Citizens of Heaven
We must understand the divine spirit component of human life to escape ELB. Receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior should be a total lifestyle change that embraces the divine spirit world, not just a new accessory added to this life. We need to change our view of this life to what our born-again life is, a citizen of heaven with the Holy Spirit in us, which brings Jesus into us and connects us to our Abba Father.
Making that the center of our life dramatically boosts our faith. The best way to see this life on earth is as a citizen of heaven, just passing through the earth. I have traveled to many other countries, and I am always an American citizen passing through. I do not become a citizen in a temporary place. Please pray on that.
Philippians 3:17-21, please read very slowly and take it in, “Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample. For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.” Please pray on that. Now pray some more; it is that important.
Hebrews 12:22-24, “but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel.” (Got it?)
ELB wants us focused only on earth, and our teachers are hesitant to tell us about the divine spirit world, so let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15:45-48, “So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” (Please pray on, “And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”)
John 4:13-15, “Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.”
The woman at the well does not understand what Jesus is saying, but we can and should. John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him (Nicodemus), Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Nicodemus also did not understand. For some reason, that makes it ok in ELB for us not to understand.
Ephesians 5:29-32 describes this life, “for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church; because we are members of his body. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church.“
The church is the body of Christ. The great mystery is the supernatural divine spirit nature of our relationship. I use the analogy that our Abba Father prepares for us a “spirit house” here on earth when we are redeemed, to move into and look out at the world through its windows. Too many believers, when receiving Christ, add him to our earthly life as an accessory in ELB and never move into the new “spirit house” he provides us. Instead, people sneak up on it, peek in the window from the outside, and too many hope others do not see us doing it. That is ELB’s success.
John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” That is our context for the spirit house. As stated previously, it is impossible to have a relationship with a spirit Father, a spirit Savior, a spirit Uncle (Holy Spirit), and a divine spirit enemy in a divine spirit world and not understand how the divine spirit world works. In this life, I see our soul as the “spirit house” Jesus prepares for us here. There is more on the soul below.
Even worse, ignoring the divine spirit world is the epitome of ELB. Too many believers and intermediaries whistle passed the divine spirit world just like they “whistle past the graveyard.” The most important missing link for believers in ELB is the lack of understanding of the human component of the divine spirit world built into us. Believers must escape from ELB to personally escape from the enemy, which is accomplished by embracing the entire supernatural divine spirit world of our Abba Father and making it part of our daily lives.
To accomplish that, we need to understand our “godly control system” (GCS). Earth life is all about choices, and our GCS is how we make our choices. We have no instinctive routines or cycles of life in our DNA like other creatures. We have needs, wants, desires, and preferences decided by our GCS.
That is how earth life works. Our life was breathed into us from our Abba Father for a unique purpose, to glorify him and help him complete his plan for this world. That is what I call our job in the Family business. Believers have a holy, life-changing purpose, and ELB tries to keep us from that purpose. Human life is born into ELB on the road to the fiery pit, and our Abba Father designed a new life. The whole new life is where the full joy, peace, and glory come from. Of course, ELB does not want us to know that.
Our Spirit Thing
Everything in our Abba Father’s creation was spoken into existence with the words “let there be” or “let the earth bring forth,” except for God’s children, who our Abba Father created with his own hands and breath. Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” We are extraordinary creations, not just the top of the food chain or the most advanced creatures.
Genesis 2:7 causes us to see Adam as an earthly man with no reference to our divine spirit connection to our Abba Father. The Hebrew word translated as “breath of life” (pneuma) translates almost everywhere else in the Scripture as “spirit.” That is ELB. Zechariah 12:1, “Thus saith Yahweh, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.” Genesis is an outline of our creation; we must continue filling in the details as the Scripture reveals them. Notice our “spirit thing” is a small “s” spirit.
Let’s look at John 4:23-24, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Notice our Abba Father Spirit is “S.”
We are to worship our Abba Father in the spirit world context, not in our cognitive mind. In ELB, too many drive to church, listen to the music and a message and drop $20 in the plate. Then go back home or to breakfast. In too many minds, it is not that different from going to a ball game. To truly realize the full joy, peace, and glory of our Abba Father, we need to get into the spirit, tune in to the Holy Spirit and lift our lives to our Abba Father.
