my intellect? That’s it. I can trust my mind and follow my thinking. Right? 

Genesis 6:5  (CSB)5 When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, source

Well, scratch that idea! 

Now what? What hope do I have to live a good life? What hope do you have?

Romans 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. source 

That’s us!  Hell deserving sinners. Every. One. Of. Us.
Now what? 

This is what!

1 John 4:10  (TLV) 10 This is love—not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atonement for our sins.  source

Ephesians 2:8  (YLT) 8 for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you — of God the gift,  source

1 John 1:9 (TLV) 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. source

And now.

Ezekiel 36:26 (YLT) 26 And I have given to you a new heart, And a new spirit I give in your midst, And I have turned aside the heart of stone out of your flesh, And I have given to you a heart of flesh.  source

1 John 5:20 (YLT)  20 and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during! source

This heart. This mind. We can. We must learn and follow. 

John 10:10(NLT) 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. source

Selah ~ ~ ~
1 Peter, 2018, Forgiveness

Constant

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Approximate reading time: 1 minute

Crucial!

1 Peter 4:8  (TLV) 8 Above all, keep your love for one another constant, for “love covers a multitude of sins.” source

Writing from experience, I attest to this verse of Holy Writ. 

Have you ever loved someone but you did not cover their sins with your love?  When we choose to let love  be NOT constant as the TLV reads, disappointments do become constant. Even their jokes aren’t funny any more.  Know what I mean? 

And then the LIGHT comes gently dawning and the whole landscape is bright and beautiful.  Not all the disappointments disappear but — constant love covers them and the jokes are funny again.  It’s called forgiveness.  Love forgives and constant love keeps on forgiving. 

Selah ~ ~ ~
1 Timothy, 2 Corinthians, 2018, Ezekiel, Forgiveness, Gospel of Matthew, Proverbs

So Far

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Approximate Reading time: 2 minutes

1 Timothy 6:20  (TLV) 20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge—  source  

O (fill in your name), guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge— What has been entrusted to me? What has been entrusted to you?  Our answers may vary as we mature in our journey, but I can think of two gifts (so far) that each repentant sinner who has placed faith in Christ has received. 

A new heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV) 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. source 

And to further confirm:

Proverbs 4:23  (NIV) 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. source 

The Ministry of Reconciliation 

2 Corinthians 5: 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. source

I think we can safely dovetail The Great Commission with this Ministry of Reconciliation to confirm our entrustment of sharing the Gospel of Salvation with others. 

So how do we guard these priceless gifts? And from what do we guard them? 

An old principle comes to mind: Use it or lose it. 

Could we say, guarding our heart would be tantamount to exercising our new heart so that it does not become weak and sickly?  If we exercise our hearts will we not build muscles of faith, trust, and love —? I think we could name all the fruits of the Spirit right here.  Galatians 5:22-23. May I say if these fruits are not steadily increasing in us, we are not well guarding our hearts? Ouch!

And if we are not well guarding our heart, how well can we guard our Ministry of Reconciliation? How well can we demonstrate and speak the Gospel of Salvation to the world with a weak, sickly, offended, unforgiving, wounded, bruised, beat-up heart? 

Forgiveness that leads to healing – it truly must be my Word for 2018. 

Selah ~ ~ ~