We meet once again in the Word, my fellow brethren and clergy. May our Lord Jesus Christ’s joy be full concerning us and may we all obtain the same testimony as He had, that we have overcome the world so we, too, may move on to perfection. My prayer, as an Apostle, is to see all the works I am servant to, walking in the Spirit and experiencing the Life of Christ, which causes us to know the heart and mind of the Father, wherein Christ declared in:
St. John 14:6-7
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
This clearly states that our relationship with the Father is predicated by us being in Christ, but we have known this for quite some time now, so why do we still walk in the flesh? Good question. In times past, I have written to you concerning the location of your own hearts. This forced us to take responsibility for our hearts. God has systematically and thoroughly taught us, removing all excuses. I will endeavor to further explain the conversion of the heart and will consult my youth leaders of their perspective as well as visit my notes taken from various ministers such as Bishop Ken Bridgett, Bishop Vernon Miller and our Chief Apostle, Dr. Mary Banks.
Recently I was in a revival in Indiantown, Florida, along with my fellow laborer and friend, Bishop Kenneth Bridgett. We were both dealing with what God had revealed to us concerning our own hearts. Our best lessons usually come from personal experiences.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CONVERTED
Young people, do you understand what it means to be converted? Webster’s definition of convert is to bring from one belief, view, or party to another. Synonyms for convert are to bring around, lead, move, persuade, transform. Another definition is to move by persuasion or influence, to call forth or bring about influence. These are the world’s definitions of convert. I will attempt to show you how they are relative to the lesson at hand. It was a Wednesday night in Indiantown and the revival was taking place in the Civic Center. Exhausted from ministering the night before, I asked Bishop Bridgett if he would minister. He agreed but chose to stay within the same lesson we had been teaching weeks before, converting the heart.
St. Luke 22:31
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: We are not novices.
We know that Peter was not, nor is he, the only one the devil desires to sift. In this verse of Scripture let us see Peter as the church, knowing the principles of God through teaching. Peter learned much about God in his three and one-half years walking with Christ, but this did not mean he was ready to deny his own life for God. But let us go further into the Word to prove these points.
St. Luke 22:32
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
In the thirty-second verse the excellency of Christ’s discernment is shown in what He spoke to Peter. Christ was saying, “Peter, you have walked with Me for at least three years, heard My teachings, understood who I am, experienced My power, but still you are not converted.” As I read more I see where Peter resembles the church today. They also have heard the teachings of Christ, experienced His power and understood who He is, but they still will not deny their lives for His sake. If we were to look at Peter’s life at this point, it would appear he had already denied his life for Christ’s sake. Jesus walks by one day and says, “Come, follow Me.” Peter drops everything and follows Christ from that moment. Was this not self-denial? Does this prove Peter’s love for Christ? No, it does not. Who is to say that walking away from his present life to follow Christ was not easy for Peter? After all, he was only a fisherman.
Once again, Peter resembles the church. So many in the church would argue that they have sacrificed so much unto God, but this is not necessarily true. Most of us were not wealthy when we came to God. Some of us were barely middle class. We wore average clothes, drove average cars and lived an average life, and coming to God was not a sacrifice, but a blessing. But Christ told Peter He had prayed for him and I believe Christ has prayed for us, that our faith does not fail.
In St. Luke 22:32, Christ is showing Peter that his faith would be tested. So obviously Peter had not been tested by the sacrifice he had already made to Christ. Christ also said in the thirty-second verse “when you are converted.” Once again this shows that Peter was not converted. Now in the verses following, the definition of conversion is clearly shown.
St. Luke 22:33
And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
This was spoken from Peter’s mind and not his heart. This was also the test of Peter’s faith, as his actual life had not been threatened. Peter made that statement out of what he thought he would do, but to actually do this deed, his heart would have had to be converted. Once again, Peter resembles the church! The world’s definition has shown us that to be converted is to be influenced and fully persuaded from one position to another. Peter’s heart was not fully persuaded by the influence of Christ at this time. The church also makes statements that do not come from their hearts. But let us continue further in the Word.
St. Luke 22:34
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Here Jesus foretells Peter’s betrayal based on knowing the location of Peter’s heart. This is a truth the church hesitates to accept, that EVERY BETRAYAL OF GOD STARTED IN THE HEART, and is evidence of where the heart is. But as in this story, God will reveal to you the location of your heart before the test is ever manifested. Let us revert to the thirty-second verse and examine when it says, St.