Our Abba Father created us with a material, earth-only body that we know through science down to the DNA structure. And we are also made with a “spirit thing” we all but ignore in ELB. I call it our “spirit thing” to keep our minds open until we understand it better. But the truth is, I like that name.
Look at John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” We are born of our Abba Father’s Spirit. We must embrace our divine spirit nature as well as our physical nature to have a relationship with our Abba Father. That cannot be ignored or downplayed like so many believers do in ELB. References in Scripture to the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and our “spirit thing” are easily discerned because “the Spirit,” meaning our Abba Father and the Holy Spirit, are always capitalized.
We need to examine our “spirit thing” closely. The first feature of our “spirit thing” is revealed in Job 32:8, “But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.” Please pray on that. 1 Corinthians 2:11, “For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.” Our “spirit thing” resides in our awareness of life itself and our consciousness. Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the lamp of Yahweh, Searching all his innermost parts.” The LORD searches our “spirit thing” to know us. Understanding Proverbs 20:27 changes our lives.
The next feature of our “spirit thing” is that it is immortal. A simple question proves that most believers do not know our “spirit thing” very well, “what happens when we die?” Ecclesiastes 12:7, “and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.” 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. “2 Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.“
1 Peter 3:18, “Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” We come back to the death question in S7M12. We want to cover the other features of our “spirit thing” first. But from here on, have confidence in your immortality. Your “spirit thing” lives forever; the only question is where.
Our “spirit thing” is also how we connect to our Abba Father. But in ELB, the connection is more like a walkie-talkie at best, but our Abba Father wants a relationship connection. 1 Corinthians 6:17, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” 2 Timothy 4:22, “The Lord be with thy spirit. Grace be with you.” Hebrews 12:9, “Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” Romans 1:9, “For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers.” Numbers 16:22, “And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”
Our connection to our Abba Father is facilitated or accomplished by the Holy Spirit. John 14:26, “But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.” Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 2:38, “And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.” Romans 8:16, “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.” (Please pray on that.)
Our problem is made clear in Scripture, 1 Cor 2:14, “Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.” That verse speaks directly to what life is like without understanding our “spirit thing,” It is not a pretty sight. There is no way to have a relationship with our Abba Father without embracing our “spirit thing” and the spirit world of our Abba Father.
Galatians 5:16, “But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Notice, “walk by our Abba Father’s Spirit.”) V5:17, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.”
Our connection is not just a connection; it is a mutual indwelling with Christ through our “spirit thing” connected through the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor 5:17, “Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.” 1 John 4:13, “hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” 1 Cor 3:16, “Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.” 1 John 2:27, “And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that anyone teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him.”
Please read the above several times. I get tears and goosebumps with these verses in the Scripture. They do not need a human to rewrite them or explain them. Just ask the Holy Spirit to reveal and read. Amen.
Spirit Life Operating System
As you can see, too many believers live their life backward in the flesh of this life and put little effort into our immortal divine spirit life with our Abba Father. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
The previous verse describes our divine spirit life operating system—the soul, spirit, thoughts, and heart. We see the word “soul” here with the word spirit. When our Abba Father breathes the breath of life into us, it completes our soul and makes it ready to connect. It is up to us to complete the spirit connection with redemption.
Our soul is our emotional or temperament center and the attributes of our mental individuality. The soul is a part of our “spirit thing,” as evidenced by our Abba Father separating the two, Luke 1:46-47, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” Mary glorifies God, a human reaction, with her soul part of our “spirit thing,” She experiences our Abba Father through her divine spirit, her relationship.
The Scripture also uses the ancient words translated as “soul” with animals as their life awareness. Pet owners see emotions and temperaments in their pets. Still, there is no reference to our Abba Father’s spiritual connection with animals. However, he did accept animal life as a substitute for human life in the Old Testament sacrifice.
So what about non-believers? The soul is still there, just like the animals with no spirit connection. Take a moment and realize just how significant the difference between a believer and a non-believer is because the GCS is complete in believers. Take another moment.
