It starts with the heart...

Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

These words are so true.  Everything we think, say and do comes from something rooted in our heart.  Both the good and bad we do, flows out from our hearts.

Matthew 15:18-19 - But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean'.  For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

What is in your heart?  What is coming out of your mouth?

Romans 10:10 - For is is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

How are you guarding your heart?  What are you feeding into your heart that you should, and what are you feeding into your heart that you shouldn't?

Our lives and those around us are affected by what is in and what comes out of our heart.  When I feed my heart with good things, out of an abundance of good things in my heart I am helpful and encouraging to others.  When I feed my heart with bad things, I become cold, callous and hard hearted and that results in hurting others. 

What affect are you having on others today?  What is flowing out of the abundance in your heart?

Lord I pray today that you would help us see where we need to guard our hearts better.  Help us to see in a very vivid and real way; how what we are letting in is affecting our relationship with You and those around us.  Lord break our hearts for what breaks Yours.  Lord help us to fill our hearts with Your love, grace and mercy and then to live out that love in action and in truth.  In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Turn to Him

Romans 2:4 – Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.

Is the way you are living your life showing contempt for the gift that God has given you?  

2 Corinthians 7:10 – Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

When you sin do you show Godly sorrow...or do you show worldly sorrow? Do you ache because Jesus didn’t deserve to die for you?  Or do you show worldly sorrow over being caught or found out?

When we sin – we need to run to Him, not from Him.

We cannot fix ourselves – We can do nothing but try to manage our sinful behavior, we can put all of our effort into fixing ourselves, but that more often than not, will lead to a different sin (such as pride) or our old sin will rear it’s ugly head at some point down the road.

Only Jesus can help us.

This is why it’s so important to realize that we are loved by HIM...so we turn to Him.  We have to continually recognize our sin and turn to Jesus, repent and ask for forgiveness.

It’s important that we spend time in His community.  It’s important that we spend time in His Word.  It's important that we spend time in prayer...that we spend time with Him.

2 Corinthians 3:18 - And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

When we turn to him and confess (with unveiled faces) His character starts to become our character and we are transformed from the inside out.

Lord, I pray today that we would all learn to run to You when we sin and not away from You.  I pray that we would approach You with unveiled faces, open and honest knowing that nothing is hidden from your sight.  I pray that as we press into You through the Word, prayer and community that we will be transformed more and more into Your likeness.  Amen!

I can do everything...

Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Do you believe these words?

Do you believe that if we are in Him, that through Him we have the strength to overcome anything?

This last week I've been thinking a lot about how the progression of the character Neo in the movie The Matrix is similar to the progression I have gone through...maybe it's similar to yours.

He starts out just like everybody else, consumed and part of the world.  He feels like there has got to be more, like there has to be something else.  He starts seeking that something more, he starts to get glimpses, starts to make contact with those that seem to have figured things out.  He takes a plunge and enters into another world.  He is told who he is, given his identity...he doesn't believe...but he keeps pressing in and learning more.  He begins to believe...realizing he is more than he has been...he begins to confront his problems head on.  It's not easy, he takes a beating...but he builds confidence, strength and trust in who he is.  And then he believes..."No!" and the bullets of the enemy stop...

Philippians 3:12-14 - Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The point for me is that it's a journey, a journey that each and everyone one of us are walking...but when we truly believe in who we are in Him, in Christ and we live out lives accordingly by forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...we can overcome anything and everything.

I can do every everything through Him who gives me strength!

Where are you in your journey?  Do you believe these words?

Lord, today I pray that You would help our unbelief.  Guide us to healing and forgiveness so we can truly forget whats behind and strain toward what is ahead.  Help us to see where we are in our journey and to know our part in Your great story.  In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Romans 12

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

     “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
     if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
     In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.