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
This is another truth that the church hesitates to accept. The converted man is the man that God commissions to strengthen the brethren. Let us move to another scripture visited by Bishop Bridgett.
St. Matthew 18:1
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
It sounds like Jesus was dealing with the pride of the disciples, which motivated the question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” Christ being The Truth brought them back to the truth, that a man’s heart must be converted from arrogance, iniquity and lust to the innocence and humility of a child in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. As we go further in the lesson, we will understand that compromise is no longer a temptation. We must come to this point in our hearts or we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This truth is confirmed in:
James 5:19-20
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James understood that it took being converted by The Truth; which is Christ, to save the soul. The church does not easily accept this. Unless my heart embraces the whole truth, I cannot be saved. But in dissecting the Scripture let us revisit the twentieth verse where it says, “. . . shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” Remember that each act of betrayal stems from the location of the heart. If I believe what James wrote I must also believe that once I am converted then all of my sins are forgiven. What this scripture is describing is true repentance, because there is no repentance without the converting of the heart. IS CONVERTING THE HEART A PROCESS? I would say it is. It is the process of falling in love, preferring the fellowship of the Father, which comes from walking in the Spirit. How does converting the heart relate to repentance? You cannot separate repentance from converting the heart. Allow me to explain why.
Hebrews 6:1-3
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
After salvation the need for constant repentance should be done away with, as this is not perfection. This is a man or woman trying to use repentance as a cushion for sin. The laying on of hands, the doctrines we teach, etc., and even repenting, we do if God allows us to. God never meant for us to bypass living holy because we could repent. This does not show love for the Father. This is an insult to the grace which God has given us all. For many years we have lived freely committing sin, believing we could continue sinning as long as we repent. How is the Father going to be glorified in such a life? Therefore, I must say if you commit the same sin and repent over and over, your repentance is not real! When you truly repent your heart is converted by the influence of the Holy Ghost. The next verses show the severity in embracing God totally.
Hebrews 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;
When you walk in the flesh, you are cut off from God and it is only through agreeing with God that you will be renewed unto repentance. When you embrace what God has said, then your heart is moved to repent. But let us explain, “fall away” as it is used here. TO FALL AWAY
2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Scripture will bear witness of scripture. This scripture states that before Christ returns; there would be a falling away. This is taking place now. People who have received the Holy Ghost, know the Word and have walked in the Spirit, are still choosing a life of darkness. They can choose darkness for so long that they can begin to prefer it rather than fellowship with the Father. When this happens, you have fallen away, and it is impossible to renew you to repentance, as you no longer want to come out of sin. Even knowing that in this state you are separated from God, you do not care and that brings about condemnation.
St. John 3:19
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Saints, God has liberated us from sin and delivered us from Egypt but some do not want to be liberated. Some would rather live in Egypt, than in the Spirit. I beseech you brethren, love the Lord thy God with all thy might, and all thy soul, that you do not fall away.
Apostle Mike ~ Pastor Patty ~ GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART In the study guide, “Converting the Heart,” by Apostle Mike, he used 1 Samuel 16:7 to show what God is looking for when He puts His approval on a man.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
What do we do when God has refused us? Will man’s acceptance of us be of any value? I asked myself this question. The Lord had sent the Prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint David to be the next king for Israel. However, Jesse, David’s father, had seven other sons that stood before Samuel who might have been chosen because of their size and statue. They looked like strong men who may have proven to be great kings over Israel. In fact, Samuel thought that Eliab was no doubt God’s choice because Samuel used his own judgment. But God rebuked Samuel and showed him that He saw past a man’s outward appearance and looked at a man’s heart.
God knew that these men would not serve Him like David, because of the location of their hearts. Then when David stood before Samuel, the scripture says he was “ruddy and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.” When we look at him, not only was he young but he also kept sheep. It was what was in his heart that set him apart from his brothers. God’s testimony of David was that he was a man after His own heart, meaning he loved the same way as God loved, from his heart. Why is it that we do not have this same testimony? Are we as David’s brothers, having our hearts in our size, or statue, even our reputations with those whom we want to impress? The scripture says in St. Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” It is impossible for us to want to be sons of God, ready to destroy the works of the devil in the lives of others, when we want the same things that the world does. Our hearts will always betray us. It will show what we want.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Word of God is so powerful that it divides body from the soul and soul from spirit. It also is able to discern the intentions of our heart and knows our motives for doing what we do. Verse thirteen states that all things are revealed in the sight of God. So why do we feel we can bypass impure contents of our hearts and work successful in ministry for God? No, we will never be able to please God with an impure heart and the Word will testify against us. Then we will begin to see God choose the one who is right next to us but pass over us even in all of our duties and commitments to church activity.
