They Saw His Star

 

Matt 2:2,11
“For we have seen His star ...(Magi) fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures...”

Twas the night  before Christmas, the Magi followed the star to find the promised Messiah. The night before Christmas, they went to King Herod to inquire, but the influencers of that time did not have a clue of any star in the sky. As the Magi continued their quest, the star appeared once again to guide and direct them. The timeline of their journey was about a couple of weeks after the birth of Jesus, but at last the star stood still, and they arrived to find Mary and Joseph in a house where Jesus was under their care. God’s gift of Love had arrived, and the Magi’s hearts were stricken with praise and adoration. They recognized that this was the Son of God who would change the world. They fell down on their knees, no doubt, lifting their voices to the heavens and gave thanks to the new born king. The Magi opened their treasures and presented them to the Son of God. The gifts were symbolic, recognizing the significance of His coming. Gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. He, the God man, will die, shed His blood to set men free, but will rule the world as King and Lord for all eternity. As the Magi fell down, so will every knee bow and confess that He is Lord.  Let us give Christ the treasure of our hearts. May we open our treasures and give them all to Jesus. He gave His life for us, let us give our heart to Him in full surrender to His will and desires. Let us bow the knee now and worship Him, for He is worthy. 

A Merry Heart

 Proverbs 11:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

God created us with a body, mind, and spirit. But most important is that we have the breath of God in us,  God gave us a soul that will live on forever. Without going into a deep dive, suffice to say that our soul is a separate entity from what is visually observed through human observation. Jesus makes this distinction when He said, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” The condition of our soul should always be top priority. This is not to say that we should not care for the well being of our body, mind, and heart (emotions). We are the temple of God, earthen vessels that God desires to fill and use for His glory. In our humanity, we represent Christ in every aspect of our lives. How we treat our body, the thoughts we think, and how we express our emotions (spirit). Our attitude in life is a manifestation of our spirit. We do live in troubled days, and having a cheerful and merry heart is made difficult with the sadness that surrounds us. Having a merry heart comes with believing God is the source of our contentment, He alone can bring true joy to the heart.  With purpose, we rejoice in the Lord, we find that God is good, and can make the heart glad. “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it”- Psalm 118:24

Written in Our Hearts

 Jer. 31:33
, ..I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The new covenant of grace is given to the Jews here. There will come a day that God’s word will dwell in our hearts. The Word will be in us and work through us. The law will no longer be a taskmaster that drives us to do what is right, but His word would be a natural flow that springs from our heart. A new day was promised to the Jews. There will come a day where everyone will be accountable for their own actions. For the law of sowing and reaping will not be applied to the seed of those who come after. No doubt, choices people make may have a far reaching influence on generations to come, but God’s judgment now falls on he who sows. The coming of Christ and the promise of the Father to send the Holy Spirit, fulfilled the law of the Old Testament. An “eye for an eye”, change to “Turn to the other cheek.” God’s word has become a love letter to those that read it. We follow his word and commandments because we love Him and desire to please Him. The Old covenant is not entirely eliminated, but it does reveal to us that God is good and faithful, and His word can now live in our hearts.

Thirsty For God

 Psalm 42:2
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God …

It is speculated that the average person can go 3 days without water before the organs start to shut down. Even within a day the body becomes thirsty and we start looking for somewhere to find water. Jesus is the Water of life, and my soul desires each day to drink from Him. We cannot survive spiritually without the Water of life. That is why it is imperative that we daily come to the well of living water, and draw from the living God. We may not always be able to take a block of time from our day, every day,  but daily it is necessary that we call upon Him, and put our trust and faith in the One who cares for us. He is our substance and He provides the strength and endurance to help us stand in the face of life’s challenges. The unbeliever wake up each day, and takes no thought of seeking God, thirsting after righteousness. They are blinded to spiritual things and seek only the carnal and natural things of humanity, but the Christian has been made alive and the source of this life comes from the Living Water. Like the women at the well, He desires to give us the living water, water that will satisfy the longing of the soul, water that will fill the heart with His divine love, water that flows from the fountain of life. “Lord, give me this Living Water for I thirst for you”

Ask God in Prayer

 Matt 6:8
..your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.

