Heart Trouble

Jesus teaches that sometimes man has heart trouble: issues with his heart, his motivation, and his thought processes. When you have pain in your chest and you visit your physician, he will put you through a series of tests that check the function of your heart. The Word is clear that we should take the time to always examine the inner workings of our spiritual heart. By doing so, we will find where we have truly and honestly placed our treasure.

Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Doing good for the right reasons is more important to God than just our works alone. God is concerned with why we do what we do. If we carry 10 pots of soup to the sick this week only to write in a journal and keep track of our good works, then we have done good for the wrong reason.

Matthew 6 is asking each of us to examine our heart and our priorities. Where do you spend your time? Do you proceed to do the things you know God's Word instructs you to do like give, tithe, treat others with honor and respect? Do you place others before yourself and care about the needs of the hurting and the poor? Or are you selfish and absorbed with only you?

Examine your checkbook and see where your heart is? Do you spend your finances on big screen televisions and manicures, pedicures, and hair salons without any assistance going to those who have no food? Do you dine out and waste money on entertainment and vacations, but fail to give to the house of God that the Word of God may be preached and continue to reach the lost?

When it comes to matters of the heart it is imperative that we ask ourselves, Where is our heart? "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Remain Strong

Often, you will see commercials about how strong your paper towels or toilet paper is.  But do you realize, God wants YOU to be strong?

You have an enemy and Scripture teaches that, "your adversary as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour." (1Peter 5:8) He is out on a mission to take you down, to put you under. He desires to destroy and devastate your life and purpose. But God in you is greater. And Jesus came to give you life and life more abundantly. God will make you strong.

We will sometimes face trials and suffering that are a direct result of an attack of our enemy. And there will also be times where life just happens and things do not go our way just because we live in a fallen world. We must remember in the hard times and in the difficult times not to blame God. If you will walk in close fellowship with God and obey His commands, He promises a hedge of protection and provision for you. But His Plan is much bigger than what we see with our eyes. God has you in the palm of His Hand and He is Sovereign.

Remember 1 Peter 5:10,"But may the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered awhile - perfect, strengthen, establish, and settle you." Therefore, God actually uses the hard times in our lives to perfect us.  He takes our difficulty and roots us into a deeper relationship with Him. Sometimes our trials establish us and to strengthen us. We become stronger and more vibrant because of the challenges we face. Stay focused that God's ultimate goal for you is to prepare your heart for heaven.

So do not see your trial as though some strange thing has happened unto you, but rejoice because God is making you new. And your enemy is nothing more than "all roar". One day soon, we will see him bow before the King of Glory. So stand strong.

So Blessed

Do you realize how very blessed you are?  Often, we overlook and take for granted the many blessings in our lives. Just to be awake, alert and alive are blessings. To be able to function physically and mentally - we are blessed of God.

But although God wants to prosper you and bless you abundantly that you cannot even fathom. He is more concerned with where you stand spiritually.  Ephesians 1:3 declares, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing." When hard times come into your life - you must turn in faith to Christ as your Savior. He is your provider. 

God desires that you prosper spiritually. He desires that you pull yourself up close to Him and be eager to learn His Divine principles. He wants our soul to prosper so we will be ready for eternity. Being a christian is full of benefits and beautiful blessings as we are able to stand on the promises God gives to the faithful.

I do not know what I would do without God, I am nothing apart from Him. But with Him and through Him, I know I can rejoice in specific blessings He has promised to pour out. He offers salvation and for that I am already blessed.

Control

Sometimes our emotions are out of control. But temperance and self-control is vitally important to the christian believer. We must practice remaining in control of the carnal man by dedicating ourselves to prayer and the Word of God. It will not likely be easy to remain in control at all times, however we should strive to triumph.

Your adversary would love to ruin your testimony by causing you to be "out of control". So work hard at discipline and character of heart through daily communion with Jesus. Your enemy knows that if he can lower your influence on others, you just may not be able to win them to Christ.

In Matthew 5:43, Jesus said, "You have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you and to those who hate you, do good; pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."

Do not retaliate when faced with wrongdoing, but be careful to prove yourself to God as children of the Father in all manner of action and words.

Do Not Fear

In life, adversity will come. The storms of life often seem to billow against us and sometimes its easy to become fearful of what lies ahead. In Luke chapter 8, the Apostle tells us of the great storm that arose out of nowhere that the followers of Jesus had to face. They became very much afraid and alerted Jesus, "Master, master, we perish!"

Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea and they ceased and there was a great calm. Jesus then questioned them, "Where is your faith?" But the reason he questioned their faith was simply because they forgot what he said. Jesus had told them, "Let's go over to the other side".

Do you realize how many times Scripture teaches, "Do not be afraid"?  Often the Word declares, "Fear Not."  However, when Jesus gives you specific instructions, it doesn't matter what adversity you face - you are going over to the other side. When God directs you in a decision, it doesn't matter what the odds seem to be against you - Listen to the voice of God. 

Often, adversity is a detour and distraction of the enemy to make you afraid and veer you off course. So, do not be afraid and stay on the right path. Do not get distracted. Keep the faith. God knows exactly what He is doing.

