Heart Mind Connection #4

Turn to God with All Your Heart

Fred R. Coulter—February 26, 2000

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Let's review one Scripture in Prov.4, because I think this is a very profound Scripture; it's something that we need to realize how important it is. When you realize that everything you have experienced, heard and seen has somehow lodged in your mind somewhere.

I suppose that when you're older, or getting older, you start recalling a lot of things that you did in your youth, because that part of your brain is becoming active again.

I don't know the purposed of it. Maybe there are some things that we need to repent of that God let's live through some things that we've done in the past. When I think on those things, and all the foolish things that I did when I was a kid, I tell you, God has got to be really merciful!

Proverbs 4:20: "My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings."

Let's just put this in the situation that this is God speaking to us, not David speaking to Solomon.

Verse 21: "Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart." We are going to see how important it is to have the Law of God written in your heart!

Is that not the whole purpose of the New Covenant? Yes, it is! God is going to write them in heart and inscribe them upon our mind!

Verse 22: "For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Above all guard the door of your mind with diligence…" (vs 22-23). This is the most important thing to protect: what goes into your heart, what goes into your mind, and also, what comes out of it.

"…for out of it are the issues of life" (v 23). In other words, the whole function of your life, with the heart being the innermost part of your being—that's why you have to guard it, that's why it says to 'keep your heart with all diligence' (KJV). "Above all guard the door of your mind with diligence…"

Whatever you let into your mind, it is going to have some effect on you one way or the other. It may have an effect upon you that you want to love God more and keep His commandments more. It may have the effect that you want to get away from evil, the evil that you see—especially for us. For those who don't know God, it has the effect that it draws them into it.

I came across the Disney Channel and they promote witchcraft more than any other for kids that I have every seen. They always have something on witchcraft. Here's grandma teaching the grandchildren how to be witches. For little kids growing up, who have no knowledge of truth or error, Disney is something great and marvelous.

Is it any wonder that we have more witches than ever before? It's just a natural step to go into it. Same thing with homosexuality. Disney promotes that! People don't think that they do, but they do from the very way that they handle the things, the very way that they handle their programs, and the way that they present them.

That's why today that it's so important the we guard the door of our mind, because we have so many things coming to us.

• radio
• television
• CDs/DVDs
• movies
• other people
• Internet

All of these things that come in to affect our mind!

You could say that the mind or the heart can actually be so overloaded with things that it won't know how to handle it. In some ways, that's where we are today with this information age and the Internet. There's so much information. They call it 'the Age of Knowledge.' Isn't that interesting? We have never understood how intense this is going to be!

Daniel 12:4: "But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." And knowledge has increased!

Sometimes I get a stack six inches high every week of information that people send me. I like to try and read and keep up on things, but I have so many backlogged that I need to read, that I have to make some choices.

Now, just for my own peace of mind, when I'm in the car I hardly ever have the radio on. Then when I do turn it on, all I'm going through, what happens is that you're 'commercialized to death.' For every five minutes of news, there's two and a half minutes of commercials.

On my radio I have a mute button, so I always push the mute button when the commercials come on; likewise if I'm watching any television. I don't need my brain scattered around with all these silly ads that they have.

Concerning ads on television: They have more shock action to them. In other words, a lot of quick, hard, heavy movement to get your attention. A lot of loud and garrulous colors to get your attention. A lot of the ads now are advertising medicine. Then they give all the side effects and tell you that you may die, but go see your doctor. It is amazing!

That's why we have to guard the door of our mind, because out of our mind—or the heart—the innermost part of our being, which is you as a person, are all the issues of your life! That's why you can't let anything and everything into your mind. You have to close the door on certain things! You have to avoid certain things just because of the nature of it.

A good way to understand how to do this, a good measure of this: Is it something God will keep during the Millennium? If not, I try and avoid it! You can't avoid everything, and you can't be taken out of the world. Sometimes you wished you could, but you can't!

All of these things press in on us. We have to understand what it is we need to do before God to keep our heart and mind, because out of it are the issues of life!

Let's see one of the things that takes away the heart, and it does it in such a subtle way that it affects everything that person thinks or does. That's why when people get into justifying things that are wrong behavior and sin, then their thinking tends to become very skewed. They're not able to really understand.

Example: this is not endorsing anyone politically, so don't get all excited. George W. Bush went down to Bob Jones University in North Carolina. Part of the teaching that they have—they are hard-shelled Baptists—is that the Catholic Church is an instrument of Satan the devil and so is the pope. They do not allow interracial marriage or dating.

