“What Rules Your Heart?”

 “What Rules Your Heart?”

 

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  And let the PEACE of Christ rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body, you are called to live in PEACE.  And ALWAYS be thankful.    Colossians 3:14-15

 

LOVE is ABOVE ALL other VIRTUES.  The Apostle Paul tells us that we SHOULD CLOTHE ourselves with LOVE. This virtue BINDS us ALL in PERFECT HARMONY or PERFECT UNITY.  All TRUE BELIEVERS are a PART of the BODY of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And therefore, we SHOULD have the LOVE of CHRIST abiding in us.  This LOVE binds us TOGETHER in PERFECT HARMONY or UNITY.  

 

Can you just imagine what it would be like, if we DID NOT have the LOVE of CHRIST in us? If we acted like some people in some of the churches of today, those who STIR UP TROUBLE, and are ALWAYS BICKERING with each other, we would bring SHAME and DISGRACE to the SON of the LIVING GOD.  The ONE who SAVED our WRETCHED souls with His OWN BLOOD.  And wants us to LOVE each other AS He LOVES us.  

 

We are to LET the PEACE of CHRIST RULE in our HEARTS, because we are CALLED to LIVE in PEACE.  And we are to ALWAYS be THANKFUL.  We should be thankful for the LOVE that we have in CHRIST for each other, and we SHOULD LET the PEACE of CHRIST RULE in our HEARTS.   Whenever we do these two things it DRAWS us CLOSER to the ALMIGHTY GOD, and His BELOVED SON.  

 

We SHOULD LOVE like JESUS LOVES and FORGIVE like JESUS FORGIVES, then we can have the LOVE and PEACE of GOD living in us.  And by YIELDING to His HOLY SPIRIT, DAILY, we can SERVE within the BODY of CHRIST in PERFECT HARMONY or UNITY.  And instead of bringing SHAME and DISGRACE to our LORD, we can bring HONOR and GLORY to His PRECIOUS NAME.  

 

Now, let us go back to our question, which is also the title of this devotion.  “What RULES Your Heart?  If you think about it and determine that YOU are ALLOWING your SINFUL NATURE to RULE your HEART, then you are bringing SHAME and DISGRACE to the LORD.  And as TRUE BELIEVERS, we will have to face the CONSEQUENCES for our UNGODLY ACTIONS. 

 

 But if you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER, meaning you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through His Son, you will stand in JUDGMENT before the LORD and will be sentenced to an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL it’s HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.   In order to ESCAPE this kind of ETERNAL LIFE, and to be ABLE to have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS there are some things you MUST DO:  FIRST, ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who SUFFERED, BLED, and DIED, but was RESURRECTED, in order for YOU to have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  And also, for YOU to EXPERIENCE the LOVE of GOD, and the PEACE of CHRIST dwelling in your heart.  You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and LOVE and LET the PEACE of CHRIST RULE your HEART.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!   Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

“Continue to Believe the Truth”

 “Continue to Believe the Truth”

 

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.  Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.  The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul have been appointed as God’s Servant to proclaim it.  Colossians 1:23

 

Some of you may be thinking: “What TRUTH?”  It is the TRUTH that will set mankind FREE from their SINFUL LIVES and give them an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  It is the TRUTH of GOD’S HOLY WORD.  And it is the TRUTH concerning GOD’S PERFECT PLAN for the SALVATION of MANKIND.  

 

Let’s start with the BEGINNING.  FIRST, let’s LOOK at who His ONLY SON TRULY IS.  JESUS CHRIST is the VISIBLE IMAGE of the INVISIBLE GOD.  Meaning that He existed before ANYTHING was created and is SUPERLATIVE over ALL creation.  And through Him God created EVERYTHING in the heavenly realms and on earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see.  EVERYTHING was created THROUGH Him and FOR Him.  He EXISTED before ANYTHING else, and HE holds ALL creation TOGETHER.  JESUS CHRIST is also the HEAD of the UNSEEN CHURCH, which is His BODY.   He is the BODY.  He is SUPREME over ALL who RISE from the DEAD.  So, He is FIRST in EVERYTHING.  

 

It PLEASED God, in ALL His FULLNESS, to LIVE in Christ, and through Him God RECONCILED EVERYTHING to HIMSELF.  He made PEACE with EVERYTHING in Heaven and on Earth by means of CHRIST’S BLOOD on the CROSS.  JESUS, who is GOD in the FLESH, GAVE UP His LIFE to SAVE YOUR LIFE and MINE TOO.  And He ACCOMPLISHED the WILL of GOD for the REDEMPTION of ALL MANKIND by the SHEDDING of His PRECIOUS BLOOD.  

