Forgiveness that Flows from the Heart

11-16-07
Have you recognized the unspoken expectation that requires you to pass on the goodness extended to you? When this is not done an offense is committed that causes persons to become angry or frustrated at you. Kindness received expects kindness to be given, justice received expects justice to be given, love received expects love to be given. What ever goodness we receive there is an underlying expectation that a similar form of goodness will be given to someone else.

In order for this type of exchange to take place something fundamental must take place on the inside – that is a release of individual rights. For example, I may have the right to press charges and have some one thrown in prison for some crime committed against me. Also, I could have the opportunity to cause some misfortune in another person’s life. Forgiveness that flows from the heart supersedes individual rights and the opportunity possessed in order to release the person from the misfortune. This is the kind of forgiveness God expects His children to display towards each other, forgiveness that releases from the bonds of misfortune.

It is so sad when others benefit at the expense of another person misfortune. Forgiveness that flows from the heart looks beyond the right and wrong because it realizes that trespass must not exist between brothers so it takes the steps toward its removal. It does not try to change the person – it seeks to remove the act from the relationship. The condition of our relationship with God depends on our level of forgiveness toward our brother. Allow forgiveness that flows from your heart to make wrongs right and restore broken relationships. It is the plan of God for your life.

All the Heart and More

11-26-07

The love we are required to bestow upon God is far greater than the love we give to ourselves. We can get by loving ourselves with a partial, some-time type of love but the love God requires involves all of what is on the inside.

Love is the leading affection. It provides for us a place of rest and satisfaction for the soul. Love begins in the heart and flows out though our affections and aspirations. All the love from the heart is too little to bestow upon God. Therefore, we must bestow all the powers of the soul and mind.

Too often we treat as light the love we are required to give as evidence of our relationship with God. Our life style reveals our carelessness and lack of concern in responding favorably in love. Our attention has become dull and disconnected from the voice of love which called us into a peculiar style of living. Completely open the heart, soul and mind to adequately bestow upon God the quality of love that only He can receive.

Heart for Greatness

11-26-07

Great is a description attributed to qualities standing paramount among the norm. Such a fate, although easily recognizable, comes with much effort. Many of us aspire to be great in some aspect of our lives but aspiration alone will not get us there.

The acquisition of greatness comes with a hefty price. The source of which is tagged in the heart. To achieve greatness the heart has to be fully committed. Half-hearted, partial commitment will not do. All of the heart has to be submitted to the pursuit.

For example, to achieve the greatest commandment in the Bible all of the heart must be committed to love God. No reserves, no holding back. Love must flow freely. The heart represents the affections and love is the leading affection. It is not until we completely submit ourselves in love do we acquire the greatness of God.

A test of love in the Heart

05-25-07

Certain things have to be done in order for love to prove itself true. The quality and intimacy of love can be proven by a test of the heart and soul. At times it may take all that you have within you to prove the kind of love you have. All of your attention, focus, motivation, feelings, opinions and intuitions will have to be submitted as a part of the test.

Perhaps you have been in a situation where your love was tested. If you have, then you know the pressure it places on the heart. If you haven’t prepare yourself because it will come, when it does understand that the location of the test is in the heart and the key to passing is written on wall of your heart. There are no right or wrong answers, good or bad, only love or on love.

A test of love from the heart causes the attention to not only be fixed but locked. It causes the feelings to not only be sparked but enflamed. It causes the motivation to soar and the intuitions to penetrate. A true test of love is a test of the heart and soul.

Voice of the Heart

05-01-07

Too often the ‘Voice of the Heart’ differs from the voice we speak out loud. When there is discomfort in revealing what is in the heart the voice spoken out loud carries a different attitude but when truthfully revealed the ‘Voice of the Heart’ represents the true voice.

Although hidden for many reasons including fear and lack of faith, the ‘Voice of the Heart’ is just as if not more important the voice spoken out loud. The things said in the heart reflect an individual’s thought pattern. These patterns usually come from the level of belief and they portray a person’s attitude toward what they are facing.

God knows us for who we really are and who He wants us to be. He is familiar with the ‘Voice of the Heart’ so without reserve He could warn us of the danger rooted in our personality. By warning us God can saves us from the aspects of our character threatening who He wants us to be.

Allow God’s voice to have priority in what you say and do, even beyond the ‘Voice of the Heart’.

In the Heart: Spiritual Pride

05-02-07

What is in the heart can lead us into believing and interpreting the things that occur in our life incorrectly. We can think we have something when in reality we don’t. We can come to the conclusion that our efforts, words or ingenuity brought a particular result, when in actuality they didn’t. The things we have in our heart can lead us into ‘Spiritual Pride’.

‘Spiritual Pride’ is an attitude possessed in the heart of church people with self proclaimed rightness and goodness. It causes a mode of thinking which has the appearance of God but lacks God’s perspective. Persons with ‘Spiritual Pride’ may see the power of God and even be used by the power of God but still end up with a wrong interpretation of what happened. To a spiritually prideful person, God’s perspective does not have the flair they desire and they see no error in putting their interpretation on the work of God.

