Heart & Soul - - Hard Pressed

 

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2346

Hard Pressed: afflicted, compressed, rub together

From the Greek word 'thlibó' (pronounced thlee'-bo): distressed, oppressively afflicted, made to feel confined (hemmed in) {between a rock and a hard place}. 

WE DO NOT LOSE HEART

    Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

    Luke 18:1-7 tells us the parable of the persistent widow who kept pestering a judge to act on her behalf, which he finally did. It is a strong reminder of our need to pray to our God, our Father in heaven, who hears our prayers and acts on our behalf, as well. We do not stop praying: we do not stop interceding for others, nor do we stop praying for ourselves. Like the song goes, It's Me, It's Me, O Lord, standin' in the need of prayer. 

PLANTING FOR A HARVEST

    Galatians 6:9

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

    1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

    That harvest the believer reaps is their reward for all their hard work in the kingdom of God. The harvest of souls saved, delivered, filled and working side by side with all of us: the here and now believer, the righteous believers in the Old Testament and in the early church in the New Testament Scriptures, the believer who is believing even now while we are in this moment, and the believers who will believe.

    That harvest is the building up of the saints of God, His holy people, His church. I am in the harvest. Someone prayed for me. I should've died when I was living in sin. Had I died then, my soul would have gone to hell. I am so thankful that someone loved me enough to pray me into the kingdom of God.     

    Never give up. Never stop praying. Never stop interceding. Hold your ground and don't back down. Regardless of who comes against us, even the ones we are praying for, we will remain rooted and grounded in the Word and hold onto the promise of God that our households would be saved as long as we believe. 

    Some Christians here in America are being persecuted, but not all; not yet, anyway. Some Christians here are mocked for their faith. Some are physically attacked, but all of us are under a spiritual attack. 

    It is that attack that we come against. We fight/pray for our families: we want them with us in heaven. We pray for our friends: heaven wouldn't be the same without oru friends there rejoicing with us. We pray for the strangers, the foreigners in our land, that they, too, would know the salvation of the Lord and shout for joy. 

    We pray for our enemies: we pray the blessings of God upon all of them. We do not seek their demise, nor do we pray against them: we pray for their deliverance, that their hearts would turn to God and that God would turn their lives upside down. 

    We pray for the persecuted saints all over the world. As it was in the early days of the growth of the young church, so it is even now. They who come against the saints of God are the enemies we are praying for. For it is not people we war against with our prayers; it is darkness in high places, invisible to the naked eye but seen by the eyes of God (Ephesians 6:12).

    We pray for our missionaries, the people we have sent to other countries around the world to share the gospel of salvation. We pray that their needs would be met  and their desires accomplished in their ministries.

HARDPRESSED

    You ever make your own juice in a juicer? The machine squeezes the best parts of the fruits and vegetables into a pitcher at one end, while, at the same time, removing the seeds and pulp at the other end. Without the squeezing there would be no wonderful juice to drink. 

    It is the same for us. The mature believer knows that it is in the crushing, in the pressing, that we are made new again and again. The hard times, the difficult days, bring us closer to God. We are His New Wine and we are poured out before Him. 

    We accept it for we have surrendered our to His will. We have submitted to His calling for us, preferring to be the clay that gets molded and not the clay that gets tossed out into the rubbish heap. He Didn't Throw The Clay Away. We are His vessels of honor, His new wine, His moldings and fashionings. From glory to glory we advance against the kingdom of darkness, pressing on to reach the kingdom of glory where our King reigns on high. 

THE LORD IS WITH YOU

    Psalm 37:24

Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

    1 John 4:4

You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

    Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

STEADFAST

SCRIPTURE WARFARE SONGS

   

    

Heart & Soul - - Hidden Treasure

 

2 Corinthians 4:7

Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2344

Treasure: a storehouse for precious things; a receptacle for valuables

From the Greek word ' thésauros' (pronounced thay-sow-ros'): including (treasured) thoughts stored up in the heart and mind.

THIS TREASURE

    Matthew 13:44

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

    Psalm 119:11

Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

    Matthew 13:46

When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

    Job 28:28

And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ ”

    Romans 10:8-9

But what does it say? “The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the Word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

JARS OF CLAY

     The frailty of mankind is here implied. Yet, in His infinite mercy God chose our hearts to be His temple, His sanctuary, His dwellingplace. We get His Word into our hearts by believing on His Name for our salvation (Romans 10:13). 