 

The Apostle Paul was talking to the CHRISTIANS in COLOSSE.  And it was His desire that they would NOT DRIFT AWAY FROM the ASSURANCE that they received when they HEARD the GOOD NEWS. At that time, they were being led astray with FALSE DOCTRINES.  So, Paul is ENCOURAGING THEM to STAND-FAST in what they FIRST BELIEVED and don’t DRIFT AWAY from the TRUTH.  

 

  Paul told them that, the GOOD NEWS had been PREACHED all over the WORLD, and He (PAUL) had been appointed as God’s Servant to proclaim it.  And WE, who have GIVEN our HEART and LIFE to GOD, has ALSO been APPOINTED by God to PROCLAIM the GOOD NEWS to this WICKED, CORRUPT, VILE world. Have YOU received this GOOD NEWS?  If you think NOT, your wrong, because I just SHARED IT with You.  JESUS, who is GOD In the FLESH, GAVE HIS LIFE to SAVE your soul from an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.   

 

Now that you KNOW the TRUTH of the GOOD NEWS, what will you do with it?  Will you REJECT it, by ignoring what has been shared with you? If this is your decision, then your DESTINY is not such GOOD NEWS.  BUT YOU can CHANGE that NOW!  If you will ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And BELIEVE the TRUTH that He DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.   YOU MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and CONTINUE to BELIEVE the TRUTH.   Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“God, the Strength of My Heart “

 “God, the Strength of My Heart”

 

Whom have I in Heaven but you?  I desire you more than anything on earth.  My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.   Psalm 73:25-26

 

The man who wrote this Psalm, is Asaph, and Asaph wrote many of the psalms.  This PARTICULAR one was dealing with the problem that a lot of us experience from time to time.   And that is ENVY, Asaph, confessed that he ENVIED the PROUD when he saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seemed to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.  They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.  (VV3-5).

 

After a period of time, Asaph realized that his HEART was BITTER, and it was causing him much DISTRESS.  He confessed that he was FOOLISH and IGNORANT—- he said to God, “I must have seemed like a senseless animal to You.”  So, he came to this conclusion: “Yet I STILL belong to YOU; You hold my right hand.  You guide me with Your Counsel, leading me to a GLORIOUS DESTINY.  Whom have I in Heaven but You?  I DESIRE YOU MORE than anything on this earth.  Asaph realized what his DESTINY would be and felt ashamed that he had ENVIED the PROUD, whose destiny was DISASTROUS.  

 

 In verse nineteen, Asaph comes to this realization:  That the WICKED would be on a SLIPPERY PATH and slide over a cliff to DESTRUCTION, which means that those who REMAIN in their sins and continue in their WICKEDNESS will slide right into the very pit of HELL with ALL its HORRORS and they will have NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there.  

 

Asaph, says: “My health may FAIL, and my SPIRIT may grow WEAK, but GOD REMAINS the STRENGTH of MY HEART; HE is MINE FOREVER.” When this life is over, GOD will take the RIGHTEOUS UP TO GLORY, and the WICKED will be swept away into their FINAL DESTINY of an ETERNITY in HELL.   Asaph realized that The ALMIGHTY GOD was the STRENGTH of his HEART and EVERYTHING to him.  REGARDLESS of the PLEASURES that the WICKED receive in this life, Asaph, along with ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, have the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, and an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Is this YOUR GLORIOUS DESTINY?  OR are you facing the DISASTROUS DESTINY with ALL its HORRORS?

 

If you are on that SLIPPERY SLOPE, headed for an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS.   You NEED to KNOW that GOD LOVES YOU, and He wants YOU to become a PART of His Family.  And for you to have a GLORIOUS DESTINY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  You are running out of time, so do this NOW:  ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE, to SAVE YOU FROM an ETERNITY in HELL.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and OPEN your HEART to Him and allow Him to become the STRENGTH of your HEART.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.   He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!“

“ALWAYS Pray and NEVER Give Up “

 “ALWAYS Pray and NEVER Give Up”

 

One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should ALWAYS pray and NEVER give up.   Luke 18:1

 

This is the PARABLE (story) that Jesus told His disciples: “There was a judge in a certain city, He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.  A widow of that city came to him REPEATEDLY, saying, “Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.  The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy.  I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

 

Then the Lord Jesus told His disciples; “LEARN a LESSON from this UNJUST judge.  Even though he was UNJUST, he carried out a JUST decision in the end.  Then the Lord asked them, “So don’t you think God will surely give JUSTICE to His Chosen People who cry out to Him DAY and NIGHT?  Will He keep putting them off?  I tell you; He will GRANT JUSTICE to them QUICKLY!”  

