"Hard" Religion vs "Heart" Relationship

 

I have seen people who quit church because it's not a hard-nosed church that preaches against everything including breathing fresh air….that is a skewed view of living for God 

 

People who need "Hard" Religion never developed a "Heart" Relationship

 

"the church don't preach it hard enough so I will just quit"….sadly there is something wrong with that picture?? What are you in it for? A relationship with Christ or Man-made Traditions that you can't even live up to in the first place?

 

If your having to be hung over Hell to stay saved something has gone terribly wrong in your relationship with Christ

 

Nothing wrong with having standards, convictions or guidelines....I'm all for that but in the middle of all of that if there is no "Heart" relationship then there is nothing to back those standards, convictions and guidelines....this is why people pile up rules but never seem to be able to live them so they change them......if you change it then it was probably never conviction but rather conformity or some legalistic lifestyle that you felt you had to live

 

True convictions do not change for anything or anyone

 

We must get back to the "center" and the center is Jesus Christ and His grace

 

Don't make this thing about the law, Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law. Jesus came so that we may experience grace and liberty through His blood

 

We are not justified by the law but rather by faith in Jesus Christ

 

Gal. 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 

 

Gal. 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 

 

Gal. 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 

 

Gal. 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 

 

A relationship with Christ will produce the convictions you need and they will be heartfelt convictions rather than laws that someone placed on you or that you have placed on yourself

 

Anything done outside of Christ is moot and border-line idolatry, many times people who are living "Hard" religion are not even living it for Christ. If you are not living it for Christ then who are you living it for? Could it be that you are serving another god? A god of your own making? A god of man-made traditions rather than heartfelt convictions? This is idolatry

 

Keep Jesus at the center and he will make sure the balances are right

 

Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

 

If you lay yourself down on the altar, if you are being "Crucified with Christ" then you will live a life with the "right" convictions....daily visits to the cross will produce the life that you should be living

 

Don't frustrate the grace of God, don't cause His death to be in vain by having to have some "hard law" to live by

 

Gal. 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

 

Rather move forward into a relationship with Him, a true relationship that will produce "God-Inspired" convictions rather than "Man-made" rules

 

Because of His grace we can access this kind of relationship with Him

 

We are under the grace of God, let it work in your life

 

This does not give us a license to sin but rather it allows us to live for Him in Liberty

 

Rom. 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 

 

If you get a "Heart relationship" you will not desire to sin and you won't need some "Hard" religion or some set of "laws" to keep you right….you will desire to walk with him 

 

We have the ability to overcome sin and enjoy a "Heart" relationship rather than "Hard" religion

 

I personally don't need hard religion but I do need a "heart" relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

 

Let's "Engage" our hearts and follow His lead…..He will lead you down the path you need to take and it will be right.

 

I think the video below says it all. Kudos to the creator of this video.

 

 

 

Engage

 

“A Matter of the Heart” Bible Study

 

Memory Verse:

 

(KJV)

Psa. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

 

Scripture Texts

 

(ESV)

Prov. 4:23  Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.

 

(KJV)

Psa. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. 

 

 

Within humanity is the very center of who they are, the “heart” of the person.

 

This Word “heart” means more than just a blood pumping muscle but rather the thoughts, feelings, emotions, will, intellect and very center of a person (spiritual meaning)

 

It has also been reported in the medical field that our heart (physical) much like our brain can store memories, feelings, emotions. Many people who received heart transplants have reported receiving a new set of feelings and emotions along with their new heart, this proves that God knew what He was doing when he caused man to write the word’s “Heart” in the Bible.

 

We all have to deal with this thing called the heart both “physical” and “spiritual”

 

In the physical world this heart can have “Heart Attacks” but what we must realize is this can also happen in the Spiritual. People can have “Spiritual Heart Attacks”. 

 

The physical heart fails when it becomes unhealthy and unstable.

 

• We find ourselves dis-engaging from God and disengaging our hearts.
   
• We find ourselves “Living with God but not really living “For” God”

 

Within our spiritual life we can find our “heart” becoming unstable and unhealthy, we must stop and “engage” our hearts before it is too late.

 

The Psalmist David had this happen to him when he found himself in a situation that caused his heart to become unhealthy and unstable.

 

King David found himself in the place where he took something that did not belong to him and killed someone in the process.....he had committed a very vile sin.

 

God sent a prophet to him and the prophet told him this

 

 

(TEV)

 

2Sam. 12:1 The LORD sent the prophet Nathan to David. Nathan went to him and said, “There were two men who lived in the same town; one was rich and the other poor. 

 

2Sam. 12:2 The rich man had many cattle and sheep, 

 

2Sam. 12:3 while the poor man had only one lamb, which he had bought. He took care of it, and it grew up in his home with his children. He would feed it some of his own food, let it drink from his cup, and hold it in his lap. The lamb was like a daughter to him. 

