Can A Person Really Have A Change Of Heart?

Are there some people that God Cannot Change?

We sometimes think that a person is too hard for God to change. Maybe they are from a background with a reputation, or from a lifestyle that is counter to God's will for their good, so we doubt that change is possible.  The Bible relates an incident of such a one who changed.

"As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day." 1 Samuel 10:9.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Saul was just a farm boy looking for his lost livestock which he couldn't find.  He had no designs on the kingship.  He was not interested in any exceptional service to God or God's people.  The prophet Samuel came and anointed him as king and then God did something.  He changed Saul's heart.

WHAT WE KNOW

Though Saul was far from perfect he is credited with many great accomplishments of a rare leader.

Some changes in him were immediate and others become evident over time but the change could not be disputed.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW

The verse does not tell in detail how God changed Saul's heart; whether it was circumstances, or the miracle of the Holy Spirit, or some sort of awakening.

We do not often know the details of the Almighty's working, but we can see the evidence of it.

WHAT WE CAN DO
A heart can change and the person with it, but remember the verse above tells us it was God that did the change not Samuel's preaching, teaching, or act of anointing.  There are many people around us who need God to make the change in their hearts.  We do not go around with anointing oil to anoint them, but we do have the blessing of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that God changes the hearts of those around you, and pray for a change in your own heart.

If you feel that you need a change in your life then see my other post about the Gospel CLICK HERE.

(c) Adron Dozat 11/2/15

How To Find Joy In Life.

Can you find joy in your life? There is hope from a truth found in the Bible. 

We all want to have a good life full of happiness and well-being. We often look for joy in things, it might be a new gadget, car, or clothes, a better marriage, job, hobby, or set of friends. We are tempted to think that status in a job or community will give joy, but soon these things prove weak, watery, and empty of joy.

THE SEARCH FOR JOY GOES DEEP
Our world tells us thousands of times every day that a thing or experience will give us joy. We see advertisements all day long; and discover it to be a lie, but we fall for it over and over. Many have ruined their lives chasing joy.

The ancient poet declares that he found joy and it is recorded in the Bible.

“You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound." Psalm 4:7 NIV.

WHO
The line quoted above is from a prayer-like poem and it is addressed to God. This poet had a relationship with God that gave him more joy than those around him.

FULL
This verse says that God can fill the heart with joy; not just give a taste of joy, but that God is able to fill us completely. There is no corner overlooked or space vacant of joy. This fullness suggests that the joy God gives affects all areas of our lives.

GREATER
Greater is a comparison that says one thing is better in size or worth. The joy the Lord gives is certainly that. He gives greater joy not just your average having a good time joy but greater than what the rest of the world knows.

WINE AND GRAIN
The wine and grain suggest the gladness of society and the of gathering wealth and goods. The joy the psalmist had is a joy that is beyond anything our circle of friends or family can give, and it is greater than the wealth, success, or a good harvest.

HE FOUND JOY
He found joy, he didn't say he was hoping to find it someday or he was looking for it. His statement is that he has it. His search was over because it ended in God, the source of true joy. Our hearts were made for God as His dwelling place, and were designed to find fulfillment in Him. We need to make our focus on finding our joy in God.

May you find your joy in Him today and always.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God follow this link: Click Here.

(c) Adron Dozat 3/3/13

How To Make Our Dreams Come True.

We all have dreams and desires. It would be wonderful if there was a way to ensure our dreams come true.

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19: 21. NIV*

This Bible verse really describes so us so well, for "many are the plans in a man's heart," we have a long list of "if onlys."

We say...
     * "If only I had money, I would do this thing."
     * Or "If only I had resources to do this or that it could help so many people."
     * Or "If only my business idea would work out so I could do this or that."

And we have lots of goals; we say things like...
     * This year I want to do this or that.
     * I will publish my novel.
     * I will get healthy.
     * I want to start an art gallery.
     * I hope to open a bread and breakfast inn.
     * I want to take some college courses.