    We first recognize our frailness and need for a Savior to save us (Romans 3:10). We see how useless our efforts are to get us out of this sinful nature into a holy nature (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:22,23). 

    Many, too many, will claim the Name of the Lord for their own but will not be recognized by Him as His people (Matthew 7:22-23). In their frailty, they recognized Him not. Their jars of clay remained empty of the presence and glory of God. 

SURPASSINGLY GREAT POWER FROM GOD

    What is this surpassingly great power from God that is in these jars of clay which have His Name as their salvation? It is Christ. And Him crucified and resurrected. 

    Romans 1:16, 17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.

    It is God, through the power of His Holy Spirit, who places His method of salvation -- His only begotten Son Jesus Christ -- into our hearts by the faith we declare when we believe on the Name of His Son for our salvation. And I believe. 

    1 Corinthians 1:18, 24

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ~ But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

    2 Corinthians 12:9

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

GRACE SAVES, WISDOM EMPOWERS

    Ephesians 2:8-10

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

    Ephesians 3:16-19

I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

    Having God living in us now, we receive His strength when we call on His Name. We call on His Name for our salvation, to hide us in Himself. We call on His Name for our healing, as the Word of Faith tells us that 'by His stripes we are healed'. Our souls are healed of corruption. Our bodies are healed of disease. Our minds are healed and made sound. Our spirits are healed and we are lifted up into Him. 

    We call on His Name for our deliverance for Christ is our Deliverer. We call on His Name for guidance for The LORD is our Shepherd. We call on Him Name for Wisdom for The LORD is our Wisdom. We call on His Name for everything because The LORD is everything to us. 

    There is Power in the Name of The LORD and this power is alive and living in the heart of every believer. Do you believe? 

HIDDEN TREASURE

Jesus Be The Center

My Heart Is Yours

Thy Word

Just As I Am (I Come Broken)

Light Has Come

Awaken My Heart

Secret Place "When Noone Else Is Watching"

Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me

Your Name Is Power

    

The Lord Is - - February 2023

 

ADONAI SAMAK NEPHESH

(pronounced ad-o-noy' saw-mak' neh'-fesh)

THE LORD IS SUSTAINER OF MY SOUL

Psalm 54:4

Surely God is My Helper; The Lord is The Sustainer of My Soul. 

The LORD is My Shepherd - Psalm 23

The LORD is My Provider - Genesis 22:14

The LORD upholds the righteous - Psalm 37:17

The LORD holds our hand - Psalm 37:24

The LORD helps, delivers, rescues and saves we who take refuge in Him - Psalm 37:40

The LORD is on the side of the righteous - Psalm 118:7

The LORD strengthens us - Isaiah 41:10

This verse is a declarative statement, a fact being made known: THE LORD IS THE SUSTAINER. It is of a personal nature, regarding what belongs to me: MY SOUL. He feeds me, He leads me; He wounds me, He heals me. He gives me freedom, He holds me close. 

    I can lean on Him, on His Word. He is the Everlasting God, who strengthens me with His right arm and raises me up to be with Him. He will never let me fall for He holds my hand in His. Though I stumble, I will not fall. In His embrace I am secure.

AD AB

(pronounced ad awb)

EVERLASTING FATHER

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Everlasting: perpetuity

Father: title of respect and honor due the head of the household/family/clan. 

God gives us fathers here on earth to raise us up in God's Word that we may be nurtured in spiritual milk, meat and bread, honey and water. But ultimately our God is Father over all, for He provides for His people, as a shepherd provides for His sheep. God is our Source, our Sustainer, our Provider, our Shepherd, and our Heavenly Father; therefore only God can meet our every need. For in Him we have all; through Him, we are able to share with all. That's a good, good Father. He meets the need before the need arises because He knows what we need even before we ask for it. 

YHVH CHAQAQ

(pronounced yeh-ho-vaw' khaw-kak')

Isaiah 33:22

For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us.