The Apostle goes on to say that our strength is measured by the love we have for the Father. We find ourselves being built up in God at every Youth Advance and rejoicing that we actually feel our love being rekindled for God. But when we leave and temptations come, then we have to measure this newfound love for the Father verses that thing which we desire. Most often, if we have not agreed in our hearts to stay with God and deny the flesh, we give in to the temptation. Why is this? Our answer is found in Romans 6.
Romans 6:16-17
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
The obedience to God must be from the heart because if we love God we will not sin against Him. Some of us want to live and work for God because we see that others around us are so fervent about ministry, so we start trying to fit in and do all the right things. But eventually we find ourselves losing the zeal and struggling with all manner of lust and pride. Why? The scripture says that we must not be conformed to this world but rather transformed. In other words, a change in character must take place in us.
In order for our hearts to be converted, we must believe the Word of God. We must make a conscious decision to deny what we are used to thinking and doing and believe the truth that we have heard. When we do this, and come into agreement with the Word, only then is God provoked to come and do a work in our hearts. His Spirit now ushers us into experiencing the delivering power of the Word.
Now we have a testimony of actually being transformed into the Son of God. Now God sees His Son once again on the earth and the life of Christ is on display because we have chosen to crucify our affections. Sisters and brothers, this is a work that we must do. Yes, the responsibility of giving God our hearts does belong with us. He has given us all that we need to live holy and we can manifest Christ. Let us continue to encourage one another as we press to glorify our Father and to love Him with everything in us. Be encouraged. I love you all. Pastor Patty ~ Clay ~
Galatians 5:24
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Walking in the Spirit will cause us to put to death the affections and lusts of the flesh because when we walk in the Spirit we begin to experience the affections and emotions of Christ. We will feel the way God feels about His people. We are no longer concerned about our lives, situations or relationships, instead the emotion gendered is to do the will of the Father, reconciling men back unto God. COMPLETE IN CHRIST
Walking in the Spirit will produce the joy, righteousness and peace that can only come by doing the will of the Father. We will begin to experience the completeness that the Word describes.
Colossians 2:9-10
9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
We will come to realize that no fleshy relationship can make us complete. The walk in the Spirit will fill every void. It creates a love so strong that it supersedes that of the flesh. We can see why Jesus would say in St. Matthew12:48-50
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
We will be able to see why the disciples of old did not mind giving up their lives physically or emotionally, because they were convinced that the life of Christ was a better life. They tasted that walking in the Spirit would resolve all issues in and for them, even if the situations never changed because they were in the center of God’s will and had His emotions. When we look at our life or we experience the emotions of the flesh, we begin to feel depression, frustration, lust and all the evil of the flesh. God allows us to see the darkness in our hearts, those areas that we have not purified.
When we do not purify our hearts, the darkness in our hearts will move us outside of God’s will. There is no gray area, either we are on God’s side, or the side of the enemy. If we just remain in the Spirit long enough, our hearts will prefer to experience the emotions of Christ and hate darkness in our hearts, which causes us to break fellowship with God. While walking in the Spirit, we see the things that seemed so monumental in the flesh, as very small and senseless to hold on to. We would ask the question, “Why would I allow a bad relationship to hinder my fellowship with God?” These things no longer matter when we experience the emotions of the Kingdom. “Why would I allow the lack of money to stop me from doing the will of God?” Walking in the Spirit will set me free from all the cares of this life. Clay ~ Byron ~
Greetings to the Body of Christ, and all praise and reverence to God. I know we teach converting the heart over and over, but God does not want us to overlook it. He wants us to understand that we can get caught up in the hype of things and stop purifying our hearts. When everything dies down, now is the time to live, when it is just you, God and the devil. God will set up a situation to reveal the true location of your heart. The true test is not when you can be spiritual in a spiritual setting, when the Spirit is high, and you are clapping your hands and shouting, but the test is when opposition comes and what you really want comes to the front. Then you will know if the decision was real or if it was all hype. Let us see what God is sharing with me about our hearts. HEART: THE CENTER OF ALL FEELINGS
Galatians 5:24 -26
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Our heart is the center of all of our affections and desires. If our heart is towards God, it will be manifested in every situation. It really manifests when the devil sends suggestions to our minds and we do not cast them down or when he presents the very thing we really want and we refuse to renounce it. When our fleshy minds begin to doubt what God has done in our lives, we must endeavor to please the Father at all times, even if it means giving up our ways, images or wants. God was sharing with me some things as I was praying. It was after we had a meeting and God rebuked us, but all He was saying to me was, “Byron, I do not want your tears or your emotions, all I want is your heart.”