Because Bush went to speak there, he's hung with being an anti-Catholic, being anti-black, being anti-integration. What happens is that when people get to the point that they are today, they are not seeking truth! No one has said, 'What is the truth?' Why don't they want the truth? We'll see!

There are many ways to destroy people! There are many ways to captivate them, bring them into captivity or bondage; you don't have to put chains on them. You can do it in other ways.

Dan. 12 says that knowledge will increase, probably meaning all the wrong kind of knowledge, but at the same time the knowledge of God will increase! I would have to say that God has been leading us to understand more of His Word, that is true! But with all the increase of knowledge coming—in this age of knowledge—notice what happens:

Hosea 4:6: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…. [they do not have the right kind of knowledge, the knowledge of God] …Because you have rejected knowledge…"

People do that; they don't want to know about God. People would rather be lied to today, because they are so used to being deceived and are in such a deceived state, and their hearts are so deluded because of it, that they will reject anything that is true.

It is true that Bob Jones University teaches that the Catholics are an instrument of Satan the devil and so also is the pope. But instead of saying that that is an interesting statement, 'Why do you say that?' It's not being anti-Catholic to say it, to state the truth, to show something right is not being against something. It is to show what is right vs what is wrong in hopes that those people would change. It shows that all of those who go along with that whole system, they are all in it, they are all deluded, they don't know and they don't want the Truth.

"…I will also reject you…" (v 6). That's the kind of thing you never want to get into, getting to a point that God will reject you! You can have all kinds of trouble and problems and things you need to work on and overcome, but never get yourself to the point that God will reject you!

"…from being as a priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will also forget your children" (v 6). There it is, right there! It is talking about:

• the knowledge of God
• the laws of God
• the commandments of God
• the Word of God

All of it together!

Has God forgotten the children today? Yes! They're turned over to all kinds of evil under the sun, beginning right in the public schools. All of these evils are taught and accepted.

Verse 7: "As they were increased, so they sinned against Me…. [and leads to more sin] …I will change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity" (vs 7-8).

Now it comes to the point that the heart gets set on iniquity. It is so trained that it can only survive by doing evil.

Verse 9: "And it has become, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings, for they shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit whoredom and not increase because they have stopped taking heed to the LORD…. [here's the reason]: …Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart" (vs 9-11)—meaning it takes away your real ability to think with the innermost part of your being, because you don't have:

• the laws of God there
• the Spirit of God there
• the understanding of it

That's why people today end up hating God! They don't want their evil spoken of in a wrong way.

Let's see how all of this is being dished out today. Right as I speak, the pope is in Egypt, trying to bring all the Coptic Christians into the fold again. He's going to Egypt and then to the Holy Land, which I would have to say is the unholy land at this point.

Here's how it's happening today: Everywhere everything that this whole Babylonian society brings down:

Revelation 17:1: " And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and spoke with me, saying to me, 'Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters.'"

Verse 15: "Then he said to me, 'The waters that you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.'"

That's important because we are developing a monolithic society worldwide, and it comes under the term globalization. Everything is becoming the same, because it's all from Babylon the Great.

Verse 2: "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication…"

Now the World Bank is calling for equality of income, which means: take from the rich and give to the poor!

"…and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication" (v 2)—because whoredoms and wine take away the heart! And that's what's happened. That is exactly what's happened.

We're told that 'as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of man" (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).

How evil can evil get before God steps in to do something about it? Now we have the means of promulgating it even more quickly than ever before, to more people at an earlier age than has ever been in the history of mankind!

Genesis 6:5: "And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

So, the heart can come to the point where there is not even a good thought coming out of it, only evil! To the human mind, a lot of evil appears good! We can say that of a lot of the technological things that men have designed, created and made.

Let's just take one example that looks good to men. They've been running a series on gene-altered food {GMOs}. They have done this mostly to make money. They have no clue as to what it does to the body. They've altered corn, wheat, milk, soybeans, chickens, turkeys, which means that affects everything that comes out. Could it be that some of the diseases that we are having is because these things are not good for the human body? Who knows! But that's only one area.

Another areas along with genes is that genetic thing that they are doing with babies from abortion. What they've actually found—and they've denied it for years and years—is order slips from doctors desiring from the aborted fetuses a head, an arm, eyes, and there was price for each one; so, they could run their experiments.

That is gross evil! Way beyond abortion, as evil as abortion is!

