Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of YAHWEH is living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Lets examine some scriptures about the heart of man

This is a very serious topic.. the condition of our heart determines our
salvation

Oftentimes, a person uses the condition of their heart as an excuse to
continue in error

For instance, when I share the truth that the Father's name really isn't
"The LORD", I will often get the reply, "Well, He knows my heart"

They are right about that.. Yahweh does know our heart!

He knows whether we are seeking to please Him, or please man

The word 'heart' is found in scripture 1028 times. The sheer number of
times that the heart is mentioned shows its importance.

How important is the state of our heart?

Consider that an evil heart caused Yahweh to destroy the entire world
with the flood:

Genesis 6:5 - And Elohim 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.


So yes the entire human race was destroyed because the thoughts of men's
hearts were evil.

This grieved Yahweh in His 'heart'

Genesis 6:6 - And it repented YAHWEH that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart.


After destroying the flood, Yahweh spoke in His heart:

Genesis 8:20 - And Noah builded an altar unto YAHWEH; and took of every
clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the
altar.

Genesis 8:21 - And YAHWEH smelled a sweet savour; and YAHWEH said in his
heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake;

for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will
I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.


So even from the very beginning Yahweh knew that the imagination of
man's heart is evil even from his youth.

Psalms 58:3 - The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as
soon as they be born, speaking lies.


The heart might be best described as the 'inner man'. From it flow the
issues of life:
Proverbs 4:23 - Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life.

What does it mean to keep one's heart?

We are told to keep it with all diligence

This same Hebrew word that is translated "Keep" in the above verse is
translated "Watchmen" and "Guard" in other places.

It means to guard, observe and watch over it.

As Yahweh has said, the imagination of man's heart is evil from his
youth.

We know that doing sin/evil is transgressing the law of Yahweh.

How can we guard against transgression and an evil heart?

Psalms 119:11 - Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin
against thee.


Yes, we must be sure that His word is in our heart, that we might avoid
going against it.

When His word is in us, we receive the wisdom necessary to make
righteous decisions on the issues of life.

People today like to say that the law of Yahweh is in their heart

And they use this as an excuse to disobey Yahweh's law

To this I say, "If the law of Yahweh is in your heart, should it not
reflect on the outer layer a desire to obey His Torah/Law?"

Indeed it should

>From the heart can come all sorts of excuses.. and all sorts of
wickedness:

Matthew 15:17 - Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at
the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

Matthew 15:18 - But those things which proceed out of the mouth come
forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

Matthew 15:19 - For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Matthew 15:20 - These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with
unwashen hands defileth not a man.

And where our treasures are, there our heart will be


Though there are exceptions to this, to this I might add... "Where our
heart is, there our time will also be".

Where do you willingly spend your time?

There is where your heart likely is

Yahushua said

Luke 12:32 - Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:33 - Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags
which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no
thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Luke 12:34 - For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


What about a sinful tongue?

Where is the source of it?

A sinful heart

Matthew 12:34 - O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak
good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 12:35 - A good man out of the good treasure of the heart
bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure
bringeth forth evil things.

Matthew 12:36 - But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall
speak,

they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.


Brethren, lets be sure to guard our hearts against the things that are
evil and let good things flow out of our lips, from a pure heart.

If we guard our heart, the words we speak can then be right and pure.

If we let all sorts of evil be sown into our hearts and minds, our words
will be difficult to control in a righteous way.

As Yahushua said, our words manifest what is in our heart

Brethren, let's not allow any enemy enter in our hearts and minds

Surround your heart with a wall..

forbidding any evil from entering in

Any influence that might destroy.. take it captive and cast it out.

This is where the battleground is!

2Corinthians 10:3 - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war
according to the flesh,

2Corinthians 10:4 - for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

2Corinthians 10:5 - Destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised
up against the knowledge of YAHWEH,

taking every thought captive to the obedience of the Messiah,

2Corinthians 10:6 - and we are ready to punish all disobedience,
whenever your obedience is complete.