Many times we can conform to the environment that we are in. We can praise and shout the house down, but God is looking at the heart and the true location of our hearts come to the surface if it is hype. We must be honest with ourselves and stop allowing the devil to deceive us. Once everything settles and there is no keyboard, no apostle, then people go back to their natural lives (carnality) and do not really hide the Word in their heart or take the Word of God as law for their lives.
Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
God was also saying that He is soon to come and is coming back for a church without spot or blemish. We must purify our hearts, not doing things out of our emotions, because it is what we think we are supposed to do, or just because it is the popular thing to do, or just learned behavior. God has me at a place of soberness. It is new to me because God never dealt with me like this before. I am at a place of tranquility so I can hear the Father. He keeps reiterating this to us, not allowing us to get comfortable so He keeps reminding us, as many still do not understand. I would like everyone to examine and purify his heart.
When God reveals our dispositions He is ready to heal, so do not harden your hearts. He wants us to believe that we are complete in Him. Let us stop gambling with our souls, and go on to perfection. The only way we can do this is to begin to fall in love with God. There is no going around Him. We are only as strong as our love for the Father. God bless you, Byron ~ Theo ~
This is an awesome assignment that I have been given. I am found at a time just like everyone else, where the Father is asking for my heart. He is looking for a conversion to take place and has set up every opportunity for me to allow for the converting and purifying of my heart through agreement with the Father. Why is the Father placing such an emphasis on our hearts? Because the location of a man’s heart is the location of the man. The heart is the center of life, the part of man that God discerns and judges.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above everything that you guard, guard your heart. Why?
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Because the things you think and dwell on, determine what is in your heart.
St. Luke 6:45
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.
The heart determines our character – whether we are righteous or unrighteous. If we are to take on that life of Jesus Christ, then we must also take on His character. Our hearts must line up with Him and the Word of God. If we do not allow the Word of God to take root in our heart, God cannot trust us. What would our purpose be for ministering? If we cannot be trusted, we will be a people performing church duties but never knowing the power, which is in Christ.
Galatians 5:25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Our heart determines if we will continue in the Spirit. God’s responsibility is to give us access to the Spirit through Jesus Christ. But it is our responsibility to walk in the Spirit once we have gained access. Our hearts have been given a choice to agree with Christ and walk in the Spirit, or agree with the flesh, follow its dictates and suffer the consequences of destruction. God is trying to kill this flesh as His Word says that there is no good thing in the flesh. When we receive the Holy Ghost, or even if we have been in sin and the Father brought us out, we feel a new joy, and peace and love flow freely. When we agree with God, the things that held us captive no longer hold us and there is no condemnation. But how do we stay there?
2 Corinthians 4:1-2
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
Recently, while leading devotion I was distracted by a young lady who was inappropriately dressed. Due to my problem with lust in the past, I tried not to look at her, but rather all around her, not wanting the congregation to feel I was still dealing with the same weakness. Do you see how deceitful the mind of the flesh is? Look at how it is trying to justify and protect what is really in my heart. God allowed this situation to take place to show me where my heart really was, even though my mouth was supposed to be singing and glorifying Him.
I was trying to hide that I was still harboring lustful thoughts. I could not hide because God made it seen. He came to reveal to me that I had not renounced the hidden things in my heart. This is why I must agree with the Word or I will revert to the flesh and to my old modes of operation. Do you know that sin is designed to take you all the way out of God and into damnation? The devil wants to make you choose to become a reprobate and become as those Paul talks about in the first chapter of Romans.
So the Lord is saying, “Theo, will you trade your salvation for a moment of pleasure? You tasted My goodness. You have been in the Spirit and you had no desire to please the flesh.” Flesh cannot save us. Flesh cannot save itself. It is already cursed to return to the ground from whence it came. When I stand before the Father, flesh will not be standing with me, only the New Creature. It must give an account for what it has done in this body. So why would I let the flesh convince me to embrace sin? When I was in the world, I had a craving for the perfect person, perfect love, perfect everything, but I never got those things. I spent thirteen or fourteen years of my life chasing those things, but the Father, without me knowing, used those situations to help convert my heart. He finally said enough was enough, called me back to Him and I agreed.
