Heart Intentions

‎Saturday, ‎June ‎26, ‎2021

Good Morning, Lord

Verse of the Day:  Leviticus 19:18

18 Do not seek revenge or hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself, for I am the Eternal One.

Memory of the month:  Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be  satisfied.

Today's reading:  JOB 8-10 ACTS 8:26-40

Intentions of the Heart

A man named Simon, a magician in Samaria was the middle of all attention and wanted more. He was a well known sorcerer who lived in a world where money got him what he wanted.

Philip, a man of God in Christ, left Jerusalem and went to Samaria(where Simon the sorcerer lived) when Saul started destroying Christians,(Acts 8). Suddenly all the attention was off Simon the magician and on what God was doing through Philip. The more Simon heard and saw, the more he believed and the Bible says that Simon became a believer and was baptized.

Peter and John heard what God was doing in Samaria and went down there to work. They were laying hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit and God's power was working miracles.

Simon, who was steeped in the current system of 'everything has a price' wanted this power and offered Peter and John money for it.

Peter said to him, "...your heart is not right before God....I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.”

If possible? We must see that forgiveness is possible only if change is wanted because our hearts are sorry for the sin. Simon had to realize that his heart was not right-he had to be sorry for it-he had to confess it.

He had to want to change his intentions but he had to see and believe that his intentions were wrong. The last mention of Simon were in His own words,

24 "Please—you must pray to the Lord for me. I don’t want these terrible things to be true of me."

That is the end of what we hear about Simon the sorcerer. But it was not the end of his life. We assume his life went on from there. I believe we see and hear the true intent of Simon's heart. Once he knew that God had revealed his dark life, he asked for prayer for change. Do you honestly believe that Peter and John did not pray for a man who needed healing as much as the blind and the lame that were being healed daily? The point is that a man saw the darkness in his own life and was horrified and asked for prayer for change.

What is really down deep in your heart? Are there evil thoughts there? Have we been lulled to spiritual sleep by becoming numb to the darkness? Do you judge without even thinking it is wrong? The Bible says this is evil. There are many other sins we could name, but this is the bottom line:

"If it is not of faith, it is sin...", Romans 15:23.

Simon really wanted what Peter and John had and really wanted the darkness in his heart gone and pleaded for prayer.

Is our biggest problem that we really do not want all that Peter and John had? I believe this is the problem of today's church. Call it what you will, but this is as dark as Simon's sin of wanting it for the wrong reasons. How can I say this?

2 Timothy 3

3 And know this: in the last days, times will be hard. 2 You see, the world will be filled with narcissistic, money-grubbing, pretentious, arrogant, and abusive people. They will rebel against their parents and will be ungrateful, unholy, 3 uncaring, coldhearted, accusing, without restraint, savage, and haters of anything good. 4 Expect them to be treacherous, reckless, swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than they love God. 5 Even though they may look or act like godly people, they’re not. They deny His power.

Before God, tell Him what is on your mind and get this right. There is no rest until we do. But there is rest.

Isaiah 30:15 ►This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

The decision is ours-each one of us-will we have none of it-or will we have it because we have thrown ourselves on God's mercy and grace and confessed our own darkness?

Get in front of God and pray as King David did, "23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.Psalm 139:23-24

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Show me my wickedness. Forgive me my selfishness and clear my mind. I want to see with Your eyes.

Merciful and mighty God!

In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord,

Amen