But a lot of people think that this is good. Whoredom and wine take away the heart! They have no feeling, no heart, no compassion, no understanding. And if you're against abortion, then you're against women's rights. It has nothing to do with women's rights. Abortion is needed when sin is committed!

When you look at it, our whole educational system today is weighted on the evil side. The entire educational system:

• false values
• false standards
• false knowledge
• no God

Genesis 8:21: "And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in His heart, 'I will not again curse the ground for man's sake—although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth…'"

That's why MTV wants to get them as soon as they can. MTV does not influence teenagers; they brag that they own them! When you look at them and see all the music that they're listening to, you know that's so! Something happens to them, because it's taking away their heart.

• It's taking away their ability to think!
• It is appealing to all of the evil intents!

How far is it going to go in this society? I think it's going to go clear to an occult society that's going to be much likened to how they conducted themselves at the golden calf after having received the Ten Commandments. It's just going to be licentious beyond belief!

A mother had a little boy and he had memorized all the Pokemons. Pokemon means pocket monster or pocket demon! It teaches little children—and he was only four-years-old—and his mother said she wouldn't worry because 'he's real young.' What is this setting him up for in his life? Unless somewhere along the line he gets some correct information and teaching.

"…evil from his youth [up]…" That's what we're dealing with!

Can other people influence you so that your heart will be changed? When you change your heart, remember, you get all emotionally involved in it. We're going to see a classic example in 1-Kings 11, again concerning Solomon:

1-Kings 11:1: "And King Solomon loved many foreign women…" There can be nothing stronger or greater than love. It's got your heart, your mind, your emotions, the whole focus of your entire being.

"…even the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites; of the nations which the LORD had said to the children of Israel, 'You shall not go in to them, and they shall not go in to you; surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.'…." (vs 1-2). The heart can be turned by other people if you go along with them!

That's why this ecumenical movement is now becoming so successful in the world, because their hearts have been turned from God. If you're a Buddhist, we accept you and 'you worship God in your way,' and the Jews say that everyone is going to have it their way, and the Catholics and Protestant, 'Let's get along.' Their hearts have been turned away from Truth and it's not longer a matter of Truth, but it's a matter of how do we go along and get along?

Let's see what it says about Truth and the day that we're living in today.

Isaiah 59:12: "For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; in rebellion and denial of the LORD, and turning away from our God, talking perversity and revolt, conceiving and speaking from the heart words of falsehood" (vs 12-13).

This is prophecy of today. This is exactly what's happening almost everywhere.

Verse 14: "And justice is driven backward, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth has fallen in the street… [like so much trash and garbage] …and uprightness cannot enter. Yea, truth fails…" (vs 14-15).

I wonder if that's why Jesus said that when He returns to earth, will He find any faith in the earth? Truth fails!

"…and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey…." (v 15)—something to be picked on or is accounted mad. If you tell the truth to people after they've been indoctrinated with lies, after generation they become raving lunatics.

"…And the LORD saw, and it was evil in His eyes that there was no justice" (v 15). Let's see what happened to Solomon; he didn't have any judgment either:

1-Kings 11:3: "And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives turned away his heart." You talk about oppression! You talk about giving himself over to it! He had all of the accomplices here, 1,000 altogether!

Verse 4: "For it came to pass when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God as was the heart of David his father." Solomon's heart was turned away!

Verse 9: "And the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel who had appeared to him twice."

We will see that there was a time when it affected the whole population. Today they call it deviance downward! In other words, what they are doing they are taking the high standards of the commandments of God and denigrate it and bring it downward, downward, downward so that you get into deviance. It's bringing deviance downward and bringing the standard downward!

Jeremiah 11:1: "The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, 'Hear the words of this covenant…'" (vs 1-2).

When we're going through this, let's also go back and go over the words of the covenant (John 13-17). In there you will find that in those five chapters you have every experience stated that you will go through in your Christian life, and what the most important thing there is: to love God! So, those are the words of the covenant.

"…and speak to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem. And say to them, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel, "Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant"'" (vs 2-3).

We've lived long enough to see that happen within the Church on more than just an individual basis, too!

Verse 4: "Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Obey My voice and do according to all that I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God'; so that I may fulfill the oath which I have sworn to your fathers…" (vs 4-5)—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

In the New Testament we are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.' That also ties right in with the covenant and the Passover.

"'…to give them "a land flowing with milk and honey," as it is this day.' Then I answered and said, 'Amen, O LORD.' Then the LORD said to me, 'Declare all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, "Hear the words of this covenant, and do them, for I earnestly forewarned your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and warning persistently, saying, 'Obey My voice.' Yet, they did not obey nor bow down their ear, but walked each one in the imagination of his evil heart. So, I will bring on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did not do them"'" (vs 5-8).

