20141223 God cares about our imagination. He wants our imagination and thoughts to prepare our heart for him. When we dream dreams about our future they should be God focused and God centered. The Bible even tells us this. Come along with me as I continue this journey. _______________ (9) Let it be in our imagination to be generous in our service to God. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 Chronicles 29:18King James Version (KJV) 18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A few things the Bible teaches us about the heart. This list is in no way a complete list. I am just touching on a few things that stood out to me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A. If you dont think your thoughts are important to God and your walk with him youve been fooling yourself. A few things the God talked to me about from the above verse. __________________________ (1) The Lord searcheth our hearts. What does He find when He throws a spotlight on your heart? Does he find someone that truly loves him or someone that puts on a good act? (2) God understands the imaginations of our thoughts. What does God find in your thoughts? Does God find someone who imagines great things happening for the work of God? Does God find someone who only imagines ble$$ing$ that will benefit you personally? Are you sold out to God or do you imagine serving God as Him being sold out to you? ___________________________ B. Lets look at another verse on our thoughts and imaginations. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your imagination is so important to God that in the verse above He lets you know what will happen if you dont get control of it. Of course it starts with not having respect for God or the things of God but that comes from within you. Heres what Jesus talked to me about this morning. __________________________ (1) Became vain in their imaginations. Vain defined means --------------------------- * having or showing an excessively high opinion of ones appearance, abilities, or worth. their flattery made him vain synonyms: conceited, narcissistic, self-loving, in love with oneself, self-admiring, self-regarding, self-obsessed, egocentric, egotistic * producing no result; useless. a vain attempt to tidy up the room synonyms: futile, useless, pointless, to no purpose, hopeless, in vain; More ------------------------- So, we have all seen those people we consider vain. Do we think so much of our appearance that we look down on others? Do we think so much of our accomplishments that we expect people to honor us? Have we become so vain we have forgotten all the glory honor and praise belongs to Jesus? Have we, in our vanity, gotten to a point we are useless for God? Have we forgotten who came to earth so that we might have life? (2) Then their heart was darkened Has our heart been darkened? Do we even recognize the darkness of our own souls? Do we repent daily, many days countless times? Do we clean out ourselves before God to keep the darkness away? It really doesnt matter what you look like on the outside if your imaginations are filthy? You see, the inside will clean up the outside but the inside needs to be cleansed first. __________________________ C. Lets look at another verse on our imaginations. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have you ever thought it is our responsibility to control our mind, not let it control us with the power of the Holy Ghost helping us? Lets explore this for a few minutes. (1) Casting down imaginations How do we do this? (a) We have to understand what cast means to throw or move (something) in a forceful way (b) We have to know who we are. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Romans 8:16-17 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (c) Now that we know who we are we are to forcefully throw those imaginations out of our mind that exalt us or things not of God. What is stopping you from giving those ungodly thoughts an eviction notice? Do you still think God doesnt care about what you think? Really? Youve got to be kidding me. The scripture has taught us this morning that our thoughts are so important in our walk with God that they determine where we will spend eternity or where we will not spend eternity. One more verse under this subpoint: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Matthew 23:25-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUMMARIZATION So, the words of Jesus, himself, above are very plain. Now, do you want to try and tell me your imaginations and thoughts arent important to God? If anything they are more important than anything else in your life because your imaginations and thoughts reflect who you are by the way you act. When we get our thoughts and imaginations under control, or, if you please under the blood of Jesus that is when we will be found of Him as it says in I Chronicles 28:9. If we dont get this area of our lives under control he will cast us off forever. Either we cast off those imaginations or thoughts that arent off God or He casts us off, what is your choice? I hate writing like this especially on Christmas Day. I want a feel good message but the feel good messages dont change me to be more like Jesus. So, hate me if you must but I made a decision any years ago to follow Jesus regardless of the price I would personally pay. Will you give the best gift to Jesus today which is you? When we do this then we can say as it says in Phillippians 4:8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Then we are learning to #BeJoyfulinAllThings
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 13:17:03 +0000
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