"Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths, And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men" (Isaiah 23:13) Do you really fear the LORD with all your heart? Or are you just religious in your activities? Is your 'fear' of GOD based on the laws of men or church regulations, or is it grounded upon a deep sense of God's sovereign authority? Do you simply attend church, pray and occasionally read your Bible because it is something you have to do, or do you find great pleasure in perusing its pages? Is seeking GOD a burden to you? (1 John 5:3) or are you loving GOD with all your heart? (Matthew 22:37) Brethren, if you were to look in many churches today, you would notice that the fear of the LORD is profoundly lacking. We are in need of sincere and dedicated Ministers of GOD to lead our churches. Individuals who are wholeheartedly submitted to JESUS and will teach His Truth without compromise. The devil has attempted to dilute the power and authority of CHRIST in the church with false teachers who honor JESUS with their mouth but their hearts are far from GOD (Matthew 15:8). They preach wrong doctrine with such charisma as to deceive many (Matthew 24:24). It is so bad that some churches are even ordaining as pastors and preachers individuals who are living in flagrant sin. There are a whole host of false preachers and teachers who are unabashedly adding their own teachings to the gospel. And sadly enough, crowds are following. We have great need of spiritual discernment. There are so many lies, so much deception, so many people who appear so genuine but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15). Still we have hope. For we know that a great revival is at the cusp. This generation is ripe for the harvest; and GOD will soon seperate the tares from the wheat (Matthew 13:30). So do not be discouraged, my brethren. Stay strong in GOD and wait patiently on Him. JESUS said nothing can stand against HIS CHURCH (Matthew 16:18). The devil wants to deceive and even discourage many believers from involvement in Church activities because of all the deception we witness. Do not be fooled. We need to continue to pray for the church and contribute to its change. We can only accomplish this if we ourselves are firmly grounded in the Word. JESUS called us to be disciples, and nothing can stop us from accomplishing HIs work. But first we must Submit to Him Totally and abide in CHRIST GOD BLESS --Ulysses "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21)
It's interesting Jesus appears to be showing here that the assessment of the heart comes through an evaluation of your treasure. Treasures are your prized possessions. The word in context here can also reflect more globally the place where valuables and precious items are stored (e.g. treasury). Put simply, your heart is your treasure chest. Moreover the invitation is to examine your heart through a reflection on what you value most, which is often linked to where you invest the most time and energy. "The good person, out of the treasure of his heart produces good, but the evil person out of the treasure of his heart produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45) Wow, so this is actually pretty neat! Actions are a manifestation of the condition of the heart. Solomon iterated this point when he said that "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). What is concealed in the heart manifests in the person; but notice that it always begins with the heart. That is why God tells us to "rend (our) hearts and not (our) garments" (Joel 2:13). Restoration progresses from the inside (hearts) out (garments). From the passage in Matthew we see that the heart itself nurtures our passions and priorities (our "treasures"). The question we must pose ourselves is, how healthy are our hearts? What treasures have we concealed therein? It is no coincidence that David sings, "THY WORD have I hid in my heart..." (Psalm 119:11). Joshua too echoes a similar exhortation: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night" (Joshua 1:8). It is essential that we "receive the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in (our) hearts" (Job 22:22) that our actions might reveal an abundance of righteousness. May God bless you as you continue reading His Word! --Junève |
Today's Verse
“Behold you are beautiful my love, behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves” Song of Solomon 1:15 ESV Quotations"A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear and your heart full of God's Spirit is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin." Archives
January 2023
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