BUT
Halfway through the verse, we have to put on the breaks because there is that all-powerful word, "But." It says, "Stop, put everything on hold, and look again; here is the real heart of the issue about your plans."

GOD
The Lord has a purpose for everything in our lives; it is a given, after all, that to say 'He is the Lord' is to say 'He is Sovereign, the ruler, and ultimately in charge.' We need many daily reminders of the powerful and freeing truth that He is the Lord. The Lord God is involved in our lives in a loving, compassionate, and wise way. He has a divine and holy purpose for my day, week, and life. I need to make sure my plans are in harmony with his purpose; otherwise, I am wasting my life and missing his blessings for me.

It is comforting that "the Lord's purpose prevails," for his plans for me are going to be better than anything I can dream up anyway.

We must make sure our plans are:
     * In keeping with His will.
     * Prayerfully developed.
     * Free from sinful motivations.
     * Honoring Him.
     * Going to bring us closer to God.

Our plans may go in all kinds of directions, but God's purpose is spoken in singular terms in this verse. He has a purpose for each of us and all humanity; it is that we may know him and the one (Jesus) who He sent. John 17:3

*To read this verse in other translations, follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

 To learn more about fulfilling God's plan for your life, then follow this link: Click Here.

(c) Adron Dozat 12/27/12

How To Learn Way Of The Lord. Psalm 86:11

How can anyone learn the ways of God? This would be a very wonderful thing, but isn't God beyond our understanding? There is a way and the Bible tells us how.

"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11. NIV*.

THE POINT
This Bible verse answers our question by giving us a prayer to pray. It is the simplicity of the concept that causes us to miss the point, the point is that to know God and his ways we need to pray and ask him. He is willing to share himself with us but we are so busy and obsessive that we neglect to bring him in by prayer or other disciplines such as reading the scriptures, service, fellowship, etc.

WHAT THE PRAYER SUGGESTS
Where else can a person learn the ways of the Lord than by the Lord? We may read books and take courses, but we must ultimately be taught of the Lord by the Lord. We need to sit at the Lord's feet and listen and learn. We need to set aside time to spend with Him daily.

THE WAY OF THE LORD
The way of the Lord is how he acts based on his character. Knowing what God is like helps us to please him. When we learn the "Way of the Lord," the natural result is that we live the life he wants us to; that is why the verse says "I will walk in your truth." This world is full of falsehood and darkness, we even doubt ourselves, and we need God to show us his truth.

OUR DIVIDED HEART
We need an "undivided heart," a united heart that is all put together for God. Sometimes we are pulled in two directions when it comes to the spiritual. We are torn between God and the world; on one hand, we love God on the other, we may love a particular hobby, or interest, or image, or just ourselves, and it pulls us away from spending time with God. Those things are not bad but we just spend too much time with them.

We need God to give us this "undivided heart," because it is nothing we could ever achieve ourselves; there is not a course or pill or philosophy that will give it to us. We need to make this prayer our daily prayer that today and every day he gives us an undivided heart.

Adron

* To read this verse in other translations follow this link:Psalms 86:11.

© Adron 12/12/12

What Keeps Prayer Unanswered? Psalm 66:18, 19.

We pray, over and over, or we pray for a long time, even years, yet the answer is nowhere in sight. God is sovereign, the answer may be no, or later, or you are not ready. What if the problem is on our end of the prayer?

"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened, but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer." Psalm 66:18-19; NIV. *

This verse is a challenge for us.

CHERISH
When we cherish something, we lovingly treasure it; we set it aside and keep it safe. We may pick it up and hold it, or we may put it in a special place under a light just so we can admire it. There may be some sin we cherish in just this way.

SIN
To cherish sin is to say to God, "I prefer this wicked evil thing that is destroying me, separating me from you and robbing me of your blessing." When we cherish sin, we forsake our son-ship rights to the Father; we cannot then expect Him to bless us or hear our prayer.

Sin counterfeits the truth and destroys the person who believes the counterfeit truth. Jesus gave his life to break its power over us and free us from sin's judgment. The same sin I am in love with is sending loved ones to a hopeless eternity.

