care more than some think is wise; risk more than some think is safe;
dream more than some think is practical; expect more than some think is possible

5.30.2012

A Deceitful Heart

I am amazed by how troublesome our hearts prove to be. They can be sources of complete corruption & the darkest of evil. Consider the ever quoted Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick who can understand it?" Furthermore Jesus speaks saying, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, & they defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23). I've experienced this in my own life, in my own heart and traversed some pretty dark places myself due to my own folly. I'll resound in praise with Paul when he says, "For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind & making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin" (Rom 7:22-25).

But recently, Mere & I, met some new friends who are incredibly deceived & blinded from ear itching lies. Its sad, frustrating, & absolutely astonishing to learn, to increasingly understand  what it is they have come to believe. It is an absolute fraud! - Let me say, I'm going to stay vague about who & what I am exactly referring to, just so you know. - Its blasphemous & upsetting, it violates my love & pride in God, urges me to boast all the more fully to them & all about how great my Jesus is! He is hands down the best, you can bank your entire existence on that!!! He'll always prove faithful and good, and greater than you could ever imagine.

My God - the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit - is the only ONE. There is none before or after Him, as is stated so plainly, "Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior" (Isa 43:10-11, see also 41:4, 44:6, & 48:12; see Rev 22:13). And when someone - or a group or organization - proclaims that which is false, its must be met with truth in love.

If you happen upon this, pray that Mere and I will move forward in our new friendships with these folks in love and in bold truth, spoken with mercy and grace. Pray the Spirit will open their hearts and ears to hear and perceive all spiritual truth, that Christ is King and Savior their only and ultimate need. Pray we would be inspired by the Spirit when in conversation!

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