Any time I hear this, "God knows my heart", as an excuse to justify sin, I say "yes he does, He knows just how wicked it is and has said that what is acted out in the flesh is proof of the condition of the heart."
The heart comes first, then the actions. The actions cannot be different from the heart, they work in tandem. In fact, we can sin deeply without that sin ever becoming an action, the action may be repressed by cultural pressure, but that does not mean there is no sin.
Christ said if we so much as think it in our heart, it is the same as if we have committed it. The heart is always bad before any actions surface, by the time the actions occur the heart has already been in sin.
There are many people walking around appearing to be righteous, do the things that make them acceptable in the culture they live in, but are harboring evil in their hearts. Each one must evaluate their own hearts in light of the Word of God, asking God to reveal to them any wicked way that still remains. Anyone who thinks they are completely clean, walking in pride over their goodness, is still in need of conviction and cleansing through the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 10:14 :For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are (being) sanctified.:"
Matthew 5:21-22
Murder Begins in the Heart
"21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire."
Romans 6:1-12
"6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander."
Monday, July 7, 2014
Today in the News Feed on Face book I saw a picture of a man with sun glasses on, sitting on a sidewalk. He had a sign in front of him declaring that he was blind and needed help. In front of him was a bowl full of money, that had been filled by compassionate people who wanted to help him. The man was in his twenties and was looking through his sunglasses, at an iphone checking his e-mail.
We used to receive calls for our little chapel at our home because no one was at the building all week. All of the calls we received were people asking for their electric and water bills to be paid. They had used their money for cigarettes, cable tv, cell phones and others things that were unnecessary.
One day I got one of these calls from a woman who was lamenting the fact that her electricity was turned off and her children were cold. I reminded her that it was August, the temperature outside was over 80 and that if she would just open her windows she could warm up the house. Yes, there are clues about the scammers and liars that we can discern easily if we can get past misplaced compassion.
Often I would tell the beggars on the phone, that they had a greater need than electricity and water, and that was the gospel, then I would proceed to tell them their need of repentance, showing them that they had just lied to me about "needing", when all they wanted was to be carried by others for their needs while enjoying pleasures with the money they had. I knew that all the callers were in this condition because I would ask them certain questions that revealed their condition.
Most of the time I never got more than a few sentences when they would hang up on me. Why do so many people think that "the church", should pay for their needs, when they are just too irresponsible to use the money they have wisely?
I never figured out this, "the church should foot the bills for me" mentality. One woman called me a devil because, after giving her the gospel, I attempted to counsel her on how to manage her money.
Manipulation is a huge part of the picture with those who will attempt to separate you or the church from your money and goods.
I will give a person a lunch, some advise and even comfort, but I do not give money if there is any hint that they are lazy and irresponsible. It is a pleasure to me to be able to help those who want to learn how to manage their money, but I have little tolerance for those who would fight against doing what is right.
We have all made mistakes in the managing of our money at times, but most of us do not go begging for someone else to bail us out, we learn from our missteps and begin again on a different and better path. Everyone needs to learn how to manage money, it is the rebellion against the learning that aggravates me.
May the Lord give us discernment in our giving, that we not enable beggers to continue in the fleecing of others. Perhaps we need to remember too that sometimes we don't give to someone to help them as much as we like to feel proud of ourselves that we did.
When we care more about the well being of others than our own good feelings, then we can rightly discern what is best for a person, not what makes them happy temporarily.
Many people in our culture do not have a need for goods, they simply manage what they have so badly that they waste away the funds that should be designated for needs in favor of pleasures.
Discernment is the key and the gospel is always needed in these cases. Never neglect to speak of the Lord when dealing with these people. Their greatest need is that they repent and trust Christ. God can fix all the ills in a person's life when they submit to Him.
We used to receive calls for our little chapel at our home because no one was at the building all week. All of the calls we received were people asking for their electric and water bills to be paid. They had used their money for cigarettes, cable tv, cell phones and others things that were unnecessary.
One day I got one of these calls from a woman who was lamenting the fact that her electricity was turned off and her children were cold. I reminded her that it was August, the temperature outside was over 80 and that if she would just open her windows she could warm up the house. Yes, there are clues about the scammers and liars that we can discern easily if we can get past misplaced compassion.
Often I would tell the beggars on the phone, that they had a greater need than electricity and water, and that was the gospel, then I would proceed to tell them their need of repentance, showing them that they had just lied to me about "needing", when all they wanted was to be carried by others for their needs while enjoying pleasures with the money they had. I knew that all the callers were in this condition because I would ask them certain questions that revealed their condition.
Most of the time I never got more than a few sentences when they would hang up on me. Why do so many people think that "the church", should pay for their needs, when they are just too irresponsible to use the money they have wisely?
I never figured out this, "the church should foot the bills for me" mentality. One woman called me a devil because, after giving her the gospel, I attempted to counsel her on how to manage her money.
Manipulation is a huge part of the picture with those who will attempt to separate you or the church from your money and goods.
I will give a person a lunch, some advise and even comfort, but I do not give money if there is any hint that they are lazy and irresponsible. It is a pleasure to me to be able to help those who want to learn how to manage their money, but I have little tolerance for those who would fight against doing what is right.
We have all made mistakes in the managing of our money at times, but most of us do not go begging for someone else to bail us out, we learn from our missteps and begin again on a different and better path. Everyone needs to learn how to manage money, it is the rebellion against the learning that aggravates me.
May the Lord give us discernment in our giving, that we not enable beggers to continue in the fleecing of others. Perhaps we need to remember too that sometimes we don't give to someone to help them as much as we like to feel proud of ourselves that we did.
When we care more about the well being of others than our own good feelings, then we can rightly discern what is best for a person, not what makes them happy temporarily.
Many people in our culture do not have a need for goods, they simply manage what they have so badly that they waste away the funds that should be designated for needs in favor of pleasures.
Discernment is the key and the gospel is always needed in these cases. Never neglect to speak of the Lord when dealing with these people. Their greatest need is that they repent and trust Christ. God can fix all the ills in a person's life when they submit to Him.
Pictures and Statues of Christ are Idols!!!!
Today I have determined to place this on every facebook in the news feed that has a picture or statue depicting Christ.
"That picture of a man is not Christ, it is an idol."
Acts 17:9 "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.""
When will believers stop looking at graven images to get their sense of closeness to Christ? May God convict them of the use of these idols. It seems to be happening more and more, in spite of the Scripture in Acts that is clear about this matter.
"That picture of a man is not Christ, it is an idol."
Acts 17:9 "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.""
When will believers stop looking at graven images to get their sense of closeness to Christ? May God convict them of the use of these idols. It seems to be happening more and more, in spite of the Scripture in Acts that is clear about this matter.
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