Tag Archives: guard your heart

Are Borders Biblical?

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Numbers 33-34

I believe there is a repeated theme in these two chapters. Borders.

Every city, every territory the Israelites camped in as they traveled from Egypt (defined by borders) to the Promised Land had borders. We know from Scripture that if the ruler of one of those territories didn’t want the Jews crossing their border, they would refuse entrance, and the Jews had to take another route.

God Himself established borders to separate the Promised Land from the rest of the world. And with it came a warning: Drive out everyone who is not a Jew, or I will punish you as an enemy.

Yes, I believe in strong borders. I believe the USA is feeling the effects of allowing our borders to be breached. I believe we need to drive out everyone who is not a citizen or a legal immigrant.

Now, if you are still reading this post after that, let’s not make this only political.

Let’s talk about the border that ought to be protecting the Church. The Body of Christ is intended to be holy. This whole philosophy of welcoming sinners into our fellowship is like inviting one little cancer cell into our body, hoping it will heal surrounded by healthy cells.

“Invite your unsaved neighbor to church” is not only lazy evangelism, it is ignoring Jesus’ command to “You go. You make disciples.” I believe the Church is seeing the effects of having its borders breached. Watered-down theology. Homosexual pastors. Emotion driven false worship. It’s become more and more evident our borders aren’t just weak. We have no borders protecting the Church.

Let’s go deeper. What about the borders protecting your family? What do your kids see you watching on TV? What do you ignore concerning what your kids are being taught in school? How important is Scripture in your family life? Do you accept your child’s “furry” or trans friend? Do you entertain “pronouns” in your home? What music do you play in your home, or allow to be played in your child’s room? Do you know what your child is doing with his or her phone/computer? What of the world has found a crack in the border that’s supposed to be protecting your family?

Well, now that I’ve meddled a bit I might as well go the whole way. How is the border around your own heart? Do you strengthen that border every day by spending quiet time reading God’s Words, praying, listening to His voice through the words he inspired? Have you truly repented of sin, turned away from sin, or are there still sins you are holding onto – even just in your thoughts? How committed are you to live a holy life, not just a good life? If your heart has a weak border, you don’t really have a border at all.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 23:12)

And there’s the rub. The borders around the country, the Church, the family are crumbling because we haven’t guarded the borders around our own hearts. It starts – and ends – there. Scripture says that everything that happens in our nation, the Church, and our families flows from our individual hearts. Everything.

I titled this post “Are Borders Biblical?” What is your answer?

Are You Talking To Me?

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1 Timothy 6:20-21

Paul ends this letter to Timothy with a warning I think too many Christians don’t think applies to them. And I believe the Church is seeing a negative effect as a result.

Paul says to guard your heart because if you don’t, you are in danger of walking away from the faith. He doesn’t say guard your heart because if you don’t, that means you were never really saved in the first place. He doesn’t say guard your heart because if you don’t, you won’t have an effective testimony.

Some translations say Paul begins verse 20 with the words, “Oh, Timothy.” Don’t you get loving Father vibes from that? Isn’t this the voice of someone who dearly loves and is pleading with his loved one to hang on, make good choices, be careful because the one who loves sees danger ahead? Even if verse 20 in your translations simply says, “Timothy” you can hear Paul’s love for and concern for young Timothy throughout the letter.

Here’s the thing. If Timothy was in no danger of wandering or walking away from the faith, there would be no reason for Paul to say anything. There is clearly a warning concerning a very real danger. For Paul to end his letter this way tells me this is urgent

I say the Church is seeing the negative effect of Christians not heeding this warning because of the false teaching that has infiltrated our ranks and is being accepted as truth. Too many Christians seem to think that because they are saved, God won’t let them go no matter what they do, or believe. So they accept the “godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge” and don’t consider the consequences. They not only do not guard their hearts, they freely give their hearts to the lies.

We Christians, you and I, need to guard our hearts. How? Read the Bible. Do a word search and find all the verses that use the word you choose. Faith? Truth? Repentance? Sin? Hell? Money? Tolerance? Do you know for yourself what the Bible says about these things?

Find a Bible believing church and hold your pastor and teachers accountable for what they say. Ask questions. Research for yourself. Guard your heart.

Turn off the religious channels on your TV. I can confidently say there is more false teaching than truth there. Guard your heart.

Stop spending more time reading about the Bible than you do opening the pages of God’s Word and devouring it for yourself. It’s not up to an author to guard your heart. Guard your own heart.

Quit thinking God forgives all your sin because one day years ago you accepted Jesus as your Savior. Friend, it is true God forgives your sin… if you confess. You ought to be confessing and repenting every time God brings to mind a sin you are committing in the present. Don’t assume He turns a blind eye to any sin. Guard your heart.

