THE HEART OF THE MATTER

The Heart of the Matter

Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"?

[Pro 20:9]

This is an excellent question. Grab your Bible and read along;

The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. - and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [Psa 14:2-3 - Rom 8:8]

God is our creator. We are the created. We have no power whatsoever to overcome the sinful propensity that we are born with. ZERO!

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. - For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. [Rom 7:18-19 - Isa 64:6]

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. - Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. [Gal 3:22 - 2Co 5:19]

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

[1Jn 1:8-9]

Wow. After reading all of this the outlook proves it impossible for us on our own, by ourselves. So then, let us restate the original question:

Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"?

[Pro 20:9]

There is but one....

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. [Rev 3:20]

Our Lord and our Savior, our Master and King,

Jesus the Christ!

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

The Heart of the Matter

Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"?

[Pro 20:9]

This is an excellent question. Grab your Bible and read along;

The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. - and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [Psa 14:2-3 - Rom 8:8]

God is our creator. We are the created. We have no power whatsoever to overcome the sinful propensity that we are born with. ZERO!

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. - For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. [Rom 7:18-19 - Isa 64:6]

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. - Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. [Gal 3:22 - 2Co 5:19]

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

[1Jn 1:8-9]

Wow. After reading all of this the outlook proves it impossible for us on our own, by ourselves. So then, let us restate the original question:

Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"?

[Pro 20:9]

There is but one....

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. [Rev 3:20]

Our Lord and our Savior, our Master and King,

Jesus the Christ!

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

WHEN I AM AFRAID, YOU ARE THERE

WHEN I AM AFRAID, YOU ARE THERE.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by life's pressures you began to feel as though your were drowning? The harder you swam, the further from shore you drifted? Yeah, I know that feeling. It destroyed someone that I loved so much. It almost destroyed me. Going through it in real time, I simply could not see a way to safety. I could see the shore, I just could not get there. Does any of this resonate with you?

Your Bible along with some time devoted to your knees in prayer can work wonders in helping to prioritize and even reorganize events and issues in your life. Before you know it, your toes will feel the sand of safety and a firm footing. What I am suggesting to you is not a sales pitch. It is TRUTH:

The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice, The floods lift up their pounding waves. More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea, The LORD on high is mighty. [Psa 93:3-4]

O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. [Psa 89:8-9]

The Lord knows when you are struggling. When you carry Him in your heart, He listens to you. He loves the sound of your voice. If He created all there is or all that will ever be, He certainly can bring you through your tribulation.

'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. [Jer 5:22, Isa 43:2]

Jesus never promised that any of us would have an easy time in life. In fact, He warned that we would suffer through difficult times, even dangerous times and death. What Jesus did promise was that no matter where or what kind of pressure we were under, call His name and He is there. Trust in Him, step out in faith. Don't doubt His ability to bring you through.

And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" [Mat 14:29-31]

The Living, breathing Bible, and your trust in Him, and your voice pleading your case in prayer. These are your tools that lead to overcoming life's pressures, worldly concerns and the fear of drowning. They teach and guide you on your wondrous journey that leads all the way to eternity.

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.

Psa 56:3

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

WHEN I AM AFRAID, YOU ARE THERE

WHEN I AM AFRAID, YOU ARE THERE.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by life's pressures you began to feel as though your were drowning? The harder you swam, the further from shore you drifted? Yeah, I know that feeling. It destroyed someone that I loved so much. It almost destroyed me. Going through it in real time, I simply could not see a way to safety. I could see the shore, I just could not get there. Does any of this resonate with you?

Your Bible along with some time devoted to your knees in prayer can work wonders in helping to prioritize and even reorganize events and issues in your life. Before you know it, your toes will feel the sand of safety and a firm footing. What I am suggesting to you is not a sales pitch. It is TRUTH:

The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice, The floods lift up their pounding waves. More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea, The LORD on high is mighty. [Psa 93:3-4]

O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. [Psa 89:8-9]

The Lord knows when you are struggling. When you carry Him in your heart, He listens to you. He loves the sound of your voice. If He created all there is or all that will ever be, He certainly can bring you through your tribulation.

'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. [Jer 5:22, Isa 43:2]

Jesus never promised that any of us would have an easy time in life. In fact, He warned that we would suffer through difficult times, even dangerous times and death. What Jesus did promise was that no matter where or what kind of pressure we were under, call His name and He is there. Trust in Him, step out in faith. Don't doubt His ability to bring you through.

And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" [Mat 14:29-31]

The Living, breathing Bible, and your trust in Him, and your voice pleading your case in prayer. These are your tools that lead to overcoming life's pressures, worldly concerns and the fear of drowning. They teach and guide you on your wondrous journey that leads all the way to eternity.

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.

Psa 56:3

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

HAVE IT YOUR WAY -- ITS ALL CRAP

HAVE IT YOUR WAY

I was watching some old commercials from back in the 50's and 60's. They brought back some pretty vivid memories.

As the commercial adventure rolled into the 70's, 80', and 90's, they took on a different vibe. They became more and more akin to a brainwashing device, slowly reprogramming the viewers mind to a socially acceptable manner of behavior.

It suddenly became rather spooky. I never really noticed this trend since I and others were all watching in real time. Viewing the slick salesmanship and repeated themes over decades caused my skin to crawl. I almost puked when It dawned on me what influences had finally gained control of man's brains.

