Tag: Ways of Your Heart

16.s. “But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”

John 10:1  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Jeremiah 23:16-17   Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.  They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”

Ecclesiastes 11:9     Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

2 Peter 2:1   But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1 John 4:1    Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

There is but one gate, one way to eternal life and that is through Jesus Christ.  All other attempts through any other means will result in Hell.  Every day we face numerous gates that offer peace, satisfaction, health, wealth, etc….. There is only one gate that gives us assurance of peace of mind that passes all understanding.  It is Jesus Christ alone.  Trying to find a path to eternity apart from the gate of Jesus ends in missing the shepherd.  There appears to be many preaching right now that try to fill the church with the promises of what this world has to offer rather than preaching what eternal life has to offer.  This world is not our home.  Things of this world are not our inheritance.  Things in this world are not our satisfaction.  Things in this world are not our hope.  Things of this world do not offer eternal life.  In fact, things of this world pull at us, confuse us, and try to entice us this is where we find hope, peace, eternal life, satisfaction, wealth, etc…..

There is one gate, one path, one way to eternal life – Jesus Christ

God First

But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment

Nehemiah 9:25
So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.
“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies

Deuteronomy 31:16
Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us

Deuteronomy 32:15
then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation

Numbers 15:39
And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.

Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment

Ezekiel 9:9
how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols

Such examples and warnings from the past should remind us to be mindful of the trap of complacency.  Note that in their time of blessing they rebelled and followed the ways of their heart and eyes.  It is so easy to drift from God when things are going so well.  I wonder at times if we truly rely on God for each day but rather stand content in salvation and look no further for personal growth in understanding and living for God every single day.  Trust me I know all of the excuses – special projects at work, special projects at him, activities with friends, activities with family, activities with children, and after this we try to work God into the picture.  This is not how it is to be.  God should be first and all the rest second.  Would you be willing to do anything for the person who gave his son for you so that your death sentence was removed?  If that person asked anything of you, would you not do it out of thankfulness?  God not only gave His son but He also gave His Holy Spirit to us so that we would have an indwelling presence of Him and be able to live in a way that honors and glorifies Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do.  He also gave precious promises to us so that we would be encouraged to follow this path of honoring Him.  Make Him first.  Our heart needs to desire Him more than the world and our eyes need to seek to see the wonder of His hand every moment.