Understanding the Heart

Understanding your heart is critical to all aspects of your life. This statement is true both spiritually and physically because the heart works as the connection between the spiritual and physical dimensions.

Pro 23:7a For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

In Hebrew, the original word translated as “thinks” relates to a door or gatekeeper who opens or closes a door letting things in or keeping them out. It means that your heart judges or chooses what will be accepted or rejected. It will take what judges good or favorable and deny what expects to be unpleasant or painful. Our heart is programmed by recording all our experiences from birth. Those experiences that elicited strong emotions will determine our judgments, especially the negative ones because we want to avoid those situations. 

THE PURPOSE OF THE HEART

This screening is beneficial when the judgments are accurate, but it will result in unwanted outcomes when they are wrong. 

God gave you all the information you need. His Word is your source and the life manual you can use to write the right judgments in your heart. 

Deu 30:14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. 

Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

WORKING ON YOUR HEART

You must keep the Word God in your mouth until it is written in your heart. That is what you do when you meditate on the Word. You must write over the previous values and judgments until God’s thoughts become your thoughts. When that has happened, you will naturally and effortlessly act accordingly. 

Your change is not the result of behavior modification but a change in your heart. It will be hard to follow God’s instructions until your heart is changed.

JESUS’ EXAMPLE

That is how Jesus lived and behaved.

Joh 5:30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.  

He was the Word made flesh and had the power in the Word of God. 

Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

IT WORKS ALSO FOR YOU

That same power is available to you and me today as we meditate on the Word of God and apply it to our lives.

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 

I have been sharing some of the principles you must understand and apply to your life. Working on our hearts is not natural for us and requires discipline. It is a spiritual process that opens possibilities beyond what we can imagine. 

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

THE POWER IN THE BELIEVER

The heart is where the Holy Spirit communicates to the believer. It is the door to the spiritual dimension and what connects us to God and His power. I will show how working with your heart can change your physical, mental, and spiritual life. That change is your spiritual journey from faith to faith and glory to glory. That is your call.

May the Holy Spirit grant you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Pastor Maurizio

Posted in Bible Study | Comments Off on Understanding the Heart

Psalm 8 – Our Place in God’s Creation

A Psalm of Prophetic Fulfillment

Psalm 8 is quoted and interpreted in the New Testament and prophetically reveals powerful spiritual truths that help us overcome our enemy.

This psalm starts and ends with equal sentences (Psa 8:1 and 9) to help us understand what is in the middle. It is a song worshiping God and meditating on the excellence of God’s creation and man.

David’s Revelation of the Spiritual Beyond the Physical Dimension

We can imagine David, lost in the sight of the magnificent expansion of a clear night sky, full of uncountable bright stars, wondering about the meaning of his existence in this grandiose context (Psa 8:3). On the one hand, he realizes the minuscule presence of his physical nature (Psa 8:4), but the Holy Spirit reveals to him a different reality in the spiritual dimension.

The Power of Praise Is Spiritual Strength

Jesus interpreted Psalm 8:2 as applying to Himself (Mat 21:16) as He entered Jerusalem. He clarified that “strength” is the result of praising God. Our praises release spiritual power to overcome our enemies, even for babies with no physical and spiritual strength. For this reason, we don’t need to be strong because we can overcome the attacks of our enemy by depending on God and praising Him in spirit and truth.  

Through Jesus, We Can Take the Place Prepared for Us

God has given authority and power to man (Psa 8:5-8). 

David’s words prophetically announce the Messianic coming of the Son of Man and His brethren (Heb 2:10-12). This Psalm presents man as the crown of creation, a little lower than heavenly beings. It reveals the glory of the New Creation. It announces the Spirit of Adoption (Rom 8:14-17) and the overcoming power of Jesus and His brethren (Rom 16:201 John 4:17) over the enemy. Your weakness and the threatening of your enemies dim as your heart catches this vision.

It is an uplifting Psalm declaring the glory and victory that Jesus has and that we have in Him.

Questions

  1. What is your experience reading and meditating on this Psalm?
  2. We can use our physical senses or spiritual ones in observing the world. What is the difference in the impact on us?