In biblical counseling, we examine the soul, and believers should know what Scripture says about it and the “heart.” Still, the soul has more to do with our ELB responses than does our divine spirit connection to our Abba Father. The soul is psychology’s exit ramp from Scripture to their “science” and the focus on oneself.
Read this verse slowly. Mathew 10:28, “. . . And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul (humans)l: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (our Abba Father).” That verse shows the close connection to spirit and soul and our Abba Father’s power. But pay close attention to who goes to the fiery pit, non-believers who do not have a divine spirit connection (relationship) to our Abba Father in their “spirit thing” part of their soul.
The eternal soul is all non-believers have in their eternal “spirit thing.” Without the Holy Spirit in us, the menu of good to evil is still in our minds. We are very likely to listen to the enemy in our choices and let our emotions negatively control our actions with adverse outcomes. Understanding this helps bring clarity to being born again in the divine spirit world and being judged righteous by our Abba Father when the Holy Spirit comes into us.
When living in a relationship with our Abba Father, we strive to glorify him in all our choices, but when we live in ELB, we tune it all out for our pleasures and suffer the consequences. There is no other moral compass except our Abba Father. Nothing can substitute for him because nothing else can forgive us and free us from our mistakes. Please pray on that.
Godly Control System (GCS)
This message is complicated, but if you take it slow and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will be amazed by the understanding of how our Abba Father works in us continuously. The previous message explains the human spirit as our connection point with our Abba Father through the Holy Spirit. It also touched on our soul as a part of the human spirit, our emotional center, and temperament, which are the attributes of our mental individuality. Our soul is a fundamental part of human life, and we will now look inside to see how it works and where our heart fits.
Biology shows us that inside our body, we can see the brain, the circulation system, the muscles, and the other organs all at work, keeping the body alive until they stop. Theology shows us how the divine spirit connects our eternal life to our Abba Father when we choose that option. Church tradition has not found this subject to be essential but to connect our lives to our Abba Father fully; we must understand what the Scripture tells us about how the connection works. So let’s dive in!
I start with Luke 10:27, “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” That verse is not a spiritual anthropology lesson; it is the commandment to love our Abba Father with everything we have. But it does introduce us to three of our spirit parts: heart, soul, and mind. Loving our Abba father is a conscious act, but there is much more to it, as you will see.
Jeramiah 31:33, “. . . I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Hebrews 8:10 echoes Jeramiah 31:33 with a slight change, “I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people.” We can see that the mind is referred to as an “inward part” in Hebrews. The New Testament Greek word “dianoan” in Hebrews means understanding, intellect, mind, and insight.
Our Abba Father inserted his law into our intellect to give us an awareness of the godly non-sinful choices on the menu of life that resulted from having our eyes opened in Eden. But it is not enough to know the law; we must also obey it as an act of love, which is why our Abba Father also writes it on our hearts. Our heart controls our life choices, which is the foundation for living in obedience to our Abba Father.
Psalm 51:6, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.” Notice that the truth is in the inward parts where the mind is, but understanding is in the hidden parts of the spirit where our Abba Father lives. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
Let’s shorten that verse to our point, “For the word of God is living and active, . . . to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.” In this verse, we see the living power of the Scripture in guiding us to godly choices. Where are our life choices made? In our hearts!
1 Thessalonians 5:23 reinforces the importance of the soul, “And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Proverbs 24:13-14, “My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste: So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, And thy hope shall not be cut off.” Wisdom from the spirit’s hidden parts feeds the soul. And what are the hidden parts of our divine spirit? Our connection to our Abba Father!
Proverbs 19:2, “Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good; And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.” Psalm 139:14, “I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 13:2, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” Lamentations 3:20-21, “My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.“
Our mind’s knowledge, thinking, and remembering all occur in our souls. We also see “hope” in this verse, a conclusion from thinking. Psalm 139:14, “I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.” The soul needs knowledge, so it is clear that the mind is part of our soul. Our Abba Father’s plan fills our minds with him to make the godly choices, not the sinful choices of the world.