 

2Sam. 12:4 One day a visitor arrived at the rich man’s home. The rich man didn’t want to kill one of his own animals to fix a meal for him; instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared a meal for his guest.” 

 

2Sam. 12:5 David became very angry at the rich man and said, “I swear by the living LORD that the man who did this ought to die! 

 

2Sam. 12:6 For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took.” 

 

2Sam. 12:7 “You are that man,” Nathan said to David. “And this is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul. 

 

2Sam. 12:8 I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much. 

 

2Sam. 12:9 Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands? Why did you do this evil thing? You had Uriah killed in battle; you let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife! 

 

King David has found himself in the place of an unstable and unhealthy heart. The very fact that he has done these deeds proves that he did not have a right heart.

 

The Bible then says that God forgives King David

 

(TEV)

2Sam. 12:13 “I have sinned against the LORD,” David said. Nathan replied, “The LORD forgives you; you will not die. 

 

But there is still the “matter of the Heart”

 

Now, before King David was anointed by Samuel to be King he had been anointed by God to be a worshiper. 

 

King David wrote beautiful Psalms which are much like songs and poetry mixed together.

 

So before David ever rose to power he first knelt in worship.

 

After David’s sin is exposed he turns to his first calling, his ministry.

 

• David Engages his heart
• David Engages worship
• David Engages prayer
• David writes a Psalm

 

The “King James Version Bible” says this about the Psalm

 

¶ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 

 

In this Psalm David prays things like this...

 

(KJV)

 

Psa. 51:1 ¶ Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 

 

Psa. 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 

 

Psa. 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 

 

Psa. 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 

 

Psa. 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

 

Psa. 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 

 

Psa. 51:7 ¶ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

 

Psa. 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 

 

Psa. 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 

 

David has began to acknowledge exactly what has been wrong with him and why he has found himself in this shape, he acknowledges that he has sinned against God.

 

David realizes that he cannot govern his own life, he cannot lead himself but rather he needs a Savior, he needs someone with more power than he as a human can have.

 

He needs a merciful and forgiving God

 

Maybe you have found yourself in that place.....living with God but not really living “for” God. It’s time to remedy that and live your life for Him because,after all, He gave His life for you.

 

Maybe you are at the place where you are not even allowing God into your life, why not let Him become a part of your life? You will never be the same once He get's involved with you.

 

King David writes this prayer Psalm and begins to reflect on himself, his deeds and why he is in the shape he is in, he then pens these words that seem to ring louder than any words he has written yet....

 

(KJV)

Psa. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

 

At this point he had already repented, he has already been forgiven, he could have asked for anything

 

He could have asked 

 

“God preserve my reputation in front of the people”

“God let me come out of this looking good”

 

But David’s great concern was for his corrupt nature to be changed

 

But David realizes that this is a “matter of the Heart” and needs to be remedied.

 

He says

 

God I am asking you to “create in me a clean heart” and renew a right Spirit within me.

 

The word clean here means “pure”

 

What David’s saying is this...

 

God purify

 

• My feelings
• My emotions
• My will
• My intellect
• The very center of who I am

 

Then David prays “Renew a right Spirit within me”

 

God cleanse my heart but also renew a right Spirit within me

 

This word “right” means to fix, be stable, establish, firm 

and to be fitted

 

It is as if David is saying 

 

“God I see so many spiritual inconsistencies in myself, God I see that the consecration I had as a young lad has become dull and unsteady so God please renew in me a “fixed” Spirit, a “firm” Spirit, a “stable” Spirit, an “Established” Spirit”

 

In this time we live in it is so important to keep a “pure heart” and an “established Spirit”

 

If our heart is pure and our Spirit is established then nothing can separate us from our Savior, Jesus Christ

 

• As we near the end of our study I would like us to take a moment and internalize, look at ourselves. 

• After we are done internalizing why don't you “engage” your heart and pray for a few moments that God would purify your heart and set right your spirit.

 

Are there things in your life that causes God hurt? 
 

• Has your heart become unhealthy and unstable?

• Are there things in our lives that have caused our thoughts, feelings, emotions, will and intellect to be corrupted?

• What is the shape of our heart and Spirit?

• Are we living “with” God or living “for” God?
   