SINS OF THE HEART.
We think we can get away with the sins of the heart. They are more hidden than an out-of-control temper, impatience, or dishonesty. These sins may lurk in our thoughts for years unsuspected by others; maybe covetousness, greed, lust, jealousy, or bitterness is gently nurtured in our quiet moments. We justify it by saying, "It is only a thought or just a feeling. I will never act on it. It is safely hidden in my mind."

UNANSWERED PRAYER
Unanswered prayer may be because of cherished sin. God would be a hypocrite if he blessed someone while they treasured a pet sin. Are the answers we receive only a trickle of what we might have? If we deal with our sins, what oceans of blessing might we experience!

• We should pray for God to reveal the sin in our hearts.
• We should ask God to correct our attitude of that sin, to see it as He does.
• We should confess.
• We need to repent.
• We need to forsake.
• We need to accept forgiveness.
• We need to replace sin with a holy occupation.
• Above all, we need the Savior's help.

May you be free from heart-dwelling sins, and may you know the wonders of God who answers prayer.

* To read this verse in other translations, follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

© Adron 11/14/12

What is Evil According to The Bible. 2Chrnonicles 12:14

We live in a troubled world and many bad things happen- often by the hand of other people. It is clear that evil exists. What is surprising is that the Bible teaches how close it is to each one of us.

"He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord."  2 Chronicles 12:14 NIV.

EVIL
When we think of evil we think of history's despots and dictators, we think of mass murders and cannibals, and humanity twisted into psychological monsters of crime against the innocent. It is a shock to see the definition of evil in this scripture as being simply that a man "did not set his heart on seeking the Lord."

THE HEART OF EVIL
This sums up the life of an ancient king, Rehoboam who ruled the people of Judah. The Bible records the evil he did and gets to the heart of his evil; and the heart of evil was the heart of the man. It was simply that “he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” As a descendant of Solomon; you would think he would do great things. He had the advantage of a good family, a prince’s education, wealth, and leadership but that did not spare him the title of evil. He is one of those "ifs," if he had set his heart on seeking the Lord he would not have been branded as a person of evil.

FIRST
We wonder which came first; the evil or the heart that does not seek the Lord, but does it matter? The warning is very clear, whether it is not to become evil that we must seek the Lord or because it is evil if we don’t seek the Lord; either way not seeking the Lord and evil go together. We say, "OK. I have done a few bad things but I am not evil," but what does the verse quoted above say? No matter what arguments we come up with the connection remains evil and the heart that does not seek the Lord go together.

SEEK THE LORD
Many point to a few religious duties and count the occasional performance of religion as seeking the Lord, but the condemnation of Rehoboam was his heart. We must not casually seek the Lord on a few celebrations annually. One may serve the church, community, and God, teach Sunday School, give themselves to charity work, even be an ordained minister but if the heart is not set on seeking the Lord the danger of evil is ever-present.

Let us seek the Lord with all our hearts. Make it a daily discipline, spend time in prayer, reflection, study of the scriptures, and become active in a faith community that honors God. Remember the promise of the Bible "you will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

To learn more about finding the Lord and becoming saved follow this link to read my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/26/11

How to Have Successful Plans. Proverbs 16:9

We all have plans, desires, dreams, and goals. We put together our plans with the greatest care, but is there any guarantee they will succeed?

"In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9, NIV.

COURSE
Our course is the directions we are going. Sometimes our course is vague and sometimes clear cut. A sailor may use the stars or a compass to set his course, but we are often our own course mapping the agenda of our own lives to fulfill some “American Dream.” We use the best tools and give great thought to the destination of our lives until we feel confident of the results.

BUT
There is a “But” in all of our plans. This verse of scripture says we are looking down to the road leading to the distant horizon, but we should be looking up to the Lord of Heaven. The Lord as ruler of the universe commands all things and we are subject to His authority. We may leave Him out of our plans but He will be in them if we want him or not.