Job 7:15, “So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than these my bones.” Job 6:7, “My soul refuseth to touch them; They are as loathsome food to me.” 1 Chronicles 22:19, “Now set your heart and your soul to seek after Yahweh your God.“
Choosing, refusing, and settling are acts of our “will.” Our will is part of our soul, and free will is integral to our Abba Father’s creation. The image of having the whole menu of life choices in our soul and making godly choices 24/7 is life-changing.
Conventional teaching on the enemy leaves the impression that the enemy is the root cause of our bad behavior when the whole menu is already inside us as part of our nature. It seems similar to the Trojan Horse; evil thoughts are already inside the walls. And as a result, we must always be seeking the godly choice. We are never safe from ourselves.
Pant, love, hate, and rejoicing are all emotions shown to be in our souls. Psalm 42:1, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God.” The Hebrew translated “pants” means “to long for.” 1 Samuel 18:1, “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with a garland, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Notice how much more understanding results when reading these verses.
We can see in Scripture that our soul has three parts: the mind, the will, and our emotions. Our hidden divine spirit also has three parts that it helps to understand. Romans 9:1, “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 8:16, “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.” 1 Corinthians 5:3, “. . . For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing.” Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 34:16, “The face of Yahweh is against them that do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” Our conscience is part of our spirit.
John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Romans 1:9, “For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son.” Romans 7:6, “But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.“
I offer that Luke 1:46-47 reveals the missing link in most people’s faith. When we focus on our earthly life in ELB, our mind can generate an enormous action that is godly, but no matter how much we do from our mind, we will still be empty without understanding our divine spirit life with our Abba Father. Jesus said, “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!‘” (Matthew 7:23 NKJV). Only through our connection can we experience the full glory of our Abba Father and understand Jesus in us/us in him.
Our connection to our Abba Father is essential for our relationship with him. 1 Corinthians 2:11, “For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.” In other words, we have no way to discern the character of others except for our divine spirit and no way to know our Abba Father. It does no good to know him intellectually.
Mark 2:6-8 is interesting, “But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak? he blasphemeth: who can forgive sins but one, even God? And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, saith unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?” In this verse, Jesus’ human spirit (not capitalized) perceived what the scribes were doing. Mark 8:12, “And he sighed deeply in his spirit . . .” John 11:33, “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.”
Jesus’ reactions expressed in the last paragraph are beyond reasoned conclusions; there is a sense of intuition in his discernment. Knowing that the Holy Spirit connects to Jesus’ spirit and now that is our connection, intuition or instinct includes guiding thoughts planted by the Holy Spirit.
We can see from the above that, like our soul, there are three important features of our “human hidden spirit,” our conscience, our special spirit worship of our Abba Father, and our reception of thought from the Holy Spirit or intuition. Now that we have reviewed the spirit and the soul for greater understanding, we can understand our human control center, the heart.
The Heart
Our “spirit heart” is the controller of the input that comes from both our mind and the “spirit message receivers” in our “spirit soul.” When we are redeemed and born again, the Holy Spirit connects with us in our divine spirit soul and brings the righteousness and morality of Jesus into our minds and hearts to guide our responses and decision-making in this life.
Mathew 9:4 NKJV, “But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Genesis 6:5 NKJV, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Hebrews 4:12 NKJV, “For the word of God . . . is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
The heart is the part of the spirit thing that is connected to the other spirit parts of our creation and controls our choices from the internal menu. These verses identify the first spirit organ connected to the heart, the mind part of the soul.
Acts 11:23 NKJV, “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the LORD.” Hebrews 4:12, cited above, also spoke to the heart’s intent. Purpose and intent reflect the will, the second part of our soul, to the heart. John 16:22 NKJV, “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” John 16:22 reflects that the emotional part of our soul connects to the heart.
Hebrews 10:22 NKJV, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” 1 John 3:20 NKJV, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”
Condemnation is a function of conscience that fills out the heart. The heart refers to our human behavior control center, which connects our soul’s mind, will, and emotions with the conscience part of our spirit thing from our Abba Father.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it,” Proverbs 4:23 NKJV. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, “Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart . . .,” Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV and Luke 10:27 NKJV.