Maybe you want to start off by praying about those things

 

Let's Engage with Him in 2012 and go forward with a clean Heart and a right Spirit

 

Music Recommendations: Christmas Edition

 

Favorite Christmas Albums

 

• Alabama: Christmas
• Michael Bublé: Christmas
• Dave Barnes: Very Merry Christmas
• Matt Wertz: Snow Globe
• She & Him: A Very She & Him Christmas
• Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas
• Dave Koz: Ultimate Christmas
• Justin Bieber: Under the Mistletoe
• Hawk Nelson: Christmas
• Kari Jobe: Bethlehem
• Andrea Bocelli: My Christmas
• 4Him: Christmas: The Season Of Love
• Celine Dion: These Are Special Times
• Luthor Vandross: This Is Christmas
• Boyz II Men: Christmas Interpretations

 

Favorite Christmas Single Songs

 

• Coldplay: Christmas Lights
• Darius Rucker: Candy Cane Christmas
• The Eagles: Please Come Home For Christmas/Funky New Year
• Mariah Carey & John Legend: When Christmas Comes
• 3 Doors Down: Where My Christmas Lives
• WHAM!: Last Christmas
• John Mitchell: Snow Coming Down
• Hootie & the Blowfish: The Christmas Song
• Downhere: How Many Kings
• Jars of Clay: Drummer Boy

 

Honorable Mentions (Albums)

 

• David Phelps: One Wintery Night
• Downhere: How Many Kings
• Lonestar: This Christmas Time
• Lady Antebellum: A Merry Little Christmas
• Sting: If On A Winter's Night...
• Michael McDonald: Christmas Time
• Newsboys: Christmas!
• Enya: And Winter Came...

 

Subscribe to Pastor Kenny's Blog by Email

(Will Update At The End of the Year)

 

"Best Albums of the Year (So Far)"

 

• Gungor - Ghosts upon the Earth
• Switchfoot - Vice Verses 
• Aaron Scott Kelly - Head Talk 
• Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

 

 

"My Absolute Faves"

 

• Gungor -Ghosts upon the Earth 
• Switchfoot - Vice Verses 
• Aaron Scott Kelly - Head Talk 
• Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto 
• Daughtry: Break the Spell
• Josh Garrels - Love & War & The Sea In Between*
  (*Artist is offering this album free http://tinyurl.com/3klwden)

 

"Epic Albums"

 

• Casting Crowns - Come To The Well 
• The City Harmonic - I Have a Dream (It Feels Like Home) 
• John Mark McMillan - Economy 
• Royal Tailor - Black & White
• Peter Furler - Reach
• Jamie Grace - One Song At A Time
• Leeland - The Great Awakening
   

"Honorable Mentions"

 

• Shawn Mcdonald - Closer 
• Owl City - All Things Bright & Beautiful
• Kirk Franklin - Hello Fear 
• B.Reith - How the Story Ends, 
• Scotty McCreery - Clear As Day
• Downhere - On The Altar Of Love

 

"Favorite Songs"

 

• "The Fall, Let There Be" - Gungor, 
• "Vice Verses, Dark Horses" - Switchfoot,
• "Head Talk, Field In The Fall, Stained" - Aaron Scott Kelly,
• "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall, Major Minus" - Coldplay, 
• "Make A Move" - Royal Tailor Band 

Subscribe to Pastor Kenny's Blog by Email

This is a re-post from my previous…..I felt that this deserved a re-post

 

We are in a War…

This War is not in the physical realm…

This War is in the spiritual realm…

There is an enemy named Lucifer…

There is an enemy called flesh…

Both of these are at war with our spirits & our minds…

Ephesians 6 says it like this: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The spirit world is very much real and there is a constant war being waged by the enemy of our souls and his minions, there is also a constant battle between our spirit and our flesh…

The war is inevitable…

If you choose to live a holy, consecrated life then you are going to have to be willing to go to war…

So now we know that we are in a war…

The next question is…

Are we fighting or just being beat…

So many times when it comes to Spiritual Warfare we say “Man I’m Battling” or “I’m in Warfare right now” but we are really not battling……..we are being beat…

Why???

Because battle means a combat between two persons, a battle is not one sided…

A one sided battle usually means that someone is being beat or that they are gearing up for their next assault…

Hopefully it is the latter and not the former…

So many times I fear that we say we are in the battle but in reality we are doing no warfare…

There is no prayer going up…

There is no fasting taking place…

The Word is not being read like it should…

If I am on the front lines…

The enemy is shooting at me…

my gun is just laying beside me not being used…

I’m hollering to my comrades “I am in a battle”…

They look at me like I’m out of my mind…

Why???

Because I am not engaging in combat…

Instead I am standing idle while the enemy barrages me with bullets…

I’m not in a battle because I am not using the weapons that have been made available to me…
2 Corinthians tells us: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…

Eph. 6 tells us about the weapons…

13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Gird up your loins with truth…

• Truth is your protection…

Protect yourself with truth…

Speak truth to your enemy…

When your enemy comes in with lies and doubts….