We come to God daily, not because we always need something. It is good to keep in touch daily with our heavenly Father. He does take pleasure in our petitions, and He entreats us to “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Asking God in prayer helps us to realize that we depend on Him, that our life is in His hands and we can’t do anything without His help. Volumes of books have been written on the subject of prayer, and not enough pages can be written about what God wants to do for us through prayer. The prayers of the hypocrites stem from spiritual pride and arrogance. They ask so that they may be seen for their ability to speak eloquently, and appear that they are spiritually enlightened. Their hearts are far from God, and God turns a deaf ear to their request. It is but vain repetition, without sincerity of heart. Our heavenly Father is all knowing, and already knows what we need. We don’t need to form a perfect prayer in our asking, we just need to come to Him with a humble heart and contrite spirit. Bow your head, bow your knees, but most importantly, bow your heart, and ask.

Overwhelmed Heart

 Psalm 61:2
 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
We are often overwhelmed with the cares of life. Responsibilities at home, work, and church can be difficult to handle. On top of that, there are those times of unexpected events in our lives that bring sorrow and a heavy heart. Our hearts become overwhelmed with the loss of a loved one or a relationship that is broken. There are no words that seem to relieve  the heart that is overwhelmed. The Psalmist was facing a difficult hardship in his life, his heart was overwhelmed, and he cried out deep within for a deliverance, a rock, a strong tower that would shelter him during this time of the storm.  He realizes that he cannot do it on his own, he needs a strength beyond his own will power. Jesus is the rock that is higher than us. He is the one we flee to, the one who will give us the strength to overcome when our hearts are overwhelmed. He says, “Come unto me all of you that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”- (Mat. 11:28). The song, “The Rock that is higher than I.” strikes a cord in our heart when the author pinned the words: “O then to the Rock let me fly, To the Rock that is higher than I; O then to the Rock let me fly, To the Rock that is higher than I!” When we find ourselves overwhelmed,  He is the Rock, our hope, our refuge in time of trouble.

Letter of Recommendation

 1 Corinth 3:2
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
 
I often write letters of recommendation for students who are applying to colleges or jobs. The letter is an insight to the character of the person, it speaks to the person’s integrity, work ethic, and ambitions. As Christians, our lives should reflect the Spirit of Christ. His law is written in our hearts to be seen by all men. We need to live in a way that our lives recommend the life of Christ. We may be the only Bible that others will read. Therefore our lives should be in harmony with its teaching.  What do people read when they observe your life? Does your life reflect a life that glorifies God, and reflects the image of Christ? Your actions and reactions determine your influence for Christ. Let it be known to all men, that you live a life that is consistent with God’s word.

All Your Heart

Jeremiah 29:13

 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

We are saved by grace and grace alone, but grace cannot be obtained without a willful seeking of Him. How can you find God? We are not saved by any works of good deeds, or high moral standards. God’s word gives us direction and instruction on how we are to live if we are going to be a follower of Christ, but it is not in the things we do that will bring us to God, but in the obedience and trust we put in Him. God said, if you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. ALL YOUR HEART, is what He requires if we are to find Him. What does “all your heart” mean? There is no holding back, He is all we hope and desire. Our affection are set on Him and Him alone. There is no room for self and things that break the heart of God. We desire to keep His commandments, Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments''. Finding Him will require full submission to His will and way. Abandon your heart to find Him. He will be there waiting for you. 

Follow Your Heart

Proverbs 23;7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].

