Seeking God with your whole Heart
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
The Bible says in Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. The word repent is to express sincere regret and remorse one’s wrongdoing and sins. Repentance is the action of turning away from that wrongdoing and sin and not partaking in that again. The thing we really need to understand is that repentance is not a one-time event that one does to receive salvation.
True repentance causes a person to say, I have sinned and prove it with a 180-degree change of their direction.
Repentance requires true brokenness. It is NOT asking God for forgiveness with the intent to sin again, but is an honest, regretful acknowledgement of sin with a true and total commitment to change.
I remember some years ago while I was still young in ministry we had a Deacon at our church, Deacon McCrary and I remember him saying to me “We need to repent everyday”. I then was still in the mind-set that repentance was something just for salvation until I found myself having to repent not committing some atrocious sin prese but omitting something, like not studying like I should, not fasting when I should, or praying like I should.
Since God was dealing with me as the first partaker with this message I had to repent because I began to see what I was omitting and falling short of the glory of God in my life personally. I began to be like David and pray like he did in Psalm 51:6 -10 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”.
Now before someone gets the wrong impression, I am not talking about committing a sin that is punishable with Hell’s damnation, but I am talking about realizing your personal short comings and being totally pleasing unto God. There's a saying that confession is good for the soul. It comes from an old Scottish proverb, which said in full, “Open confession is good for the soul.” There is biblical truth in that! When John the Baptist was preparing people to meet Jesus, his first advice was to repent. Peter then on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38 said “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”.
PRAYER:-
A Prayer for Daily Repentance
Dear Lord, thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for not abandoning us to our mistakes, but for reaching out instead to bring us home. Help convict me of sin and help me accept your mercy without shame. Thank you for the love you have poured out for me and all your children. Help me live out of that love today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
OPENING: - The year of 2020 has really caused us to stop and shake our heads at what is going on. Everything from a cessation of nearly all activities due to an unseen pandemic that is still running rampant and killing even more people now even-though there is a vaccine that will supposedly fight against it. The world watched in horror as the life of George Floyd was literally choked out of him on national T.V. We have seen history made with the nomination and election of the first woman who is a woman of color as the Vice President Elect of the United States of America Senator Kamala Harris who chosen by the Democratic front runner and soon to President Joe Biden. To the unimaginable civil unrest and domestic terrorism that took place on the Capital Building in Washington D.C. We are witnessing a change in our normal way of life as we now have more military troops guarding the Capital Buildings in all 50 states and Washington D.C. then we have troops in Afghanistan to protect from the threat of Domestic Terrorist.
We have experienced unprecedented life events that leave us bewildered at best. The truth of the matter is that this past year will change society as a whole and will change many of us personally in ways unlike any we could not have even imagined. For many, the old pattern of life has been broken, and a new one has come into play. Social distancing has changed the way we will interact with people probably forever. Hand shaking and the ever-popular hug except for close family members will if ever done again will be done with extreme caution. Personally, my wife and I love to cruise and have even been talking about well we will have to find another type of vacation to do from now on after all the cases of Covid-19 that have been reported on the cruise ship.
When we look back over 2020 and even the first 17 days of 2021, we have been inundated with events, information, rather good or bad, seen racism played out to the fullest, hatred spewed from the mouths of leaders both political and spiritual, never before imagined acts of violence being done right here in the United States of America carried out by Americans. We have seen hospitals pushed to the limits; deaths reaching and seemingly passing Biblical proportions. We have experienced seismic paradigm shifts in politics, life and religion, today is so majorly different then it was only a year ago. In the immortal words of Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On”.
I can honestly say for myself and maybe for a lot of you I haven’t watched CNN as much as I have since November in my life. I, like many of you, am inundated by my television set with killings, politics, civil uprisings, unbelievable reports of deaths, panic, pandemics and Breaking News Headlines. I saw this statement that said there are more televisions in the average home than there are people. And this does not include other electronic devices upon which television shows and programming can be watched. It can literally be blamed that the increase in violence, unrest, hatred, and upheaval seen in our society today is a direct result of what is coming across our television and other media outlets.
In computer science there is an acronym called (GIGO), which literally means garbage in, garbage out, it is the concept that flawed, or nonsense input data produces nonsense output or “garbage”.
The Bible says it like this in Galatians 6:7 “Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” I grew up in the church and I know for a fact many times this scripture will be used when it comes time for the offering. However, today I am going to deal with something different because we need to understand that you reap what you sow more today than probably any time in history.
We are sowing not so much monetarily into a ministry or church organization, but we are sowing and having sown more than you realize into your spirit. We are allowing things to affect us in ways more than we normally would. Many of us have developed new patterns and habits that we did not have just a year ago, like wearing mask and social distancing. Now is the time that we need to be cognizant of the influences of our lives and what is being sown into our spirit.
Galatians 6:8 says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Everyone knows you can’t plant corn and expect peppers to grow. If you plant watermelon seeds in the ground, you are going to get watermelons to grow. Unfortunately, we are more influenced by fleshly understanding than ever before. We are listening to scientists, doctors, lawmakers, economists, and the media for updates and insight. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because God has given them the wisdom and knowledge to do the things that they are doing, but we must be aware and guard our hearts with all diligence. Remember garbage in garbage out (GIGO).
Proverbs 4:23 says “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”. In the Old Testament the word “heart” is used more than 800 times, but more than 200 times it deals with one's thoughts, emotions, and the wellsprings of life, those things that motivate and mold us. Solomon says in Proverbs 23:7 “For ah he thinketh so is he?” WHY - Because this will control the rest of your life. What you think is what you are.
