Guard/keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues/going forths of life/chai/reviving  Prov. 4:23    

 This is a verse that has been coming to my mind over the last couple of weeks, and I was asking; "What does it look like to guard our heart in our daily life?"    How do we "guard our heart with all diligence?"   My understanding of our heart is that it consists of our mind, our emotions, our will, and also our conscience which is buried deep within us.   This is our moral compass, the part of us that gives us the sense of right and wrong.  Romans 2 in the Bible says that "Gentiles (non Jews) who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law...who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness....accusing or excusing..." People all over the earth experience this in some measure,  such that the conscience becomes "God's light in us."    Yes, it can be dim and even perverted, but I will write more of that later. 

 In Ephesians 3:17 we read that it is His purpose to "dwell/make His home in all these aspects of our heart." and for this to happen Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly."  To develop and maintain a healthy conscience our minds must have God's divine light, and then we must obey that enlightenment to such an extent that our conscience rules over our thoughts, emotions, and choices!   To live like this will grant us the ability to experience a conscience "void of offence before God and man."   That doesn't say we are faultless, but that as we obey our Lord's promptings we have a sense of being blameless because we have confessed any particular wrong doing that has come between us and Him.  If that means going to another person to confess because we have offended them, we also must do this.  

 I know by experience that when I do this my peace is wonderful and likewise I also know by experience that when I refuse to obey those convictions there is no peace--only a feeling of dis-ease and a tremendous lack of peace--and the convicting is always 'specific' when it is the work of the Holy Spirit.   The Bible speaks of having a good, clear, pure, or blameless conscience; and when we are confessed "up to date" that is our wonderful experience!   When we disobey we will have a defiled and convicted conscience.  This can be quickly cleared up by agreeing with the Lord- obeying whatever He says- and then thanking Him that His wonderful blood covers every sin! 

 There is great danger if we refuse to pay attention to this! -if we refuse to diligently guard our heart.   The Bible warns of believers who can be shipwrecked after rejecting a good conscience--of even having a conscience "seared" because of continual disobedience!  Could that be an application of  Matt. 6:23? "If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"   We live in a darkened, perverse age. "O Lord, may we shine as lights, holding forth Your Word of light by soberly paying attention, by guarding most of all,  our relationship with You!" 

PART 1--PART 2

What an amazing message yesterday!  The brother who shared began with an illustration of how his son desired, and was then signed up to  play on a hockey team. All fees and equipment were paid and provided for him. All he needed to do now was to show up for each practice, so he could  learn how to skate, and how to play the game with the rest of the team!

This, in a sense, is a picture of our entrance into the Kingdom of our Lord. He invites us to join Him, to receive His free gift of salvation; to be a part of the "household of faith." All we need to be a part of His family is provided for us and we all exult and praise our Lord for such an amazing opportunity!! We are forgiven!! All things become new!!  That could be likened to Part 1.

Now comes the second part.  There is so much to learn--to see--to appropriate.  This will take us the remainder of our lives here.   God, in Exodus 25, gave His servant Moses a pattern for the Tabernacle, the meeting place, He wanted built.  This leader shared the vision with all the of God's people, and then each person was given an opportunity to use their gifts and their energy to build it. BUT-it had to be built EXACTLY and with the precise details that God desired and purposed.  Only when it was finished  and the priests prepared  did  God in Exodus 40  pour out His seal of approval by covering the tabernacle with the cloud of HIS glory-filling it!

Part 2 of our Christian life has been and continues to be under much attack. God's enemy in those days before the tabernacle was built, came up with the idea of having the people make a golden calf to worship, and causing them to lose all self control. Later during the time of the Kings, the Book of the Law was lost for many years--only restored by King Josiah, after many many years of apostasy by God's people.  For willful disobedience God had His people exiled to other countries; the temple Solomon had  built in Jerusalem was destroyed, and the walls of the city were broken down.

In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah we see God's purpose again being recovered as He raised up leaders with His vision to rebuild the walls and the temple. Again this was met with opposition.

Where is God's temple today??  The New Testament clearly says that we, the followers of Christ are His building, His temple!  If this is so, do we see that?? And--then how are we to be building?

Like His people of old, we are now called to give ourselves to be a part of this now invisible, eternal building mentioned in  Ephesians 2, I Corinthians 3, 6, and in Revelations 21 where the final culmination of the New Jerusalem  comes down out of heaven  to a new heaven and new earth.   THIS is our final inheritance as believers!

In our daily lives we are now HIS temple, entrusted with divine gifts and abilities with which to build as we walk in oneness with Him.  This is not a self effort, but a daily co-operation with His working within us. What a privilege! What a calling! And yes, what a battle!  Our old nature opposes this calling and outwardly society, religious and secular  howls against this building work.

There is and always will be a cost to following our Master. HE says we are to "die to our self" in all the little, daily situations--but oh the sweet peace and joy with surrender to His Lordship! What a foretaste of the Bridegroom with the Bride!

"Oh Lord, keep calling us. Keep us sober and focused on YOU!" Only by keeping our equipment properly on, and by persevering to participate with HIS team will we grow up to together be the be the wise virgins...the ones who wisely use the gifts HE has given...BRIDE that HE is waiting for!

Barrenness

Because of a recent message on Sunday morning where the questions were asked, "Is barrenness our normal? Does it bother us, or are we blind to it?"  Then the following statement: "Fruitfulness is God's normal."

I was considering the account of Hannah in the first chapter of Samuel.  She was the second wife and her rival, Peninah (whose name by the way means "Perversity") had sons and daughters while Hannah remained barren.  The Bible says that her rival provoked her severely, to make her miserable and grieved; and apparently this went on year after year!  

Each year they would faithfully go up to the house of the Lord again...but because of the other, unpleasant wife Hannah wept and didn't eat. 

Now I have read this story many times, but while musing over it this time, I wondered why Hannah was not pressed to cry out to the Lord desperately during these years. Why did she just cry, grieve and refuse to eat?? And, then I realized this is often what we do as well. Spiritually when oppressed,  do we not often simply feel bad; instead of pressing through to touch the Lord?!

In the 9th verse we are told that she finally did go to the tabernacle where she prayed and wept in anguish as this time she poured out her soul before the Lord.  In her desperation the priest who was watching came to an absolutely ridiculous conclusion! He thought, and then accused her of drinking...of being drunk.   But Hannah had come to the point of being oblivious to the one or ones watching her--and this was a wonderful place to be!  As she interacted with the Lord; through even a faulty priest the answer to her request was given--even before he knew what it was.

Upon hearing his reassuring words this desperate lady went her way but now with a face that was no longer sad. Now she could feast with the others on these special days when God's people gathered to enjoy Him.  She now had the confidence that God had indeed heard her; and that she would be barren no longer!

It is wonderful that Hannah was devastated about her barrenness, and it is wonderful that she went to the Lord about it!  Did the pressure have to build over the years though, until she did pour it all out to HIM. Is that what needs to happen to us?   I am so very thankful that our LORD is praying for us...that we would become all that HE has predestined us to be. May we really learn, and be willing to cooperate with HIM!