GOD
God is good and compassionate and in His love He desires the best for us, so He directs our steps. We must not forget to include God in our plans. To leave God out of our plans is to invite Him in unwittingly, even changing our course against our will, for our good. If we put God in our plans we may still find He changes our plans but knowing He is good should give reassure us that those changes will be for our best.

DETERMINE
That God determines our steps should be a comfort to us.

To determine something is to see through and test it, and to weigh it with understanding so that a conclusion gives action. God is doing this in all our steps. We may embark on a project and perceive it as failing but if God is in control and we have opened ourselves up to His control the failure we see may be His success.

The smart thing is to welcome God into every step from the first one on.


To learn more about having God in your life CLICK HERE.

(c)Adron Dozat

When it May Be Wrong To Go To Church - Ezekiel 14:1-4.

God Loves You

We think it is always good to go to church, but is there a time when the Bible suggests it is wrong?

"Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. then the word of the lord came to me"' Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them this is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with his great idolatry..." Ezekiel 14:1-4 NIV.

IDOLS
There are many kinds of idolatry but the worst and most deceptive is the idolatry of the heart. Idols misrepresent God, take His glory away, and are untrue in every respect. We think they are innocent but they mislead and guide us down wrong paths away from the very God we seek.

ORIGINS
There are many sources for heart dwelling idols. We can harbor some fantasy life in our imagination, or some bitterness clouds our vision of God. A past experience may stain our view of God. A wrong understanding of God may be caused by our parents, relationships, or contact with others who communicated the error to us.

It is questionable if any of us have a correct idea of the infinite, all powerful, all knowing, God of wonders and majesty. We are not capable of it since He is infinite and we are made of dust.

OUR HEART
There are times when our job, family, or retirement account may be an idol; but other well-meaning values may be exalted to idol statuses, such as ministry, denominational identity, or mission. We may harbor an idol by saying our style of worship is more acceptable than another's, or our standards of Christian conduct is more valid than another's.

An idol may force us to exclude a person from our church because of a culture or heritage or practice; even if the practice or culture is clearly defined as offensive to God once we make that doctrine and not God the standard we have become idolaters and are in danger of hearing Gods rebuke.

THE ONE TRUE GOD
God wants to be known correctly and it benefits us to know Him that way. We only know Him by His gracious revelation of Himself to us. Let's pray and ask God to show himself to us, (at least as much as we can handle). As we seek the truth of His revelation of Himself in honest humility we may come before Him in the confidence of acceptance and not fear His rebuke.

If we are not coming to the place of worship with an open and humble heart that honestly seeks to know and worship the Almighty we are deceiving ourselves and might just as well stay away.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

* * * * *

If you know someone who needs encouragement you should order a copy of my book of poems of comfort and hope. 

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(C) Adron 1/24/11

The Search of God, 1 Samuel 13:14

What kind of person is God looking for; is He looking for anybody at all, or someone special, and if so what kind of person?

"But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people because you have not kept the Lord's command." 1 Samuel 13:14 NIV.

These are the words of the prophet Samuel to King Saul when Saul presumed to take on the role of priest and offer the sacrifice. God reveals His mind; He seeks a man "after his own heart."

The word, "after" suggests one who is following, who is in step, and is pursuing after God.

BECAUSE
The word, because, leads us to God's reason. "Because you have not kept the Lord's command."  Obedience trumps zeal.  God wants your obedience,  He wants a person who learns His commands and follows them.  You would think God wanted someone who builds monuments, or cathedrals or set up some world-changing charity.  You would think God wants the smartest or most educated, or most talented that could sway people with elegant speech.  King Saul was many of these things: handsome, tall, a leader in battle, and charismatic; but they did not qualify him to fulfill God's greater purpose.

HEART
"The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart."  How can we be after the heart of God?

     * First, we must seek the Lord; seek Him in Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and the fellowship of others who are also seeking Him.
     * We must obey the light we are given, when aware of evil in our lives we must turn and repent, when aware of a deed we should perform then we should act. (Remember God will never contradict His Word).
     * We should pray and ask the Lord to make us a man or woman after His own heart; it is a prayer God will gladly grant.
     * We must be willing to serve him wherever the calling. God is looking for one who is willing to be a leader not of multitudes but things like a first grade Sunday School Class or of the Ushers Committee or to be the Van Driver of a Meals on Wheels Ministry.  Not everyone can be generals some must be sergeants and privates, but even a private can be a hero and receive the medal of honor.

