Post by Les Brewer on Aug 3, 2019 17:18:55 GMT
GATHERING STONES
So many today are gathering stones; but not to build. They’re gathering stones to build a heart of hardness. The mindset for this comes from the concept that one will be able to hide within the confines of that stone fortress.
A stony heart cannot hide the anger of its hurts; what is in the heart will manifest.
The fuse is lit; the crackling fiery embers proceed toward destruction; is the heart that refuses healing.
The thing we think we hide is the thing which is most revealing; everyone is naked before the piercing eyes of the Lord. Deception only deceives the self-indulged; revealing the content and intents of the heart; his eyes see and perceive.
Let not your conceits deceive you for pride goes before destruction and many have given themselves to haughtiness! The hardness of one’s heart produces the fruits of hardness. Therefore they reap the harvest of seeds sown in retribution. Some shall escape their just rewards; only to face the Judgment Throne at the end of days. God is not mocked; He who sets upon the Throne of Righteousness! God sent forth his Son to save us and to deliver us from ourselves. He is who is perfect had took upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh; he walked among us and by unjust judges and evil deeds did he suffer the crucifixion. He who knew no sin became sin when our sin was cast upon him. The resurrection provides a new and living way.
Come all you who sit in the prison of hard heartedness; come to the light and life of Christ. Come all you who sit in the seat of despair; come to the love that does repair. Come all you who confine yourselves in broken heartedness; come to the healing hand of Christ. Christ the Anointed of the Lord beckons you now!
(18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 4:18
What did Jesus say? The first thing was to preach the gospel; remember “seek first the kingdom of God”. Every lost soul is poor in spirit. The next thing he said is “sent to heal the brokenhearted”. Then he said to “preach deliverance to the captives” and “recovering sight to the blind” and to “set at liberty them that are bruised”.
If Jesus is our paradigm as ministers and members we are called to preach and witness and demonstrate the anointing of God in our lives. I ask; is Jesus a bitter and sour Savior? I ask is Jesus a vindictive and harsh Lord? No! I declare it emphatically no! He is God and God is love and if we hate our brethren and hold hardness in our hearts toward him; the bible clearly states God is not in us! Why? God is love and we are supposed to be known by our love. Brethren let us not give our minds to vain emotions which stir up strive! Let us take the counsel of God to heart and walk in righteousness.
Righteousness is not vindictive; but it is just! Righteousness is balanced; it doesn’t tolerate wickedness but justifies the repentant. Righteousness abhors that which is evil and clings to that which is good. Consider the exhortation to Solomon:
(9) And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.
(10) Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it. 1st Chronicles 28-9-10
Brethren we are building a spiritual house because we are a spiritual body. We are to exhort, edify, and comfort one another through the proclamation of sound biblical principles. When one allows their hearts to harden their imaginations become vain and produce the works of the flesh. Then confusion is loosed to do its damage.
(13) Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
(14) But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
(15) This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
(16) For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
(17) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
(18) And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:13-18
We cannot afford to be double minded concerning our faith, our heart, and our spirituality. Envying and strife tear down relationships; first our relationship with our Heavenly Father then with each other. Stone fortresses might be great for conventional warfare; but they’re detrimental to our spiritual walk when we build them out of our hearts. Remember God is our Rock and our Fortress the righteous run into Him and they are safe. Dealing with the issues of life should not be a process of gathering stones to throw at someone when we are at odds with them. It should a process of gathering ourselves to the Throne of Grace.
(14) Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession.
(15) For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
(16) Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
God promises to turn our stony hearts into hearts which are pliable and pattern them after his own heart. Jesus is touched when we seek him; and he touches our hearts with his healing virtue and restores us to his likeness and graciousness. Brethren if you must gather stones; go to the stone that builders rejected. Jesus is that stone and the rock of our salvation! Selah
Shalom, Agape, & Amen!
D. Ray Ritchie (Emissary of the Lord Jesus)
So many today are gathering stones; but not to build. They’re gathering stones to build a heart of hardness. The mindset for this comes from the concept that one will be able to hide within the confines of that stone fortress.
A stony heart cannot hide the anger of its hurts; what is in the heart will manifest.
The fuse is lit; the crackling fiery embers proceed toward destruction; is the heart that refuses healing.
The thing we think we hide is the thing which is most revealing; everyone is naked before the piercing eyes of the Lord. Deception only deceives the self-indulged; revealing the content and intents of the heart; his eyes see and perceive.
Let not your conceits deceive you for pride goes before destruction and many have given themselves to haughtiness! The hardness of one’s heart produces the fruits of hardness. Therefore they reap the harvest of seeds sown in retribution. Some shall escape their just rewards; only to face the Judgment Throne at the end of days. God is not mocked; He who sets upon the Throne of Righteousness! God sent forth his Son to save us and to deliver us from ourselves. He is who is perfect had took upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh; he walked among us and by unjust judges and evil deeds did he suffer the crucifixion. He who knew no sin became sin when our sin was cast upon him. The resurrection provides a new and living way.
Come all you who sit in the prison of hard heartedness; come to the light and life of Christ. Come all you who sit in the seat of despair; come to the love that does repair. Come all you who confine yourselves in broken heartedness; come to the healing hand of Christ. Christ the Anointed of the Lord beckons you now!
(18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 4:18
What did Jesus say? The first thing was to preach the gospel; remember “seek first the kingdom of God”. Every lost soul is poor in spirit. The next thing he said is “sent to heal the brokenhearted”. Then he said to “preach deliverance to the captives” and “recovering sight to the blind” and to “set at liberty them that are bruised”.
If Jesus is our paradigm as ministers and members we are called to preach and witness and demonstrate the anointing of God in our lives. I ask; is Jesus a bitter and sour Savior? I ask is Jesus a vindictive and harsh Lord? No! I declare it emphatically no! He is God and God is love and if we hate our brethren and hold hardness in our hearts toward him; the bible clearly states God is not in us! Why? God is love and we are supposed to be known by our love. Brethren let us not give our minds to vain emotions which stir up strive! Let us take the counsel of God to heart and walk in righteousness.
Righteousness is not vindictive; but it is just! Righteousness is balanced; it doesn’t tolerate wickedness but justifies the repentant. Righteousness abhors that which is evil and clings to that which is good. Consider the exhortation to Solomon:
(9) And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.
(10) Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it. 1st Chronicles 28-9-10
Brethren we are building a spiritual house because we are a spiritual body. We are to exhort, edify, and comfort one another through the proclamation of sound biblical principles. When one allows their hearts to harden their imaginations become vain and produce the works of the flesh. Then confusion is loosed to do its damage.
(13) Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
(14) But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
(15) This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
(16) For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
(17) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
(18) And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:13-18
We cannot afford to be double minded concerning our faith, our heart, and our spirituality. Envying and strife tear down relationships; first our relationship with our Heavenly Father then with each other. Stone fortresses might be great for conventional warfare; but they’re detrimental to our spiritual walk when we build them out of our hearts. Remember God is our Rock and our Fortress the righteous run into Him and they are safe. Dealing with the issues of life should not be a process of gathering stones to throw at someone when we are at odds with them. It should a process of gathering ourselves to the Throne of Grace.
(14) Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession.
(15) For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
(16) Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
God promises to turn our stony hearts into hearts which are pliable and pattern them after his own heart. Jesus is touched when we seek him; and he touches our hearts with his healing virtue and restores us to his likeness and graciousness. Brethren if you must gather stones; go to the stone that builders rejected. Jesus is that stone and the rock of our salvation! Selah
Shalom, Agape, & Amen!
D. Ray Ritchie (Emissary of the Lord Jesus)
