Connectivity Issues

For some reason some wire got bumped and we are having internet connectivity issues today. It has taken my son’s to test all the connection points and to reboot the router and we have internet again. 

I think sometimes stuff happens in our lives and wires get crossed or get loose and we realize we are not connecting to God as clearly as we should. Just like my son’s did with our internet problem, we need to go back from time to time and check our connections to the Lord. 

These are just some heart check verses that I pulled and is by no means an exclusive list.  So lets start at the First and Greatest Commandment:

Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV1984)

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  Theres a lot to this verse and not make this post exhaustingly lengthy we are only going t look at the very frist part that I have put in bold.

How are you doing with loving God with all of your heart?
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Our hearts can be divided with only parts of it belonging to the Lord. Our hearts can be deceitful convincing us that all is well - when all is broken and rotting in places. Our hearts can also become hard and cold like stone. A little resistance and rebellion covered up by a deceitful or divided heart over time becomes hardened to the things of God. This is not something you want to do by yourself, you need the Lord to help you through this process. Pay attention to how when Jesus starts to touch some areas that you will try to quickly get distracted from the process. You are going to need to be very purposeful and you can't jump off the examination table and run away if you are really wanting the evaluation and for Dr. Jesus to do the work to heal you.

This photo is of my son Cai who recently had to have surgery to repair his broken colar bone. He's fine now and you will be too. He was great, in that he trusted that the doctors and nurses knew what they were doing and he relaxed and let them do their work. 

Let's start with this prayer: Lord, I invite you to come and examine my heart. Help me to see where it is broken, divided, deceitful and where it is hard or growing cold. In your name I bind every agent or tool of the enemy that would try use to distract me from this examination. I ask Lord for you hand of protection and healing to be upon me.  Thank you for your grace, mercy and love and that you have already paid the price for all of my sins. You already know all there is to know about me, there is nothing I can hide from you. This examination is for you to help me see the areas of my heart and life that need to be transformed.

Psalm 26:2 (NIV1984)

2 Test me, O Lord, and try me,

examine my heart and my mind;

There are a series of questions with a verse from the Bible. I can't do this for you. Read each question and journal or make a bullet list of your thoughts. Pray and ask the Lord to show you anything that needs healed, adjusted, tuned, cut off, or transformed. 

Where is my heart deceitful?  

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

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Where is my heart deceived? What are some of the lies you are still clinging too?

Isaiah 44:20 He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

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Where is my heart hard? (There are several verses for this one)

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Proverbs 28:14

Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

Matthew 13:15

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

Ephesians 4:18

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Hebrews 3:15

As has just been said:“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

There are some good things happening in your heart too. Allow the Lord to show you some of the places where you have grown or are already bearing fruit. Sometimes we can see fruit in everyone else but we are blind to what is growing in our own lives. Ask the Lord to show you. 

How is my heart honest?

1 Chronicles 29:17

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.

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How is my heart open? (Notice that it is the Lord who opened her heart)

Acts 16:14

One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

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How is my heart believing? 

If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23)

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How is my heart glad? What are somethings that you are thankful for? 

Psalm 16:8-9 (NIV1984) I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,

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This is as far as I am taking this post but you should ask the Lord to lead you by His Holy Spirit if there  are other areas of your heart that need to be revealed to you at this time. Sometimes there may be problems that are put off till later because there are more critical areas that need to be atended to first. Keep in mind that this is an on going life long journey and there are always things that the Lord will be working on transforming in your life.