What I say matters. What I do matters. Where I go matters and even how I look matters ...yet nothing matters more to God than the "content" and the "intent" of my heart. He cares more about matters of the heart than you or I can imagine. It is impossible for man to know what is in the heart of another individual. You only have to watch the evening news to know that what I am saying is the truth. A few weeks ago in Aurora, Colorado James Edgar Holmes allegedly (by all eyewitness acccounts) shot and killed 12 people and left 58 others wounded. Only a few people who had daily contact with this young man knew that anything was wrong with him. No one suspected that he would commit this horrific crime. No one. The reason no one knew is this...you can't know a man's heart. You can't know the "content" or the "intent" of a heart. God alone sees the heart of man. In fact, if you were to judge by appearances and the things the young man had done in life you would have surely never guessed that he was someone to be feared. He was educated, intelligent and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him.

The same thing is true of our physical heart. Often it is only after someone has a heart attack that we become aware that there was an internal issue of the heart.

The Word of God tells us about the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful (not truthful) above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?

So basically, that means that apart from and without God, the heart, rather your heart and mine, is not just wicked but desperately over the top wicked. It is unclean and evil. That just isn't the best news. I also want to give you another translation of that verse. One translation says that the heart is desperately "SICK". The truth is that without God's love and his Word hidden in our heart we would do anything and everything that was evil. There is no limit to what we would be capable of if we refuse to address the condition of our heart.

Here is a verse that is sobering.

I Samuel 16:7
The Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart.

I just would NOT want God to be saying that about me...that he has refused me and can't use me because he sees what is in my heart and it ain't pretty! I don't care if man accepts me because I ACT right and know appropriate social behaviors. I only care that God accepts me.

The world will accept a person if they have a great job or wonderful talents and abilities or if they are beautiful or handsome. The world is looking for someone to perform. God is looking for relationship and a perfect heart for him. A heart that is pure.

God knows that we have a wicked heart and that's why Jesus died on the Cross and rose again with resurrection power. He is the answer for a wicked and sinful heart.

The heart is composed of your mind, emotions, spirit and will. Your heart is the person you are when no one sees or knows. When you pretend to like someone but inside you wish you could push them off a cliff. When you say all the right things but have bitterness and hatred towards people. That is poison in your heart. And sometimes we think that because no one sees that God doesn't see. I once heard someone say, "no one sees the heart". I knew immediately that this was false information. GOD SEES! he knows the content and what is inside our heart and he knows the intent and purpose of our heart. He knows what our purpose was when we acted in a particular situation.

I like a verse that has helped me.

ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

What does that mean? If I am a guard I am responsible for keeping what is good inside and also for not allowing bad to enter in. It is MY responsibility to guard my own heart. I can't guard yours and you can't guard mine. The secondary lesson here is that if I do NOT guard my heart, evil WILL certainly enter in and there will NOT be a wellspring of life flowing from me but pollution and poison and every evil thing .because out of the abundance and overflow of the heart...the BIG mouth speaks! Do not even ask how I know this.

Also, I desire the blessing of the Lord.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Just do the reverse on that verse and you will have yet another message ..I will not be blessed if I have a heart that is not pure and I will not see God.

Only God can clean my heart. It's an overwhelming mess. It's like when you wait a very long time to clean your closet or garage...it becomes almost overwhelming and you need help.

After David had sinned with Bathsheba (by the way the Bible never says he raped her so she may have some responsibility that was hers also) he wrote Psalm 51:10 which says, Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a stedfast or right spirit within me.

David did not just want a clean heart. He was asking for a NEW HEART .one that God would create. He wanted it to be a clean heart and he wanted a right spirit which translates a right attitude...right thoughts right motives. Basically, he didn't want a heart bypass but he wanted a heart TRANSPLANT. Remember, God said that David was a man after God's OWN HEART. HE WANTED GOD'S HEART.

I don't just want A HEART. I want YOUR HEART GOD.

And God is faithful.

Ezekiel 36:26
I will give YOU (insert your name...Pastor Pam Bonner Kacys) a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone (your old hard heart) and give you a heart of flesh (that is a heart that really works)

We all have a propensity to believe that our heart is right and good and we justify our wrong. This next verse caused me to weep before the Lord and repent of my foolish way of thinking.

Proverbs 16:2
ALL the ways of a man are clean in his own sight but the Lord weights the motives.

Jesus was talking to the religious leaders in Matthew 23.

Matthew 23:25-26
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites (means hyper critical..very critical) For you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside are full of robbery and self indulgence.

Sometimes it is we who are believers and claim the name of Christ who must be reminded. I am first on the list. Jesus did not tell me to just "let the dishes go" (how I wish) He did not say that we are not to do right things and live a life of honor. We are definitely to clean the dish and cup .but FIRST, there is the matter of the heart. I must allow Jesus to clean me first.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, Oh God and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting

Heart Check America. You hear it on the commercials all the time. This can't wait. I need the transplant now.
I want to have a heart that is healthy and whole and healed and filled with love.

A want a thankful heart.
A joyful heart
A loving heart
A tender heart
A compassionate heart
A forgiving heart
A satisfied heart
A pure heart
An undefiled heart
A willing heart
A merciful heart
A kind heart
A generous heart
A covenant heart
A perfect heart

So, I will let this be my prayer

Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a pure heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

Three steps to a healthy heart:

1. Contrition. Godly sorrow for sin and a repentant heart that is willing to turn away from sin and turn to God.
2. Confession. David said, "I know MY transgression" He didn't speak of the sin of another, but admitted his own sin.
3. Cleansing. What can wash away my sin? NOTHING but the blood of Jesus

Lord, It is your servant once again. You are familiar with me because we have had this conversation many times. I am easily seduced by the ways of the world not so much in what I do but in the attitude of my heart. I am sorry for breaking your heart. I have held unforgiveness in my heart and I have had envy hidden in my heart. Cleanse me from iniquity. Heal me and help me so that I can be used for your honor to help heal the broken hearted. GIVE ME YOUR HEART Oh, Lord. I love you and will love you forever. Your daughter, Pam