Tag: the heart

Anger is Murder

~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

“You have heard it said long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5: 21-22.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Very few evil offenses can rival the act of murder. And yet murder, like so many sins, is merely the outward manifestation of an inward disposition.  All actions originate from the depths of our souls. First century Judaism strongly stressed external adherence to the laws of God. Jesus however focused more on the heart; placing greater emphasis on internal obedience. And why not? After all, murder is nothing more than hatred which has grown to full maturity.. Unless the heart is continually cleansed, evil will take root and produce a plethora of unholy actions.  God judges the inner man; so we must be careful to guard our hearts from evil. We can then accomplish His will upon this earth.

     John Wilkes booth is one of the most famous assassins in U.S. history.  On the evening of April 14th 1865, as the U.S. civil war drew to a close, President Abraham Lincoln was watching a play at Ford’s theater in Washington D.C.  Suddenly Mr. Booth crept up behind the president and shot him in the back of the head with his pistol (a wound that proved fatal.)  Although Booth escaped, he was later caught and killed. The enraged murderer had been a loyal southerner; disillusioned by what he perceived to be Northern aggression.  Abraham Lincoln’s death, although tragic, wasn’t the result of an assassin’s bullet; instead it was the offspring of fully matured anger. Inward hatred had led to the deaths of both the 16th President of the United States of America.

Anger is difficult to contain; it is a seed that grows into hatred; and hatred eventually produces a sinful action. The Lord has therefore taught us that anger and murder are synonymous.  God makes little distinction between the seed that enters the ground and the fruit that it ultimately produces.  Search your heart; if you discover anger and resentment then discard it..  Receive His Holy Spirit and God will cleanse you of all unrighteousness.  Let go of your hostility, and you too will experience the freedom of absolute forgiveness.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we ask and pray that You would let the truth of this scripture sink deep down into our hearts.  Please cleanse our souls of every evil thought and unholy desire.  Take away our anger and resentment. May we refrain from incorrectly judging others; knowing that you are the only righteous judge.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and transform us from the inside out.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!

The Heart

~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23: 23 – 26)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Rigid outward obedience to God’s commandments doesn’t represent genuine faith. Instead, these behaviors are merely an external expression of a transformed heart. Jesus berated the religious leaders for their public deception and inward wickedness.. In an effort to remain ritualistically clean, the Pharisees would often strain out their liquids; preventing them from accidentally swallowing any small flies (gnats); (yet they swallowed a camel instead.) This obsession with ceremonial purity rendered them incapable of accomplishing good works, showing compassion toward others, and spreading God’s message of reconciliation. Christianity has always been focused on the purity of the heart; which compels the faithful to obey God’s will.

Some time ago, while driving through the parking lot of my old church, I noticed a speed limit sign. The pace was terribly slow, and yet I followed the rule because it was posted. My mind was outwardly committed to obedience, and yet I lacked the internal motivation necessary to obey without grumbling. Shortly thereafter, I recalled that the church was also a school, and that there were children present. My attitude abruptly changed. I finally understood the truth concerning that speed limit, and also what had inspired it. From that moment on, I chose to obey, not only because it was posted, but because I shared an affection for the children and didn’t want to see any of them injured. The outward rule was no longer merely outward, but inward as well.

Similarly, in the bible we are given rules and regulations that describe what outward obedience to God looks like; and yet if we only adhere because of what we have read we may stumble into hypocrisy. Instead, when we give our lives to Jesus Christ and are reborn, the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and illuminates our minds. We can finally obey because we possess a genuine love for God and others. Thus obedience and faith are inseparable.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we yearn to share the desires of Your heart; may our faith be genuine and our actions devoid of hypocrisy. Grant us new life through Your Holy Spirit, that we would obey You and accomplish Your works upon this earth. May we be the men and women you have called us to be, as we serve others in sincerity and truth. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Anger is murder

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                “You have heard it said long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Mathew 5: 21-22.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Few evil offenses can rival the act of murder; and murder, like so many sins, is the outward expression of an inward disposition.  All actions begin deep within the spirit.  First century Judaism stressed external adherence to the laws of God.  Jesus however, emphasized internal obedience; he focused on the heart; and rightly so; for murder is hatred which has grown to full maturity; laziness gives birth to poverty; and adultery is the offspring of lust.  Unless the heart is continually cleansed, evil will take root and produce a plethora of unholy actions.  God judges the inner man; therefore we as believers must diligently guard our hearts; allowing the Lord to cleanse them; in so doing, we will also outwardly adhere to God’s commandments.

                John Wilkes booth is one of the most famous assassins in U.S. history.  On April 14th 1865, he crept up behind Abraham Lincoln, and shot him in the head (a wound that proved fatal.) Booth was a loyal southerner, angered over what he believed to be the evils of Northern aggression. He too was later killed. Abraham Lincoln’s death, although horrific, wasn’t the result of an assassin’s bullet; rather, it was the offspring of fully matured anger; hatred led to the deaths of both John Wilkes Booth and the 16th president of the United States of America.  [Additional illustration:  It’s interesting to note that unchecked anger can not only lead to spiritual death, but it can also lead to physical death.  A recent study conducted by John Hopkins university tracked 1,337 male medical students for 36 years following medical school; the study found that those who were quick to anger when undergoing stress, were three times more likely to “develop premature heart disease, and five times more likely to have an early heart attack.  Angry young men, it appears, turn in to angry old men with heart problems” (Cleveland Clinic, Anger and Heart Attack.)]

                Anger grows in to hatred, and hatred generates sin; therefore, the Lord teaches us that anger and murder are indistinguishable.  The seed that enters the ground and the fruit it produces are one in the same.  Search your heart; if you discover any anger, discard it; it serves only to separate you from your creator.  Allow the Lord to cleanse you of every lingering resentment and He’ll draw near to you; in turn, you’ll come to experience the peace and freedom of unconditional forgiveness.

                “Lord Heavenly Father we ask that You would let the truth of this scripture sink deep into our hearts and minds.  May our souls be pure and free from evil thoughts and desires.  Take away our anger and resentment; may we not judge others, but may we love them; knowing that You are the only righteous judge.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and transform us from the inside out.  We love You Lord, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!