A Heart Of Flesh

Week of December 29, 2023

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV)

Our responses to God come from our heart.  According to the wisdom Proverbs of the Bible, apart from the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit our hearts are extremely deceitful (Prov. 12:20). David prayed that God would cleanse him from his sin and purify his heart.  God’s greatest desire is that His people love Him with all their hearts.

Sin hardens us and if we allow it to penetrate our hearts and our lives we will come to the place where we will resist the word of God.  When we resist the prompting of the Holy Spirit we become hardened to Him, we become desensitized to God and His word.

Has your heart grown hard toward God?  Maybe you feel at this point that nothing could soften it. I want to remind you of this week’s scripture so that it can encourage you during this time. God can and will remove a heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh, tender toward Him and His Lord.

 If your love for God is not what it should be, ask Him to renew your heart and restore your devotion to Him

God bless, Pastor Rick

Praise

Week of December 22, 2023

“And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”  Luke 1:46-475 (NKJV).

Praise is the response of a grateful child of God in His presence.  The person, who knows God and experiences Him, also praises Him.  Mary was overwhelmed by the Lord’s goodness to her.  In response she sang one, of the most beautiful songs of praise found in scripture.  Trying to stop the praise of a thankful heart would be like trying to stop the flow of Niagara Falls.

We should never have difficulty thinking of reasons how to praise Him.  In fact we should take the time to recount the blessings He has poured out upon our lives.  As we contemplate the love and mercy of God you will want to sing His praises as Mary did.  Praise is the real and personal expression of a grateful heart that has encountered a holy God!

Merry Christmas, Pastor Rick

God’s Will And The Opposition

Week of December 15, 2023

“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him” Matthew 2:13 (NKJV).

Whenever God speaks to you and you obey His will, you can expect the possibility of opposition. The opposition you may face could come from the enemy or by certain people in your life but remember opposition does not mean that you are out of God’s will. In fact, it just may be an indication that you are actually right in the center of where God wants you to be. The Bible teaches us that Joseph was a righteous man who feared God, yet his obedience to God forced him to flee for his life. Joseph’s hardship came not because of his sin but because of his obedience. Jesus himself warned His disciples to expect great persecution from the world as they obeyed the will of His Father.

I want to remind you not to become discouraged when you seek God’s will and you come upon opposition. Do not let opposition cause you to doubt God’s perfect will for your life. If you have done what you know He has asked you to do, trust Him to see you through every difficult time.  Believe that he will not allow you to face more than you are able to handle. Amen!

God bless, Pastor Rick