Stand tall and speak truth…

• The Breastplate of Righteousness…

Righteousness means to be free from guilt or sin…

Wear Righteousness on your chest…

Wear righteousness over your heart…

The Breastplate of Righteousness covers more of your body then any other piece of armor…

The Breastplate covers the vital organs…

You must cover your spiritual vitals with Righteousness…

• Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace…

The Gospel of Peace is simply Good News…

Walk in the Good News…

What is the Good News…

Good News is simply “Good News”…

Good News = “Satan I am bought by the blood of Jesus”…

Good News = “Satan I am a child of the King”…

Good News = “Satan I am a overcomer”

• Faith is our Shield

Faith is perhaps the most vital weapon…

Faith shields us from unbelief…

As long as I have faith, unbelief cannot prevail…

Faith that “I Will” overcome…

Faith that “I Will” be victorious…

Faith that no weapon formed against me shall prosper…

Faith…

Faith is vital to my survival…

Faith is our shield…

Faith is our protection…

• The Helmet of Salvation…

Why should I wear Salvation on my head??

The word Salvation in the Greek means deliverance and preservation…

The Helmet is wore upon the head…

The Helmet protects the mind…

The Helmet of Salvation delivers my mind…

The Helmet of Salvation preserves my mind…

The battle is usually won or lost in the mind…

It is important to have my mind constantly delivered…

Delivered from doubt…

Delivered from fear…

Delivered from impure thoughts…

Delivered from lies of the enemy…

It is important for my mind to be preserved…

The word preserved means to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction, to keep alive…

The Helmet of Salvation keeps my mind safe from mental injury, mental destruction…

The Helmet of Salvation keeps my mind alive…

Get your Helmet on…

• The Sword of the Spirit…

The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God…

So is that Sword one word???

If the Sword is one word then which one is it???

Word in the Greek original text is “hrema”…

Hrema means “Utterance” or in our language “saying”…

God’s utterance or sayings is found in scriptures…

This verse is not talking about one specific word/utterance/saying but rather whatever word (scripture) that is relevant to the situation…

The Bible is God’s word but his word is made up of many, many “words” (scriptures)…

So we must take up His word and do warfare with it…

His word for your situation may be found in the Old Testament while His word for my situation may be found in the New Testament…

His Word cannot be narrowed down to “one” word but instead it spans across every scripture written…

The Bible goes on to tell us to pray with all prayer and to make earnest petitions in the Spirit…

We cannot just pray a “patty cake” prayer…

We have to pray in the Spirit…

We have to make earnest and humble petitions before God…

This is how we stay humble and remember that He ultimately has control over every situation and battle…

The scripture also says watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…

We must keep our eyes open…

We also cannot survive alone…

We should look out for our fellow warriors and pray for them to persevere…

These are our weapons…

These are not carnal weapons…

Never try to fight a spiritual war with the arm of the flesh…

Never try to fight a spiritual battle without God and His weapons…

One thing to notice is this…

• Nowhere in this scripture does it say anything about a covering for your backside…

Why??

Because God never intended for us to run from the enemy…

To retreat means that the enemy has won a victory…

Sure there are times when we have to duck down and hold on for dear life……those times when we feel like we are being beat but guess what, if you are still on the battle field then you are still in the battle…it does not matter what you feel but rather what you do…

Remember this..

2 Cor. 4:8-9

⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

It’s not a battle if your not feeling a little hard pressed, perplexed and persecuted but just remember your still on the field so your still in the fight…

There are times when you have to put up that shield of Faith, hunker down and trust...

When I have to hunker down under my shield of Faith it means that someone else is fighting for me……that someone is God…I may not see Him or hear Him but He is there…

There are times when He will give us the strength to fight but then there are times when he will push us down under our shields and say “Rest my child and let me do “all” the fighting”…

We don’t have to run..

If you are running then that means you are not using the weapons that God has provided…

We have to fight…

Why do we have to fight?

If God can fight for us then why do we ever have to fight?

Because it makes us strong servants of God…

When we fight in this war we have to use God’s weapons therefore we have to rely totally on God……this increases our faith in Him and He receives praise and worship from from our battle…

You see God does not want spiritual weaklings but rather strong warriors…

But…

God does not expect us to be a warrior over night…

He expects us to follow His word, use His weapons and grow into the warrior that we are to become…

You are destined to be a warrior…

You can do it….through Him…

It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned warrior or a warrior in training, if you will use the weapons and go with God then you will be victorious…

We cannot stand idle while our enemy wages war on our soul…

I am tired of seeing people being beat because they choose to stand idle and not use the weapons that God has given them…

Go to War!!!

Use the God Given Combat Tools that are available to you!!!

Stop letting the enemy whip you whether it be your flesh or Satan!!!!

Devil We Declare War!!!!!

Flesh We Declare War!!!!