Hello precious friends and readers,
We hope and pray that you are all well kept by our Dear Lord. We are glad to share with you our 13th Good News Magazine. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
How true God’s Word is! We are all much more inclined to sin than to righteousness. However, the problem doesn’t lie in our genes, our blood, or our physical makeup. Our physical body is not the problem – the HEART is the problem! We cannot blame our tendency to sin on a bad gene we inherited from our parents because that simply isn’t true! Look at what Jesus said in Matthew. 15:18-19:
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Your body is not really you. Your body is the temporary house you live in while on this earth. It is made of dust and it will return to the dust when you are finished with it. The body is simply the means God gave us to function in and experience this physical world. The body has no will of its own. The body does not make decisions and choices. However, the body does need some things. It needs food and water. It needs to be cleaned and comforted. It needs rest. God created a mechanism for the body to let us know when it needs something. It is called natural desire or “lust.”
These are natural desires that God gave us so that we can respond and take care of the needs of the body. These desires work through the five senses – sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. The soul that lives in the body is the one who makes the decisions and choices about what the body gets to look at, to consume, to listen to, or to experience. Your soul finds pleasure in fulfilling these natural desires. Everyone likes to eat. Everyone likes to be comfortable. Everyone likes anything that “feels good.” God made us that way and then He designed all of creation so we could take care of those physical needs, and enjoy it while we did it. But for our own good, God put boundaries around all of these desires and their fulfillment. The problem arises when the desire for these things becomes so consuming that we disregard God’s boundaries and directions.
James 1:15 clearly indicates that when lust hath conceived, or has taken control, it brings forth sin. When our lusts run out of control sin will be the result.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Lust is a matter of the heart. The body is the vehicle through which we experience it. It isn’t that our body is demanding it, it is the fact that the affections of our heart are set on it. People eat when they aren’t even hungry. They buy things they do not need. They seek for that in which they can take pleasure because they are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. It isn’t sinful to meet your needs, but when lust goes beyond that and becomes the driving force of your life you are in trouble. Scripture bears witness to the fact that lust is an issue of the heart:
Psalms. 81:12, So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. And Romans 1:24 puts it this way, Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Sin is a matter of the heart and it is a moral issue, not a physical issue. It is not a physical trait passed from parent to child.
Ezekiel 18:20, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
The Bible tells us that every man will give account of HIMSELF to God. A just God will not charge anyone with someone else’s sin. He will never transfer someone else’s guilt to you. All of us have made some choices in life or are yet to make. To live right with God or to reject Him. It’s a free will.
When we are sinners, sin controls our lives. We are in bondage and must be delivered if we are ever going to be free from it. That is why God sent a Saviour! Jesus came to “take away the sins of His people.” He came to “set the captives free!” He came to deliver us from ourselves and the mess we've made of the clean vessel God gave us to start with. Titus 2:11-12, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
I am not denying that man is prone to sin. I am saying that the tendency to sin is of our own making and sometimes we might not realize that we sinned. It is a matter of the heart and not a matter of the physical body.
But the Good News is that, God has not turned away from us. His truth is stronger than what we are feeling. His grace is going to keep us standing.
In the past we made some great choices and some really bad ones. We can also see the sin in this broken world is truly a stumbling block. Praise God for taking all of it and making something beautiful of our lives! When we mentally recount all the really difficult times in our past, we can also see how God intentionally grew you most as a disciple during those same times. You realized when the going got tough; you got going—to the arms of God. And why is it so? Because we are only strongest when we are weakest as the apostle Paul so aptly said.
SPIRITUAL HEARTBEAT
Okay, Bottom Line...What's Your Spiritual Heartbeat Like?
Marvin J. Rosenthal wrote, “You say you are a true believer- you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin. You rightly understand that salvation is a free gift of God. You are a citizen of Heaven, and heir of glory. You attend a good church. You have a measure of spiritual discernment. You lament the wickedness of our day. You long for Christ's return in power and glory to judge this sinful world and bring in a golden age of righteousness. You want desperately to see the wolf lie down with the lamb, and the weapons of warfare made into weapons for farming. And, having set your hands to the plow in your commitment to Christ, you do not look back. All of the above is great, highly commendable, right on target – praise the Lord! But might something still be lacking?”