Everything I was looking for He gave to me in a moment’s time, just through agreement. He purged me of sin. But there was some residue still working, keeping me from having fellowship and total agreement with Him. My heart must be pure from all lust and wantonness. I have to be honest with myself about the things that I really want from the flesh and admit the truth no matter how ugly it may seem. Then I must agree to deny myself of those things so I might continue in the Spirit.
Hebrews 12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
God has given us a way out of sin and back into perfection. If we agree with the Father we will have continual fellowship with Him. He has given His best so let us cling to Him and treasure fellowship.
St. Matthew 6:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. If we treasure the Word, then our hearts will be in the life of Christ and we will not sin.
How do we treasure the Word? When we love the Father with all our heart, soul and might. By setting our affections on heavenly things and coming into total agreement with God, our hearts will be converted and then we can go and strengthen our brothers and sisters. This is our purpose. Be blessed. Your brother, Theo ~ Tray ~
GIVING OUR HEARTS TO THE FATHER
St. John 1:12-14
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
We must come to the realization that just believing in what we have heard or read in the Word is not enough for us to overcome this world. I found out that if my heart has not been given over to God, I will continue to walk in the flesh. We want to believe that since God filled us with His Spirit, our hearts have remained given over to Him. That sounds logical, but it is not reality. As Apostle Mike has explained with the help and leading of the Holy Ghost, it is our responsibility to give our heart to the Father.
St. Matthew 22:37-39
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Joel 2:12-13
12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
As the scripture has laid out that no matter what God does we have to be willing to give our hearts to Him.
Deuteronomy 6:5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
We have the power to do so. We are the sons of God and like the Word has already said, we are more than conquerors through the life of Jesus Christ. In order for us to know this, we must stay in the Spirit long enough for our hearts to be converted. Convert means to transform, to change from one form or function to another while transform means to change in character or condition. The more we entertain the Spirit of Christ, the more we experience His love for the Father, and in return that also becomes our feelings. It is time to accept the Word for what it has said.
The great commission is before us even as it was given to the disciples of old. We are now sent to the church and the world to manifest Christ Jesus. We are called to preach the Gospel to the world. To obey this commandment is to invoke signs and wonders, to cast out devils and heal the sick.
2 Corinthians 5:11-20
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. We must be fully persuaded in our hearts of who and what we are in Christ.
We cannot be established in every good word or walk without first believing the truth. We must agree with the Word of God. We must attain that place in the Spirit called steadfastness, which means fixed or unchanging, firmly loyal, or constant. This is not a far-fetched place when our heart is converted. In fact, the Son prefers this place. This will be our place of choice, our preference. This is the only place which pleases the Father.
1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
We must conclude that what God has said about the sons is true. We are supernatural in nature. We have the heart, mind and Spirit of Christ Jesus. We think as He thinks, we feel as He feels, we are as He is. God bless you, Tray ~ Shaun ~
This message on the heart is real. God is no longer accepting impure sacrifices. He never has. We were fooled to believe that because we may see God working and moving in our lives and in ministry, we are all right with Him. God moves many times out of His sovereignty for the people and also to draw us to Him. What we fail to realize is that the gift is not of us. But I thank God that He wants us to be real in our hearts and not in hype. He does not want us to fool ourselves. Therefore, we must embrace His life. God is only pleased when He sees His Son, Jesus Christ. He is not accepting any other life. We have to come into agreement with this first. We cannot give God anything or the things we want to give Him and feel that He will accept it.
A perfect example was Cain and Abel. Abel gave God what He asked for. It was Cain who felt that God would accept what he wanted to give Him. We do God the same way. We pride ourselves in the little things we give to Him. Those things that are convenient. But God is coming for our hearts. Why is it so important for us to give God our hearts? Our heart is our life. It is the things we want, our emotions, affections and everything that makes us who we are. That is what we are afraid to give Him.
We do not trust the Father with our lives. We gave Him our lives at salvation but we began to look back to the world. We began to desire the things that God delivered us from and now the darkness of this world has filled our hearts. God desires for us to convert our hearts so that we will find a place of stability in Him. I pray that we all will surrender our hearts totally over to the Father where there is no more shadow of turning.
St. Matthew 6:19-24
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Here Matthew is instructing us about our hearts. We are spiritual so let us set our desires and affections on things above, not on the things of this world or of the flesh. It is impossible for a Son to serve both the Father and the world. God wants our hearts to be totally given over to Him. Too long have we served the Father and the world. Sadly, we prefer to live a lifestyle serving both, therefore, never manifesting Christ to the world. We have become a group of people with a good message and living good moral lives, but never being Christ.