 

The ONE thing that prompted the UNJUST JUDGE, who did NOT FEAR God nor RESPECT people, was the PESTERING of the widow who ALWAYS presented her PETITION to him and was PERSISTENT in her mission for JUSTICE.  She DID NOT GIVE UP!  Like the widow, our PERSISTENCE in our PRAYER TIME, indicates our TRUST in the ONLY ONE who can RENDER a JUST DECISION.  He is FAITHFUL and JUST to His OWN.  He CARES about the THINGS that brings us HEARTACHE and DESPAIR.  He LISTENS to our PLEAS and ANSWERS when it is the RIGHT TIME!  And it is IMPORTANT for His Children to have FAITH and TRUST in Him to bring them the BEST RESULT.  

 

In this PARABLE Jesus taught that GOD SHOULD NOT BE PESTERED, by PRAYER, but that those who PRAY, His OWN, Should PRAY CONSISTENTLY, PERSISTENTLY, and EXPECTANTLY.  PRAYING this way will bring ANSWERS.  Maybe not as SOON as you want or expect, but they will come at JUST THE RIGHT TIME.

 

Jesus asked this question; “When the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have FAITH?”  This question was like “FOOD for THOUGHT”. He wanted them to be FAITHFUL in PRAYER and to NOT GIVE UP, but to be CONSISTENT and TRUST in GOD for the ANSWERS.  Now, for those who are NOT the CHILDREN of GOD, there is a PROBLEM.  God does not hear your prayers, UNTIL YOU PRAY for FORGIVENESS, and a WILLINGNESS to ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST as your SAVIOR and LORD, then He will HEAR and ANSWER your PRAYERS.  

 

So, in order to be able to PRAY to GOD and have your PRAYERS ANSWERED, here are some things you MUST DO.  First, YOU MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE.  YOU MUST BELIEVE that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for YOU, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  YOU MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and ALWAYS PRAY and NEVER GIVE UP!!!  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“The Anchor”

 “The Anchor”

 

This HOPE is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.  It leads us through the curtain into God’s Inner Sanctuary.  Jesus has already gone in there for us.  He has become our ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST in the order of Melchizedek.   Hebrews 6:19-20

 

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that causes ANGUISH and HEARTACHE.  Some of these things may be the result of our OWN DOING.  So, how can we SURVIVE these SITUATIONS and end up on the RIGHT SIDE of each situation we encounter??

 

The writer of Hebrews, and particularly this CHAPTER, is giving us HOPE that is STRONG and TRUSTWORTHY, and an ANCHOR for our souls.  God had made a PROMISE to ABRAHAM, and to give ABRAHAM HOPE, GOD SEALED the PROMISE with an OATH.  God’s Word is TRUTHFUL and that means that it is IMPOSSIBLE for GOD to LIE, and not ONLY was it IMPOSSIBLE for God to LIE, but the impossibility was also supported by two UNCHANGEABLE things: The PROMISE and the OATH, and these two UNCHANGEABLE THINGS, SHOULD ENCOURAGE those who will take HOLD of the HOPE.

 

The author of Hebrews gives us a picture of this STRONG and TRUSTWORTHY HOPE, by taking us to a SAFE HARBOR, where the BATTERED and TROUBLED SOUL may drop ANCHOR, which was carried to the REFUGE POINT that was the SAFEST OF ALL.  This PLACE OF REFUGE is the INNER SANCTUARY that was behind the curtain and our ANCHOR which is JESUS CHRIST, our LORD and SAVIOR, who went before us, and made a WAY for us to have FELLOWSHIP with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.   

 

The LORD JESUS entered the Heavenly Sanctuary where He carries out His functions as a HIGH PRIEST FOREVER. And this gives a TRUE BELIEVER’S HOPE an ANCHOR that CANNOT be SHAKEN LOOSE.  It is a HOPE that is SURE, and we can HOLD ON to it STEADFASTLY right to the VERY END.  Do YOU have such a HOPE and a SECURE ANCHOR?