James 4:12

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Deuteronomy 33:22

And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; He shined forth from mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints: from His right hand went a fiery law for them.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2710

Lawgiver: to cut in, inscribe, decree

Hebrews 8:10

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

YHVH MELEK

(pronounced yeh-ho-vaw' meh'-lek)

THE LORD IS OUR KING

Isaiah 33:22

For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us. 

Psalm 74:12

For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

Psalm 24:7, 8

Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter! Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

John 19:19, 20

Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 

Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

Revelation 19:16

And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 

Heart & Soul - - God Makes His Light Shine

 

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light to shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1391

Glory: the unspoken manifestation of God; renown, honor; divine quality, splendor

From the Greek word 'doxa' (pronounced dox'-ah): God's infinite, intrinsic worth (substance, essence).

LIGHT SHINES OUT OF DARKNESS

    Genesis 1:3, 4 

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 

    Now this was only the first day of creation that God made light. On the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1:14-19) God created reference points of light: sun, moon and stars. 

    Our hearts are dark with sin, for we are born with a sinful nature. Blame it on Adam and Eve. Being the first people from whom all peoples are descended, the consequences of the sins they committed (doubting God's Word and then disobeying it) is passed on to each and every one of us. 

    When we are young, one of the first words we learn is "No." And when we are told not to do something, our first instinct is to go and do that which we are not supposed to do. We also do not do that which we are told to do. "Go clean your room." Who did that right away? We learned obedience because disobedience has consequences. We needed a Savior so God sent One.

    Acts 26:17, 18

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

LIGHT REVEALS DARKNESS

    John 1:5

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    How can so many people who live in the darkness not see the darkness for what it is? Because they have not seen the Light, for then the Light would reveal the darkness. In the darkest of nights it is impossible to see anything, even your hand in front of your face. We need some kind of light to show us where to walk that we would not stumble and fall. As it is in life, so is it in the spirit and the spirit realm: the unseen invisible place in our bodies. 

    But what if you've seen the Light and then turned your back on it, turned a blind eye to the Light? They've seen the Light and decided not to have anything to do with it, with Christ. 

    John 3:18-20

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.

Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

    Jesus told His disciples that even though He Himself is the Light (John 1:4; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46) of the world, soon He would be leaving the world (John 12:35) and they would be the light that shines (Matthew 6:14-16; John 12:36). 

    We who shine as lights in the world are able to do so because we have seen a great Light shining in the darkness (Isaiah 9:2). And this Light is the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:2). We believe in the Name of the only begotten Son of God and grab hold of the salvation He provides to they who see by faith and believe that He is Savior. 

    This Light is the gospel of God, the gospel of salvation through repentance and forgiveness (Luke 24:47). We are to repent and be baptized into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 2:38).

LIGHT SHINE BRIGHT

    It is heartbreaking to see people who have seen the Light walk away from the Light. Though we may wonder if they have truly seen the Light for Who He is, we cannot leave them in the darkness of their unbelief. We must intercede on their behalves, praying and praying for they who live in the darkness to see the glory of the Light of Salvation in Jesus' face. Chains need to be broken, bonds (cords, ropes) need to fall off.  

    We who have the Light of the gospel are compelled to share this gospel. We want they who have not seen the Light to see Jesus, to believe in Jesus. We have a strong desire to see souls saved: to rejoice in their salvation through repentance (turning away from sin to obedience). We delight in their baptisms, both water and spirit. We encourage these new believers and each other in the Word, speaking it, praying it, living it: answering Jesus' call to "Follow Me." (Matthew 4:19, 20).   

    Even now, while we are in the world, we remind you who hear us that we are not of this world (John 18:36). Because our life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3) we cannot see our permanent dwelling yet, but Jesus is preparing one for us where He is, for He has said, "I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you may be also. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am." (John 14:2, 3).

    I'm letting my light shine when I speak Jesus to you who hear what I say. I needed a Savior. I turned my face to the Light and the glory of God filled my heart. He is the Light that shines in the darkness of my heart. Jesus is the Light which grows and glows within me, shining out of me into the darkness around me. I speak Jesus. I speak with words of Love, having the Love of God living me in His Son Jesus Christ.