SEARCHING
God is searching, His eyes and heart rove the earth looking for a man or woman after "his own heart" for this generation.  He is looking for someone who is willing to obey and to patiently wait for His command.  Are you the one who is following, who is in step, and who is pursuing God? Indeed, if ever there was a time for the man or woman after God's own heart it is this time.

To be a man after God's own heart you must know him. If you feel you do not have a personal relationship with the Lord then click here to see my post about the Gospel.

(c) Adron 9/12/10

Do People Hear God Speak Today? Psalm 95:7B-9

In ancient times, the prophets heard the voice of the Lord. But is He silent today, or are there some of us who still hear Him speak? Is there some reason we cannot hear Him speak?

THE BIBLE GIVES US SOME ANSWERS

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where you tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did." Psalm 95:7b-9. NIV.

IF

The Bible answers the question, 'Does God Speak today?' with the word "if." If sounds like it may or may not happen. We can't make demands on God; it is for Him to decide if He is going to speak or not.

HOW

God may speak in many ways, such as the prompting of the heart, conscience, a sermon, a Bible passage, an opportunity to do good, or the counsel of a godly mentor. (Beware of false "voices" that imitate God's voice. Knowing God's Word keeps us straight since He will never go against His Holy Bible).

THE BIGGER QUESTION

The bigger question is not, "Does God speak to us," but "What do we do with what we have heard?" That answer makes all the difference! We choose either to yield our obedience or to harden our hearts by refusal. If God prompts us to do good work, we should do it. If scripture speaks to give or serve, we should. If we rebel and hold back our tithe or refuse to teach Sunday School when offered or work in the church nursery, then we have begun to harden our hearts.

HARD HEART

Hardening your heart is like Russian Roulette, sooner or later God will act with condemnation. In the wilderness, Israel suffered because they hardened their hearts. They didn't plan to, they saw more of the situation than they did of God, and complained. (Exodus 17:5-7). The lives of the Old Testament people serve as an example to us; we presume on God's grace when we rationalize inaction to His voice.

TO HEAR HIM SPEAK

God may speak, but we gag Him. We drown out His voice by crowding our lives with busyness, entertainment, and career; even good things like church service and family may create a volume that deafens us to Him. Jesus' words, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear," no longer apply to our generation. Let's resolve to live lives free of the complications stifling His voice. Let's seek Him afresh in prayer and His word. May we commit ourselves to obey His still small voice that may whisper in our hearts to do some service, make some sacrifice, or commit some good act in His Name.

(c) Adron 7/28/10

A Countdown That Leads to Heart Wisdom. Psalm 90:12

God Loves You

We all want to be wise, but we wonder how to attain wisdom.

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12.

This verse is a kind of prayer. The Bible encourages us to pray and ask God to give us wisdom and here we see a specific request to include in that prayer.

We ask God to “Teach us to number our days.” We must be willing to learn from God. Since only God knows the number of our days He alone is fit to teach us. God has assigned the number of days for each of us, and He knows where we are in the count.

We do not number our years but our days. Since days are shorter; it reminds us that we are very mortal and our days are very temporary. We should not squander them, but should use our time with judgment and not put off the good we can do. We are only given so many and when they are spent there is no going back.

We live one day at a time. Every day is a blessing and a gift. We should treat it as such and live it with gratitude, humility, service and love.

One day will be our last and then we will stand before God- today maybe that day. As Christians we are trusting in the saving work and death of Christ we know the hope of heaven, but we will have to give account for the lives we live and numbering our days gives us focus on that future day. How should I live if today is the closing chapter of my life? What would I not leave undone or unsaid? What is a little slight or a small defeat, what will it matter if someone hurt our feelings, or stepped on our toe? We begin to think about bigger things, like love, service, and God.

