Set Your Heart
(Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel). Several times throughout the old testament, you see this phrase “Set your heart.” The pursuit of Jesus will cost you. The sacrifice is great, and the sacrifice is necessary. You’re missing something extraordinary if you only look for Jesus on Sunday morning between 11:00 and 12:00. The old testament says to set your heart to seek God. The new testament says (Mt 7:7 ¶ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you). There is an ongoing requirement on our part to get into the presence of God. Ask in Greek is aiteo. It means begging, calling for, craving, desiring, or requiring. Seek in Greek is zeteo. It means to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life):–be (go) about, desire, endeavor, enquire (for), or require. Knock in Greek is krouo, meaning rap or knock. It takes an unquenchable desire to seek Him at any cost and an active requirement on our part to do something, knock physically. If you need something bad enough, nothing will stop you from seeking it out. I love the story of the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus is walking in the crowd with people everywhere, shoulder to shoulder. You know there was constant contact. The disciples even said in (Mr 5:31, “You see the multitude thronging You”). Everyone wanted to get close to Him. Yet one sick woman fights through the crowd and reaches out in one final act of desperation to touch even the hem of His clothes. (Mr 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?) Her desire to get to Him and her faith in reaching out to Him saved her. Are you willing to fight through a crowd to get to Him? Are you willing to commit to a life of study and prayer until you get into His presence? Are you ready to set your heart to seek Him? David says in 1Ch 16:10 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. 11 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually NASB95. Each one of us is responsible for our relationship with the Lord. Stop waiting on the minister of the Gospel to introduce you to the power of God. Find it yourself! One day when you stand before the Lord, you won’t be able to say, “but my pastor said.” God is going to hold you accountable. (Php 2:12 ¶ So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling).
Be blessed and be BOLD,
Pastor Charlie
(Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel). Several times throughout the old testament, you see this phrase “Set your heart.” The pursuit of Jesus will cost you. The sacrifice is great, and the sacrifice is necessary. You’re missing something extraordinary if you only look for Jesus on Sunday morning between 11:00 and 12:00. The old testament says to set your heart to seek God. The new testament says (Mt 7:7 ¶ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you). There is an ongoing requirement on our part to get into the presence of God. Ask in Greek is aiteo. It means begging, calling for, craving, desiring, or requiring. Seek in Greek is zeteo. It means to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life):–be (go) about, desire, endeavor, enquire (for), or require. Knock in Greek is krouo, meaning rap or knock. It takes an unquenchable desire to seek Him at any cost and an active requirement on our part to do something, knock physically. If you need something bad enough, nothing will stop you from seeking it out. I love the story of the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus is walking in the crowd with people everywhere, shoulder to shoulder. You know there was constant contact. The disciples even said in (Mr 5:31, “You see the multitude thronging You”). Everyone wanted to get close to Him. Yet one sick woman fights through the crowd and reaches out in one final act of desperation to touch even the hem of His clothes. (Mr 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?) Her desire to get to Him and her faith in reaching out to Him saved her. Are you willing to fight through a crowd to get to Him? Are you willing to commit to a life of study and prayer until you get into His presence? Are you ready to set your heart to seek Him? David says in 1Ch 16:10 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. 11 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually NASB95. Each one of us is responsible for our relationship with the Lord. Stop waiting on the minister of the Gospel to introduce you to the power of God. Find it yourself! One day when you stand before the Lord, you won’t be able to say, “but my pastor said.” God is going to hold you accountable. (Php 2:12 ¶ So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling).
Be blessed and be BOLD,
Pastor Charlie
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