That's something each one of us need to look inward and evaluate for ourselves...like a spiritual self-evaluation. It has been my experience that my walk with the Lord is different today at the age of 51 than it was when I was 21. I still have the same love for the Lord that I always had, if not more. I still have a zeal for telling others about Christ, sharing what His finished work on the cross has done in my life and can do in the lives of others. I still have the willing heart to do what the Lord requires of me. And yet, in some ways, this has changed. Some parts have intensified, while others have diminished slightly. But this is me I'm talking about. Now, I want to challenge you; So, when it comes to your spiritual heartbeat, where is the bottom line?
We as humans have the ability to be whatever someone needs us to be. On Sunday, we can be a God fearing Christian and mean it most sincerely! On Monday, on the inside, we are still that Christian, at heart, however, our actions don't really have to reflect it as much because this group of people we're with don't expect it from us...until Wednesday night, because that's prayer meeting night, and they DO expect it from us. But that's okay, because we can go right back to being who we were on Thursday until Sunday comes around again. That, my friend, is a diseased heart.
Yes, we all sin. But the bottom line is, how can our spiritual heart expect to keep thumping if we're constantly stopping it then starting it. Stopping it again, starting it again. A human heart wouldn't exist very long if we kept doing that. It would become damaged...as does our spiritual heart. By “heart” I mean our character. I mean our reputation. I mean what we do when no one but the Lord is watching. Are we the same person? Do we do the same things? Or do we stop our heart, then start it back up again because it’s time for church, or we meet up with other Christians? This is something serious we all need to consider.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and have truly yielded your life completely over to Him, I'd like you to answer some questions...some very hard questions that I have to ask myself. No one need know how you answer them except for you and the Lord.
Do you read God's word daily? Not just to get through it, but devouring it like a wet sponge...thirsting for the truths contained therein as you did when you were first saved?
How is your prayer life? Do you passionately converse with the Lord as though He were sitting right next to you sharing with Him, loving Him, thanking Him for all He's done in your life, pleading with Him for the souls that don't know Him yet? Or is it more like a shopping list you run down to hurry and get out of the way...like giving thanks before a meal when you are really hungry as opposed to when you're not so hungry and can take the time to include a couple of more items on your list?
Do you have a passion, a burning in your breast burden for those who don’t know the Lord? Are you seeking opportunities to share with others? Are you sharing what the Lord has done in your life and how He can do the same for them? Are you making available situations to confront, out of love, those who need Him so very much? Or do you just whisper a prayer every now and then for those “in general” who don't know the Lord to come to the Lord?
Now is the time for real honesty. Not a report that you have to fill out and send back to me, but a deep down look inside your heart, and with all the honesty you can muster, look at where you were when you were first saved, and where you are now. Was there a time when sharing your faith, your love for the Lord was the one and only first priority passion in your life? When you were so very thrilled with every single thing you learned was just pounding and bursting in your breast until you had the chance to share it with others convinced in your heart that it would affect them the same way...that your love and desire, your passion, what drove you would shine through so brightly that people couldn't help but want the same thing. I ask you, where is it now? Do you listen to a sermon and come away with such a feeling of filling, life-giving fulfillment as fresh and new as the morning dew? Or is it more of a, “Praise the Lord...good sermon, pastor.” ...and the very next thought is where do we go for dinner? Let me ask you this...was there a time when the very thought of Heaven caused your soul to soar and the reality of Hell was, for you, a genuine fearful realization that people you love are going there unless YOU do something about it? Or are we content to put money in the plate for missionaries to do it and still feel we're doing our part?
What has happened to our heart for the Lord?
Any number of things could have happened. We could have become weary in well doing. We could have just burned out because of years of repetition of doing things out of tradition, whereas we started with a heart full of fervor and zeal for the Lord, but it became a habit. Perhaps circumstances in life became either a distraction or became painful for us. So to turn our hearts away from where it once was is much easier than dealing with the realization that we've turned our hearts so far away and would be too painful to reconcile and return. Or maybe it’s just as simple as, along with the general “Christian” populace, we've become contented with being lukewarm. No matter what reason, we need not be content with status quo.
Now is the time to get a good physical from God's word. Taking a look, not from opinion, but from the Bible alone, let's find out all we can about our heart.
Proverbs 4:20-21 - “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.” We need to keep our eyes in God's word constantly. We also need to keep His words before our eyes...write out special verses on 3x5 cards or post-it notes and place them in places where we know we will see them often. When our eyes are focused on Him, they will be in our heart!
