HEART OF MAN

Heart of man will identify man before God. Man, that plays the role of lying, deceiving and manipulating other is not hidden from God which is the true and only perfect creator of all. In the heart, man that is set for doing good is good before God and man that is set for doing bad is not hidden from God. Man should continually engage heart with God’s word to avoid continual engagement to evil of this world. Genesis 6:5 recorded for our learning to know and understand that man’s heart is not hidden from God. It is written, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
What do you carry in your inside? It is important to know that God cannot be deceived. Be genuine to be good in your doing because God is never asleep but sees the heart of man continually.
Nehemiah’s heart was genuine with his concern for Jerusalem’s welfare and inhabitants. God saw Nehemiah’s heart and He acknowledged him. God in His awesomeness invested in him as a vessel for reconstructing the broken wall of Jerusalem. The report of what was going on in Jerusalem caused a burden in Nehemiah’s heart and he began to intercede on behalf of the land and his people. The bible recorded in Nehemiah 1:3-4, “And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah poured out his heart in prayer on behalf of his people and his homeland. Nehemiah had no hidden agenda to gain for himself but rather petitioned for things that had to do with a better life for his people. Nehemiah was selfless but mindful for his people which is the evidence that his heart was in line with what God looks from man.
What is it about heart? Here are some scriptural verses of what the bible has to say about the heart:
Psalm 44:21, “…God knows the secret of the heart.”
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” (Proverbs 20:27)
Ecclesiastes 8:11 stated, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
The bible identifies the fool, in Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God…”
The bible recorded, “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.” (Proverbs 27:19)
It was heart that revealed Nehemiah’s identity before God. Truly, taking to the warning in the word of God is to excel for His glory. Proverbs 4:23 warned us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Be diligent to keep your heart as your house of God.
It was Daniel’s heart that called for God’s eyes which travels to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong. (2 Chronicle 16:9) Bible recorded in Daniel 1:8, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel excused his self but gave himself for God. Daniel purposed in his heart for God’s sake and he lived to do great exploit (Daniel 11:32) Daniel’s heart set him for great exploits in life. Nehemiah set his heart for God’s people and lived as agent of reconstruction for God’s glory. What is your heart about for you people? Is your agenda for man is for self glorification or for God’s glory? There is none with heart for God’s glory with failure as testimony. Set heart for God to wait patiently for God to remember you with favor and visit you with salvation.

DOES HE HEARS ME?

If you have been waiting for seven months or more with no manifestation of prayer expectation is not too late. Experiencing prayer of expectation with no manifestation is not an evidence that God is asleep with no response for expectation. With no doubt, God hears with response to prayer at His appointed time. God operates at His Time while man operates clock with the ability to turn clock forward or backward. God is God that answers by saying: Yes, No or Wait when man seeks for God’s response in time of prayer of expectation. Bible specifically encourages us by identifying God as one that sees and hears stating, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” (Psalm 94:9) God hears every spoken word quietly or loudly and that is the reason for disengaging doubt but believe that God hears. Experiencing prayer of expectation with no manifestation can be a challenging time but it is not an evidence that God is asleep with no response for expectation. God will always respond to prayer of expectation at His appointed time.
Challenging time is not an excusable time for complaining but a better time of complementing God. Israelites could not avoid but complaint, speaking negative to God’s ear and God responded, “…As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you.” (Numbers 14:28) Challenges by nature  serve as a call to battle or contest. Challenges have the tendency to be ugly and painful, especially when they persist or refuse to cease. When challenges persistently become painful, it is possible for ones to wonder or question if God remembers or sees them in challenging situations.
Are you facing a long enduring challenge that seems to be an unending challenge?
It is important to remain focus on God with understanding by knowing that God is not asleep, His appointed time with His intervention will be delivered. Jesus warned about challenging as tribulation which is inevitable in the life of man. However, the antidote for challenging time (tribulation) is peace for those who receive and believe in Him. John 16:33 buttressed, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In this world, tribulation will come either man likes it or not. However, it is better to accept Jesus for having peace during tribulation or man can make the choice of not having Jesus to engage tribulation without peace.
Challenging situation that is resulting from the prayer of expectation with no manifestation demands waiting on God. Manifestly, how one chooses to wait on God determines the outcome of waiting result. David described the result of His waiting, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; many will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. (Psalm 40:1-4)
Waiting patiently is what makes man perfect and complete lacking nothing. (James 1:4) In your challenging times, allow hope to continually be your garment. Hoping on God is committing God to act on one’s behalf. Hope is the evidence of faith in God. Hebrews 11:1 buttressed, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Refuse to let down your hope in God. One that is hopeful will worship and not worry. Worship in place of worrying is anchored on singing praises to God. Praise God the more you wait in hope. By your way of life, testify the righteousness of God and allow the grace of salvation reflect every moment of your life. Above all, allow His word to take charge in every area of your thoughts and communication. God is able to reverse challenges for His glory.