Outward appearance and action can be deceiving. Jesus speaks of the Pharisees who appear to be spotless on the outside keeping all the rules and religious practices, but they were filthy and dirty inside. Even acts of charity and good deeds do not speak to the real condition of the heart. From the heart, springs the true nature of humanity. In its natural state, the heart is sinful and self-serving. That is why following your heart is not always the best answer for making life changing choices. It is a heart that seeks first the kingdom of God, and sees the need for a cleansing of the heart, then it can be trusted. A heart that follows God will manifest behaviors that truly demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. Always follow your heart if your heart is right with God

Praise & Thanksgiving

Psalm 9:1-2 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

We praise God for who He is and give thanks for the things He does for us. Praise is always in order, even when things are not always going the way we think they should. We show our thanksgiving or gratitude to Him by praising Him for all His marvelous works. He has blessed us with many things in life that we often take for granted. But even if such blessings were not given, we can still be glad and rejoice because He loved us and bought us with His blood. When we receive such a gift from Him, we then lift our hearts in thanksgiving for the grace and mercy He bestows on us. Thanksgiving and gratitude are reciprocal, it applies that there is a giver and a receiver. Praise is not depended on receiving. We praise Him because He is worthy of our praise, and thank Him for giving us salvation. “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter is gates with praise.”

Heart Perfect Toward God

2 Sam. 12:13 1 king 11:4  And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die..Solomon’s…heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

The Amazing mercy of God does not always do away with the consequence of sin. What man reaps, he will sow. David, a man who had a perfect heart toward God found himself wanting. The faithfulness of God revealed to David the error of his way. David’s heart was seen as perfect because once he acknowledged his sin, he humbled himself before God. Remorse and guilt troubled the heart of David until he laid it all out before God. The life of David illustrates to us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive. It also shows us that even though we can live right for most of our lives, that sin can separate us from having right relationship with the Lord. Justice was served, David lost his son, and his sin was made open in public. But, his soul was saved because he cried out to God and asked for forgiveness. God, who sees the motive of every heart, saw that David’s motive was perfect in his confession, and God had mercy.

Beyond Rules and Rituals

Mark 10:19  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

Jesus names 5 of the ten commandments given on the tablet of stones to Moses. These commandment address how man is to treat others. Avoid sexual immorality, Don’t hate or harbor a desire to kill a human being, Don’t take that which does not belong to you, Always tell the truth, and respect those in authority over you. Such is the implications given to us is the way a godly person should live. But God’s commandments is not in the things we do or not do, but it is what is written on our hearts. The new commandment of God is focus on how we treat others and how respect live in the eyes of God. Yes, He has “things” that we should not be doing, and if we love Him, we will not do them. But his commandments go way beyond rules, regulations and rituals. His commandments abide in us and us in Him.

Fix Our Heart On God

Psalm 57:5,7 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth… My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

Many people are fixed on the things of this world. Fixed on this temporal life. Pleasure, power, or personal gain occupied our time and attention from the time we wake till the time we lay our heads on our pillow. On the other spectrum, there are those that are fixed on their problems, trails and disappointments in life. Life is not fair, and their heart is fixed with bitterness toward all that seem to have it better and ultimately toward God. Life happens, and it is not always fair, but what is fair is that we all have a choice to fix our heart on Jesus, and lift up our heart in praise. Exalt the Name of Jesus. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name” Where our treasures, so is our heart. Who do you treasure in life? Fixed your heart on God and praise Him for all He has done.

Give All To Jesus

Luke 23:46 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: 

Resigned to the will of God. I give it up and place my life into your hand. Jesus, the God-man gave up His earthly life, made himself willing to be the supreme sacrifice for sin. There on the cross, He speaks some of His final words, “Father, I offer up my life” A very intimate prayer that implies a close relationship with God the Father. We must come to a place in our lives where we come to the end of ourselves and submit everything to God. In His love and mercy, He forgives us of our unrighteousness and makes our heart clean from those sins we have committed, but now entreats us to give it all up. Our desires and wants, all that we hold dear to our hearts. Into His hand we commit “self” to let God do what He desires. “Commit thy way unto the Lord, and He will direct thy path”  

Two Edged Sword

Hebrew 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The two edged sword cuts through with precision, such is God’s word that is able to reveal the nature of the heart and the deep need of the soul. Able to search the heart and expose the intend of people’s motives. The sword, the word of God is powerful enough to change the lives of people. With precision, it can discern what the heart’s needs are in order to be what God desires. His word is the person of Jesus. It is Jesus who looks into the heart of man and sees the condition of sinful man. Jesus who reveals His love to man is powerful enough to take a broken heart and make it whole again. He breaks open the heart and then makes it new. Jesus, the Word of God is the sword we need to change lives.