Proverbs 4:23 - “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Remembering that our heart is the very core of who we are, we need to keep it protected. For if we don't, it’s going to affect EVERY aspect of our life. That is why it is so very essential to keep our hearts with all diligence, all the time, every waking moment.
Proverbs 23:7 - “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” What we are inwardly is what we are...period! It is the core of who we are. And according to Jesus Christ, God became flesh, who we are and what we are capable of is NOT a nice picture.
Matthew 15:18-20 - “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; These are the things which defile a man...”. These evil activities don't just appear out of no where...they come deep-seeded from the heart...they rise from the very bottom of an evil heart...our heart if it is not kept with all diligence and protected by the word of God kept ever before our eyes! We are capable of anything; the Lord tells us...it is the Holy Spirit and the word of God that restrains this heart of ours.
All this being said, we see just how diseased our heart truly is. So what is the cure? The Lord gives us that in His word as well. We're told one step at a time what needs to be done in our hearts to make sure it’s the kind of heart the Lord wants us to have; A healthy, protected, guarded, cleaned and purified heart.
Psalm 51:1-12 - “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when though speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness...Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquites. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take no thy holy spirit from me, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation...”. I don't believe this requires any explanation as the Lord made it simple and plain and clear so that anyone and everyone can know what needs to be done!
Psalm 73:26 - “My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.” We can't trust our hearts. Left to our own strength, we will fail. But if we give our hearts over to the Lord and trust Him and His strength over our hearts, we have nothing to fear.
All this being said, how can we be sure that we have a spiritually healthy heart? The Lord assures us in Proverbs 23:26 - “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” It doesn't get any clearer than that!
So, what have you done to protect your heart? I'm sure you may well have done much to exercise and protect your body, but what about your heart? Not your physical heart, but your spiritual heart? What are the things you have allowed to influence your mind which affects your heart? Proper heart protection does NOT just happen. We must “exercise ourselves rather unto godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7), and determine that by the means of the grace God has bestowed upon us, the words that God has divinely given us, prayer, studying and meditating on the things of Christ, praising Him through song, testimony or evangelizing, and Christian fellowship, by these things, we will keep our hearts spiritually healthy and only for Him.
Amen & Amen.
SAME OLD HABIT
I have heard many times people who try to put an ungodly habit behind them, only to fall again soon after. Feelings of guilt can lead to a renewed commitment to never do something again. But the very next day, the cycle repeats itself as we give in to the same temptations. Our defeat leaves us wondering, what’s wrong with me? Our despair at repeated failure produces a sense of hopeless resignation and confusion. We want to know, Lord, why can’t I change?
All of us have experienced the problem of wanting to honor God and yet reverting back to old, sinful ways almost immediately. Isn’t the Christian life supposed to be more liberating and victorious than this? After all, 2 Cor. 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Why, then, does habitual sin take hold of us? Wasn’t Christ supposed to change all this? If we are new creations, why do we still act like old ones? So how do we shake free from our sinful behaviors?
First, we need to examine the way change occurs in the Christian life. Salvation is an instantaneous work of God, which happens the moment we receive Jesus as Savior. But from that point on, we enter a continual process of transformation called sanctification. The Lord’s goal is to mold us into the image of Christ, but this process requires our cooperation. That’s what the Bible means when it says in Phil. 2:12, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. If we neglect this responsibility, we’ll find ourselves struggling with the same issues over and over again. But if we submit to the Holy Spirit, He’ll exert His influence in every area of our lives. Old sinful habits will pass away and be replaced with new godly behavior.
If we ever need to live for Jesus, then we must accept change and transformation. Becoming the people God created us to be is an inside-out process. Because our thoughts govern each area of our lives—emotions, decisions, actions, attitudes, and words, any lasting transformation must begin with the mind. If all we want is to modify our conduct, we’ll never experience long term success in our walk with Christ. What we need is a new way of thinking.
This can be accomplished only by what the Bible calls renewing the mind. Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. It’s not a sudden transformation but a lifelong process.
We are what we think. We are all a reflection of whatever we’ve been thinking throughout the years. From early on, we are taught to respond to situations in a certain way, with a particular response pattern, and this impacts every area of our lives. In some cases, we can see how people’s expressions reveal the way their minds have developed throughout their lifetime—etching continuous worry, pain, and guilt on their faces.