This is real. This is going on right now. I pray that you pay attention. God Loves you; so do I.

"Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it YOUR way..."

"Where's the BEEF?"

"Our Church allows you to tailor worship to Your liking, not ours"

"With our worship service you get it NOW, you get it YOUR way, after all, YOU deserve it!"

[Friends talking]:

Whats that?

--My God app.

God App?

--Yeah, I can text God directly and He answers me. Its real slick. See?

Umm, where did you get it from?

--That church on the internet.

Umm, you do know that you can't really text God and He texts back to you, right?

--He did three times this morning. I am so blessed! I know it is real because it came from the internet. They can't put fake stuff on the internet, its the law....

Church Bulletin:

As you know, our Pastor's Gulf Stream Five has limited room for seating. Won't you glory God and be a good Saint and contribute to the 737 Stretch "Salvation in the Sky" aircraft for the Pastor and his remarkable worship team? We prefer Direct Deposit backed by a good Credit Card. Won't you please the Lord today? Call 1-800-BUY THE JET.

What I have just shared with you is real. It is all around us. It is everywhere. It is all CRAP! I'll say it again, IT IS ALL CRAP!! It is CRAP that leads directly to your eternal destruction. That word "eternal" means FOREVER! (forever is a very, very, very long time)

Television and Hollywood, and now the Internet, driven by the Almighty Dollar, are all players in the biggest scam of all time. The "ITS ALL ABOUT YOU" Scam. This is not a game. It is a serious life and death struggle for what is right, what is Godly, and what is TRUTH.

THIS IS TRUTH: For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. - These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. [2Ti 3:2-4 - Col 2:23]

AND THIS: Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [Col 3:9-10 - 2Pe 1:5-8]

Beloved Friends, Satan has honed his skills for a very long time. Satan knows that his time is running out. He knows that there is no way out of eternal destruction for him and his followers. The pride of "self" has consumed him to the point that, blinded beyond recovery, he will drag as many of you with him into the fires of hell in his last gasp before our God. Don't fall victim to his CRAP. Know the TRUTH.

Joh 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. [1Jn 2:16]

The WORLD = SATAN = CRAP!

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

GOD's antidote to CRAP

HAVE IT YOUR WAY -- ITS ALL CRAP

HAVE IT YOUR WAY

I was watching some old commercials from back in the 50's and 60's. They brought back some pretty vivid memories.

As the commercial adventure rolled into the 70's, 80', and 90's, they took on a different vibe. They became more and more akin to a brainwashing device, slowly reprogramming the viewers mind to a socially acceptable manner of behavior.

It suddenly became rather spooky. I never really noticed this trend since I and others were all watching in real time. Viewing the slick salesmanship and repeated themes over decades caused my skin to crawl. I almost puked when It dawned on me what influences had finally gained control of man's brains.

This is real. This is going on right now. I pray that you pay attention. God Loves you; so do I.

"Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it YOUR way..."

"Where's the BEEF?"

"Our Church allows you to tailor worship to Your liking, not ours"

"With our worship service you get it NOW, you get it YOUR way, after all, YOU deserve it!"

[Friends talking]:

Whats that?

--My God app.

God App?

--Yeah, I can text God directly and He answers me. Its real slick. See?

Umm, where did you get it from?

--That church on the internet.

Umm, you do know that you can't really text God and He texts back to you, right?

--He did three times this morning. I am so blessed! I know it is real because it came from the internet. They can't put fake stuff on the internet, its the law....

Church Bulletin:

As you know, our Pastor's Gulf Stream Five has limited room for seating. Won't you glory God and be a good Saint and contribute to the 737 Stretch "Salvation in the Sky" aircraft for the Pastor and his remarkable worship team? We prefer Direct Deposit backed by a good Credit Card. Won't you please the Lord today? Call 1-800-BUY THE JET.

What I have just shared with you is real. It is all around us. It is everywhere. It is all CRAP! I'll say it again, IT IS ALL CRAP!! It is CRAP that leads directly to your eternal destruction. That word "eternal" means FOREVER! (forever is a very, very, very long time)

Television and Hollywood, and now the Internet, driven by the Almighty Dollar, are all players in the biggest scam of all time. The "ITS ALL ABOUT YOU" Scam. This is not a game. It is a serious life and death struggle for what is right, what is Godly, and what is TRUTH.

THIS IS TRUTH: For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. - These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. [2Ti 3:2-4 - Col 2:23]

AND THIS: Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [Col 3:9-10 - 2Pe 1:5-8]

Beloved Friends, Satan has honed his skills for a very long time. Satan knows that his time is running out. He knows that there is no way out of eternal destruction for him and his followers. The pride of "self" has consumed him to the point that, blinded beyond recovery, he will drag as many of you with him into the fires of hell in his last gasp before our God. Don't fall victim to his CRAP. Know the TRUTH.

Joh 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. [1Jn 2:16]

The WORLD = SATAN = CRAP!

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

GOD's antidote to CRAP

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. [Luk 11:34]

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. [1Co 2:14]

Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. [Psa 119:18]

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." [Joh 8:12]

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. [2Co 3:18]

For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. [2Co 4:6]

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. [Eph 1:17-18]

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?