from the heart (my "right" heart, my renewed mind, my humbled soul)

The Lord has really been "working" on my heart! -- By the word "heart," I am referring to my "right" heart (my terminology, again), that He has renewed and is delivering, daily, from its old ways of thinking (my soul: which includes my mind, my will and my emotions). Realizing my terminology contains errors, if you're still with me, you may read on at your own risk. (Maybe, Noah Webster would not have appreciated a dictionary I might have put together, had I lived, as he did, in the 1700 to 1800s -- 1758 - 1843; he worked as an educator, who had studied law at Yale University, first. And he is known also as America's first lexicographer, as well as a journalist, textbook author and spelling reformer. Do you know what was the year in which Mr. Webster published his first dictionary of the English language? I didn't. But you can do an online search and learn this!)

To explain a bit, ... using the word "heart" to mean, in my case, more than just what motivates me to accomplish a task or speak a thought, ... I would say my use of this word would include the concepts of the believer's mind. I'd consider my will to be my "choose-r." And I'd consider my emotions to be my feelings, my impulses, my passions, my affections, ... though I'd consider my attitude to come from my spirit, but it being affected by my heart and what it is motivated to "compel" me to do.

If you're still with me, let's move on to the next thought from my "heart." My "right" heart, motivating me to learn more, and grow closer, to my Lord I love and am drawn toward, to obey and serve Him, ... urges me to focus, as I begin my day, to praise Him, in both song and prayer. It also urges me to think thoughts that are about things which are "true, ... honest, ... just, ... pure, ... lovely, ... of good report," and which are virtuous and worthy of praise. (taken from Philippians 4:8) Right away, as my day begins, I become aware that wrong thoughts and wrong motives try to sidetrack me from reaching God's best for the day. As soon as I am aware of those derailing engines, as God has taught me to do, I'm (learning to be) choosing to speak a verse that my Lord brings to my mind, to resist the wrong thought and replace it with a thought that pleases my Lord. It works! Hallelujah! (spoken with an enthusiastic shout!)

As God works on my "heart," He keeps tugging at the part of my heart that still wants to motivate me to worry, or become anxious, regarding meeting the demands of a world system of thinking that proposes that women are the ones who tend to worry, or get upset, or anxious, ... or fearful. But as a true believer in my Lord, Who made heaven and earth, and controls and maintains all things in His creation (which includes the entire universe and all that is required to keep it going, enable the wind to blow properly, the rocks to hold together and not suddenly burst apart, and continues to provide water to come from springs under the ground layers, and ... provide water that flows down brooks, into streams, from creeks, into rivers, and then into larger rivers, and then, in the ocean. Do we run out of water? No! He renews it, and brings it forth, again, so that those He loves will have access to water they need to water crops, give to their children, and give to their animals, besides its other, many uses), ... as a believer, ... my Father in Heaven has given me all (I need) to live for Him, with Him and "in" Him.

Ephesians 1:3 shares this: "Blessed be The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah), Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ (Messiah):"
(verse 4) "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in Love:"

II Peter 1:3 shares this: "According as His Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto Life and Godliness, through the Knowledge of Him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue:"

Though there are many good verses related to us noticing things like worry, anxiety or fear trying to "creep in" to our thoughts, or attitudes, each day, I'm citing these for now.
What I may be tempted to overlook, in those is this: The verse, just before Ephesians 1:3 and II Peter 1:3 shares this -- (Ephesians 1:2) "Grace be to you, and Peace, from God our Father, and from The Lord Jesus Christ." (Yeshua the Messiah) -- (II Peter 1:2) "Grace and Peace be multiplied unto you through The Knowledge of God, and of Jesus (Yeshua) our Lord."
What blessedness, to read these verses, altogether!
I don't mean I always skip through the Bible, not usually reading verses "in order." But if we read Eph. 1:3 or II Peter 1:3 without first reading the "verse 2's," we've missed the Power God is ready to give us, each moment of each day, if only we will submit our "hearts" to His Holy Spirit's leading and promptings. He is ever with us! He "is" Emmanuel! He promised to ever remain with us, to enable us and help us "not" to worry, become anxious or fearful.

II Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of Power (dunamis), and of Love (agape), and of a sound mind." ("mind," here, in the Greek, means discipline, self-control)

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yes, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with The Right Hand of My Righteousness."
The verse just before this shares: "Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away."

(also, please read & pray, asking God to bless you with what is in Ephesians 3:16 and any verses around that one!)

Seeing that verses we seem to remember are preceded by verses that remind us of more thoughts God thinks toward us (as He mentions in Psalm 139) for our good, He seems to be reminding us that we need not worry, or wonder what next week, or next year, might bring. We need only to rest in Him. (it's a great study to read through the verses, in God's Word, that contain the word rest, when used in regard to people needing to rest in God, our El Shaddai).
He may be putting those preceding verses there to remind us He has chosen us and called us to be His, because of His Love for us, ....
Or He might have put those preceding verses there to remind us He has gone before us, to make the way He is asking us to walk in, or travel along. Since He has "made the way" for us to "walk in," He surely has worked out things so that our "walk," along that pathway, be filled with an attitude, a "heart," resting (as fully as we are able, by receiving His enablement, that I call "grace") in The One Who loves us more than we truly understand.

If He truly has not given us a spirit of fear, ... then do we realize why we are "feeling" fearful? (at times) Have we let ourselves, in the thinking we've allowed ourselves to embrace, or to ponder for awhile, slip into a trap that the enemy of our souls (satan) set for us to fall into? Have we let ourselves choose "not" to receive what God has been holding out toward us, in His Gentle, Loving Hand? It's His Grace and Peace.

Have I begun my day without stopping to thank The One Who made me and to Whom I belong for His Grace and Peace I'm receiving, at that moment, ... simply because He has offered it to me, to help me to get through that day's responsibilities (duties) ... which will include challenges, mess-ups, interruptions, distractions, and struggles? Have I "heard" His Voice? (as I begin my day)

Have I remembered that He is not the one who is trying to get me to think anxious thoughts? or to worry? My Lord has given me His rest! I must simply accept it! He smiles, I imagine, whenever I just reach forth the hands of my heart toward His open Hands, to receive the Grace and Peace He is ready to give to me.
He rejoices! (when we obey and receive the blessings and the help He offers us, each moment)

I leave you with these two verses that are separated by at least one chapter, but they have blessed me, and do seem to have a strong connection in the ideas they share:
Isaiah 30:15 "For thus saith The Lord God, The Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:...."
Isaiah 32:17 "And the work of Righteousness shall be Peace, and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."

The Joy of The Lord truly "can be" our strength. (from Nehemiah 8:10c) But will we allow it to be? My "will" is my "choose-r." "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is Mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with Joy; He will rest in His Love, He will Joy over thee with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

I close this post with this truth that also inspires me and brings me back to the thinking my Lord wants me to think like: Isaiah 26:3-4 "Thou (O Lord) wilt keep him in perfect Peace, whose mind is stayed (focused) on Thee : because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in The Lord for ever: for in The Lord JEHOVAH (YHVH) is everlasting Strength:"
(by the way, please also read through the verses just before and just after these two!)

;o)
hee hee!
Let's rejoice in our Lord, to Whom nothing gets in the way, nor upsets Him in a way of causing Him to become anxious or worried, ... nor slows Him down from reaching His goals, nor makes Him wonder if He will be able to help us when we seem to be in an impossible situation, on earth.
If He is The One Who is re-making us in the image of His dear Son, then we are becoming more and more confident (in Him alone), "keeping a quiet heart," instead of a worried one, and trusting (in Him) more, and less and less in ourselves or anyone else on earth.
He is able! He can deliver you! (from anything evil) Evil cannot touch you. (your truest self -- your spirit where God's Holy Spirit indwells your spirit; it is not the same as your soul, in my understanding) (from I John 5:18)