     For it is truly Love to obey the commands of God to "go into all the world and preach the gospel." I don't have to travel far for the darkness of this world is right here in my own backyard. I speak Jesus into my family, into my neighborhood, into my community, into my town, into my church. I speak repentance, forgiveness, and being baptized into His Name. I speak refreshing and rejoicing

    Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And the one hearing, let him say, "Come!" And the one thirsting let him come; the one desiring, let him take freely the water of life.

LIGHT SHINES IN THE HEART

Dear God,

    Please forgive me of all my sins. Come into my heart and let me live in Yours. Wash me clean of all unrighteousness. Make me pure and holy that I might live in Your presence all the days of my life. For I have been an unwilling partner of sin and desire only the goodness of God in You. Shine Your Light in me and remove the darkness from my heart.

    Give me Your peace, Your strength, to walk in this new life You have given me. In You I place my hope. Lead me in Your Word, guiding my steps and guarding my life. Help me to guard my heart and my tongue, that I may not cause another to slip and fall. 

    Thank You for saving me, for taking my sins upon Yourself and dying in my place that I might live forever in You. Thank You Lord Jesus. I praise You and adore You.

    Amen.

LIGHT SHINES

    

    

    

    

    

Heart & Soul - - Heartless

 Romans 1:31

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 786

Implacable: without libation, without truce, admitting of no truce

From the Greek word 'aspondos' (pronounced as'-pon-dos): cannot be persuaded to enter into a covenant.

    Most versions render this passage of Scripture as: senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. But they leave out a translation for 'implacable'. Who wants to be considered unable to be persuaded into a covenant relationship with God? Every sinner wants to justify their sin. If the word 'implacable' is omitted, it could justify their sinful actions allowing them to believe that God will still let them into heaven. So not true.

    The previous verses Romans 1:18-30 explain to whom this verse (31) is speaking. And the last verse explains their hardheadedness and their hardheartedness: "Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1:32.

    When Paul spoke in Acts 26 to King Agrippa regarding his defense, the king at first called Paul "insane" and then that he himself was "almost persuaded." King Agrippa 'could not be persuaded to enter into a covenant relationship in Christ'. 

    Judas, realizing after he turned Jesus in to the Pharisees, threw the silver back at them and killed himself. All that time following Jesus and he never believed fully. He was remorseful, and perhaps, penitent, but he died unrepentant and unforgiven. He, too, refused to enter into a covenant relationship with Christ. He was never persuaded. 

    Paul's words in Romans 1:18-32 condemn the foolish/senseless/ignorant/undiscerning; the untrustworthy/ faithless/covenantbreakers; the unnaturally affectioned/sexually immoral/amoral/heartless; unbound by a truce/implacable/unpersuaded; unmerciful/without compassion/without pity. 

    And yet he is not saying anything new that hasn't been said already in God's Word. Through the anointing of the Spirit Paul is able to make clear who is not going to receive the reward of God. Unless they repent. They are arrogant and in their arrogance they are able to persuade those who listen to them that there is nothing wrong with their sinful actions. Does any of this sound familiar? We are there now in this day and age. The minority has a big mouth and many itching ears are listening to it. 

    Before we can enter heaven we have to enter into Christ and invite Him to enter into us. Revelation 3:20 tells us that Jesus stands at the door of our hearts, knocking to be let in, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

     Behold simply means 'pay attention to what I am about to say'. It is an imperative, a directive pointing towards an objective. The directive? "Here I am knocking. Hear My voice. Open the door. Let Me come in. Let Me dine with you and you with Me." The objective? A covenant relationship. 

    We implore you, beg you, urge you to reconsider your decision to not listen to God and the Truth of God's Word. We weep for your souls. We desire only the best for you who do not believe and that best is a covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are here to persuade you, to encourage you to hear the Truth of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.

    Hear the voice of the Spirit tugging at your hearts, calling you even now into repentance: to believe, to be baptized, to be filled with the Spirit, to live a life that pleases God. Implacableness is not pleasing to God. Infidelity is not pleasing to God. Neither ignorance nor unfaithfulness is pleasing to God. 

    Hear the Word of the Lord, church. This letter Paul wrote, he wrote to the church in Rome, reminding them, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, suppressing the truth by unrighteousness." (Romans 1:18). 

