[Turtle Island Seen From Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii]
Not every desire of your heart is from God !
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" - Jeremiah 17:9
We all know what deceitful means, but I looked it up just the same in Websters 1828 dictionary where it tells us: "Deceitful means to tend to mislead, deceive, or ensnare; full of deceit, trickish, fraudulent or cheating."
We cannot trust our own hearts, for it tends to lie to us or sugar-coat a forbidden practice or a forbidden love. We tend to let our desires dictate to us what our actions are. Sometimes our motives are not even clear to ourselves. That is why we need to go to the good Lord in faith and trust and pray about every situation where our hearts seem to be contrary to His will. We actually need to pray to God about everything.
If we are constantly in prayer and in God's Holy Word, we will develop a close, personal, intimate love relationship with the Creator, and that in turn will keep our heart focused on spiritual things and we therefore will be less likely to be deceived by the devil's wiles and trickery. We will find that we are strong when we rely on God and Jesus.
"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13
"With God all things are possible" - Matthew 19:26 b
Many years ago, when I was experiencing extreme hardship and even trauma, the above two Scriptures gave me hope and endurance.
If we are constantly in prayer and in God's Holy Word, we will develop a close, personal, intimate love relationship with the Creator, and that in turn will keep our heart focused on spiritual things and we therefore will be less likely to be deceived by the devil's wiles and trickery. We will find that we are strong when we rely on God and Jesus.
"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13
"With God all things are possible" - Matthew 19:26 b
Many years ago, when I was experiencing extreme hardship and even trauma, the above two Scriptures gave me hope and endurance.
Another problem is that our hearts tend to listen to people's opinions and we go by that instead of listening for and seeking God's guidance.
Jeremiah 17:5 tells us: "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
Notice in Jeremiah 17:9 it also says that the heart is "desperately wicked". In other words, the heart is wretched, or feeble; distressed beyond all things, in consequence of the wickedness that is in it. One commentator has this to say: "I am quite of Mr. Parkhust's opinion that this word (wicked) is here badly translated - as anash is never used in Scripture to denote wickedness of any kind. My old MS Bible translates thus: "Schrewid is the herte of a man: and unserchable: who schal knoweth it."
[Hawaiian Moorhens at Hamakua Marsh, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii]
We all have this problem called sin. It is our nature to sin. Please read Romans 7:18-20. Actually, I will quote those verses here:
(18) "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
What to do then? We Christians know the answer to that question: turn to the good Lord in repentance and prayer and ask for forgiveness. Be humble and consult the Holy Word, which is the lamp of God which will give us Light in searching the Scriptures. His word will settle into the recesses of the heart, with the good Lord's assistance.
The cure of sin is twofold; its guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ, and its power is broken down by the Holy Spirit.
You must learn to hate your own sin, as well as those sins of others.
Too often we are quick to point an accusing finger at the mistakes of others, but cannot or will not acknowledge that we are just as guilty in our own "pet" sins. John Newton, who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace" , had this to say: "Thus I judge of my heart that it is very deep and dark, and full of envy; but as to particulars, I know not one of a thousand."
Satan the devil knows his time left is very short. He is trying as hard as he can to deceive and trick us into sin. But we have Jesus to save us and guide us. Remember, we are living in the last moments of the end times. Bible prophecy and its precursors are happening right now. We live in the shadows cast by the soon to occur prophesied 7 year Tribulation period, the beginning stages of which are already happening now....... If the Tribulation is that close, guess how close the Rapture of the Church must be, when Jesus Christ comes to take true believers to heaven so they do not suffer the wrath of God during the Trib. period.
Following is a video which discusses these end times, and also the importance of salvation NOW before it is too late and you are left behind during the Tribulation period. It is a 26 minute video that is very enlightening and I pray that you watch it all.
In the above video, he tells us that it is not about religion. Religion says "do".... it is all about works. Salvation is about a relationship with Jesus. Jesus' death at Calvary says all is "done". Just have faith and belief in Him as the Messiah and believe in His resurrection and you are saved.... sealed as a child of God forever.
Romans 10: 9,10,13 tells us (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Keep looking up!
Keep watching!
We fly soon!
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !!