 

If your answer is NO, you can CHANGE it to YES!  And be ASSURED of a STRONG and TRUSTWORTHY HOPE, which is an ANCHOR for your SOUL.  The ONLY WAY to be able to do this is FIRST, ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS, the ONLY SON of the LIVING GOD, who SUFFERED, BLED, and DIED for your SINFUL SOUL.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a REPENTANT HEART. Then you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION. And possess a HOPE that is a STRONG and TRUSTWORTHY ANCHOR and START having a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with the EVERLASTING GOD.  And spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS!!!  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“The Rock That Is Higher Than I”

“The Rock That Is Higher Than I”

 

Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer.  From the end of the earth, I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.  For You have been a Refuge for me, a Tower of Strength against the enemy.  Let me dwell in Your Tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your Wings.   Psalm 61:1–4

 

 

King David was OVERWHELMED, and somewhat FAINT of HEART, because of the threat of his enemies.  So, he did what he KNEW was the BEST thing that he COULD do, and that was to PRAY for DIVINE SECURITY.  Although he was WEAKENED in his spirit, and FAINT of HEART, his GOD is his ROCK.  And David realized his LIMITATIONS and God’s UNCONQUERABLE MIGHT.  This is SOMETHING WE ALL NEED to RECOGNIZE in OUR OWN lives.  

 

So, we have seen God as a ROCK, now, let us look at Him as our REFUGE; He ALONE is our TOWER of STRENGTH against our ENEMY.  The King wanted to REMAIN in the presence of the ALMIGHTY GOD, which is the BEST PLACE he could be.  David, KNEW that the BEST place to be was UNDER the COVERING of GOD.  And he petitioned God to let him DWELL in His Tent FOREVER.  That was an INFALLIBLE PLACE of SAFETY from his ENEMIES, and it was/is a WISE place to be able to carry on with his life and to SERVE THE ALMIGHTY GOD.

 

Is God YOUR ROCK, REFUGE, YOUR TOWER of STRENGTH?  He CAN and WILL BE, if YOU will ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, God’s Only Son, who SACRIFICED His OWN LIFE to SAVE your SINFUL SOUL.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and ALLOW Him to be YOUR ROCK that is HIGHER than YOU, YOUR REFUGE, and YOUR TOWER of STRENGTH.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

  

“Keep Watch and Be Ready,”

 “Keep Watch and Be Ready!”

 

So, you, must keep watch!  For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.  Understand this:  If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.  You must also be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.   Matthew 24:42-44

 

I truly BELIEVE that we are living in the LAST DAYS.   The Lord Jesus gave His Disciples instructions for living in the LAST DAYS.  Two things He mentioned that a TRUE BELIEVER should do while waiting for the RETURN of JESUS to RAPTURE His Church, which consists of ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, no matter where you are at.  Whether you are in the DEEPEST PART of AFRICA or the CROWDED STREETS of NEW YORK CITY. If you are a BORN AGAIN, TRUE BELIEVER, you are a PART of the BODY of CHRIST, the CHURCH.

 

There are TWO parts of the SECOND COMING of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The FIRST PART is the RAPTURE or SNATCHING AWAY the TRUE BELIEVERS, the CHURCH.  This can happen at ANY TIME, maybe before I finish this lesson.  And our verses we are using today, are referring to the RAPTURE of the CHURCH.  The SECOND PART of the SECOND COMING is when JESUS RETURNS to the MOUNT of OLIVES, and to set up His KINGDOM and His THOUSAND YEAR REIGN.  So, we are going to look at the FIRST PART the RAPTURE.

 

Many of US, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, those who have come to JESUS for the INNER CLEANSING of our SOULS and the OUTWARD TRANSFORMATION of our BODY, MIND and SOUL, which adds up to the ACT of SALVATION.  We then become the CHILDREN of the LIVING GOD.  We have been ADOPTED into God’s Family.  And we have become JOINT HEIRS with His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the one who SUFFERED, BLED, and DIED in OUR place, in order to SECURE for us— ETERNAL SALVATION.  

 

This process is a PART of BEING READY, and it is a MUST that you do it.  Those who have done it are very ANXIOUS and EXCITED about the RAPTURE.  We are KEEPING WATCH, like the homeowner who is KEEPING WATCH over his family and home.  KEEPING WATCH is being ALERT and READY because the TIMING of the RAPTURE is UNKNOWN.  And BEING READY is STAYING CLOSE to the LORD and STAY AWAY from things that are of a SINFUL NATURE, things that could cause a TRUE BELIEVER to LOSE their REWARDS.  Being READY and on ALERT is also living in a way that is PLEASING to the Lord at ALL TIMES.  This will prevent you from being ASHAMED when He COMES for the CHURCH.  

 

In order to be ABLE to go in the RAPTURE, you MUST BE A PART of the BODY OF CHRIST.  To do that YOU MUST be DRAWN by the HOLY SPIRIT, which means that He will CONVICT you about your SINFUL LIFESTYLE. And when He does this, YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who DIED for YOU.  He PAID the PRICE YOU could NOT PAY.  YOU MUST BELIEVE that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for YOU, before GOD.  YOU MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  YOU MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and KEEP WATCH AND BE READY for YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN HE WILL COME.  So, do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!