Sunday, August 4,
2013, 2:24 a.m. – My husband was out of bed shining a flashlight on
something in the room. The light from his flashlight (smart phone) woke me.
Then, the song “My Heart’s Desire”
began playing in my mind. As well, the Lord put a scripture in my mind about someone
being swift to shed innocent blood, so I got up to hear from the Lord. I found
three references to the “swift to shed blood” – Proverbs 1:16; Isaiah 59:7; and
Romans 3:15. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read James 1 (NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201&version=NIV
The Swift
I read and researched the three scripture passages having to
do with “the swift to shed blood,” and what I learned was that this is speaking
of those who are driven by lust, greed, envy and all sorts of evil desires.
Their feet rush into evil; sin. They pursue evil schemes. Acts of violence mark
their ways. They entice others to join them in their sin. They go after
ill-gotten gain. They exploit others to their own advantage. They are drawn into
illicit sexual pleasure. They fail to honor their marriage vows. They are
marked by immorality and the destructive paths of the adulterous person. Their
iniquities have separated them from God. Their tongues speak lies, wicked
things, and empty arguments. Their thoughts are evil. And, though they are
swift (and rush to) shed innocent blood, also a reference to taking advantage
of and bringing harm and injury (emotional or physical) to the innocent, via
their wicked schemes, they bring destruction and judgment on themselves (their
own blood).
What I also learned was that this is not just speaking of
those who make no claims to faith in Christ, either, but this is true of those
who profess Christ Jesus as Lord and as Savior of their lives, and who may even
go through the motions of religious activity. They may even pray to God,
seeking God for answers in their lives. Yet, their lifestyles reveal, not a
consistency with walks of faith in Christ, but with works of the flesh and with
evil desires. They are rebels against Christ and his teachings, maybe not in
the eyes of others who are unaware of their secret lifestyles, but in the eyes
of God who knows their hearts and the things they do in the dark when no one else
is looking. One day their evil deeds will be revealed for what they are when
God brings them to light.
Joy in Trials
Consider
it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let
perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything. ~ Jas 1:2-4
Blessed
is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that
person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who
love him. ~ Jas 1:12
I believe the Lord Jesus reminded me of these passages about
the swift to shed innocent blood because he wanted me to see James 1 in that
context. In other words, for example, our faith is tested by those whose works
are in direct contrast to that faith, especially by those who are swift to come
against us, to attack us, to try to tempt us away from our pure devotion to our
Lord; by those who would reject us, say all manner of evil against us, and who would
persecute, hate and snub us; and/or by those who would mistreat, take
advantage, exploit, lie to or against, cheat, harm or injure us in any way.
Yet, we are to consider it joy, for these trials only serve to mature and to strengthen
us in our faith.
Yet, blessed are we if we persevere in our faith despite
these trials. Having stood the test, we will receive the crown of life which
the Lord has promised and reserved for those who love him. Those who love him
obey him, they obey his teachings, and they hold fast to the word of truth. They
abide in Christ, they remain in him and in his word, and they do what he says. They
are not perfect people, nor are they completely sinless. Yet, the Bible says
that we have to turn from our lifestyles of sin and living for self, and we
have to follow Christ in obedience - not in absolute perfection - if we want to
have eternal life. This is not works-based salvation. This is faith in action.
It is the working of the Spirit of God in our lives in regeneration and in sanctification
as we yield to and submit to the Lordship of Christ in our lives and we
surrender our wills to his will for our lives – not I but Christ living in me.
Double-Minded and
Unstable
If
any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe
and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and
tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the
Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. ~ Jas 1:5-8
Again, I believe the Lord Jesus wants me to see this passage
through the insight given in these verses about the swift to shed innocent
blood. True wisdom from above teaches us to say “No” to wickedness and sinful
pleasure (folly). Wisdom from above gives us the ability to avoid the wrong
paths and to follow the way of righteousness. Yet, if we are double-minded,
i.e. if our minds are going in two opposing directions, and thus we reject the
wisdom from above, perhaps even before we ask for it, then we can’t expect to
receive anything from the Lord. I can’t tell you the number of times I have had
people tell me how they can’t resist the temptation to sin, but upon careful
examination of their lifestyles we soon learn that they are not exercising good
judgment, they have no controls in place, they are living for self and
pleasure, their lives are marked by just getting by or by following their own feelings,
and they have no plan in motion for avoiding temptation. And, then they are
surprised when they fall. Such a person is unstable and thus his life is like
on a see-saw.
