Tuesday – March 1, 2016
It is time for the Tuesday God’s Word, what a precious time, what a precious Word. Be reminded to pray for the governments of these United States. Today I am honoring and highlighting the State of Oklahoma. Oklahoma was the 46th state admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907 during the administration of our 26th president, President Theodore Roosevelt. Pictured you will find the State House of Oklahoma located in Oklahoma city, a map locating Oklahoma within the United States, and the Oklahoma State flag. (From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia) Let us look at the Preamble for the Oklahoma Constitution.
Oklahoma Constitution
Preamble
Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessing of liberty; to secure just and rightful government to promote our mutual welfare and happiness, we, the people of the State of Oklahoma, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
Dear brother and sister, we are indeed a Christian nation built upon the unfading love of God and His Word. We are in Covenant with Almighty God as I am showing over and over with the official documents of the nation and the states.
Early voting in the primaries has concluded here in Texas and today is the Election Day. I trust that all who read this and are Texas residents have or are voting and voting for righteousness. I have read that in the 2012 election 26 million Christians did not even vote. I have heard “Christians” say that they did not vote because Mitt Romney was a Mormon. Does that mean that they agreed more with President Obama and the platform of the Democratic Party which embraces and promotes the wickedness of abortion and homosexuality? Or did it mean there were duped by some of that beguiling and enticing talk we studied yesterday? I have voted Ted Cruz, however Marco Rubio, and Dr. Ben Carson are also good Christian men. Donald Trump is professing to be Christian and has tapped into the rage and frustration that has been rising in America for several years among all groups including Evangelical Christians. Many Christians are flocking to Trump’s camp although I think that may be the enemy’s camp. A stalking horse for our enemies if you will. Iowa is ranked as the 21st most religious state and New Hampshire is ranked as the 49th with only Vermont (50th) being ranked as the least religious. So in Iowa with a far higher percentage of Christians Senator Cruz (a Christian) won 27.6% to Trump’s 24.3 %. On the other hand the next to least religious state in the union, New Hampshire, overwhelmingly chose Donald Trump at 35% with Senator Ted Cruz down at 12%. A wicked people will elect wicked leaders period. Case in point, the popularity of the sitting president and the current Democratic Party Presidential contestants. Please approach voting from a Biblical view point, not an emotional or traditional view point, but meditate on this before God and His Word. And do not be misled by the myth that God is going to put in office who He wants in office.
Colossians 2:1-4 (KJV)
1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
Looking at Colossians 2:2 we find that the Apostle Paul wants the people in Colossae and Laodicea for whom he is engaged in Spiritual Combat, to have their hearts “comforted, being knit together in love…” For a moment let’s look at the word ‘heart’ because it is vital that each of us understand that every word translated ‘heart’ does not have the same root word, therefore different meanings. The Greek word transliterated as ‘kardia’ was translated to the English word ‘heart’.
Here is the meaning from the Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary; “heart … the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle…heart…”
From the Complete Word Study Dictionary, The – The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament notice the following “kardía; gen. kardías, fem. noun. … (I) As the seat of the desires, feelings, affections, passions, impulses, i.e., the heart or mind.”
Finally from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words; … includes the emotions, the reason and the will.
The words mind or heart are not talking about the physical brain although what is present in the mind or heart as spiritual matter is present in the brain as physical matter. The take away message or meaning of this word heart (kardia) is that it is the deciding area of our mind, our soul, our spirit man. We are three part persons, spirit, soul, and body. Two-thirds of our being is spirit and one part (our body) is physical. The mind or kardia (heart) is a part of and is inseparable from the whole spirit. When God breathed into man at creation we became a living soul or a living god-like being. The spirit and soul cannot be separated except by the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). If the spirit and soul become separated from the physical body it results in physical death. Without salvation and the quickening of the Holy Spirit our spirit man is dead but with salvation the spirit man is alive and in communication with God by the Holy Spirit. However the soul (mind) is ill equipped to hear this conversation because there is minimal renewal at salvation to the Word of God. The more we renew our mind to the Word of God the stronger our spirit man becomes and the better we become at hearing the small still voice of the Holy Spirit.
The bottom line here is that the kardia portion of the soul, is the decision maker, which hears, considers, and decides to keep or reject whatever is presented. The ‘kardia’ is like the door or entry area to a home, in this case to our whole spirit man. The Apostle Paul wants them to be comforted but he knows this not some magic act where he prays and all is well, but will require action on the part of the ones prayed for to effect the whole package of his prayer. We will pick up on this tomorrow. Finally with regard to this word ‘hearts’, it is pleural in number but that is because he is praying for many so in effect it will be singular. The gender of the word is feminine. As I have discussed before when a woman receives the right seed with nurturing there will be a harvest. Here too, if we will receive the Word of God (seed) into and through the ‘kardia’ to allow a renewing of the mind (womb) and nutrition for the spirit we will bear fruit.
By Pastor David R. Wood
