Post by Les on Feb 2, 2020 23:05:17 GMT
Heart Disease
Heart disease is epidemic in our societies because of bad diets and gluttony. For some food is definitely an idol which is worshipped and cherished above all else. Yet; there is another pandemic disease going rampant through Christendom which is separating people from their God.
(7) But Adonai said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have already refused him. For He does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Jesus gave us an imperative; “judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgement”. God looks into the heart of man to define the man of what sort he is. God is a spiritual, omnipresent, heart-searching God. Today we are witnessing a heart problem in the body of Christ; of which many have idols of the heart. The Prophet Ezekiel seen this in his time.
(1) And some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
(2) And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
(3) Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face. Should I at all be inquired of by them?
(4) Therefore speak to them, and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him in it by the host of his idols;
(5) so that I may capture the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are estranged from Me by their idols, all of them. Ezekiel 14:1-5
The tendency of human nature is always the same, it is a fact that where there is no renewing element or dynamic of grace being allowed to work in the heart; something from the carnality of humanity will substitute it; and it may be some place of power, or wealth, or some sensual pleasure, or creation of the imagination of the mind.
(1) Idolatry happens when we are intent upon a sin or a course of sinning.
(2) Idolatry happens when we set up ideas in our heart from which hardness toward God results.
The heart disease of idolatry is manifest in the conduct of many spiritual leaders who are no more than spiritual liars because of their own gross hypocrisy. God is consistent in his character toward man and hypocrisy.
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. John 9:31 (KJV)
The Father certainly heard the prayer of Jesus concerning healing the blind man; and this was the defense of the man whose sight was restored. Yet, the other side of the coin denotes that one who is a sinner in their heart is not heard; but only one who is in right standing relationship with the Father is heard.
Idols of the heart are stumbling blocks that block our blessings when we put them before our face continually pushing God out of our face. We may not literally bow down to an idol of wood or metal; but we bow our hearts to oblige our own lustful pleasure and sin against God by drowning out the conviction of the Holy Spirit and get on the fast track to a reprobate mind. The elders in Ezekiel’s passage acknowledged God in their minds but not in their hearts. It is the same today; people acknowledge and pursue God mentally while they pursue sin whole heartedly.
It is futile to inquire of God while we pursue our sin: God requires
Full Surrender
Full Submission
Full Sincerity
Idols of the heart bring the results of open shame, continued despondency, and spiritual blindness because they harden our hearts to the principles of God. Hypocrites praise God with their mouths but their hearts are far from Him!
The truth is that God intimately knows our hearts, he has told us he will not answer the hypocrite’s prayer, and that it is unreasonable to assume such an abominable attempt as to insult him.
(12) For God's Message is full of life and power, and is keener than the sharpest two-edged sword. It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of the heart.
(13) And no created thing is able to escape its scrutiny; but everything lies bare and completely exposed before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13 WNT
IT IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD IT CUTS BOTH WAYS.
With the one edge it corrects and converts; while the other edge condemns and destroys its adversaries. It has the power of discernment: It shows us the nature of what is in the interior and hidden in our mentality; and It shows us the true moral nature of what is revolving in desire, and forming itself into expressed action.
Brethren; let us come to the altar and search our hearts to cast down the idols that block our blessings. Let us not indulge ourselves in any form of sin willfully or glorify the sins of the past. Let us forsake all that would pollute or dilute us in heart or mind. Then God will hear us:
(13) I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
(14) Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
(15) I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
(16) Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
(17) I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
(18) If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
(19) But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
(20) Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Psalm 66:13-20
Brethren we are living in the period of the great falling away; let us fall forward into the loving arms of Jesus. Abiding in his word, spirit, and truth. Selah!
D. Ray Ritchie (Bishop)
Heart disease is epidemic in our societies because of bad diets and gluttony. For some food is definitely an idol which is worshipped and cherished above all else. Yet; there is another pandemic disease going rampant through Christendom which is separating people from their God.
(7) But Adonai said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have already refused him. For He does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Jesus gave us an imperative; “judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgement”. God looks into the heart of man to define the man of what sort he is. God is a spiritual, omnipresent, heart-searching God. Today we are witnessing a heart problem in the body of Christ; of which many have idols of the heart. The Prophet Ezekiel seen this in his time.
(1) And some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
(2) And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
(3) Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face. Should I at all be inquired of by them?
(4) Therefore speak to them, and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him in it by the host of his idols;
(5) so that I may capture the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are estranged from Me by their idols, all of them. Ezekiel 14:1-5
The tendency of human nature is always the same, it is a fact that where there is no renewing element or dynamic of grace being allowed to work in the heart; something from the carnality of humanity will substitute it; and it may be some place of power, or wealth, or some sensual pleasure, or creation of the imagination of the mind.
(1) Idolatry happens when we are intent upon a sin or a course of sinning.
(2) Idolatry happens when we set up ideas in our heart from which hardness toward God results.
The heart disease of idolatry is manifest in the conduct of many spiritual leaders who are no more than spiritual liars because of their own gross hypocrisy. God is consistent in his character toward man and hypocrisy.
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. John 9:31 (KJV)
The Father certainly heard the prayer of Jesus concerning healing the blind man; and this was the defense of the man whose sight was restored. Yet, the other side of the coin denotes that one who is a sinner in their heart is not heard; but only one who is in right standing relationship with the Father is heard.
Idols of the heart are stumbling blocks that block our blessings when we put them before our face continually pushing God out of our face. We may not literally bow down to an idol of wood or metal; but we bow our hearts to oblige our own lustful pleasure and sin against God by drowning out the conviction of the Holy Spirit and get on the fast track to a reprobate mind. The elders in Ezekiel’s passage acknowledged God in their minds but not in their hearts. It is the same today; people acknowledge and pursue God mentally while they pursue sin whole heartedly.
It is futile to inquire of God while we pursue our sin: God requires
Full Surrender
Full Submission
Full Sincerity
Idols of the heart bring the results of open shame, continued despondency, and spiritual blindness because they harden our hearts to the principles of God. Hypocrites praise God with their mouths but their hearts are far from Him!
The truth is that God intimately knows our hearts, he has told us he will not answer the hypocrite’s prayer, and that it is unreasonable to assume such an abominable attempt as to insult him.
(12) For God's Message is full of life and power, and is keener than the sharpest two-edged sword. It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of the heart.
(13) And no created thing is able to escape its scrutiny; but everything lies bare and completely exposed before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13 WNT
IT IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD IT CUTS BOTH WAYS.
With the one edge it corrects and converts; while the other edge condemns and destroys its adversaries. It has the power of discernment: It shows us the nature of what is in the interior and hidden in our mentality; and It shows us the true moral nature of what is revolving in desire, and forming itself into expressed action.
Brethren; let us come to the altar and search our hearts to cast down the idols that block our blessings. Let us not indulge ourselves in any form of sin willfully or glorify the sins of the past. Let us forsake all that would pollute or dilute us in heart or mind. Then God will hear us:
(13) I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
(14) Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
(15) I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
(16) Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
(17) I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
(18) If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
(19) But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
(20) Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Psalm 66:13-20
Brethren we are living in the period of the great falling away; let us fall forward into the loving arms of Jesus. Abiding in his word, spirit, and truth. Selah!
D. Ray Ritchie (Bishop)