Everyone walks that way, and today we have that more than ever before. Everyone is literally doing his or her own thing in a way that is just mind-boggling.

Verse 9: "And the LORD said to me, 'A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the people of Jerusalem. They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear My words….'" (vs 9-10).

We've seen that, too! The Church of God turned back to all of the sins of the forefathers:

• rejecting the Sabbath
• rejecting the Holy Days
• embracing Sunday
• embracing all of the things that are wrong and evil

"'…And they went after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.' Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will bring evil on them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry to Me, I will not hear them'" (vs 10-11).

We covered in Jer. 7; the same thing was there. Don't pray for them because God won't listen! There comes a time when people have set their hearts to evil in such a way. You may want to evil some of the time, but they have just given themselves over to evil that they won't listen, and your ability to help them or pray for them is very limited. You wish it could be otherwise. Here Jeremiah was confronted with that.

Verse 12: "Then shall the cities of Judah and the people of Jerusalem go and cry to the gods to whom they offer incense. But they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah…." (vs 12-13).

You need to understand something about even Judaism today: It is Babylonianism! An older version; most people don't recognize that.

"…And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal. And you, do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them. For I will not hear them when they call to Me in the time of their distress" (vs 13-14).

We could go on and read even more, but this pretty well covers it.

This is kind of like us living in the world today; Psalm 101:1: "I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praise. I will behave myself wisely in a blameless way. O when will You come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. I have hated the work of those who turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know no evil thing" (vs 1-4).

What this is doing is showing that by choice and getting close to God, you can avoid a lot of these things, and that's how you protect your heart and keep your mind, and keep it in the right direction.

Verse 5: "Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, in secret I will cut him off… [from friendship] …he who has a haughty look and a proud heart, I will not allow. My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, so that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a blameless way, he shall serve me" (vs 5-6).

In other words, knowing that other people can affect his behavior, what he's doing is saying, 'I'm not going to be around those other people that will affect my "LTR"> I'm going to stay away from the crowd

• I'm going to stay away from the froward
• I'm going to guard my heart
• I'm only going to be with those who walk in a perfect way

Verse 7: "He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not remain in my sight. Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, so that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD" (vs 7-8).

This is actually God saying this here! No one is going to be in the Kingdom of God who works deceit or tells lies. God is going to destroy all the wicked. But God doesn't do it until such a time that the wicked has had a chance to hear and the wicked has had a chance to reject.

Psalm 64:1: "Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity" (vs 1-2). You almost feel like that living in the world today.

Lots of times we have to do this where we work. We have to sort of insulate ourselves from the behavior of people around us. It's a difficult thing to be friends enough with them so that you can get along with them, but insulate yourself from their behavior! It's really kind of tricky thing to do!

Verse 3: "Who sharpen their tongue like a sword and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words; so that they may shoot at the blameless from concealment—suddenly they shoot at him, and fear not. They encourage themselves in an evil plan…" (vs 3-5).

That's what they do! They continually build each other up in their evil and their evil behavior!

"…they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, 'Who shall see them?' They plot injustices, saying, 'We have made a perfect plan.' For the inward thought and heart of man is cunning" (vs 5-6).

Why? This is describing some very evil people! Note Rev. 2:24, because God had to correct those in Thyatira who had gone into the depths of satanism. That's where a lot of this evil being talked about here in Psa. 64 comes from.

Let's see how God can affect the heart for good! In a right way! This is why we will see that study and prayer and seeking God are so important.

Ezra 6—in this case even God can give you grace and favor in the eyes of other people. This is what happened here after Ezra had setup the temple and the Dedication of the Temple and kept the Passover.

Ezra 6:22: "And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had made them joyful…" Notice what they were doing. What does the Feast of Unleavened Bread picture?

• putting out sin
• getting away from the world
• getting these things out of your life

"…and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them to make their hands strong in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel."

If you're right with God, God can even make your enemies do good for you! Now, here's something we can look to, and it's something that Ezra did. Ezra was the great-grandson of Hilkiah the priest who found the Book of the Law during the days of Josiah.

Ezra 7:10: "For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it…" What does it mean to prepare/set his heart?