He has all power in heaven and in earth! Nothing is too hard for Him. (Jeremiah 32: 17, 27) He holds all things together, and in Him all things consist. (from Colossians 1:16-17) Since this is true, He is able to alter any circumstance, if it will bring glory to His Holy Name. If He chooses not to do what we think or hope He will do, then He has a greater reason and a higher purpose for that suffering, or that delay, or that lack of something we thought we had to have, .... He knows.
He is listening to our cries! He is hearing our yearnings! He's been teaching me that He works when I can't see "that" with my human eyes, on bringing about the good He has intended, from the beginning, to use to bless His children, to deliver them from evil, to accomplish the salvation of all those who He knows will "love" Him back, willingly, and to heal those whose healing will bring Him glory and praise.
He has given us all the reasons we need to fully trust Him. He has proved Himself to be trustworthy.
Then, why don't I trust Him at all times? Have I received His Grace and Peace, today?
He offered them to me. (ouch!)
My Lord, and Redeemer, thank You for offering me your gifts, your blessings, your enabling power and your Loving Might! Help me, today, to receive all that You are giving me, freely! Show me what I have, in my soul, in my thoughts, in my motives, that is blocking me off from receiving Your Grace and Peace, my Father in Heaven! Thank You for hearing my prayer! You are awesome and generous! Help me keep my mind on Your Truth! Hallelujah! In Yeshua's Mighty Name. Amen.

Life-saving, money-saving Book Titles for You

Below are several books we know you will benefit from reading and applying to your life:

1. _A More Excellent Way_, by Henry W. Wright (subtitle: Be In Health; Spiritual Roots of Disease, Pathways to Wholeness)

http://shop.beinhealth.com/bookstore.html

2. _The Bondage Breaker_, by Neil T. Anderson

and

_Victory Over The Darkness_, by Neil T. Anderson (subtitle: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ)

http://www.deeperwalkinternational.org/resource_center/sales.html

3. _The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Warfare_, by Neil T. Anderson and Timothy M. Warner

and

_Reclaiming Surrendered Ground_, by Jim Logan

http://www.deeperwalkinternational.org/resource_center/sales.html

4. _The Maker's Diet_, by Jordan S. Rubin (subtitle: The 40-day health experience that will change your life forever)

You may wish to check Amazon.com, or your local bookstore, for copies of this book.

Dr. Rubin also has quite a few other very helpful books, with titles relating to
cancer,
diabetes,
restoring digestive health,
weight loss, and ...
attempting to bring help to relieve high blood pressure,
help to relieve fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue,
help to relieve arthritis,
help to relieve depression & anxiety, as well as
help for those with high cholesterol, and
help for those with irritable bowel syndrome,
help for a healthy heart, and
help for women's health, and
help with colds & flu, and
help for heartburn & acid reflux....

Wow! Dr. Rubin has some answers to help with most any ailment "The Great Physician" knows about (that covers everything; not Dr. Rubin's books, just what The Lord God knows -- He knows everything, and is The Source of every cure you need, for every ailment known to mankind.)

5. _Adrenal Fatigue_, by James L. Wilson, N.D., D.C., Ph.D. (subtitle: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome) What it is and How you can recover -- Energy, Immune Resistance, Vitality, Enjoyment of Life

We got our copy from the kind folks at: http://www.goodgut.com/ You may contact them, requesting this book from them through their "contact" portion of their webpage.

6. _Curing the Incurable_, by Thomas E. Levy, M.D., J.D. (subtitle: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins)
This is an indispensable book, filled "with over 1,200 scientific references," to reveal to you all the amazing things God has enabled "vitamin C" to help you with. I was truly thrilled to read much, in it, and am not near to being finished reading it. wow!

I got my copy of this book through ... Stewardship Resources ... at ... http://www.goodgut.com/ Please contact them using their "contact page" on their site.