I will say this: if Timothy, the young preacher entrusted with overseeing the Church, the spiritual son of Paul needed to guard his heart, I most certainly need to guard mine. I ought to be reading these verses and ask God, “Are you talking to me?”

Do you honestly think He would reply, “No. You’re the exception?”

Guard Your Heart

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Genesis 39:7-20

Warren Wiersbe entitled this portion of his study on Genesis, Be Authentic, “Overcoming Great Temptation.”Joseph did that. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him day after day, Joseph steadfastly refused her. He showed a great deal of self-control.

Wiersbe quotes Proverbs 25:28: “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” I believe Joseph had built walls around his spirit by considering integrity, purity, obedience, and honoring God way before he ever even met Potiphar’s wife.

Proverbs 4:23 tell us “above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” I think Joseph was able to overcome great temptation because he was able to overcome gentle temptation first.

It goes back to taking sin seriously. Scripture tells us to flee temptation before it becomes a sin. I doesn’t say just flee the big ones.

My sister tells about a time she and her young son (7 or 8 years old at the time) were standing in line at the grocery. Right at his eye level, there was a magazine cover of a half-naked woman. Before she could say something to her son, she saw him look at the picture, then intentionally turn away. Even at his young age, he was building a wall around his spirit. He was guarding his heart.

You will be tempted in some way today. Are your walls up? Are you guarding your heart?

October 12; Guard Your Heart

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John 5:16-47; Mark 6:6-11; Matthew 9:35-10:42; Luke 9:1-5

God gave the twelve disciples the ability to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” (Matthew 6:8) Jesus charged them with the mission of preaching His message throughout the territory: “The kingdom of heaven is near.”

What I am going to say is going to be controversial to many. But hear me out. The fact is, Judas Iscariot is listed by name as one of the twelve given this ability. Judas followed Jesus as much as the other eleven, was used by God along with the others, had the same message, and the same gifts.

I’ve heard people say Judas didn’t really believe. Scripture does not say that. We know from Scripture that something happened in Judas, and he eventually walked away from the Truth, betraying Jesus. But what we read here in Matthew gives us every indication that he and the other disciples were on a mission for God together.

Most people I know firmly believe a believer can’t stop being a believer, once saved always saved. I think that is a dangerous theology, according to Scripture. I read account after account of God’s “chosen people” walking away from Him, worshiping idols, blatantly disobeying God after worshiping Him. I think of Solomon. I know there are arguments against that point of view, but let’s forego the debate for a minute.

Here’s my concern and it’s being played out in 2019 through the “Bethel Movement.” Christians all over the world are gravitating toward this lie. Bible believing churches are singing Bethel praise songs, Christian radio is playing Hillsong, Amanda Cook, Jeremy Riddle, and others. People who love the Lord get satisfaction praising God with abandoned while repeating, “You’re a Good Good Father.”

What’s wrong with that, you might ask. I would encourage you to look into this movement for yourself. It is gaining strength, and Christians are abandoning the Truth in hoards. The god they are praising is not the God of the Bible. But they would have you believe the Bethel Movement is the awakening of true Christianity.

Look into it, but not before you know what the Bible says. Don’t look into Mormonism, or the Bethel Movement or any other cult without knowing what Scripture says. Not a verse here and there. The Bible is the complete Word of God. Period.

Guard your hearts. Stand for the Truth of Scripture. I think it’s more important today than it has been at any time in my lifetime. This is serious.

It’s true that no one can snatch a believer out of God’s hand. Satan will never have the power to override your will to be true to God.

Unless you let him.

2 Chronicles 14-16; Not A Happy Ending

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I hate it when a movie or book ends badly. The star-crossed lovers remain star-crossed, or the hero dies, or Rhett walks away from Scarlett. Have you ever wanted to throw your shoe at the TV or chuck your book into the fireplace? I have. In fact, if I wasn’t holding the Holy Word in my hand, I might want to toss it out the window after reading Asa’s story.

Asa, son of Abijah, king of Judah, was a good king. Asa did what was good and right in the eye of the Lord his God. (14:2) And because of his obedience, no one wanted to go to war with him during three years of his reign. God gave Asa and the Jewish nation rest. The blessings of obedience!

But something happened in the thirty-sixth year of his reign. For whatever reason, King Asa struck out alone, forsaking God. Did he get too comfortable in his relationship with God? Did he become prideful? Was Asa more interested in what people thought than what God demanded?

Scripture doesn’t tell us why. It only tells us this man of God chose badly, and paid consequences for it.

Dear one, guard your heart. Listen to what God told Asa, “The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (15:2)

Hear him say the same thing to you today.