Take a look in the mirror. Do you see the joy of Christ in your eyes? Or are the destructive effects of sin betrayed by your appearance? The good news is that whatever your thoughts have been in the past, God can teach you to think differently. He gives His Holy Spirit to lead you through a process that produces real healing and lasting change.
God calls us to be watchful and guard our minds at all times. If we don’t, worldly values and purposes will subtly creep in and influence our lives. Whenever we allow ourselves to be conformed to the world, the Enemy gains a foothold in our thinking. And the more we yield to those thoughts, the stronger his hold becomes.
We must wisely choose which thoughts we will accept and which ones we’ll reject. It’s not enough just to resist the Enemy’s lies; we must also deliberately fill our mind with truth from God’s Word. Jesus used this technique when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness. He countered each challenge with Scripture, saying “It is written . . .” When we are ready with a verse that refutes one of satan’s falsehoods, we have the most powerful spiritual ammunition possible.
So consider: How diligent have you been about guarding your mind? Have you permitted the world to influence your thoughts? Or are you allowing God’s Word to shape your reasoning and values? An unengaged mind is an open invitation for sin. If you’re distracted, having trouble praying or reading the Bible, your thoughts are not where they should be.
Perhaps you feel as if you’re the rope in a tug of war between God and sin, constantly being pulled in two opposing directions. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Rather, confess and repent as quickly as possible 1John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. During those times, remember that you are engaged in a long process, and that you cannot renew your own mind. Trying harder and making promises to God will only discourage you, because in your own strength, you will never be able to change. True transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit and it takes time. Therefore, submit to His leading, heed His warnings, and obey God’s voice.
May the Lord help us all fill our mind with Scripture, focusing on the Lord’s character, ways, and commands. May He help us resist temptation and flee from it by understanding the thoughts and feelings that trigger a sinful response in us!
Let’s check the source of our thoughts, are they from God, our flesh, the world, or Satan? But one more thing is certain, relying on the Holy Spirit will empower us to resist sin and break free from its bondage.
As believers, we can expect this process of transformation to continue until we reach heaven; however, the important issue is that we begin today.
Just as your area of struggle began with one act of yielding to temptation, so your path to victory can begin with one act of submission to God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, start saying no to thoughts that don’t belong in a believer’s life. At the same time, say yes to appropriate thoughts. When you fill your mind with truth from God’s Word, you’ll gain discernment and be able to more readily identify the thoughts and feelings that cause you to sin.
As you persevere in choosing which thoughts to allow, the bondage of sin will diminish and your mind will be renewed. This transformation, which began internally, will now be worked out externally as behavior changes. When you think right, you’ll act right. Areas of your life that you were powerless to adjust on your own will be refashioned. And Christ’s victorious life will be beautifully demonstrated through you so that others will see and be drawn to Him.
Therefore, let’s all put to death the selfish, sinful nature by repentance to purity. Jesus leads us out of the world, one step at a time, showing us what to give up, and teaching us how to live. The end result is purity and then the return of Christ in His glory with His Kingdom of everlasting peace and joy.
CREATIVE WRITINGS
Heartbeat- By Cindy Wyatt
Sometimes hearts beat slow
and then sometimes fast
People get so scared
they end up at the ER at last
Doctors do EKGs
and look at the monitor sheet
But no one knows but God
when your heart will stop to beat
You are only just a heartbeat
away from eternity
Do you know Jesus Christ
for your eternal security
One day your heart will stop beating
and you know not when
If you want to go to Heaven
trust Jesus while you can
Don't wait until another day
because that is not the safe way
Today is the day of salvation
is what the bible does say
Tomorrow could be too late
if your heart stops to beat at any rate
You must prepare for your eternity now
before it is too late
Once your heart beats the last time
you will go to Heaven or Hell
Jesus bled and died to pay for our sins
is what the bible does tell
The people who are saved will go to Heaven
when their heart stops beating
So accept Jesus as your savior
since this earthly life is quick and fleeting
Please come to the Dear Savior now
before it is too late
You don't know what will be
on tomorrow's calendar date
EENIE MEENIE MINIE MO - By Marion Webster
Eenie meenie minie mo
When you die, where will you go ?
