Heart Condition

Happy Sunday!

Dr. Bill Winston continued his series, "The Power of Love".  This installment is number 12, and the focus was "the condition of the heart".  I had a moment for a moment.  Then I remembered a story that Brother Andrew Wommack tells about a pastor that kept preaching the same sermon. Eventually, one of the deacons confronted the pastor to ask why he kept preaching the same message.  The pastor remarked, "When you learn this lesson, then we can move on to something else!"  The Holy Spirit knows we have so much more to learn about Love.

This week I was listening to Brother Andrew Wommack's teachings and posted this quote on Facebook. "It's not your words that make your heart evil. It's your evil heart that makes you speak evil words." - Andrew Wommack

Jesus described it like this, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:45 (KJV)

Dr. Winston reminded us of this fact, "You don't see with your eyes, you see through your eyes.  You really see with your heart!" The condition of our hearts is of the utmost importance!  Deuteronomy 8:2 says, "Remember how the Eternal, your True God, led you through the wilderness these past 40 years. He did this to humble you, to test you, to uncover your motivations, to see if you would obey His commands."  Did you see that?  God led them through a hard, dry place to uncover their hearts, their motives.

2 Kings 5:9-27, tells the story of Naaman.  He was a great man in the Syrian Army, but he was also a leper.  His young servant girl told him about a prophet in her country.  She assured him that the prophet Elisha could heal him. So he travelled to see the prophet, and the prophet didn't even come out to see him.  He was furius, and would have gone home sick, but his servant begged him to do as the prophet commanded and dip seven times on the muddy Jordan River.  He was healed and the Bible says, "And his flesh was made as well as the flesh of a little child. He was clean."  Long story short, Naaman tried to pay Elisha for the miracle. Elisha refused, but Elisha's servant Gehazi ran after Naaman and took the money and clothing that had been offered to the prophet. Ultimately, Gehazi was cursed for taking the money and clothing and the Bible says, "Because you have done this, Naaman’s leprosy shall be upon you and upon your children and your children’s children forever.” And Gehazi walked from the room a leper, his skin as white as snow." Ouch! Gehazi's heart wasn't right and he not only hurt himself, he also cursed his posterity forever!

Flashback to chapter 4 of 2 Kings, this would explain why Gehazi wasn't able to raise the woman's son from the dead.  Elisha sent him to lay his staff upon the boy.  Gehazi wasn't able to perform the miracle and the Prophet Elisha had to go and raise the boy himself.  Could it be that we aren't seeing miracles in our lives and the lives of others because the power of God can't flow through our evil hearts? Selah.

"Keep vigilant watch over your heart;

   that’s where life starts.

Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;

   avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.

Keep your eyes straight ahead;

   ignore all sideshow distractions.

Watch your step,

   and the road will stretch out smooth before you.

Look neither right nor left;

   leave evil in the dust." - Proverbs 4:23-27 (Message)

Love and prayers, Cynthia