Your thoughts rather positive, negative, good, or bad control your attitudes. Your attitudes are the sum of your thoughts. Your attitudes lead to your actions. That is why we must guard our hearts and be careful with what we allow to be sown or what we sow into our spirit. It is so easy to be influenced by what we see on T.V., the internet, read in the paper or on social media.
1 Chronicles 28:9 says “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” This scripture hit me this week like a ton of bricks. During my studies I read this scripture and it was as if God said people are sowing everything in their heart and while I am searching their hearts even though with their lips, they praise me their hearts are from me. Since He was dealing with me as the first partaker, I felt a feeling within of falling short and really needed to repent for what I had been allowing to be sown in my spirit.
I had allowed what I was seeing on CNN to be sown into my spirit and what was developing inside me caused me to repent asking God to restore the joy with in me. We must do as Colossians 2:8 says “Beware (WATCH OUT) lest any man spoil you (CAUSE YOU TO BECOME CONTAMINATED – POLLUTE YOU HEART) through philosophy and vain deceit (MAN”S OPINION & POISIONOUS WORDS) after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world (OPERATING IN AND THROUGH CARNALITY) and not after Christ (SPIRITUAL).
Luke 22:31 says “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat”. That means to confuse and poison your heart. Don’t be confused by the manipulation of people. The devil wants to contaminate and corrupt your heart. You must guard your heart against contamination from jealousy, philosophies, traditions, speculation, arrogance, pride, lies and everything else.
God wants your heart for Himself. It was the basis of your original union with Him. God didn’t appeal to your intellect; He asked for faith. The enemy despises your heart because it is with your heart that you believe unto righteousness. Romans 10:10 says "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"
We must not let our hearts become contaminate at all. We must guard our hearts from anything that is contrary to the Word of God. When you realize how much is sown into your heart by the avenue of your eyes or your ears, then you need to pray and ask God for a clean heart.
I’m not asking for high men to know my name, I’m not asking for fortune or fame, but give me Lord a clean heart and I’ll follow thee.
The best way to guard your heart with all diligence is to seek God with your whole heart.
Seeking God with All Your Heart!
The Bible promises that if you seek God with all your heart, then you will find Him. If you seek to know God in real and personal ways with all your heart, then you will get to know God by Him revealing Himself to us. This is called Progressive Revelation! When I say progressive revelation, it is a move from God and not man which God brings us through spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. It is a growing process that is done by the planting of good seed. This is what the devil is trying to stop from happening in your and my life at any chance he can. Luke 22:31 says “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat”.
Meaning of Seeking God
In the Bible the words for “seek God with all your heart” means to: to seek the face of God, the glory of God and not just His hand. It is to desire Him Psalm 42:1 says, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God”. It is fixing our conscious and focusing our attention and our heart’s affection on God.
This setting of the mind is the opposite of mental coasting. It is a conscious choice to direct the heart toward God. This is what Paul desires for the church in 2 Thessalonians 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ”. It is a conscious effort on our part.
To seek God with all your heart is all about having a love and desire to know Him. Paul said in Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”. 1 Chronicles 22:19 says “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God”. Understand this is not some emotional aspect of seeking God like He is lost, God is not lost, but striving to find that which has been hidden. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter”.
There is always something through which or around we must go to meet him spiritually, emotionally, and consciously. It is this going through or around is what seeking is. Paul said I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God. The woman with the issue of blood came in the press. My repentance was due to the fact that I was letting things block me from seeking His face like I should have but the honor was searching Him out in the midst of what was going on.
Understand there are obstacles that we need to avoid, seeds that are trying to be planted that bring nothing but weeds in our lives that try to block out our sight of God. Matthew 13:25-25 says, “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also”.
We must be aware of the tricks of the enemy and know the things that cause us to become insensitive to God and the try to block us from seek Him with our whole heart. That is what seeking God is about.
Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near”.
Job 8:5 says, “If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty”. This is what David was doing I Psalm 51:6 -10 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”.
and what I did this week. WATCH THIS: - Seeking God involves calling and pleading unto the Lord. O Lord, have mercy on me, open my eyes, my ears, my heart to be sensitive to you Lord. Remove anything that is not like you, cleanse me from all unrighteousness for I want to know you Lord. This is humility which is essential in seeking God. Psalm 10:4 says, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts”. We must avoid pride in order to seek God with our whole heart.
Remember in the beginning of this lesson we talked about reaping what we sow. GIGO garbage in garbage out we guard our hearts and can seek God with our whole heart by reducing the trash that we put into our spirit.
Guarding your heart is more about feeding your soul than avoiding sin. When our heart is strong, we can resist the temptations that cause many to stumble. Minimize the trash in will reduce the trash out. Guarding your heart includes seeking God, but we cannot ignore the instruction to minimize the trash from our lives. Some trash is easy to identify. Moral corruption, perverse sexual behavior, evil towards others. Other trash is more difficult to discern and to remove. A lack of faith, unforgiveness, materialism, pride, hatred, racism, bigotry envy, strife. Trash, big or small, is still nothing but stinking trash.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”.
CLOSING: - Guarding your heart is critical to experiencing all that God desires for your life. God in His infinite wisdom knew that we would have problems with guarding our heart with all diligence, so He created us and made it impossible to be able to focus on more than one thin g at a time. So here is a little secret on how to guard your heart and seek God.
Philippians 4:8-9 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do and the God of peace shall be with you"
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
