““And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30………………….
“O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness,
That you may be saved.
How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?
For a voice declares from Dan
And proclaims affliction from Mount Ephraim:
“Make mention to the nations,
Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem,
That watchers come from a far country
And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
Like keepers of a field they are against her all around,
Because she has been rebellious against Me,” says the Lord.
“Your ways and your doings
Have procured these things for you.
This is your wickedness,
Because it is bitter,
Because it reaches to your heart.”” Jeremiah 4:14-18 (bold and underlining added)……………….
If you think the Lord’s words through the prophet Jeremiah to the Israelites have nothing to do with people today, including you and me, please think again. And if you think the Lord warns us solely about our actions, please think again. And if you think the destruction to come they were being warned about all those many years ago is anything compared with the destruction all of humanity faces right now, this very day, when the Lord unleashes His wrath on this earth for all of our sins throughout time against Him, please think again. For the day and hour are coming when the Lord will unfurl such wrath upon us that ultimately no earth will be left at all. The only ones who will be saved are those who have repented and placed their trust in Christ Jesus as Lord and given their lives wholly over to Him – to the Lord who died on the cross to pay our sin penalty of death, hell, and forever apart from God in hell and the lake of fire. We MUST repent, we MUST turn to Christ as Lord, we MUST live for Christ alone, and PLEASE DON’T MISS THIS MESSAGE.
The Lord is concerned with OUR WAYS, with OUR DOINGS, and with OUR THOUGHTS. We are to LOVE THE LORD with all our hearts AND WITH ALL OUR MINDS – and souls and strength, right? We are to live according to His ways, yes, as He teaches us in the Bible, and to do what He desires, yes, which seems rather obvious, AND WE ARE TO THINK THOUGHTS THAT ARE HONORING AND PLEASING TO GOD. What happens when we don’t DO what’s right? We need to repent and do what’s right! What happens when we don’t THINK what is right? We need to repent and think what’s right! We need to learn to live a lifestyle of bringing praise, honor, and glory to God – right down to our very thoughts! Those who will be saved from God’s wrath and eternity in hell and the lake of fire in eternal torment apart from Him forever are those who PRACTICE A LIFESTYLE of learning to THINK and to do what brings joy and pleasure to God almighty. God wants our hearts and minds to be filled with HIS SPIRIT, with HIS WORD, and with RIGHTEOUS THOUGHTS, thoughts that show our love for Him and our love for others for His sake.
God’s warning to those people all those years ago about their WAYS, DOINGS, and THOUGHTS being evil and rebellious toward Him and that they needed to REPENT and TURN TO HIM or else is ALSO FOR US TODAY!
What fills your mind, my friend? If it’s worry, fear, doubt, anger, rage, hatred, bitterness, hurt, envy, jealousy, revenge, judgment, criticism, condemnation, pride, or anything whatsoever that is not glorifying to God, purify yourself. Purge your mind of these thoughts. Get rid of them. Repent of them. Seek forgiveness for them. Be rid of them. Dump them. Throw them out. Not just once. But every time you find your mind filled with anything displeasing to God. And learn to keep your mind filled with His love, His mercy, His compassion, with His peace, His joy, His comfort, with His promises, His hope, with His dreams and desires, with wonderful thoughts of Him, with thanksgiving to Him, with His goodness, with remembrance of all that He is, with all He’s doing, with all He will do, with His Word, with His kindness, with His patience, submitting your mind to His Spirit and His Word for His glory, amen!