The God of Impossible

People of all walks of life said that man could not possibly land on the moon; it was impossible.  Yet in July of 1969, Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that first landed mankind on the Moon under Commander Neil Armstrong. What people said could not be done - happened.

Henry Ford was a man in history that was marked by many as a complete failure.  He was financially broke on five occasions and most of his early businesses failed.  Numerous people told Mr. Ford to quit, give it up, and that it could not be done.  Yet today his family owns one of the most successful motor companies in the world.

Mark 9:23 declares, “All things are possible to them that believe.”

Scripture also records the historical happening of many things that seemed unattainable. And as I see it, God is waiting on you and I to believe in the impossible.  With man, our situation may seem unfathomable, but with God all things are possible if we walk in faith. He is the God of impossible. 

So let your faith swell up within you and arise. Be assured that Christ Jesus is at work, He knows what we need, and He desires that we place our total trust in Him.  Scripture teaches, “He is the El-Shaddai, the All Powerful One.” Nothing happens apart from His Purpose and no circumstance is beyond the power of God.

Real Peace

In our chaotic world, everyone desires peace. Scripture teaches that God keeps us in perfect peace when our mind is 'stayed on Him' because this person trusts in Him. In other words, when we keep our mind on Christ and completely trust Him, we dwell in peace (Isaiah 26:3).  God carries us in His everlasting arms through difficulty and trial.  He is always watching out for you and is able to give you peace of mind.

Scripture teaches us also to strive to think on things that are "lovely, pure, and of good report".  Sometimes, our thinking is detoured from the positive by the negative. When this happens, our thinking becomes downcast, creating chaos and a lack of faith. This is not an atmosphere that invites the peace of God. Colossians 3:15 declares, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which you are called in one body, and be ye thankful". This means pondering the wonderful blessings of the Lord, the benefits He daily bestows on our lives and thinking on the good.

Often, we are distracted with so many cares in life.  We must press hard to keep our mind on God and the blessings of God on our lives.  Therefore, if you and I will think on the good, the positive, the lovely. And if you and I will keep our minds on God and what He alone is able to do - we will maintain an abundant peace in our lives. The kind of peace that surpasses all human understanding.

Compromise

Ask yourself: am I compromised? Have I adapted to the world?  Scripture in Exodus 34:12 teaches, "I am very, very careful never to compromise with the people around me and I do not follow their evil ways." The true definition of the word compromise is two strictly opposing views blending together.

When compromise requires bending the rules and teachings of God's Word, then we are actually opposing, twisting and rejecting the plan and purpose of God.  When man decides that he alone is big enough to compromise on principles established by God in Scripture, he takes matters into his own hands.  When this happens he is turning from what he knows to be true and right.

Psalm 1:1 and Psalm 119:2-3 are clear.  If we desire the prosperity and righteousness of God, we walk in the precepts of His Law.  We do not sit where the scornful gather, nor stand in the same path that sinners walk.  This does not mean we remove ourselves from the world or seclude ourselves in solitude because we must reach the lost. We must be prudent to not compromise to the behavior of the world. We must live and walk by the values of God and be careful not to blend and adapt to the world's views and values. 

Let us consider for one moment the detriment of any grey areas we may entertain.  Let us understand that compromise is not a good practice and tarnishes our character.  We must stand true to follow God passionately and turn from any temptation to simply compromise and adapt.  Just because everyone is doing it, doesn't make it right.

Standing Faithful

In Scripture we find three Hebrew boys named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who faced the fire because of their faith.  It was the King Nebuchadnezzar who demanded that these boys abandon their faith in God and bow down to worship a 90 ft tall golden statue. They refused to compromise their faith in the One True and Holy God.

And these three boys were warned that if they refused to bow, the King would have them thrown into a blazing furnace of fire. But they stood in faith because they realized, "For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

Indeed when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow, the King heated up the furnace of fire seven times hotter and had these three boys bound and thrown into the furnace of fire.  Scripture teaches the fire was so hot that the soldiers that threw them into the fire died simply from the scorching heat of the flames.  

Yet these three boys walked out of that furnace of fire completely unharmed because of their unwavering faith in a mighty God.  Scripture records, “No hair of their heads was singed, their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” (Daniel 3:26)

God protected them and honored their great faith and loyalty.

Open Gates

There are gates and doors that God himself pushes open for you attempting to lead you in the right direction. Often, man interferes with God's plan and tries to shut doors on you, but if God opens the door remember that no man can shut it.

Scripture teaches there are evil gates and there are heavenly gates. There are spiritual gates and there are unspiritual gates. The Word speaks of shutting the gate, standing at the gate, and entering the gate. It is imperative that you have a clear understanding if your opportunity is a gate that has been opened by God.

 

Look to Revelation 3:6-8, "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches...these things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth and no man openeth; I know thy works; I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it..." There is nothing more rewarding, more beautiful, more awakening, then a gate or a door that God opens for you.

Read the Word often and grow in faith and knowledge. Pray much and ask God for guidance.  Ask God to give you direction for your life and open to you the right doors. Then, boldly walk through the gates and doorways He opens for you.