Posted in Bible Study | Tagged | Comments Off on Psalm 8 – Our Place in God’s Creation

How the Blessings of Mercy Impact Your Life

Beatitude 5: The Blessings of Mercy

Acts of mercyMany are the blessings of mercy. They touch the critical parts of our spiritual and physical life. Jesus said:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

Mercy has not always been regarded as a positive trait. In some cultures, it was even viewed as a sign of character weakness. Nevertheless, in most major religions, it is identified as one of the attributes of God.
Continue reading

Posted in Bible Study | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How to Be Righteous by Faith in Jesus Christ

Beatitude 4: The Only Way to Be Righteous

Hunger and thirst to be righteous

About being righteous Jesus said:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. “ (Matthew 5:6)

When we hunger and thirst, we have a compelling craving to satisfy our physical need. Here Jesus applied them figuratively to a strong spiritual desire for righteousness. Continue reading

Posted in Gospel of Matthew, Kingdom of God, Repentance, Salvation | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Meek Will Inherit the Earth

Beatitude 3: Can the Meek Inherit the Earth?

The Meek

Jesus said:

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

If we interpret the words of this Beatitude according to the usual meaning of the words used in it, we would conclude that this statement cannot be true.

“Inheriting the earth” is such a huge promise, it reminds of me the command to subdue the earth God gave to Adam in the Garden of Eden.

Continue reading

Posted in Gospel of Matthew, Growth, Kingdom of God, Knowledge, The Word | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Meek Will Inherit the Earth

The Blessing of Mourning According to Jesus

Beatitude 2: What Mourning Is Comforted

mourning

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

As shown in the previous post each beatitude is a paradox that needs to be interpreted. Let us see how to interpret this beatitude.

Mourning means to feel or express grief or sorrow. It describes both the attitude and feeling experiences for a loss, often for the death of a loved one, as well as the expression of such a feeling. However, there could be different reasons for mourning. Continue reading

Posted in Faith, Gospel of Matthew, Kingdom of God, Overcoming | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Blessing of Mourning According to Jesus

The Beatitudes – Part 1 – How You Determine Your Blessings

Beatitude 1: Are the Poor in Spirit Poor?

poor in spirit 1

INTRODUCTION

The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11) are part of the Sermon on the Mount.

A Major Paradigm Shift from the Old Testament

In this sermon, Jesus presented to his disciples the way to live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God. Jesus introduced a major paradigm shift from the understanding of the Old Testament. It was a new way of looking at our spiritual walk and our relationship with God. Continue reading

Posted in Gospel of Matthew, Kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God – Part 3

Discovering the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God

Revealed Mysteries of the Kingdom of God

Jesus revealed to His disciples the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God. This topic was at the center of Jesus’ message. Jesus continuously referred to it. He communicated ideas that were mysteries to the Jews. His new ideas that were very different from the accepted Jewish traditions. Continue reading

Posted in Gospel of Matthew, Growth, Kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God – Part 3

The Kingdom of God: Living in the Kingdom – Part 2

How Believers Bring the Kingdom of God on Earth

the Kingdom of God Comes

The Kingdom of God became available to all true believers (see Part 1) after Jesus’ resurrection. You can live in it now. All born-again believers can enter in that reality when they are born again (John 3:3-6). Then, they can work in power after they receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Experiencing of the Kingdom of God

When you are living in the Kingdom of God , everything you perceive in your existence changes. In addition to the physical dimension, you become aware of the spiritual dimension. Continue reading

Posted in Kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Kingdom of God: Living in the Kingdom – Part 2

The Kingdom of God – Part 1

The Kingdom of God: Understand and Enter It

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom Is Within You

The Kingdom of God was the central theme of Jesus’ preaching.

As soon as John the Baptist baptized Jesus and Jesus overcame His temptations, He was ready for His ministry. Jesus took over John’s message (Matthew 3:2) and started to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

The Kingdom of God was the central theme of Jesus’ preaching.

However, Jesus did more than John the Baptist did. Through His healings and miracles, He demonstrated that the Kingdom of God is real and available now. Continue reading

Posted in Kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Kingdom of God – Part 1