Heart
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 10784 |
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April 04, 2010 |
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 "For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power" (1 Corinthians 4:20).
There were so many wonders and miraculous signs in the early churches that people praised the believers and the number of the church members increased every day (Acts 5:12-14). It proves the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. When the Word of God is confirmed with signs and wonders, the believers can possess true faith, stand firm on the truth, and lead a victorious life.
We cannot enlarge the kingdom of God with the wisdom and speech of men, nor can we struggle against and overcome the enemy devil. To the extent to which you change your heart by the truth and accomplish the heart of God, you can receive His blessing and manifest His power with to expand His kingdom. Then, what do we have to do to accomplish perfect heart of spirit that God wants?
1. You have to act with goodness in every matter.
You've heard a lot about what is a good heart and what is an evil heart. So now you should be able to easily discern between good and evil. If you have truly cultivated such a heart, then you must have peace in you because you are at peace with God. You would always be filled with joy and fullness of the Spirit and you would also be able to give your peace and comfort to others and give them the strength to practice the truth. Your deeds would set a good example for others. And even though you may know the truth well, as long as you have many fleshly thoughts and you don't cultivate the truth in your heart, there will be no peace in you. You insist on what you think is right, thereby causing difficulties for the people around you.
When choosing between good and evil, do you always choose the side of goodness? In your everyday lives you cannot really face a situation like Daniel being put into lion's den or like Ruth having to give up everything in her life. You can't always choose the side of goodness when you can't let your 'self' and ego 'die' even in very trivial matters. Luke 16:10 says, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." Only those who always choose the side of goodness in little things of everyday life are able to also choose goodness in a difficult situation.
God knows the heart of each one and measures it accurately. Even though it may be such trivial evil, if it's not goodness, then it is still evil. The character of your heart will be formed depending on your moment to moment decision to choose goodness or evil. When you choose goodness even in small things, your heart will be filled with goodness, and choose the goodness in any circusmstance even though it means you lose all your possessions and even your life.
2. You should follow God's will, and not your self-righteousness and frameworks.
Those who are following their righteousness and frameworks will try to force others to accept their ideas. If you are acting with evident evil, it is relatively easy to realize the wrongdoings. But if you have self-righteousness and frameworks thinking you are living by the word of God, it is difficult for you to realize your evil. Especially, if your self-righteousness and frameworks were made by wrongfully applying the word of God, it is even more difficult to realize it. For this reason, sometimes you might still insist on your self-righteousness and frameworks, even though you come to understand what God's will is. It's because what you think seems to be similar to the will of God. You justify yourself thinking, "God's will is this. But, that is not really against the will of God, either."
Those who follow the will of God accomplish peace and consider others with a heart of gentleness. On the contrary, those who follow their self-righteousness and frameworks might have conflicts with others. Even though it might look like they are acting in the truth in the eyes of men, they are not able to bear good fruits. This is the same in everything. While the Holy Spirit is telling you a certain thing is the will of God, and if you say another thing is also the will of God, then, God's true will cannot be accomplished. I urge you to reflect upon yourself with this message and with a humble heart. I hope you will completely break down your self-righteousness and frameworks and follow the will of God in all things.
3. You should come forth as a true child of God.
You can have the perfect heart that God desires of you if you cast away evil and choose goodness; if you demolish your own righteousness and frameworks; and if you follow the will of God. God is looking for true men and women of God who have such perfect hearts. The true men of God in our context are not just those who are used to accomplish the works of God. They are the ones who have completely recovered the image of God having blameless, spotless, and holy hearts. Even though you know the truth very well and experience spiritual things, and even though you are faithful in so many duties, you cannot become true women of God just with those things.
But not all people since the creation have recovered the image of God. Countless people were born since Adam, but only a few actually cultivated the kind of heart that God desires of men. Those people walked with God and lived a life revealing the glory of God. Elijah performed power that was unimaginable for human beings and even brought down fire from Heaven. Abraham was ready to make a sacrificial offering to God of his only son, Isaac. The apostle Paul became faithful with life-giving love and fiery fervor. How happy God must have been whenever such people came forth!
Whether in your homes or in the church, and in whatever you do, remember God all the time. I hope you will say each word and have each thought only in the truth, so that you can be spotless and blameless. Then, God will acknowledge you as true children of God and receive glory greatly through you.
For additional information or to read the message's text in its entirety, please visit Manmin Central Church on the web at (www. manmin. org), select the "English" menu, and click on "Words of Life."
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