• you make up your mind to do it
• you set your mind to do it
• you're open to everything God has to say
• you're willing to do everything that God has to say, that God has written
• you're willing to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it, and teach in Israel the statues and judgments

Here's a perfect example of what it needs to be for anyone who is a minister or teacher: To seek the Word of God

• you have to prepare yourself to do it
• you have to work at it
• you have to keep at it
• you have to diligently:
  • seek God
  • seek prayer

Jeremiah 24:4: "Again the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Like these good figs, so I will acknowledge the exiles of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. And I will build them and not pull them down; and I will plant them and not pluck them up. And I will give them a heart to know Me…" (vs 4-7).

That's very important! God has to give the heart; in other words, God has to do the calling! God has to give that! That's why in our calling it's so special! God is the One Who is doing it! As a matter of fact, it's God the Father Who is doing it! If you:

• love God
• love His Word
• love His laws
• love His commandments

God has given that to you! Now can you see why it was so wrong for Solomon to let his wives turn away his heart from God?

John 6:44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who sent Me, draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

How does God draw someone? By giving them a heart and desire to know God's way! That's how God does it, and God has to give that heart.

Jeremiah 24:7: "And I will give them a heart to know Me…" What's one of the ways that we know God? He that says 'I know Him' and keeps not His commandments is a liar and the Truth is not in Him! And hereby we know that we know Him IF we keep His commandments! You have to have the heart so that you can!

"…That I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. For they shall return to Me with their whole heart" (v 7).

(go to the next track)

Since God is love, which He is, and God is good, which He is, will God want to withhold anything from anyone if they truly seek God and His way? NO! He'll make it known! That's all part of preparing your heart to seek God, to seek His Law, to seek His way!

Job 38:36: "Who has put wisdom in the inward parts?…. [God gives wisdom] …Or who has given understanding to the mind [heart]?" God is the One Who does that!

What is really good about this whole process is that that's why the whole process of repentance is always available and always there, but it has to be repentance from the heart!

Let's see how God pleaded with His people. We've spent a lot of time in Jeremiah because he talks an awful lot about the heart. We are going to see the God gives repentance so that they can change.

Jeremiah 3:12: "Go and cry these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, O backsliding Israel,' says the LORD; 'and I will not cause My anger to fall on you; for I am merciful,' says the LORD, 'and I will not keep My anger forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God… [God is always interested in repentance] …and have scattered your ways to strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,' says the LORD. 'Turn, O backsliding children,' says the LORD; 'for I am your husband; and I will take you one from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart'" (vs 12-15).

For anyone who is teaching, they have to yield to God so that they can have the heart—which can give them—to teach.

"'…who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" (v 15). That's the whole purpose of it. Too many people get all involved in to how much power, glory, honor and money; we've seen that happen! God took it all away! What a shame! Stop and think! That's because no one turned back to God; they turned to all the gods of the world!

Verse 16: "'And it will be when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days,' says the LORD, 'they shall say no more, "The Ark of the Covenant of the LORD!" Nor shall it come to mind; nor shall they remember it; nor shall they visit it; nor shall it be made anymore. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD…'" (vs 16-17).

This goes right on into the repentance of Israel as they're brought out of captivity and the setting up of the Millennium.

"…and all nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. Nor shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart" (v 17). But it takes repentance to do that!

Let's see some positive things about the heart: a willing heart, wisdom, trained and all of this showing that it is something we have control over and we are responsible for.

In Exo. 25 God was giving Moses the instructions on how to make the tabernacle and everything.

Exodus 25:1: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel that they bring Me an offering. You shall take an offering from every man that gives it willingly with his heart'" (vs 1-2).

I've given sermons on tithing, and I've focused on the heart. Do you give willingly because it belongs to God? There are many different reasons why people do many different things. One thing for sure, whatever you do for God, you have to do it with a willing heart.

• whether that's keeping the Sabbath
• whether that's keeping His commandments
• whether that's guarding the door of your mind

Whatever it is that you're doing, you have to do it with a willing heart!

When they began building the tabernacle, God wanted to make sure that it was going to be built right.

Exodus 35:5—this shows where they took up the offering: "Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD: gold, and silver, and bronze"—then it lists all of them.

Verse 21: "And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up…" Here's a proper use of emotion; being stirred up for a right cause to do what God wanted, willingly!

"…and everyone whose spirit moved him. They brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all His service, and for the Holy garments. And the men came in together with the women, as many as were willing-hearted…" (vs 21-22).

That shows that if you're going to do that, God can make all of that possible!

Verse 30: "And Moses said to the children of Israel, 'See, the LORD has called the son of Uri the son of Hur, by the name Bezaleel, of the tribe of Judah. And He has filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of work'" (vs 30-31).

