Guard Your Heart -- - Guard Your Core

 

Colossians 3:12

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4698

Bowels:  the inward parts (heart, liver, lungs, etc.), the emotions

From the Greek word 'splagchnon' (pronounced splangkh'-non):  the inward parts; the heart, affections, seat of the feelings. Properly, the internal organs ("viscera"); "gut-level compassion" (visceral feelings); the capacity to feel deep emotions (sympathy, empathy, etc.).

THE CORE

    The main job of the core in the human anatomy is to hold and protect the spine. It is located within a person's abdominal muscles, which stabilize the pelvis, maintain natural abdominal pressure and helps hold other organs in place. 

    It is the same in our spiritual bodies. The core, the innermost part of our spiritual hearts, where the Trinity dwell, holds us upright. The core's main function is to keep the born again Christian in Christ and Christ in the Christian. It is here God writes His Word with the power of His Holy Spirit. 

HEART OF MERCY

    Having gone through various trials with Christ at our helm, we are able to navigate these same storms with others. We call this empathy. But being Christians, we can also offer the Love of God, our Hope in Christ and Strength for the journey.

    Death is another storm which everyone goes through. When we are born into this world, we are aware that we will have to die at some point to leave it. Though we do not want to say good-bye to our loved ones, we who know we are in Christ and that He is in us, know that 'good-bye' is really 'see you later'.

     Therefore, as Christ's servants we can also sympathize with the dying, the ones they leave behind and the ones who fear death. A grieving parent is shown both empathy and sympathy by a Christian parent who has also suffered the loss of a child. A grieving child is shown sympathy and empathy by a Christian when we share how our parents are now in heaven.

    From deep within the heart of a Christian rises the love of God and the mercy of Christ to reach into the heart of the one we are showing empathy with and sympathy to. We grieve when they grieve. We cry when they cry. We mourn when they mourn. We rejoice when they rejoice. 

CORE VALUES

    Core values are the priorities by which we live our lives: our personal ethics, our integrity. In Scripture, the core values are the fruit of the Spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22, 23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." These grow in the spiritual core of a Christian.

    We each have our own list of core values. Some as few as five, yet some have a set list of 200+ values. It is the structure of life for us. In a Christian's life it is the same. What we believe and how we live what we believe is to be known by our core values. 

    For instance, integrity, which tends to show itself in a public display of honesty. When you see an item in your cart after you've already paid for everything else, do you go back and pay for it or do you keep it? The person with integrity goes back and pays for it. 

    Responsibility, respect, good sportsmanship are all core values. But servant leadership is also a core value. Jesus showed this value when He washed His disciples' feet. (John 13:1-17). He's the Servant Leader, who shows by example how to live a Christ-centered life.

     So, remember, in order to guard our hearts and the core of our hearts, we need a right relationship with Christ and to be filled with His Holy Spirit, who leads us and guides us on every step of our walk with Him. In the church we call it 'being known by our fruit'. What are you known for?

Just A Closer Walk With Thee - Alabama

I Can't Even Walk - Southern Gospel Revival

Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross  

I'd Rather Have Jesus - Jim Reeves

Nothing Without You - Will Reagan

Activation of Faith

 

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God through the power of God. Anyone can read a Bible but not everyone can understand it, nor can they obtain the knowledge within its pages. We must first believe that God Is God and that He is Absolute Truth. This takes faith and this faith activates our hearts to seek the Truth of His Word. 

We who once lived in darkness have been called out of the darkness of sin and wickedness into the light and love of God's grace. God called us with His love, His Word, His Son Jesus Christ. We are children of faith. 

As the Word says even now, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Faith in God comes to all who believe in the Word of God, in Jesus Christ as Lord. Romans 10:8-11

8. But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart." That is, the word of faith which we preach,

9. 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.

10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

11. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be  ashamed." 

That's the Word of Faith. That's my Jesus in action. 

The difference between faith and unbelief? Eighteen inches. In our bodies the heart is eighteen inches from the mouth. Two imperatives for the activation of faith are given here. 

1. We MUST believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is God's gift of righteousness to us.

2. We MUST confess, speak out loud, that which we believe in our hearts: that God raised Jesus from the dead. 

If even one part of this is missing, then our faith has not been activated. It is not enough to just say the words, though that may fool many who hear the words of faith spoken by false prophets and false teachers; the heart must believe the truth of God's Word, as well. 

For we know that God looks on the heart and recognizes lip service when He hears it. How do we know God sees the motives of our hearts and knows the thoughts of our mind? His Word tells us so. In the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 16:1-13 God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse's house to anoint one of his sons to be the next king.  But after approaching each one who was brought before him, God rejected all of them because He knew their hearts (v. 7). 

Job, Isaiah and Ezekiel all tell us God knows our hearts. Therefore how can we ever expect to get away with anything? Foolishness. 

In the New Testament in Acts 15:8 and Romans 8:27 we see that God searches our hearts and knowing our hearts He gives us good gifts, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who leads us and guides through God's Word as we study it, that we might be approved by God. 

In Matthew 12:25 we learn that Jesus knows our thoughts and what we are thinking. Before we even ask, He knows what we are going to ask. But He delights to hear us ask. God likes to talk with us. He enjoys our company, the company of walking and talking with the believer(s). 

Our hearts must be right with God; we MUST believe with our hearts that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. That He died on the cross, rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. We MUST believe with our hearts and CONFESS with our mouths that which we believe in our hearts that our faith might be activated so that it will grow. 

Today is your day of salvation if you have not believed already. How do I know this? God tells me in His Word that this is so. 2 Corinthians 6:2 "For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!"