Tag: obedience

Circumcision of the Heart

One of the definitions of circumcision in the dictionary is a spiritual purification. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is akin to circumcision of the heart! In the Greek, the word originates from peritome and means to be set apart from the sinful masses and Truly devoted to God.

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (NKJV) No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. Romans 2:29 (NLT)

Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. Romans 3:1&2

 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12

By allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, we are grafted into the Jewish birthright through the Holy Spirit and receive the revelations of God. To be truly devoted to God, we must follow him with our whole heart and not keep back certain parts.  To be able to discern the scriptures and gain understanding requires forgiveness. Not only must we forgive others, we must forgive ourselves. God has already forgiven us by sending his son. When our hearts are not pliable, we don’t allow the Holy Spirit in to work through us. We lead others away from the gospel instead of to the open heart and arms of our wonderful and loving Heavenly Father.

But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Galatians 2:11-13

Peter’s problem was not in eating with the Gentiles but later refusing to socialize with them. He was trying to make them follow the law and not rely on their faith in Jesus Christ. It is only by faith and believing in Jesus Christ that we Are made right with God. When we shun people based on their stature in life, the way they look, their lack in any area, we become a stumbling block to others. No wonder so many run from the gospel! Why would they want to associate with hypocrites (people who pretend)?

Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. Galatians 5:2&3

We cannot rely on a ceremonial act to make us ‘right’ with God. We cannot live a just life by our own practice, we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in everything we do. What area of our lives are we not allowing God to work in? What ‘law’ or act is our stumbling block to others? What religious rite are we performing to gain holiness? Unless the Holy Spirit is working in our lives, we are just make-believe Christians.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:16 & 25

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. Ephesians 2:11

Are we uncircumcised heathens who cannot get into the kingdom? Are we the non-believing Jews who only put on an outward show of following God and didn’t have a heart for Him?

When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. Colossians 2:11

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 1 John 2:27

God sent us the Holy Spirit to allow us to love others and to discern truth. It is through our pliable heart that we hear his voice and see with his eyes.

And he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:22

Prayer: Father help me to keep my heart submissive to the Holy Spirit working in me to hear your voice and see with your eyes. Help me to share your love which has no classifications or categories to do Your perfect will. Help me be able to pour out Your love and peace on others. In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.

Credits: mbaum heart with mouth

Immediately

I was quickened to write about the word “immediately” after a friend made me aware how often the word is used in the Bible. If you search the word immediately in either the NKJV or the NLT, you will obtain at least three pages of references. There is something to acting immediately that I believe God is trying to tell those of us who believe. Most certainly he wants us to follow Him as soon as our heart is alerted to the fact that we need Him in our lives.

Matthew 4:21-22 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.  They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

He as our rescuer and strong tower is Always there for us, we must have faith.

Matthew 14:30-32 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.

Healing is an instantaneous result when we have faith and believe with our whole heart.

Matthew 20:34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Mark 5:28-29   For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

Mark 5:41-42 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.

Mark 7:34-35 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

Luke 4:38-39  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

Luke 5:24-26 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Getting further in our walk or near our destination is expedient when we allow Jesus in our boat and keep our focus on Him.

John 6:18-21 Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

There is immediate deliverance in the name of Jesus and in worship.

Mark 9:22-25 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

Acts 16:18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.

Acts 16:25-26  Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.

Our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord poured forth with his blood and water.

John 19:34-35 One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also can believe.)

Our response to him should be immediate.

Acts 16:33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.

John 11:29 So Mary immediately went to him.

Prayer: Father, help my response to you be immediate, without hesitation.

Example

“I will not be like my parents. I won’t do or say the things they do.” How many times in our young lives did we say this only to find out when we have our own children, we say or do the same things as our parents? I have found myself saying or being in this situation while I’ve raised my children. Sometimes I have thought “I have become my mother or my father.” I had good parents, I know some who have not. They raised me to follow God. If that was the one thing they imparted to me, it would be enough, because the example they taught me to follow is Jesus, not them. 

Recently, I studied the words ‘labor in vain’ in the Bible. The verses I looked up are as follows:

“I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.” Galatians 4:11 (NLT)

“Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.” Philippians 2:16 (NLT)

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” I Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV)

This morning I thought; I wonder, did my parents say: “I have worked and tried to raise you to be the best you can be and has all my hard work paid off?” Then I think of the many ways we disappoint God, but still he chooses to have a relationship with us. My children (two are grown) have turned out well, but I don’t take the credit and sometimes I’ve said that they turned out as they have, in spite of me. I have tried to give them the example of God to follow as well, because I am definitely not perfect. If they are following Jesus and reading the Word, they have the best example they can have through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the best counselor they have.

“Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.” Hebrews 12:7-9 (MSG)

I have prayed a verse for my children through the years. This doesn’t let me off the hook, but if I failed in any way, hopefully I expressed the importance of following God in their lives. The verse I have prayed for them is:

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6

Prayer today: Father help those around me to look to you. May my life be an example of Christ. May people see the Christ in me. Thank you for being my father and my counselor.