    Even now this Word is True and Faithful. Hear the Lord speaking to you, open the doors of your hearts and let Him in. You don't have to try and clean yourselves up: God will clean you up. He cleaned me up. I'm not the same person I was before I came to Christ. But now Jesus lives in me and I live in Him. I live for Him. Don't you want to have a sweet, covenant relationship in Christ, too? 

    Jesus is my Light and I'm letting Him shine through me. He is my Testimony and my Savior, my wonderful Redeemer, my Life Eternal and my Resurrection. Jesus is my friend. How do I know all this? The Bible tells me so. And I choose to believe that God's Word is Truth. 

TOP 20 CHRISTIAN SONGS 2022 PLAYLIST

Heart & Soul - - The Unbelieving Heart

 

John 12:40

"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 

Hardened: petrify, render callous, to deaden, to make obtuse

From the Greek word ' póroó' (pronounced po-ro'-o): properly, made of stone; (figuratively) insensible; dull, unperceptive as a rock; calloused (hardened); i.e. unresponsive (dense), completely lacking sensitivity or spiritual perception. 

    This is a strong judgment against the ones who see Christ's miracles all day long and day after day yet still refuse to believe that He is Messiah, the fulfillment of prophecy as proclaimed by the prophets. For instance, here He references Isaiah 6:9, 10 "And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

    If you think this does not apply to us today, you are mistaken. God still does miracles today. We are given new days to turn and believe. We are given new opportunities to hear and believe. We are given chance upon chance to know that God is who He says He is and that Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son who died on the cross to save us from the punishment of our sins. 

    God makes the sun to rise and shine, the clouds to gather and rain to fall. God makes the moon to shine and calls the tides to ebb and flow. God makes the seeds to germinate, blossom and produce plantlife. God is still creating, His Word is still going forth and His light is still shining.

    To think otherwise is to be a fool. Fools neither see the Truth of God's Word, nor do they understand it. For God has said that He would use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise in this world (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). The wise in this world choose to believe anything but God. Whatever prophecy falls in their ears, they follow. It is why there is such a variety of 'churches' and doctrines. 

    God is still in the business of saving souls according to His wisdom. When the Word is preached, it falls not only in the hearing of the ones who hunger and thirst for it, but on itching ears, who hope to hear something that will justify their pride, their sins. And when they are convicted by the Spirit of God, they turn a deaf ear to Him, ignoring the Word. So God closes their eyes to seeing and hardens their hearts to believing.

    Don't be those people. This is where the Lost In Space robot would be waving his arms and shouting, "Warning! Warning! Warning! Danger to you!" This is where Darth Vader says (to the unbelieving heart), "Turn to the darkside." 

    But the Spirit and the church say, "Come. Come, you who are thirsty. Come drink the water of life." (Revelation 22:17). 

    Sinners who repent of their wicked ways and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior are transformed by the Spirit of God into God's church, God's saints. As difficult as many find that hard to believe, it is only by faith that such a thing is possible. Even the Old Testament believers had to have faith in God; to believe not only that God Is, but that GOD IS WHO HE SAYS THAT HE IS (I AM THAT I AM [Exodus 3:14]). 

    The Spirit continues to transform and mold the believer's heart into the state of perfection to which God has called us to be. It is not a state we will reach in its entirety until we see Jesus face to face. We are moved from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) by the Spirit of God until that perfect day arrives.

    Come, now is the time to give your hearts to Christ. Today is your day of salvation if you have not already believed. And if you have believed that Christ is your Lord and Savior, now is the time to humble ourselves, fall on our faces and fully commit to following His Word faithfully. Now is the time before time runs out. 

ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY by Kutless

RESTORE ME by Kutless

Heart & Soul - - Glad Heart/Heavy Heart

 

Isaiah 65:14

My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2898 & 3511

Glad: joyful, gladness 

From the Hebrew word 'tub' (pronounced toob)

Heavy: pain, suffering (physical/mental), grief, sorrow

From the Hebrew word 'keeb' (pronounced keh-abe')  

By now we know that the Glad Heart is the heart that belongs to Jesus, the heart that lives inside the heart of God.

And the heavy heart is the heart that refuses to believe in, and does not belong to, Jesus. 

GLAD HEART

    Isaiah 51:11

So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

    Psalm 40:16

May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "The LORD be magnified!"