Their Own Evil Desire
When
tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by
evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are
dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth
to death.
…My
dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not
produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral
filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in
you, which can save you. ~ Jas 1:13-21
This passage states that each person is tempted when they
are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Based upon the fact that
Jesus was tempted to do things for which he had no evil desire, and we are
sometimes tempted of Satan to do things for which we also have no known evil
desire, I would suggest here that not all temptation is rooted in our own evil
desires, but obviously much is. Yet, sometimes, the fact that we are tempted,
could reveal evil desires within us that we may not even realize are there.
Certainly within our flesh bodies exists fleshly and evil desires, though
dormant, so perhaps the reference here is to temptation coming against our
flesh which has that propensity to give in to evil.
Needless to say, we are all faced with temptation and probably
most, if not all, is made possible because we live in these flesh bodies which
are vulnerable to sin. Yet, I believe much temptation, as well, comes into our
lives because of our own conscience decisions we have made or are presently
making in which we give way to evil desires, either just in our thoughts or
perhaps in our actions, too. What I do know about evil desire is that it begins
in the mind, and if we allow it to work its way through our minds into our
hearts, then we are more likely to give way to it in our actions and behaviors,
too. That is why it is so critical that we guard our hearts and minds against
all that is evil and that we don’t play with sin and temptation by entertaining
our minds and hearts with what is evil, even with the slightest amount of evil.
In other words, if we do not have controls in place, and we are just living by
the seat of our pants, chances are pretty good that desire will give birth to
sin.
Therefore, we must rid our lives of all moral filth, anger,
resentment, bitterness, lust, greed, adultery, gossip and the like. And, we can’t
do this if we are double-minded, i.e. if we have one foot in the world and
another in heaven. If we are taking into our minds and into our hearts what is
contrary to God’s laws, his truth and his will for our lives, either through
our relationships with others, our partnerships, what we view on TV or in
movies or on the internet; and/or by what we listen to in music, by what video
games we play, or in general through whatever we allow into our lives, then we
need to cut those things out of our lives because they are working in
opposition to God in our lives. You can’t play with the fire and not expect to
get burned. We need to do a thorough house-cleaning of our lives so that we can
then humbly accept the word planted in us.
Forgets What He Looks
Like
Do
not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who
looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and
immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the
perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they
have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. ~ Jas 1:22-25
What benefit is it to us if we spend time each day in the
word of God, feeling as though this is our obligation to God, and yet then
close the book and forget what we read? If all we do is take in the word for
intellectual knowledge and stimulation or for performance, yet we go away and
forget what the Lord Jesus taught us in all practicality in application to our
lives, then what good is it? Though I believe the word of God is never wasted
in the sense that it will never return empty, I think we do an injustice to God
and to ourselves if all we do is read the words but never, or hardly ever, or
only half-way do what they say. And, what good is it if we spend 15 minutes a
day in the word and yet gorge our minds with all kinds of garbage for hours on
end during our “free time”? Again, we can’t have one foot in the world and one
in heaven and be able to flee temptation, to put into practice what we have
read, and/or to live free from slavery to sin and self. We need to practice
what we say we believe. We need to act upon the truth of God’s word. And, we
need to obey what God says.
My Heart’s Desire
/ An Original Work / June 29, 2013
Based off Rm. 10; Lu. 9:23-26; Ep. 4:20-24
Loved Ones, Oh, my
heart’s desire
Is that you might come
to Jesus.
Many appear zealous
for God,
But they do not trust
in Him.
They have not
submitted to the One
Who saved them from
their sins;
Not forsaken their
sins,
Nor have they obeyed
their King.
The word of the Lord
is near you:
The word of faith we’re
proclaiming:
That you must confess
your faith
In Jesus as your Lord
and King:
Believe in Him as your
Lord,
And follow Him
where’er He leads.
Share the gospel; be a
witness,
And meet others’
needs.
Beautiful are the feet
of those
Who bring the good news
of Jesus:
Anyone who would come
to Him
Must deny himself
today;
Die to sin and self,
and
Let the Spirit
transform you in heart;
Put on your new self
in Jesus,
Yielding to the cross.
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