What is a "heart of wisdom?" It is to be wise down to your very foundation. It is wisdom in its purest form, not the passing wisdom of these times but wisdom that sees eternity. Wouldn’t you want to have a heart of wisdom; to be a person who is wise all the way to their core? This verse is an exciting promise and great hope that we WILL gain a heart of wisdom. This heart of wisdom is not a myth, one may indeed gain it.

Our days are few may we live them well.

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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(c) Adron

What Brings Joy To Our Hearts? Psalm 105:3

Many in our world are grim and desperately looking for some inner hope of purpose and joy.  Even people of deep faith struggle to find inner happiness. What is the source of joy?

“Glory in his holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”

Psalm 105:3, NIV.

GLORY
To glory in something is like celebrating it.  We know what we glory in by what we talk about and what boast about.  You might glory in your job or accomplishment or family status.

HOLY
Today few rejoice in the Lord because we have lost a sense of His holiness. His holiness is a wonderful thing;
     * It is a foundation of God's goodness.
     * It means that God will not sin.
     * It means that He is above the wickedness of our world.
     * It means that God will act righteously and fairly in each of our lives and the affairs of men.
     * It sums up His character.

SEEK
We should continue to "seek the Lord."  To seek the Lord is not just for some spiritual elite; nor is it something that happens just once when we are converted.  Today's man rushes from place to place, from event to task and then rushes home to relax and unwind leaving no time to seek the Lord.

To search for God is a daily endeavor.  It looks for the Lord’s hand in our lives.  It is and an attitude that considers him and his word often, and every day.  It puts the pursuit of God at the top of our daily planners.

LET
To let something it to allow it to be or happen, it is to put nothing in the way and refuse to stop.  Here the word let is an action word and points to a decision.  It is to purposefully choose this thing.

HEART
“Heart” symbolizes the deepest part of the basic person, and on the level of my deepest person; our very hearts should be caught up in the joy of the Lord.

REJOICE
Rejoice is like joy in action and joy-giving expression.  It is when our hearts are caught up in joy in the Lord.  If our hearts rejoices in anything else than the Lord it is second best at best, or maybe even idolatry.  We rob ourselves of the joy we could have by denying joy access.

DO IT
We should “let” our hearts rejoice, and remove the barriers to joy, like sins, disbelief, and busyness that crowd the Lord out of our lives.  We need to allow ourselves to rejoice, even pray for joy.

If we "glory" in his holy name we will rejoice because our hearts will be fulfilling the spiritual purpose for which we were designed.

If your glory is the Lord then joy is in store for you- if you let it come.

The Lord is the source of our true joy if you want to know more about finding him then CLICK HERE.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the

(c)Adron Dozat 3/19/10

Do Not Come Empty Handed, But You Must Come. Exodus 23: 14.

People think that church worship is boring, dull, and irrelevant to modern religious experience, the question maybe is it the worship service or the worshiper?

“Celebrate the Feast of unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.” Exodus 23:14. NIV.

TODAY'S PROBLEMATIC CELEBRATION
We live in an entertainment culture where we go to “get;” to be amused or edified.  We want our church to offer a sermon (hopefully one that is not too troubling to our conscience) with a few laughs and memorable stories.  We want the child care to be clean and happy and the fellowship hour to be well-stocked with fresh cookies.  It is tragic that today’s Christianity has turned away from the example of our Lord who “came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”(Matthew 20:28).

THE ANCIENT COMMAND

Do Not Come Before Me Empty Handed, Exodus 23:4

Do not come before God “empty-handed.” This requires personal consecration, a setting aside of self-interest and needs in order to prepare to serve.  Prepare for worship on The Lord’s Day by spending time the day before in God’s word, prayer, meditation, and personal worship.  Daily personal devotions make us ready to bring an offering of service on Sunday.  Daily personal worship makes us ready to say “Amen” to the benediction, the offertory, or the sermon.  When you spend time during the week reading the Bible, in prayer and worship then Sunday worship meeting becomes a celebration of our personal worship experienced throughout the week, because we are bringing something we took the time to prepare.

