iWantToBeStolen

“...and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matt 13:8 (ASV) This is a good description of the new heart. It is a good ground. A ground where the Word of God can be sown and yield in folds. A careful look at the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 describes categories of hearts with different outcomes or reactions to the word (seed). A notable characteristic of the good-ground heart is the ability to understand the word of God. But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times [what was sown] Matt 13:23 (HCSB) Having a proper understanding of the Word makes it easy to fulfil the purpose - - Ezek 36:27 (HCSB) “...and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.” 

My name is Pride. I am a cheat. I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way. I cheat you of contentment...because “you deserve better than this.” I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all. I cheat you of healing...because you’re too full of me to forgive. I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when you’re wrong. I cheat you of vision...because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window. I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobody is going to know the real you. I cheat of love...because real romance demands sacrifice. I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another’s feet on earth. I cheat you of God’s glory...because I convince you to seek your own. My name is Pride. I am a cheat. You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you. Untrue...I’m looking to make a fool of you. God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry. If you stick with me.......

I would have thought until now that with a new heart, you are unarguably qualified to be ‘stolen’. Now I know this is not true. Having a new heart is but a primary step to the preparedness for such an opportunity to be ‘stolen’. The next thing is to... “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life” – Proverbs 4:23 (HCSB) The heart you now have is still not incorruptible! So you have to guard it. Though it tends towards God and the things of God, yet if not well guarded, it will be corrupted, and the end thereof will be much worse than the first. How do we guard this new heart? We guard it by engaging it in the purpose for which God promised it unto us. “...and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.” - Ezek 36:27 (HCSB) With the help of the new Spirit given, we are now able to do His WORD through the new heart. We cannot know what the Word says unless we study and meditate on it. The Spirit brings us revelations fro...

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. Ezek 36:26 (ASV) It will be easy enough to comprehend and believe that aspect of God giving us a new spirit, since we are usually oblivious to the existence of our spirit. So when we ask for a new spirit even at conversion, we are told to believe that God has done it. Indeed, He has! But before that promise of a new spirit is; A new heart... will I give you... How will this happen? When does this take place? The easy way out of these questions is to assume that the heart referred to here may have to be the ‘spiritual heart.’ “It just got to be spiritual...“ one would say. Well, think again... As if to knock out any inclination of such thought lines, the passage further stresses the substance of the heart; ...and I will take away (remove) the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. Friends, ...