It’s not a gamble and it’s not by chance
It depends on where you make your stance
In your hand, you hold two keys
You’re free to pick the one you please
With one to Heaven you will go
The other leads to .. well you know
The Bible says there’s just ONE way
No matter what we think, or say
Heaven is Holy and God keeps it pure
Our sins can not get through the door
A penalty for sin must be paid
From the beginning that law was laid
But God provided a way for us
And it’s that way, I’d like to discuss
He sent His Son for our sins to die
He loves us that much, but I don’t know why
He suffered and died on the cross that day
The price for our sins He’d willingly pay
Jesus is one of the keys you hold
Accept Him as Savior before you grow old
Invite Him into your heart today
The Bible says that’s the only way
Eenie Meenie Minie Mo
When you die where will you go ?
COLD - By Marion Webster
It’s eight degrees outside my home
The fire is burning, but it still feels cold
Terribly Cold
My daughter lies with fever raging .Her
teeth chatter, her body shivers, she’s cold
So cold
Relationships once sweet and warm
have turned around and become sour and cold
Bitterly Cold
A baby whose flesh and blood are my own
suffers a birth defect.. My heart’s growing cold
Sadly Cold
I cry out to the Lord with my frigid requests
He understands but my prayers are still cold
Icy Cold
Lord I’m hurting so deeply, I need to warm up
Let the warmth return…never more to grow cold
Dreaded Cold
I know Spring will come in my life once again
and I'll bask in the warmth and not think about cold
Forgotten Cold
The warmth of God’s Son can cover the cold of the cruel hard world if we trust Him to.
TESTIMONY
SAVED AS A CHILD, CONVINCED AS AN ADULT - By Jerry Senese
Growing up in a home where my mother was a born again Christian, however my father was not. Needless to say, this was conflicting. My dad really didn't have any interest at all in spiritual things, so he had no problem with my mother's choice of spiritual influence on my life. I can never remember a time when I didn't attend some Sunday School or church as a child.
Most were non-denominational or Baptist in doctrine. Like most children raised under the influence of a Christian parent, the need of my salvation was made known to me. My mother shared scripture with me such as John 3:16, Acts 16:31 and 1 John 1:9. Not a lot of emphasis was placed on Hell, more emphasis was placed on pleasing the Lord. I knew at this age, this is what I wanted and needed to do. That I was a sinner that needed my sins forgiven,
but I had no way of doing this on my own except by trusting that Jesus paid my sin debt on the cross. Nothing I could do other than to trust Jesus alone for salvation would accomplish this.
As many people who were saved at a young age often find themselves
without the specifics of an exact day or time, I also found myself in this place. This was further complicated by well meaningful, good intentioned people doing their best to ensure that young children hear and understand at their level, the Gospel message. As I began to grow a little older, I then became a bit uncertain as I began to hear teachings such as "if you can't remember a time or a date that you accepted the Lord, you're not saved."
With this concern, I then began to question if I truly was saved. It was at this time, that I met my future wife at the age of 16, that we discussed this quite often. I shared these concerns with her, and she shared with me how she too had accepted the Lord as her Savior at a very young age, meant it sincerely with her whole heart, but also had the same questions and concerns as she matured spiritually. She also shared that 2 women at her church explained in a more mature way, the true Gospel of salvation and all that it entailed, and it was at this time, in April of 1972 that she decided to rededicate her life to Christ and was baptized in June. The more I thought about this, I too wanted that 100% assurance and understanding fully what this entailed, in my senior year of high school, I re-committed my life to Christ and was baptized shortly after. I have no doubts in my mind whatsoever, that I was not saved as a young child. I knew that if I were to die, because of what Jesus did for me, I would be in Heaven with Him.
Since that point, I've come to realize that with each set of Biblical truths that you learn, and accept as truth, the Lord then provides you with more truth. There are some who believe that once you accept Christ as your Savior, commit your life completely to Him, and live for Him to the best of your ability, the Lord will bless you beyond all measure. And to an extent, this is true...but on a spiritual level, not a physical level as were this to be true, my life would exhibit the complete opposite to be true. I don't have health, I don't have prosperity, I don't have "things", my life is not an easy one by any stretch of the imagination. However, spiritually speaking, I have been blessed beyond all measure as the Lord is faithful to His word.
I have joy...even in the midst of all this. I have contentment...no matter what I go through. The life we live here on earth is not promised anywhere in scripture to be a "happy or prosperous" one, in fact, it’s the opposite. However, the Lord does promise us joy...and in Him...we have joy overflowing! Without having the Lord to go to, to depend upon, His faithfulness to rely upon, there is no way my wife or I could make it in this life. Praise God, this world is NOT my Home!
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