Do you have a Heart for God?

Good morning to all and as Waine and I head back to Atlanta this morning please pray God's traveling mercies for us! I was blessed with a sermon from Joel Olstein yesterday from 2 Kings 20. King Hezekiah was sick until death and asked God for deliverance. Hezekiah asked for a sign from God that confirmed the answer to his prayer and God had the earth spin backwards for 10 beats. Joel's emphasis was that we should ask for signs that confirm that God is going to answer our prayers and so as we claim our answers Joel encourage us all to ask for signs. So if you are ready to put your faith at a higher level then pray and ask for your sign!

I am continuing my journey in Matthew 26 verses 31-46, "Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of Me, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will. I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times." But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same. Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me." Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour?" He asked Peter. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done." When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" Amen and amen.

Peter, Peter, impetuous Peter. Always saying what is on his heart and always falling short. There is a lesson here for us because as in the case of David, God looks at your heart 100% of the time and if you have a heart for God, He can use you. Our flesh is damaged good; our fleshly nature will always lead us unto sin which is why we are admonished daily to kill the flesh with the Word of God. All of us can fall into the temptations of sin; sin is exciting and exhilarating. Sin can satisfy the flesh--but only fleetingly which  is why you have to continue to sin, sin, and sin. There are many times you satisfy your flesh and then say "Why did I do that?" Christ tells us to sacrifice the desires of the flesh for a higher good. Christ also recognizes that it is not easy to withstand the desires of the flesh--He asked His disciples to stand watch with Him for 1 hour and they couldn't resist sleep. On the other hand, Christ went to the Father and asked that the Cup He was about to drink from be taken from Him. Christ asked three (3) times and each time submitted to the Will of the Father. As we all are aware, the Cup that Christ was going to have to drink from was not death, but sin. Christ had to become sin so that we could live. When He became sin then His Father could no longer be in His presence. The "Cup" was alienation from God and rightly so, Christ wanted the Father to think of a better solution than alienating His Son from Him. Having none, Christ was obedient to the Will of the Father. When faced with a life altering challenge this is an excellent example of how to pray for your cup to be removed. There is never any harm in asking and a greater good to be gained in submitting.

Last and not least, Peter is an example of how easy it is to say what your will do and all so hard to execute what you say. When giving spiritual advice its so easy to give others advice about this or that; its so easy to say how spiritual and believing others should be in a crisis until the crisis hits you. Just remember Peter and even if you fail yourself to 'trust and obey" know that God will always look at your heart in your hour of weakness. When you are stringer, ask for God's forgiveness and move on. The point is to move on from the sin and sin no more! Hallelujah for the Savior!  Be blessed today.

Stephanie