This was just to do physical work to do the things for the tabernacle. He needed all of these things from God, so it had to come from God.

Verse 32: and to devise designs, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones to set, and in carving of wood, to make any kind of skillful work. And He has put in his heart that he may teach, he and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with wisdom of heart to work all kinds of work: of the smith, and of the skillful worker, and of the embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in bleached linen, and of the weaver, of those who do any work, and of those who work out artful work" (vs 32-35).

So, even the physical things we do, God gives the skill! If you have a particular job and you need God to add to you knowledge and skill, ask Him to help you in it. But do the same thing that Ezra did, apply yourself to do it.

Whatever your job, whatever your work, whatever you do, ask God to bless you in it and to give you wisdom just exactly like He said here of these men that "He has filled them with wisdom of heart to work all kinds of work…"—just a physical thing, regardless of what it is.

Then they has real outpouring of things; Exodus 36:1: "'And Bezaleel and Aholiab shall work with everyone wise of heart to whom the LORD has given wisdom and intelligence to know how to do every work of the service of the sanctuary, concerning all which the LORD had commanded.' And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work" (vs 1-2).

There you have two things working. I can see this happening, especially when the Millennium begins, and all people start going God's way, all people get together. I can see, especially with us at the resurrection, that God is going stir up our heart and He's going to add to us. We don't have very much up here in this 'old mush' except the love of God, the Word of God and the Truth of God. We can do certain things, but: What is going to be like to be born into the Kingdom of God and have a spirit mind, a spirit body, and all that God is going to add to us?

Remember that what we have is the earnest, which means it's just a little bit of a down payment. We only have the earnest of the Spirit. What is it going to be like when the full redemption takes place? It's going to be something very akin to this. I think it's going to be just amazing!

Psalm 37:27: "Depart from evil and do good, and live forevermore. For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The Law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide" (vs 27-31).

That is a perfect prescription on how you can stay faithful to God. God is the One Who does all of this! Now, there's a lot in the book of Proverbs. This gives us more of an idea of what we need to do with our lives, and it will also help us in understanding what we need to do with our children's lives.

I got a nice card from a couple I met in Calgary. When I met them she was expecting; I think she was about two months along. She sent a really nice card and said that they had beautiful baby girl and everything went well. It was really quite a thing for them. She says that as a mother she's a little bit prejudice, because this is the most beautiful little baby girl she's ever seen.

It will also help us understand how we can teach children. Just look at all of the things that caused you problems and sins, look at all of the things that you want to avoid from getting into your mind, and start with your children the same way at the very earliest age. What they need is love, handling and holding, and that's why God designed nursing. That's what God created. That gives stability, comfort, love, as well as nourishment and security. They've also found that babies are less subject to pain when the parents are holding them.

Proverbs 8:5: "O you simple ones… [uneducated; a simpleton is one who rejects education] …understand wisdom; and, you fools, be of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things" (vs 5-6). This is the Spirit of God personified, showing what the Spirit of God can do.

Verse 7: "For my mouth shall speak truth…" Isn't this interesting? Here the Spirit of God in the Old Testament is personified as a woman. The Babylonian Mystery Religion is personified as a woman who speaks lies, abominations and sins.

Here we have, v 7 "For my mouth shall speak truth…" In the New Testament it is called the Spirit of Truth, and it will guide you into all Truth!

"…and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing twisted or perverse in them. They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge" (vs 7-9).

That's quite a statement showing how that God's Word has to come right into the entrance of the heart and mind to make a difference.

Verse 10: "Receive my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion" (vs 10-12).

In other words, even God's Spirit and the spirit of man in you can help you increase in your work and job, and whatever you do.

Verse 13: "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverse mouth."

Read the rest of Prov. 8, but the point is that God's Spirit can give all of that to you—God's wisdom!

Proverbs 15:28: "The heart of the righteous studies to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things."

This is good admonition for us today. There are almost as many preachers and doctrines as there are people. All you have to be is be like the Bereans, prove all things! Look into the Scriptures whether they are so, or not! "…the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." It doesn't care!

Verse 28: "The heart of the righteous studies to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things…. [it doesn't care] …The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. The light of the eyes rejoices the heart; a good report makes the bones fat. The ear that hearkens to the reproof of life shall remain among the wise" (vs 28-31). That's all having to do with the heart!

Verse 32: "He who refuses instruction despises his own soul, but he who hearkens to reproof gains understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility" (vs 32-33).