There are many ways ‘Spiritual Pride’ can show itself in a person’s life. When a member of the church think they are in right standing with God and they are not or when a church member think they have more rightness than they actually do. The difference between what they have and what they think they have is ‘Spiritual Pride’.

When a church member think they are the reason they are so blessed they are filled with ‘Spiritual Pride’. These persons don’t realize the blessing they experience today is a result of what God is doing in someone else. To sum it up ‘Spiritual Pride’ is the work and the image of God without God. The only person capable of committing such an offense is church people.

Conditions on the Heart

05-10-07

It’s exciting to receive a promise. Especially when that promise brings privileged benefits. The major challenge with receiving a promise is meeting the requirements. When the requirements are not convenient some persons stumble and become confused and doubtful. In order to meet the requirements and unleash benefits in the promise we have to have the right conditions in the heart.

The promises that are made by God requires more than mere acts of veneration. They place a demanding personalized form of loving where everything we do and how we do it is detrimental to the flow and the benefits in the promise. There are no secrets, closed doors or private areas. Everything we have and do is involved with receiving that promise.


At times we neglect to consider the important connection our heart has with what God offers. Having the conditions on the heart in the way God commands releases daily benefits we long to receive. When we serve God with all the heart and soul, God will give the favorable nurturing qualities that unlock what was promised. This includes the preconditions that cause the promise to be ready to bring an increase. It also includes the post conditions that refreshes and forwards that increase to the point of maturity. All of this in exchange for what is in the heart.

Adapting Heart

09-17-07

The vicissitudes of life hurls many situations at us. The ability to deal with these situations is key to your survival and peace of mind. An Adapting Heart is an awesome tool to make any situation work in your favor.

First of all the Adapting Heart can only happen after you have accepted the situation. We spend so much of our time fighting against the things that can be used for empowerment. Acceptance puts you in the control seat and considers you as the one responsible for progress.



For example, a friend of mine, Patt during his high school days was dealt a rough card. His parents schedule caused him to arrive at school two hours before classes started. This early schedule would cause most teen ages to grumble but not Patt. He used the time to complete homework and do class assignments. Although this is not the ideal time for this sort of thing, Patt used it and by using it he developed an ability to focus in time clutching situations. This ability has led him to be the senior manager of a major company at young age. By adapting to the situation Patt saw how it could be used to effectively.

When we are able to adapt to situation we truly accept what God is doing in our lives and we recognize that we have what it takes to get through despite how difficult it may seem.

Meek Heart

10-22-07

Some things are available to everyone but hidden from the common eye. These things are of great value but only found by the few who have the heart to see them. One of the things is a meek heart.

The meek heart acknowledges its weakness. With this knowledge of itself teaches it to gently endure the provocations of others without withdrawing despite the hardship imposed by the weakness of others. The meek heart accepts God’s dealings with us as good and does not dispute nor resist. It relies on God to defend against injustice because it knows God’s control over the situation.

Heart of Rest

10-22-07

Remember what it feels like when you have worked real hard and become so exhausted from the load of the work? In moments like these nothing is more refreshing than a good rest. The load of the work can become overbearing so it is necessary to have opportunities to rest. In resting strength is recovered and the energy is rejuvenated to meet the demands of the work.

Jesus extends an opportunity for rest to all those who work hard and have become weary. The only requirement is that we come to Him. In coming to Him a bond is established where we are able to observe what He does and how He does it. Observing Him teaches us what to do and how to handle what we are dealing with.

How ironic. The heart finds its rest by observation. Observing the character of Christ recovers our strength. It make us aware of which tactic to use, we gain the ability to deal with what we are facing and the knowledge to overcome. The rest takes on the form of empowerment that is released through observation.

No need to be exhausted with for the load you are carrying. Rest! No need to be frustrated while doing good works. Rest! See the practice and acquire the habit. You owe it to yourself and to those you serve, rest.

Heart of Worship

10-29-07

Worship is vain when the heart is not right. The mouth draws us closer and the lips bestow honor to God, but the heart brings legitimacy to worship. We can have the right words to say and arrange them in a linguistic way. We can also design programs, services and traditions that symbolize our acceptance of God but if our heart is not in it, it is empty.

Our heart contains the life of our worship. It carries our conformity to the God we worship. When the heart is right the thoughts, feelings and aspirations are subjected. Our whole human system is deprived of all other influences. The joy of our desire, the clarity of perception, the fervor of our will, the strength of our faith and power of our conscience is lock in and focused on the object of our worship.

When the heart is right in worship we become instruments in tune to be played by the Master through situations and circumstances that come up in our lives. When the heart is right in service we become one with the Master of our destiny taking authority over circumstances.