    Revelation 22:3

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him.

HEAVY HEART

    Isaiah 13:6

Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

    Revelation 1:7

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.

    Psalm 112:10

The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish.

    Revelation 20:12, 15

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

    Lord, may our hearts be turned to You. Lead us in Your Word, guide us with Your Holy Spirit. Bring us into Your kingdom, even as we pray for the repentance of they who have not yet done so. May we flourish in Your fields, doing the works which You have prepared for us to do.

    Let us linger in Your presence, giving our worship to You, gaining strength from You, that we may pursue the lost souls and reach them for You. Be glorified, Lord, in our praise and worship. 

    We the glad of heart rejoice in Your Name and seek Your face. As we humble ourselves and submit to Your will, have Your way in us. Do with us as You choose. We are Your willing vessels, surrendered hearts. 

    Though You call all people everywhere to repentance, we know, Lord, that too many will not choose You, but help us to reach as many as we can. Save our families, our friends, the strangers/foreigners among us and our enemies. 

    Fill each of us with Your Holy Spirit that we might walk this born again life with Your power. Draw us close to You that we might hear Your voice more clearly. 

    We rejoice in Your beauty, Your glory, Your presence, O Lord. For You are our Crown, our Savior, our King. Come, Lord Jesus, and fill this place even  now. 

    In Jesus' Name,

    Amen.

GLAD HEART/HEAVY HEART

At Your Feet

O Come To The Altar

Dead Man

Ocean Floor

Jesus Got Ahold Of My Life

Where We Belong 

The Last Song

Heart & Soul - - A Heart That Rejoices

 

Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices: and with my song will I praise Him.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5937

Greatly Rejoices: exults, triumphs, is joyful

From the Hebrew word 'alaz' (pronounced aw-laz'). 

    Because of Who The LORD is to me, my heart trusts in Him and He helps me. Because of Who The LORD is to me, my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will give Him praise.

Psalm 13:5 I rejoice in His salvation  

Psalm 33:21 Our hearts rejoice in Him 

Psalm 105:3 Seekers' hearts rejoice  

Zechariah 10:7 Their hearts will rejoice in the LORD

    The LORD is a personal LORD, a personal GOD. God wants to know as Friend to friend, as Savior to saved, as Father to child. This relationship is to be valued above all other relationships that we may have. Matthew 10:37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." 

    A heart that rejoices in the God of its salvation, rejoices to its betterment. For a heart that loves God above all else will also be able to love others with the Love of God, a far greater Love than mere familial love or brotherly love.

    A heart that rejoices in its God knows the value of the wisdom of loving God. It is more able to fulfill the second commandment when it has already obeyed the first. (Matthew 22:36-39).

    A heart that rejoices delights itself in the nearness of its God (Psalm 37:4). This heart begins each day in the company of its God. We start with a greeting, "Good Morning, LORD. Welcome, Holy Spirit." Some mornings I wake up with a song in my heart and on my lips. I can't help it, nor would I want to; for the Joy of the LORD is my Strength and He carries me through the day, one day at a time.

    A heart that rejoices celebrates God when the way is rough going, through sorrow and pain, through trials and tribulations, through the shadowiest parts of this valley (Psalm 23:4). For the heart that rejoices in the valley knows that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). 

    So, even the hard places we traverse in life are necessary to grow in the LORD. A heart that rejoices trusts in its LORD and in the knowledge that Father knows best. 

    A heart that rejoices knows the LORD is its Creator and its Redeemer. Isaiah 43:1-2 "Now this is what the LORD says—He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze."

     A heart that rejoices in its LORD spends time with its LORD in prayer. The heart speaks not only verbally, but with tears and groans and the Spirit, who speaks for us when words cannot form themselves in our mouths (Romans 8:26). Prayer is the lifeblood of the heart that rejoices. 

    A heart that rejoices declares God is its God, testifies on the goodness of God, blesses God with the songs of its heart.

    Psalm 63:1-8

 O God, You are my God.

Earnestly I seek You;

my soul thirsts for You.

My body yearns for You

in a dry and weary land without water.

So I have seen You in the sanctuary

and beheld Your power and glory.

Because Your loving devotion is better than life,

my lips will glorify You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

in Your name I will lift my hands.