Being Perfect

Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

God’s standard of living is to live holy lives. In the OT this meant that the people of God were to be separate from the nations around them, they were not to worship the gods that other nations worshipped. They had special laws that they needed to follow to maintain a life that was holy unto the Lord. The laws of holy living had more to do with keeping the statues given in the ten commandments and ceremonial rituals given to them for worship and sacrifices for sin. Since the death of Jesus, the ceremonial law of sacrifices is no longer required. Jesus made the supreme sacrifice for sin, paid the ultimate price by shedding His blood on the cross. The command to be holy after the death of Christ, goes beyond the keeping the commandments. The love of God in Christ now written on the tables of our heart. Jesus tells us to; “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” mat.5:48. This perfection supersede the written law and is only made possible by the indwelling presence of Jesus in our lives. With man, living and being holy is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

The Table of our Heart

Proverb. 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

It is good to obey the law and to follow the commandments of God, but doing so out of obligation is not what God desires. The ten commandments were written on a tablet of stone by the finger of God. These commandments are the cornerstone of society that our nation was built on. The laws of the land have been established on the premise of these commandments. Essentially, love God with all your heart, and treat other people the way you would want to be treated. Living by these laws provide for us a wholesome and safe environment to live in. They have allowed our land to become prosperous and blessed. But following such laws does not provide eternal life. The law must go deeper than following a set of rules and statues. The law of God that is written on the table of our heart is the law of love given to us by Christ. His love that is shed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, allows us to love beyond what is humanly possible. The nature of sin keeps us from loving God and others with all our hearts. Sin must be forgiven and the Holy Spirit must come to purify our hearts. Mercy and truth become part of our lives when our hearts are made clean and the finger of God can write them on the tablet of our heart.

Man's Understanding

Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding…In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The human mind is an amazing things. Its nature is to figure things out. We teach in our schools to problem solve. How to fix things that are broken, how to come up with solutions that will save us from disaster. God created us with a brain to think and find ways to make life less stressful. But a mind that is not subject to the will of God is influence by the carnal nature of man and the thinking of this world. A mind that leaves God out of the equation becomes humanistic and self reliance. Universities across our land are filled with this mind set. The philosophy that man does not need God to direct their ways is taught in the lecture halls and classroom everywhere. From the lips of the wisest man that lived at his time, gave this warning,  “Don’t put your trust in man’s understanding, put your trust in God, acknowledge His ways and He is able to direct your life”. He who knows our uprising and down sitting is able to guide and direct our life in a way that will be best. God does help them that are willing to submit to His will with all their heart. “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” 

A Merry Heart

Prov.15:13,15- A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:…he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

We have just finished celebrating the birth of Christ and the words, “Merry Christmas” will be stored away until next year. To make merry is to give cheer and create an atmosphere of celebration. A merry heart will cause one to smile and bring cheer to others. We rejoiced because God sent His Son to earth to be a Savior and give hope to a world without hope. It is amazing what a twinkle of eyes and a smile on a face can do to lift the hearts of others. People all around us face things in life that are daunting and uncertain, but a merry heart can bring cheer to all who despair. The life of a Christian should not be one on doom and gloom. Yes we face trails and live in difficult times. but God is able to make our heart merry even when Christmas is over. 

My Heart is Fixed

Psalm 57:7  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

As a tree's roots are planted deep by the waters, so is my heart fixed on you Lord. As David was in the cave of despair, he knew that the God that he served watched over him with love and mercy. David gave up on those around him, but he would not give up on serving and praising God. His heart was fixed on the eternal God who was exalted above the heavens. We all have moments where we just want to quit trying and walk away. The load of responsibility and the weight of doing without seeing any gain is discouraging. It is easy to get your eyes fixed on the circumstances that are happening around you and forget that we live to serve and worship the Creator. We serve others because we know it is right, and by doing so, we serve God. Yes, there will be times, that we will feel we are doing it all alone, and the pain of loneliness is real, but if we keep our heart fixed on God, He will meet our needs.