The previous message showed us that the heart is the “human control center,” which connects the mind, will, and emotions of our soul with the conscience of our hidden spirit with our Abba Father. But the enormity of reference to it by our Abba Father in Scripture mandates a deep dive which should move our heart closer to him.
The Hebrew word translated heart is “leb.” (The Greek word kardia is similar.) The Scripture uses it for the inner man, our mind, our will, our understanding, our character, our knowledge, our thinking, our reflection, our inclination, our resolution, our determination, our appetites, and our emotions.
In our Abba Father’s eyes, the divine spirit heart reveals us. The heart is the center of our divine spirit life and the fatal flaw in God’s children, including too many believers, is the failure to recognize our divine spirit life and its connection to our Abba Father. It is a new life meant to control our earthly life. Man tends to focus totally on this temporary earth life we experience in ELB. Our heart connects our soul to the conscience part of our hidden spirit where our Abba Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all connected.
1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV, ” . . . For the LORD sees not as man sees, man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” This verse is about King David (one of Scripture’s great impulsive sinners) and our Abba Father, but he is still the chosen bloodline of the Messiah as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 NKJV).
David’s relationship with our Abba Father through faith is a mandatory model for believers to follow. Remember, we are saved by faith alone, which the Old Testament teaches us. Jesus opened the pathway back to our Abba Father and put us to work; he did not re-invent faith. The fact that many missed it shows us the nature of man untethered from our Abba Father.
Seventy-three Psalms reveal David’s heart and relationship with our Abba Father, orders of magnitude greater than any other topic in the Bible. Faith saved David, and we see his faith in his Psalms. Jesus is God, Paul was transformed by God (not a free choice), and the disciples were clueless until the Holy Spirit came into them. No human in the New Testament shows ordinary humans how to live a human life daily in connection with our Abba Father like David does, barnacles and all.
The New Testament shows us the new covenant through Jesus, tells us how to live it, and adds the Holy Spirit to finish it, but it does not show us humans how to live in faith, as does David. It may shock you, but telling a human to “be more like Jesus” often becomes empty. Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children,” tells us to imitate God, but notice the relationship, “as dear children.“
We can connect many of David’s Psalms to events in his life, such as Psalm 51 with 2 Samuel 12, and bring David to life. Do not just read David’s Psalms; connect the Psalms to him and then connect yourself to our Abba Father in the same fashion. The Psalms are not just about the words; they are about David’s relationship with our Abba Father. David said everything there is to say to our Abba Father, just put his words in your heart; it is too late and unnecessary to be original.
Now let’s zero in on our hearts. The heart is how we choose good or evil and determine right from wrong. If we open our hearts, surrender to our Abba Father, and obey him, we experience his blessings, peace, and joy. If we open our hearts to the impure alternatives of the enemy and the world in ELB, we become blind and confused because that menu is already in us, thanks to Adam and Eve.
Notice how focusing on the heart brings clarity and purpose to our self-reflection. When we become aware of our divine spirit and heart, it is almost impossible not to want to connect it to our Abba Father. That is not a leap of faith; it is the intelligent thing to do! When we ignore our divine spirit, we live in a cloud of confusion fueled with suggestions, wondering who is right, who has the answers, who we follow, and much trial and error. That is like losing something in the living room and looking for it in the hall because the light is better.
The second biggest heart issue without our Abba Father is that condition’s focus on “self.” That is the reason biblical counseling does not embrace psychology. Psychology must reject our Abba Father to exist because as soon as it tries to integrate with our Abba Father, it either discovers that psychology is no longer needed or it just completely misses who our Abba Father is.
The Scripture describes our hearts before we receive Christ as our LORD and Savior. Jeramiah17:9 NKJV, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Mark 7:21NKJV, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery.” Ecclesiastes 9:3 NKJV, “Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.” More evidence the “menu” is already inside us.