My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.

When I remember You on my bed,

I think of You through the watches of the night.

For You are my help;

I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.

My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.

A heart that rejoices in the God of its salvation beats inside of me.

A HEART THAT REJOICES

    

 

 

 

Heart & Soul - - True Heart

 

Hebrews 10:22

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 228

True Heart: real, genuine, made of truth

From the Hebrew word 'aléthinos' (pronounced al-ay-thee-nos'),  emphasizing the organic connection (authentic unity) between what is true and its source or origin. 

Antonyms, opposites of, true would include: inaccurate, counterfeit, false, flawed, deceptive, corrupt, evil and disloyal.

    It is important to have a True Heart, because without it we will not see God and live. Though all will see God on judgment day not all will remain with God for all eternity. Too many will have chosen not to be with God. By their own actions/inactions they will have sent themselves to hell, for that is the destination of the unbeliever. Even if a person says they are a Christian in their lifetime, their own words and actions deny that such a spiritual transformation has taken place. 

    THE COVENANT OF BLOOD

    When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, God had to kill an animal and cover their sinfulness with its hide, a shadow of the Lamb of God Who would die on the cross to cover/wash away/remove sins. The coverings Adam and Eve made for themselves were not enough to cover their nakedness completely, and so were inadequate. As filthy rags, our attempts to cover or remove sin are just as inadequate. We need a better covering and that Covering is Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:21; Isaiah 64:6; Hebrews 8:6).

    When the tenth and last plague was about to cover the land of Egypt before the Israelites were kicked out of Egypt, God instructed Moses on the proper way to sacrifice a lamb whose blood would be used to cover the door frames of each Israelite's home where the lamb would be eaten. (Exodus 12:1-13).

    When Moses met God and heard what He had to say before Moses spent those first forty days and nights on the mountaintop with God, the LORD God spoke the Ten Commandments and the law to him, as a boss would dictate to his secretary. Moses wrote every word down making this writing the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 24:7), which he then sprinkled with the blood of the peace offering, of the young bulls which had been sacrificed for that purpose. Then Moses sprinkled the blood on the people, signifying the covenant between God and themselves. (Exodus 24:1-8). 

    When the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world came to us, the instruction is also made clear that this blood must be applied (1) Individually, and (2) By Faith. 

(1) John 1:12, 3:18, 20:31; Mark 16:16. 

(2) Hebrews 11 (the Hall of Faith); Ephesians 2:8, 9; Colossians 1:1-29. 

    The True Heart is the heart that has acknowledged its unrighteousness and evilness in living a life that was not pleasing to God. In so doing it also recognizes its need for a Savior to bring salvation which can cleanse the True Heart of its sins and bring it to a right relationship with God. 

    The True Heart is more than sincere in its desire to know God personally, it recognizes the urgency to meet God face to face and the strong desire to hear Him speak with it in private: a one-on-one encounter that will forever change a person. 

THE WASHING OF THE WORD

    Having received Christ into its heart by faith in the Name of the Son of God (Romans 10:8-10), the True Heart now sees the need for outer purification as well and is baptized, submerged beneath the water, representing being buried with Christ in the tomb, then raised to new life in Him. 

    The heart gets sprinkled with the blood of Christ by faith; the body gets washed in the water of purification in a public display of this transforming power of God to change a person from the inside outward. 

    While it is not always possible to receive a water baptism after proclaiming one's belief in the Name of the Son of God, those who can, do so. There were two thieves hung on their own crosses next to Christ, one on each side. One died in his sins, the other declared his faith in Christ. There was no time for him to be baptized, but with Christ he is now and forevermore. 

    Christ, as our example always, was baptized by His cousin John, where those who were nearby heard John cry out to them, "Behold! The Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29-31) Upon Christ also came the Spirit of heaven, like a dove, which rested upon Him (John 1:32-34).

    And just before Jesus was arrested He washed His disciples' feet. This was the example of servitude He set for them. They/we should not consider themselves/ourselves above the needs of other just because they were/we are His disciples. We are the body of Christ and we should interact with each other as Christ interacted with His first disciples. (John 13:1-17). 

    Let us come now with True Hearts and receive today what God has in store for His faithful people. 

    

TRUE HEART