GIVING BLESSES
When you come to community worship you will be able to sing from your heart to the Lord since He has been close to your heart all week long.  You will be able to pray silently and say amen to the prayers offered by others.  When you bring an offering of a full heart to the community worship service and give it to God you will take away a heart full of blessing far exceeding what you brought.

(c) Adron 2/18/10

How Your Heart Can Be A Guide, What The Bible Says, Exodus 25:2

People like to say, “Follow your heart,” or “Trust in your heart,” but the heart is fickle and generally a poor guide. So, can the heart be trustworthy guide?

“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.” Exodus 25:2. NIV.

PROMPT
The word, “prompt,” can mean to cause somebody to act, or bring about something; it could mean to remind somebody of what they ought to do.

Many people of faith practice a daily worship and prayer time with Bible reading, prayer, and then "wait” in silence for the Lord to prompt them. The prompt may be A thought to encourage someone or an idea to do a service, sometimes it is awareness to forsake sin, and sometimes it is a sense of peace.

FALSE PROMPTING
There is a danger of false prompting because our hearts waver between the old worldly nature and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. People become fools and cause pain by following a longing of the heart that seemed to them like a spirit-led prompting.

PROMPTING IN CHECK
Moses spoke to a pre-Christian people who did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit; or God’s written revelation, the Bible, for guidance. So Moses gave specific instructions as to what to bring, gold, cloth, etc. We have God’s Word and we must weigh the “Prompt” against the Bible. The Spirit of God will never direct us to disobey the Word of God. When you receive a “prompting” ask yourself if there is a verse that supports this action; or one that opposes it? Then pray with thankfulness to the Lord for His leading and ask for His help to fulfill the command.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL
There are no formulas that promise a spiritual reward, instead, we must have a relationship with the Lord. The “seeking- waiting- and listening in stillness” for the prompting of the Lord is part of that relationship experience. May we develop the attitude of always listening for the prompting of the Lord in our hearts, not only in my daily personal morning worship but throughout your day.

(c) Adron 2/17/10

Is Jesus Against Money, Or Above It? A Look At His Teaching From Luke 16:15.

God Loves You

At first glance the teaching Jesus gives on money is bleak.

"The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’” Luke 16: 14, 15. NIV.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
This is part of a passage where Jesus is teaching about wealth to an audience of religious professionals who used religion as a means of gain.

HIGHLY VALUED
“What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” sounds shocking, you wonder if you have gotten the meaning of life wrong and have been living with the wrong priorities.

What is highly valued among men?

     • Wealth?
     • Fame?
     • To be admired?
     • Status?
     • A title?
     • Bigger, nicer, newer things?
     • Comfort?

It could be anything, something that is highly valued is valued above its proper place. God means money as a test or a tool but we see it as a treasure.

“Highly valued" here can be seen as wrong values. We view money and what it can buy to be the end of it all, but God means for money to be used to advance his Kingdom and meet the needs of God’s children.

GOD'S VALUES
We buy and build houses and fill them with treasures so we may relax and enjoy, but God gives them to us so we may serve. We cultivate our gifts and talents so we may enrich our own lives, but God gave them to us so we can bless other’s lives. We are like the craftsman who is in love with a tool and forgot to create the article it was designed for.

DETESTABLE
Things like wealth, status and possessions are detestable in God's sight because they become idols; when the thing we value takes the place of God in our lives, it makes it into a “god” and serving that thing becomes idolatry. It takes from serving the True God, and people, His creation.

ATTITUDE
It is not the thing itself that is detestable to God but it is the attitude attached to it that is detestable. This foundation attitude affects all our other choices. God wants to bless us, and having the right value of things liberates us, but having the wrong value of things robs us.

We need to know God and what He values; let's learn to treasure those things! Our value of things must become submissive to the Lord and not let them become our Lord. We need to learn the right value of things.

To learn more about knowing god and eternal salvation see my other blog. 

(c) Adron

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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