We realize that there is a battle brethren

We see that the lines are drawn

But it is not a battle of the flesh

It is a battle that occurs within each one of us.

On which side will u be?

The adversary and his servants have chosen their side..to advance the
kingdom of darkness

We have a choice daily to let our decisions advance the kingdom of
Yahweh, or the kingdom of darkness

Whenever we choose to sin, we choose to advance the kingdom of darkness

But when we choose to overcome and conquer sin, we choose to advance the
kingdom of light..

and we show Yahweh that we are choosing His side

So again, on which side will we be?

Will we destroy the enemy before he even gets a chance to cross the
line?

Or will we let the enemy into our camps/homes/minds and then try to
fight?

Let's take captive every thought and bring it into subjection to Messiah

A lot of times it is difficult to recognize which thoughts are not good

We need His word in our hearts to expose the evil

We cannot always see whatever wickedness there is in the heart of man,

from Yahweh it is laid bare, open and is seen by Him

Psalms 44:20 - If we have forgotten the name of our Elohim, or stretched
out our hands to a strange el;

Psalms 44:21 - Shall not Elohim search this out? for he knoweth the
secrets of the heart.


and again..

Proverbs 24:12 - If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he
that pondereth the heart consider it?

and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he
render to every man according to his works?


and again..

Proverbs 5:21 - For the ways of man are before the eyes of YAHWEH, and
he pondereth all his goings.


and again..

Proverbs 21:2 - Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but YAHWEH
pondereth the hearts.


and yet again..

1Samuel 16:7 - But YAHWEH said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance,
or on the height of his stature;

because I have refused him: for YAHWEH seeth not as man seeth; for man
looketh on the outward appearance,

but YAHWEH looketh on the heart.


So yes, Yahweh does know the heart!

What is He doing with what He sees and knows?

He is testing it, brethren

Jeremiah 20:12 - But, O YAHWEH of hosts, that triest the righteous, and
seest the reins and the heart,

let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.


He is testing it also.. to see in whom we will trust

Jeremiah 17:5 - Thus saith YAHWEH; Cursed be the man that trusteth in
man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from YAHWEH.

Jeremiah 17:6 - For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall
not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the
wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

Jeremiah 17:7 - Blessed is the man that trusteth in YAHWEH, and whose
hope YAHWEH is.

Jeremiah 17:8 - For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and
that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat
cometh,

but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of
drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

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

Jeremiah 17:10 - I YAHWEH search the heart,

I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and
according to the fruit of his doings.


Many are following and trusting in man to give them the truth they need
for salvation.

But we ought to look to Yahweh.. and trust in Him

Man will fail you.. but Yahweh will never fail you

Yahweh wants to know who is #1?

Is there any elohim before Him?

Yahweh tests the heart of the righteous.

Yahweh knows AND searches our heart.

He knows our every thought...and why we think them.

Psalms 139:1 - O YAHWEH, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Psalms 139:2 - Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou
understandest my thought afar off.


Is there any sin in your life that only you know about?

The answer is no

Because Yahweh knows about it

Therefore confess to Him what He already knows and ask Him to help!

To confess means to agree with

Psalms 32:5 - I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I
not hid.

I said, I will confess my transgressions unto YAHWEH; and thou forgavest
the iniquity of my sin. Selah.


Proverbs 28:13 - He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso
confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.


1John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.


He is very willing, but we must be humble in heart... and not make
excuses for our wrongs

Therefore, let's especially guard our heart against pride.

Yahweh can't endure it!

Proverbs 16:5 - Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to
YAHWEH:

though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.


Psalms 101:5 - Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut
off:

him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.


Pride keeps us from accepting Yahweh...

and Yahweh from accepting us.

James 4:6 - But He gives more favour. Therefore He says: "YAHWEH resists
the proud, but gives favour to the humble."


The last thing we need is for Yahweh to resist us, yes?

We won't win

Humility is one important thing that seperated Moshe, David and the
disciples from all others.

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