HEART’S FOCUS— ON MAN’S THINKING AND IDEAS OR ON WHAT GOD SAYS

HEART’S FOCUS— ON MAN’S THINKING AND IDEAS OR ON WHAT GOD SAYS

 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ —Mark 7:6-7

 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” —Mark 7:21-23

  And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” —Mark 8:29

 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” —Mark 8:33

  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? —Mark 8:36

            Where is your heart’s focus, really?  Do we only honor God with our lips and our heart is far from Him?  Are we worshipping in vain, “following as doctrines the commandments of men?”  What is coming out of us?  What is in our heart?  That is what truly defines us.

            Who do we say Jesus is?  We cannot really know unless our Father has drawn us to Him (John 6:44) and has shone His light in our hearts (II Corinthians 4:6).  Only then can we know and understand who Jesus is.  But even as Peter was able to understand who Jesus is, he was also susceptible to Satan’s ploys.  We have to be on our guard (I Peter 5:8).  Satan seeks to use men’s thinking and ideas and worldly gains to entrap us and distract us away from God’s mission.  Let us be aware and the way to be aware and to be going in the right direction is to be listening to Jesus and applying what He says (Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:21). May I do so, Dear Father by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of You Son, Jesus.  Yes, so be it!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_FGVDVp6b8