Day 1622 April 14 – HARDENED HEARTS!
Some are saying we are in the CALM before the STORM. You may say we are in the storm. America has a hardened heart. A hardened heart is a spiritual condition that affects our ability to perceive, understand, hear and remember God’s truth. Is it possible that God is allowing this nation to go through much distress and challenges in order to awaken his people? YES! Evil has manifested over decades especially when we removed prayer, the Bible, and about 10 Commandments in our the public school system. We have seen the fruits of this evil in every gateways of society. This is a good time to read the book of Exodus and see how God dealt with Pharaoh. There may be parallels and in God is dealing with America. We know the end result will be crossing over into the promised land and a new golden age.
To better understand the causes and solutions for a hardened heart, it’s important to understand the broad biblical meaning of the word “heart.” The Bible considers the heart to be the hub of human personality, producing the things we would ordinarily ascribe to the “mind.” For example, Scripture informs us that grief (John 14:1)); desires (Matthew 5:28); joy (Ephesians 5:19); understanding (Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 13:15); thoughts and reasoning (Genesis 6:5; Hebrews 4:12; Mark 2:8); and, most importantly, faith and belief (Hebrews 3:12; Romans 10:10; Mark 11:23) are all products of the heart. Also, Jesus tells us that the heart is a repository for good and evil and that what comes out of our mouth – good or bad – begins in the heart (Luke 6:43–45). Considering this, it’s easy to see how a hardened heart can dull a person’s ability to perceive and understand. Anyone’s heart can harden, even faithful Christians’. Our nation sensibilities as a whole has resulted in hardened hearts. We have all experienced the moral depravity that has encapsulated culture.
In fact, in Mark 8:17–19 we see Jesus’ own disciples suffering from this malady. The disciples were concerned with their meager bread supply, and it was clear that each of them had forgotten how Jesus had just fed thousands with only a few loaves. Questioning them as to the hardness of their hearts, Christ spells out for us the characteristics of this spiritual heart condition as an inability to see, understand, hear, and remember. Regarding this last criterion, too often we forget how God has blessed us and what He has done for us. This is very evident in America. Abundance, apathy, lukewarmness, searing of the conscience has engulfed society. Are we in a time where God is allowing us to wander in the wilderness. Possibly!
Similar to the disciples in this instance or the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, when a new calamity arises in our lives, our hearts often fill with fear and concern. Sadly, this simply reveals to God the little faith we have in His promise to take care of us (Matthew 6:32–33; Philippians 4:19). We need to remember not only the many times God has graciously provided for us in our time of need, but also what He has told us: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5).
Sin causes hearts to grow hard, especially continual and unrepentant sin. Now we know that “if we confess our sins, [Jesus] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins” (1John 1:9). However, if we don’t confess our sins, they have a cumulative and desensitizing effect on the conscience, making it difficult to even distinguish right from wrong. And this sinful and hardened heart is tantamount to the “seared conscience” Paul speaks of in 1 Timothy 4:1-2. Scripture makes it clear that if we relentlessly continue to engage in sin, there will come a time when God will give us over to our “debased mind” and let us have it our way. AMERICA IS GUILTY! The apostle Paul writes about God’s wrath of abandonment in his letter to the Romans where we see that godless and wicked “men who suppress the truth” are eventually given over to the sinful desires of their hardened hearts (Romans 1: 18-24).
Pride will also cause our hearts to harden. The “pride of your heart has deceived you . . . you who say to yourself, ‘who can bring me down to the ground’ . . . I will bring you down declares the LORD” (Obadiah verses 3-4). Also, the root of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness was his pride and arrogance. Even in the face of tremendous proofs and witnessing God’s powerful hand at work, Pharaoh’s hardened heart caused him to deny the sovereignty of the one, true God. And when King Nebuchadnezzar’s “heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory . . . until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone He wishes” (Daniel 5: 20-21) Accordingly, when we’re inclined to do it our way, thinking we can “go it on our own,” it would be wise to recall what King Solomon taught us in (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25): “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
So, what then is the antidote for a heart condition such as this? First and foremost, we have to recognize the effect that this spiritual disease has on us. And God will help us to see our heart’s condition when we ask Him: “Search me O God, and know my heart…see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139: 23-2). God can heal any heart once we recognize our disobedience and repent of our sins. But true repentance is more than simply a resolute feeling of steadfast determination. Repentance manifests itself in a changed life. The remnant praying Ecclesia is being called upon to rise up!!!
Be encouraged the storm will pass and we will see victory. A “Great Awakening” is upon us!
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“PRODIGAL DEVOTIONAL…A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY” – PROJECT!
All of us desire to know what truth is; what happens after I die; or what is my purpose for living. Young and old go through these various struggles. The Bible states in Isaiah 1:18 – “Let us reason together”. It states in Hosea 4:6 – “My people perish for lack of knowledge”. God wants us to know Him in a personal way and He desires for each of us to discover our purpose and destiny in life! Why not start a movement to directly help parents, grandparents, youth pastors, campus leaders to train and equip our young people and “PRODIGALS”? Why not create a “Spiritual Journey Devotional” to bring back prodigals, but also prevent the younger generation from becoming one. I (Rick) have worked on University campuses for years talking with countless young people (thousands) discussing and debating issues regarding God and the Bible. Opportunities to debate with representatives of other religions, atheists, agnostics, liberals and philosophies have been numerous. Also many liberal professors challenged me. Out of these experiences seems to arise a constant flow of redundant questions and topics. I have come to conclude that the questions and answers must be given to our young people.
PRODIGALS: Many in your congregation or sphere of influence have children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and spouses who have become prodigals. Many wonder what happened as they were brought up in a Christian home. Can this be addressed directly in our churches and homes???
POINT TO PONDER: Many parents, pastors, youth leaders, cannot answer basic questions which are used to confuse believers and create seeds of doubt. We send our kids ill equipped into the world. Why not create a “DEVOTIONAL” answering these questions for parents and leaders to impact our church culture? It would be broken down into 3 sections – babes, you, and those mature in Christ. .Numerous church leaders I have contacted said this must be done.. In my publication “Bible to be True” evidence was given. I believe it was a good start for a family devotional – proving the Bible to be undoubtedly true. What if each parent could cover one of those topics each week? Then tackle the basic questions that are in the new upcoming Devotional – 70 other questions or topical areas would be included. The plan would be a 4 color, High Gloss 100 page devotional.
WHAT IS THE COST PROJECTION???: Based on printing of 5000 copies in the past this is only an estimate to have it done with excellence…10,000$-12,000$. I have spoken with many leaders and they have given me counsel on how to proceed. They all said it is necessary to get this project moving forward. Look at what is happening on some universities: https://cbn.com/news/us/they-want-god-8000-students-seek-jesus-huge-kentucky-revival-2000-give-lives-christ?fbclid=IwY2xjawIkNIdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZ0tBU2qo7LNH95j_YuxGjJ_CGHtdpWmvq6HRPakw4Un4-TOm9SEmBqvvw_aem_xjtW6onajoQPjsNifHNNLA
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