ONLY THING GOD CANNOT DO IS…

There is none like God. He is the only God that makes a way where there is no way. God alone reverses the irreversible. God is the capable and only God which shares none of His name with gods under heaven. He is the King of kings; the Lord of lords. King David testified, “The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever.” (Psalm 29:10)
Jehoiachin had been in captivity for thirty-seven years when God raised his head and brought him out of captivity. It is written, “Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.” (Jeremiah 52:31) God used Evil-Merodach, the king of Babylon and son of Nebuchadnezzar, to lift the head of Jehoiachin. Regardless of circumstances behind man’s captivity God alone, at His appointed time will raise man out of captivity. God will use anyone to lift man out of every challenge that is keeping man’s head down. God alone is more than able to change man’s story as a prisoner in the hand of persecutor to become one that is presiding over persecutors. Evil-Merodach was in the hand of God to lift the head of Jehoiachin out of captivity. It is certain that when God remembers, He also rescues.
It is written for our learning, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1) God turned the heart of Evil-Merodach to rescue Jehoiachin.  God also made Evil-Merodach to change the garment of Jehoiachin from garment of prisoner to the garment that is fit enough to be eating regularly before the king all the days of his life. God is true to perform, and He performs with perfection.
Think of it, the only thing which God cannot do is: God cannot FAIL. With God, there is nothing which God is incapable of doing and His capability has no measure. It is the same God that visited Daniel when Daniel was in lions den as a fresh meat. It was the wickedness of man’s agenda to terminate the life of Daniel before his appointed time on earth. God caused the lions not to have appetite for Daniel as a fresh meat in the den of starved lions. Abiding and dwelling in capable God is certain for man’s deliverance in the face of militating force against man’s life.
In your captivity challenges, are you praying but not watching? Jesus in His word repeatedly warned to watch and pray but not asked for prayer alone. Watch and pray demands waiting patiently before God. To watch and pray demands man to trust and hope but not only trusting. Jeremiah 17:7 buttressed, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” In captivity challenge, keep on watching and praying by waiting patiently; by trusting and hoping for God’s divine intervention. God hears, He is a prayer-answering God. God is a gracious God. It is important to know and make it a note in your heart to get understanding about God’s character as described in Isaiah 64:4, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” God is true to His word, He performs to perfect! Believe and behave by knowing that God will convert man’s challenge to a glorious change. Stand in faith so that faithful God will show on your behalf. With faith God is pleased, without faith God is not pleased. Take note in His word, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7) Jehoiachin was in captivity for thirty-seven years when enemy, the Evil-Merodach king of Babylon had enough peace to bring prison captivity to an end in the life of Jehoiachin.
With God, there is nothing which God is incapable of doing and His capability has no measure. With faith, God is more than able to see you through. God alone is Jehovah Sharma that answers to His Name. The only thing God cannot do is: God cannot fail!

JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

Living by faith is walking in faith. One that does not live by faith is not just before God. The word of God buttressed, “If he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 18:9)
“Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:38)
Samson was pestered by Delilah when he walked out of God’s word by acting against the word of God over his life. Making choice to walk outside of God is walking without faith to do exactly as commanded by the word of God.
Without faith God is not please. Samson drew back from God’s word and failed to please GOD.
One with no fear of God will walk far from God consciously or unconsciously. Parable of the prodigal son by Jesus is the evidence of the life of lack of fear of father that walks far away from father. A parable is an everyday truth that has spiritual application.
It is an earthly truth with a heavenly meaning. Jesus spoke many times using parables.
Jesus gave a parable of the lost son. This parable clearly connotes the mind of God concerning repentance and restoration of man from sin. Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.” (Luke 15:11-14)
Son is created by Father God to walk in Father God’s presence but not to walk away from Father. Revelation 4:11 recorded, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” Glory belongs to God alone. How are you living life for the glory of God? Are you living in the fear of God? Living in the fear of God is to fear God by walking before God. A prodigal son walked away far from his father, have you walked far from your Father, the Creator of all?
In the parable, the younger son had his possessions and went far from his father. It cannot be affordable to be walking far and away from the presence of God in this wicked world. Going far is making a wrong choice which leads to sudden or untimely death. Going far from God will lead to a debased extravagant life which is a wasted life. A wasted life will always provoke a life of “want” and “relegation” from walking before God. Walking outside of God will expose man to every trouble of this world.
As regard to the younger son, it is written, “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’” (Luke 15:17-19) Importantly, it is appointed time for man to regain self back into walking in the word of God just as the prodigal son regained self for father’s presence. The prodigal son arose and went back to his father. The Bible recorded, “But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” (Luke 15:20-21)
Repentance from the heart is like a flash which will enlighten man to regain and retain the presence of God by walking before God. Take note and know that, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) From this day, walk far away from the world by walking in the word of God. God will remember to rescue ones that wait on Him by walking in His word.

KNOW GOD, LIVE LIFE TO SERVE HIM

If man does not know God how can man be-living life to serve God by doing according to His word?
It is lack of knowledge that makes man to be living life as it pleases self not as it pleases God.
Knowingly or unknowingly, all that answers as Christians are His disciples. Acts 11:26 buttressed, “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Disciples that walked with Jesus and disciples of today (Christians) does have same characters. Christians by their ways do not KNOW Him but only KNOW ABOUT Jesus despite all He told disciples then and disciples of today.
Luke 24 clearly testified that disciples only KNOW ABOUT JESUS but do not KNOW Jesus:
*Christians took WORD AS IDLE TALES.
Today, Christians takes to the word of God without purpose or pointless story. Disciples of Jesus did same despite all their exposure to Jesus in all His doing. At the time of Mary Magdalene and other women announced resurrection of Jesus to his disciples, Luke 24:11 recorded the response of disciples to women’s announcement, “And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.”  With no exception, world has been approaching Jesus’ word as idle story.
*Christians (DISCIPLES) see Jesus as STRANGER in their journey.
When Jesus joined His disciple’s conversation in their journey after His resurrection, conversation of disciples testifies Christians’ character. It is written, “Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18) Jesus is supposed to be known and received as saviour not as stranger.
For serving God, Jesus called His disciples out of FISHING to teach them and commanded them to be a FISHER of man. Mark 1:17, “Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
If indeed disciples have KNOWN Jesus, they should not have gone back to FISHING FOR FISH instead of FISHING of MEN after HE was dead and risen. John 21:3-4 recorded, “Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.  But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
Above all, man that does not know God will lack knowledge to set for self destruction. Book of Hosea 4:6 confirmed the issue of lack of knowledge, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge…”
Serving God is answering to God’s calling as a believer. Serving God is giving ear to God’s word by hearing Him to do His will. Failure not to give ear to hear God’s word comes with consequence for man. Proverbs 28:9 buttressed, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” God demands for man to live life serving Him. For example, God called the Israelites to serve Him but Pharaoh wanted to deny the word of God. Exodus 4:23 speaks to God’s demand for man to serve Him, “So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.”
Are you serving God according to His word? Are you aware of His calling to serve Him but you are too busy not to be serving Him?
GREAT COMMISSION is a calling for man to serve God, it is a MISSION to be engaged by believer of God. Mark 16:14-18, recorded, “Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Jesus must have seen unbelief as hindrance for man’s failure to give self to His GREAT COMMISSION when He spoke against His disciples not knowing of His resurrection.
Are you engaging MISSION? MISSION is serving God. It is courageous faith to invest in God’s command and God will response with blessing. Exodus 23:25 is an example of God’s response to ones that serve Him saying, “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.”
How are you giving self to GREAT COMMISSION?
Serving God is sacrifice, sacrifice is serving God and it is costly. Do something to demonstrate that you serving by obeying HIS COMMAND for GREAT COMMISSION!