7 Hearts

 ~ Conditions of The Heart ~

A Broken Heart (confesses sin)  ~  “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).  

An Opened Heart (receives the Word)  ~  “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us.  She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God.  The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.  And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’  So she persuaded us” (Acts 16:14-15). 

A Sincere Heart (serves faithfully)  ~  “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free” (Ephesians 6:5-8).

A Pure Heart (loves fervently)  ~  “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:22-23).

A True Heart (draws near to God)  ~  “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-22).  

A Purposed Heart (cleaves to God)  ~  “Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.  When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.  For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.  And a great many people were added to the Lord” (Acts 11:22-24).

Unfortunately there is the opposite of a cleaving heart…

An Evil Heart (departs from God)  ~  “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). 

“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.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:5-8). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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7 Fellowship Aspects

 ~ Have You Got It All Together? ~        

Gathered Together  ~  Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).  

Fitted Together  ~  “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22). 

Built Together  ~  “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22). 

Knit Together  ~  “Their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3)Perfectly Joined Together  ~  “Now I [the Apostle Paul] plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). 

Striving Together  ~  “Let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God” (Philippians 1:27-28).

The previous six togethers have been experienced by Christians throughout the centuries.  Now we are waiting for the most important together of all. 

Caught Up Together  ~  “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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7 Faint Nots

 ~ Do You Sometimes Grow Weary In Your Christian Life? ~

Introduction  ~  Looking back at the history of “Abundant Life Now” posts, we discovered that there have been 60 posts entitled “7 [topic]” through June 2021.  Surprisingly, that equals two months’ worth of daily posts since the beginning of ALN on October 21, 2009.  During each day of this seventh month of 2021, each ALN post is a “7 [topic].”

Consider the following seven “P” words:

Prayer (don’t be discouraged in prayer)  ~  “Then Jesus spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

Perseverance (don’t lose your confidence)  ~  “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1).  

Preservation (don’t lose hope)  ~  “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).     

Preparation (don’t be discouraged in your work)  ~  “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).

Power (don’t quit trusting)  ~  “According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.  Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory” (Ephesians 3:11-13).   

Practice (don’t be discouraged in well doing)  ~  “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

Patience (don’t be discouraged when chastened)  ~  “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (Hebrews 12:5-7).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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