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A Matter of the Heart By Rev. J.

Patrick Bowman Have you ever wished that people would see things the same way you do? Of course! We are all guilty of esteeming our own way of perceiving things as the most enlightened way, and defending our way to the bitter end. The apostle Paul prayed that the Ephesians would see things the way he did, too. But Pauls prayer was not a self-centered prayer. He wanted their hearts to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Enlightened for a Reason Lets begin by looking at Ephesians 1:18-23: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Eph 1:18-23 KJV) The Pathway of the Eye Paul prayed for specific wisdom and revelation to be given to the Ephesians by way of the eyes of their hearts being enlightened. Jesus talks about how important the eye is in the sixth chapter of Matthews gospel: The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mat 6:22-23 KJV) In the scriptures, the eye is often used as a symbol of a persons ability to receive the light of God. Symbolically, a persons eye also shows spiritual condition and an understanding of the things of God. Jesus is giving warning here that the quality of our intention will determine the purity of our perception. We can have enlightenment or we can have darkness. It is our decision. The Seat of Our Affections The heart is the seat of our passions and affections. As the following scriptures show, wickedness and wisdom both come from the heart. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Gen 6:5 KJV) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Ps 119:11 KJV) For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. (Isa 32:6 KJV)

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (Mat 6:21-22 KJV) Where is our treasure? We need only search our hearts to find where our treasure resides. They are in the same location. Matthew 6:24-34 tells us where our hearts should be: The Cure for Anxiety No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Mat 6:24-34 KJV) We will not find the kingdom in the same location as all these things. Our heart must be seeking Gods kingdom and righteousness if we are to move into all that God desires for us. To Perceive and Understand Enlightened able to perceive and understand. John 1:1-10 tells the story of where true enlightenment comes from; the Living Word, Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:1-10 KJV) We need the Source that gives light to every man. Without enlightenment, we have to rely on our natural abilities. When we rely on our natural abilities, the result is this: He comes into our world, and our world was made through Him, and we did not know Him Pauls prayer was that enlightenment would come so that we could comprehend 3 particular things; the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

What is the Hope of His Calling We have a hope in His calling us to be reconciled with Himself through His son, Jesus. Paul, in writing to the Romans, paints a wonderful picture of our hope: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:28-39 KJV) We are reconciled to Him and there is nothing that can separate us from His love. Paul, in Philippians 3:14 tells of his desire to reach a goal with a prize attached: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phi 3:14 KJV) Let us ever be mindful that the upward call of God is for our service to the Lord, here and now, as well as our final place with Him. Dont be in a big hurry to leave; there is a lot to do while we are here! Peter gives us a job description according to our calling in 1 Peter 2:9: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1Pe 2:9 KJV) Lets get proclaiming! The Glory of His Inheritance in the Saints We also see in 1 Peter 1:9 that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Gods own possession. We are the inheritance that God so longs to have. Because of His calling, we are His possession. We are not our own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1Co 6:20 KJV) Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. (1Co 7:23 KJV)

We were bought with a price. God gave His all to have us. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17 KJV) We are valuable to God, a rich inheritance. The Surpassing Greatness of His Power Toward Us Who Believe His resurrection power, His dunamis, is directed toward us, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ Jesus, when He raised Him from the dead! He has directed resurrection power toward us that we may also live in it! Hallelujah! And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. (1Co 6:14 KJV) For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. (2Co 13:4 KJV) Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. (Col 1:29 KJV) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (2Pe 1:3 KJV) He has raised us to new life by the surpassing greatness of His power toward us,that we should walk in His power for His glory.

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