Here is some good concrete Proverbs that you can use as guides for running your life and directing it. It comes from God's Spirit!

Proverbs 16:23: "The heart of the wise teaches his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips." So, you grow in ability to do these various things.

Verse 24: "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death" (vs 24-25).

When you contrast those verses and put it together, you know why v 25 is there. When you do it your own way, that seems right, you end up in trouble! When you tie all of these together:

• we receive it from God
• we have to seek it
• we have to prepare
• we have to constantly educate ourselves

That's the thing that's so important, and remember that we are educating ourselves with God's Word and we are preparing for the Kingdom of God. Our goal is so great that we can't let anything detour that!

There may be a lot of things that come along to try and deter it from you. There may be upsets or even attacks of Satan the devil. There may be obstacles, but that's why you're to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and being above everything else! That's why Christ said that 'if any come to Me and hate not his father and mother, brother and sister, wife, lands, children and yes, his own life also, he cannot be My disciple!'

We're going to have those things come that are going to try us where we virtually stand alone, and the circumstances around us will look very dire, indeed! But God is there with us; you don't have to worry about it. He's there to help us!

Proverbs 18:15: "The heart of the prudent gets knowledge…"

• the knowledge of the Holy Spirit
• the knowledge of the Word of God
• the knowledge of the Truth of God

is the knowledge that we want! If there's any explosion in knowledge that we need to capture, if it's there to capture, it is the knowledge of God and the Word of God! Let the world go its way, let it have its knowledge, let it do all if its scientific endeavors. We'll get the knowledge of God!

"…and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge" (v 15).

Now, this shows the need of a close emotional attachment; Proverbs 27:19: "As in water, the face reflects itself, so the heart of man reflects the man."

Everyone has to have someone that he or she can talk to. Sometimes that's difficult to find, and sometimes there are things you need to discuss that is only between you and the individual. If that's the case then be sure to keep the confidence. Don't break any confidence, because then you break the kind of friendship that is here, and you can break the heart.

I've gone through some of those things and Delores has gone through some of those things; we know what that is like. Everyone has to have an emotional attachment.

Now, here's what to do with you get so filled with things in the world and frustrated by things that people are doing, and you have so many problems that you can't think about what you're doing, so emotionally involved in them, what you need to do is just cut it off and go study the Word of God:

Psalm 19:7: "The Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul… [it will help you gain your perspectives again] …the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart… [and reinvigorate your relationship with God] …the commandments of the LORD are pure, enlightening the eyes" (vs 7-8)—giving you the true and deep understanding of the Word of God.

Psalm 104:15: "And wine that makes glad the heart of man… [grape juice doesn't make glad the heart of man unless it's first been fermented] …and oil that makes his face shine, and bread to strengthen the heart of man." Isn't interesting that vitamin E comes from wheat germ oil.

I think that we have so many refined foods today that it's almost an impossibility to get away from all of them. But I do think it takes its toll on us one way or the other. You can take a fist full of vitamins all you want, that may stave off a few things, but we have never lived in a time when we have had good, pure, wholesome food the way God intended.

Every once in a while, Delores goes out and she's able to buy some good organic stuff, and it tastes so good. We had some of the black tomatoes and they were a good six-eight inches around, and they were so juicy and tasted so good, and also some organic broccoli. When you can get something that is close to what God really intended it to be, it tastes so good, and you can tell the difference. Also we got some organic lettuce one time and it didn't turn. I think we're so far away from good food.

If you can inspire God; human beings can inspire God by being so wholehearted for God—in a right and a loving way—that God is inspired. Let's notice, first of all, that this begins with repentance.

A lot of people want to avoid the consequences of evil, even though they have done it, rather than to avoid the evil. With people who do that, they have what is called in the New Testament the sorrow of the world. In other words, they're sorry they got caught! They're really not sorry that they have done the deed. So, when Israel was in captivity, they're going to learn that they have done the deed and repent from the heart.

Joel 2:12: "'Therefore, even now,' says the LORD, 'turn to Me with all your heart…'" The very innermost part of your being is what God wants you to seek Him with. Not just the benefits, because for keeping the commandments there are a lot of benefits. There are people who want the benefits, but they don't want the heart, they don't want seeking God.

"…'turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Yes, rend your heart…" (vs 12-13).

This gives hope for those who are hardhearted; they can change, their hearts can be softened. But they are the ones who have to come to recognize it to rend the heart and really seeing how evil evil is based upon the Word of God!