These verses reveal man’s primary problem; we do not want (afraid?) to look at who we are. Jeremiah and the contrite Solomon tried to tell Israel (Jeramiah 17:9, Ecclesiastes 9:3), but they were not ready. Scripture describes a downward spiral in life, even with weak faith that does not fully connect with our Abba Father. Proverbs 21:2 NKJV, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.” It is not enough to fit our Abba Father into our schedule, he wants our full attention, and when we understand that, we should run to it.
When we allow our mind to control our heart with our desires and thinking instead of our Abba Father and our conscience, our heart steers us to evil. Romans 1:21 NKJV, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Hebrews 3:10 NKJV, “Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.” Romans 2:5 NKJV, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.“
Our words reveal us to others; shouldn’t they be godly words? Other people can also discern our hearts by listening to our mouths. Mathew 15:18 NKJV, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.“
Ezekiel 36:26-27 NKJV, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” That is an inspiring message from the prophet Ezekiel, but it needs context. Knowing our Abba Father means that we know how much he tries to help us come to him, which is especially true with the heart.
Ezekiel 21 NKJV, “But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, . . . and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.” These verses give us an understanding of our position in our Abba Father’s world. Also, note the emphasis on his name as himself, as discussed previously.
Isaiah 43:7 and 1 Cor 10:31 both reinforce that our Abba Father made us to glorify him as Ezekiel describes. One of the most significant weaknesses in Christianity today is the failure to understand our purpose in life and our role in our Abba Father’s plan (and Family).
Please rejoice in the glory of playing a pivotal role in our Abba Father’s plan. Also, notice how much cognitive effort the Scripture applies to our understanding of the heart. Our Abba Father works in my heart to help others connect to him with their hearts. “Blind faith” is the enemy’s concept, not our Abba Father’s.
Now, look at Jeremiah 17:10 NKJV, “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Psalm 34:18 NKJV, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” We know our Abba Father is active toward us, and we saw his promise in Ezekiel 36, and we need to see the last verse, v37 NKJV, ‘Thus says the LORD God: “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them.“
Our Abba Father tells us we need to ask for his blessings. Considering all God’s children have done to thumb their noses at our Abba Father, his infinite love will always accept a repentant heart. Luke brings Ezekiel into the New Testament, Acts 28:27 NKJV, “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” Acts 8:22 NKJV, “Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.“
King David in Psalm 51:10 is not just a hymn; it is our prayer. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” David goes even further in Psalm 26:2 NKJV, “Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.” David did not just reach out to our Abba Father in times of trouble; he wanted the best of him in everything.
That reminds me of a country music star who said he only knows one prayer, “get me out of this LORD, and I will go to church every Sunday.” Humorous but deadly. Remember to also pray for others, Psalm 10:17, “O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear.“
Prayerfully, the enormity of words our Abba Father allotted to the heart will move you closer to him. Proverbs 28:14 NKJV expresses our heart choice clearly, “Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.“
1 Timothy 2:22 NKJV, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the LORD from a pure heart.” Ephesians 6:6 NKJV, “Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” James 4:8 NKJV, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.“
Paul tells us how we become born again through the heart in Romans 10:9-10 NKJV, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Luke adds Acts 15:8 NKJV, “And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us.” It is the coming of Jesus that our Abba Father is describing in Ezekiel 36 in its references to how he will restore his name to the world.
Other verses that show our Abba Father in action with our hearts are plentiful. Matthew 5:8 NKJV, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Acts 16:14 NKJV, “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” Luke 8:15 NKJV, “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” Romans 6:17 NKJV, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.”
There is an enormity of New Testament wisdom for our hearts; please take it all in. Romans 12:2 NKJV, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Do you understand by now that the renewal takes place from the heart? Luke 6:45 NKJV, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4 NKJV, “But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” 1 Peter 3:15 NKJV, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.“
Acts 2:46 NKJV, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Romans 2:5 NKJV, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Ephesians 4:32 NKJV, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Hebrews 3:8 NKJV, “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness.” Mat 11:29 NKJV, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.“
1 Peter 1:22 NKJV, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” John 14:1 NKJV, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:27 NKJV, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Phil 4:7 NKJV, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Let’s close with 2 Cor 9:7 NKJV, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