The only way we are going to manifest Christ is if our hearts are converted to His life. Let us sanctify ourselves to this truth. Now if our eye be single means to be focused on purpose, never looking back or desiring our old life again. If we only pursue those things of the Father, which are pleasing to Him, then and only then will we be able to stand sure and stable in God. We can have the same testimony of Jesus who had no desire for the world, so the enemy could not tempt Him with anything, because he had nothing in Him. The devil only tempts us with the things pertaining to this world. His objective is to make us believe that we are natural and not spiritual beings. He only has access to us when our hearts are impure. It is crucial that we purge ourselves and remain in the Spirit. Let us deal with our hearts because the devil is coming to claim what is his. But if he has nothing in us we will not be shaken by anything he brings. Just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and Satan found nothing in Him, God desires us to be the same way.
Galatians 5:25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us agree with the Father, purge our hearts and be found in Christ when the hour of temptation comes. This must be our testimony, that the prince of the world cometh but he has nothing in us. Let our hearts fall in love with the Father, so sin will not be an option to us. Let us not be carried away with the acts, deeds and workings of the flesh but allow our hearts to be converted and given over to the Father. This walk is a sobering walk. Now let us make a sober decision to follow Christ. Be encouraged. Your brother in Christ, Shaun ~ Davyn ~ [Field]
PURITY OF THE HEART As young people who are part of this end time army that God is preparing, we must be fully persuaded of our salvation. There can no longer be any doubt, and our hearts must be totally pure because of the awesome responsibility we have been given. In the past, God has always been faithful to show us what was in our hearts that was not like Him. This is what He wants to do with us now. God has brought many of us to a place of walking in the Spirit, but there are possibly some things that may still separate us from the Father. This is what the Lord is requiring us to deal with.
He wants us totally PURE, in thought and in deed. He wants us to examine those things we may easily overlook such as our responsibilities in the church. Many times we can fulfill duties in the church, but God is looking at the heart. Even spending quality time in the Word of God. These are the things that God wants us to deal with. We must first be honest with ourselves as to exactly how we feel. If there is any residue of any iniquity or lust for anything in our hearts, now is the time to deal with it, and purge our hearts. Ninety-nine percent of deliverance is identification, but we must go on to agreeing with God and coming to the place of contentment and agree with the route that He has placed us on.
God is coming back for a church without spot or blemish, and He has given us as youth, an opportunity to be a vital part of His plan. It is not time for us to blend in with the crowd. This is a personal walk with the Lord. In previous Youth Advances we may have been caught up in the anointing, but now is a very sobering time for all to search their hearts to see exactly where they are with God. He can use the gift that He put in us to draw more souls to Himself, but after we return home and all of the hype is gone, where do we stand? Can we honestly say that we feel the exact way that we felt before? If not, it is because we do not love the Father.
1 John 5:2
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
His commandment to us is to come to a place of agreement with Him about the route He wants to carry us and to remain on that path without ceasing. He has given us all we need to do this. He has taken away all the excuses. This walk in the Spirit has to become life. God has placed us in the Spirit, but it is now up to us whether we are going to walk in it. We can no longer just come to church and to monthly Youth Advances, go home the same, not agreeing with God. If we are real with ourselves and begin to deal with those things that God has shown us that are not like Him, I guarantee we will make it in the end. The reason God has brought us to this place is because He loves us and He wants us to love Him. Apostle Mike asked a question in the last study guide, “How do we love the Father?” Our love for the Father will come out of obedience to His Word. We must begin to cherish the Word as dear life.
Psalm 119:10-11
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
If we hide the Word in our hearts and actually keep the Word of God as a standard for our lives, and strive to fulfill it, we will not sin against God. One thing that I found to be true is that it is not a hard thing to agree with God. God has been faithful to show us what hinders us and now He is coming again to do that final inspection before we are sent out. There can be no residue of the enemy in us at all.
St. John 14:30-31
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.
Arise, let us go hence. God has given us the power to walk holy until He returns; we just have to believe it. He has also given us instructions as well to fellowship with one another keeping godly conversations as this strengthens one another in the faith. Godly conversation brings encouragement to the soul and builds our confidence in God.
So we must be busy, doing the things that God has required for us to do. God loves us so much and wants to see us make it. He has given us opportunities to get in Him. This, too, is His love. If we are finding ourselves coming short of what the Word requires, just agree with God. It is not a hard thing to agree with the Father, and look at the end product . . . eternal bliss with the Father.