"…and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He repents of the evil" (v 13).

Notice how quickly God forgave the sin of David with Bathsheba. The whole basis of how God wanted to establish the covenant with Israel, even though they didn't have the heart, they could have—as David did with his whole heart—and God would have been with them. Let's see what God asked them to do.

What I like to do when I go through Deuteronomy is put my own name there, because there's a lot of good New Testament teaching here. As a matter of fact, Deuteronomy means the second giving of the Law! So, this is sort of precursor of the New Testament.

Deuteronomy 6:3: "Hear therefore, O Israel, and be diligent to observe it, so that it may be well with you, and that you may greatly multiply, as the LORD God of our fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel. Our one God is the LORD, the LORD. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (vs 3-5). Jesus quoted this as the first commandment!

Verse 6: "And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart."

Notice how much we've gone through to show how important it is that in the heart the words of God are there. Why? Because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks! Out of the thoughts of the heart, man directs his behavior!

Deuteronomy 5:29: "Oh, that there were such a heart in them…" He knew that they didn't have the heart in them. Not only did He want them to do it, they could have done it in the letter of the Law to a certain point if they really would have wanted to. Here it's showing that even in the letter of the Law they didn't even really want to.

"…that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always so that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" (v 29).

The history of Israel is going away from God and coming back to God, going away from God and coming back to God, going away from God and coming back to God!

Deuteronomy 10:12: "And now, Israel…" Put your name there; what is that God wants from you? God has called you for a blessing, to give you the Kingdom. That's what Jesus said!

"…what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (v 12).

That's what God wants. That's the whole purpose and meaning of what we're going through today! All the tests and trials that we're going through is to test our heart!

• Do we love God?
• Do we want to seek God?
• Are we, when troubles come along, going to give up on God?
• Are we going to jump ship and go in another ship and commit evil, sin and licentiousness?
• Are we going to be prideful, arrogant and self-serving?
• What is that we're going to be?

Verse 13: "To keep the commandments of the LORD, and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the LORD your God, the earth also, with all that is in it. Only the LORD had a delight in your fathers to love them…" (vs 13-15).

God loves us! John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life." God has called you and set His love upon you!

Deut. 7—Let's see how this is a New Testament doctrine; let's apply this to us as Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

Deuteronomy 7:6: "For you are a Holy people… [that's what Peter wrote 1-Pet. 2] …to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you…"—that's what elect means. Did you know that the word elect in the Greek means chosen or selected? He has chosen you, each individual one.

"…to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth" (v 6). That is something! That is humbling to know that God has done that, indeed!

This ought to make your heart go out more to God in love, emotion, affection and understanding of God's way even more.

Verse 7: "The LORD did not set His love upon you nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people."

We could say the strongest, tallest, biggest, most beautiful, most handsome, most intelligent, most gifted. God has called the weak of the world. Let's see the spiritual equivalent of this.

I suppose that this is why so many church people get themselves into so much trouble. Even Jesus said that the people in the world know how to handle unrighteous mammon better than the sons of the kingdom.

1-Corinthians 1:26: "For you see your calling…" That's what He's telling Israel; so when we apply this spiritually see how it fits.

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Proverbs 4:20-23
• Daniel 12:4
• Hosea 4:6-11
• Revelation 17:1, 15, 2
• Genesis 6:5
• Genesis 8:21
• 1 Kings 11:1-2
• Isaiah 59:12-15
• 1 Kings 11:3-4, 9
• Jeremiah 11:1-14
• Psalm 101:1-8
• Psalm 64:1-6
• Ezra 6:22
• Ezra 7:10
• Jeremiah 24:4-7
• John 6:44
• Jeremiah 24:7
• Job 38:36
• Jeremiah 3:12-17
• Exodus 25:1-2
• Exodus 35:5, 21-22, 30-35
• Exodus 36:1-2
• Psalm 37:27-31
• Proverbs 8:5-13
• Proverbs 15:28-33
• Proverbs 16:23-25
• Proverbs 18:15
• Proverbs 27:19
• Psalm 19:7-8
• Psalm 104:15
• Joel 2:12-13
• Deuteronomy 6:3-6
• Deuteronomy 5:29
• Deuteronomy 10:12-15
• John 3:16
• Deuteronomy 7:6-7
• 1 Corinthians 1:26

Scriptures quoted, not referenced:

• Matthew 24
• Mark13
• Luke 21
• John 13-17
• Jeremiah 7
• Revelation 2:24
• 1 Peter 2

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8/19/18