7. _None of These Diseases_, by S. I. McMillen, M.D., and David E. Stern, M.D. (subtitle: The Bible's Health Secrets for the 21st Century) (revised and expanded edition, by Fleming H. Revell, published by Baker Book House Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49516)

What a helpful book! You should be able to find it through Amazon.com, ChristianBook.com and even at Target.com

8. _Your Body's Many Cries for Water_, by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. (second edition) (subtitle: You Are Not Sick, You Are Thirsty! Don't Treat Thirst With Medications)

You may order this book through the website at: http://www.watercure.com/

9. Dr. Norman W. Walker's _Colon Health_ (subtitle: The Key to a Vibrant Life! You Can Regain the Vitality of Your Youth!)

Ask at your local health food store for this one. Or do an online search for it. It should still be easy to find. You may also wish to visit http://drnormanwalker.com/
Prices for Dr. Walker's books can be found there, and you may order through this website. Alibris.com and Amazon.com also offer this book.

10. _Nutrition Made Simple_, by Robert Crayhon, M.S., Certified Nutritionist (subtitle: A Comprehensive Guide to the Latest Findings in Optimal Nutrition)

http://www.crayhonresearch.com/shop/robert-crayhons-nutrition-made-simple-p16.html

We have more books here (at our house; we do not sell these books listed here, through this blog. I am only an information-sharer.) that are quite helpful for saving money, ... and in this case, one's physical health. Money-saving? Yes! Most of you know how much money a person might spend, potentially, in search of a practical, real-life cure, or something to relieve us of what ails us. I cannot promise or claim I have the cure. Only The Lord YHWH has that!! But these books do help us to "find many more answers to questions we (or someone we know and love) have (has).

The Lord is my Help! He is my "Refuge and Strength." He is my "very present Help in (time of) trouble!" -- from Psalm 46: 1

Read Psalm 42: 5 and 11, as well as Psalm 43: 5 if you want some inspiration about Who YHWH God is!

Ten Sure-Fire Ways to Avoid Becoming a Missionary

... as shared by a pastor in Nebraska, from Stewart Dinnen's list in _How are You Doing?_ (Bromley: STL Books, 1984) ...

(( Hope this blesses someone's heart, as it did mine, after reading it. Kathy ))

10 Sure-fire Ways to Avoid Becoming a Missionary

1. Ignore Jesus' request in John 4:35 that we take a long hard look at the fields. Seeing the needs of people can be depressing and very unsettling. It could lead to genuine missionary concern.

2. Focus your energies on socially legitimate targets. Go after a bigger salary. Focus on getting a job promotion, a bigger home, a more luxurious car, or future financial security. Along the way, run up some big credit card debts.

3. Get married to somebody who thinks the Great Commission is what your employer gives you after you make a big sale. After marriage, embrace the socially accepted norms of settling down, establishing a respectable career trajectory and raising a picture-perfect family.

4. Stay away from missionaries. Their testimonies can be disturbing. The situations they describe will distract you from embracing whole-heartedly the materialistic lifestyle of your home country.

5. If you happen to think about missions, restrict your attention to countries where it's impossible to openly do missionary work. Think only about North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and other closed countries. Forget the vast areas of our globe open to missionaries.

6. Think how bad a missionary you would be based on your own past failures. It is unreasonable to expect you will ever be any better. Don't even think about Moses, David, Jonah, Peter or Mark, all of whom overcame failures.

7. Always imagine missionaries as talented, super-spiritual people who stand on lofty pedestals. Maintaining this image of missionaries will heighten your own sense of inadequacy. Convincing yourself that God does not use ordinary people as missionaries will smother any guilt you may feel about refusing to even listen for a call from God.

8. Agree with the people who tell you that you are indispensable where you are. Listen when they tell you that your local church or home country can't do without you.

9. Worry incessantly about money.

10. If you still feel you must go, go out right away without any preparation or training. You'll soon be home again and no one can ever blame you for not trying!

Inspired by Stewart Dinnen's list in How are You Doing? (Bromley: STL Books, 1984)

--
Mike Szekely, Pastor
Lighthouse Baptist Church
112 Commercial St. Box 209
Loomis, NE 68958
(308) 876-2126
http://lbcpastor.wordpress.com