No Hard Hearts

No Hard Hearts
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
– 2 Chronicles 16:9
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The Pharisees had a heart condition that grieved Jesus. Their hearts were hard and insensitive. If you'll look in Mark 3, you'll see what I'm talking about.

God was right there in their midst, and they, of all people, should have realized it. They knew the Scriptures backward and forward, and Jesus fit every messianic prophecy written there. But the insensitivity of their hearts literally blinded them to who He was.

The hearts of the Pharisees were also hardened to the needs of the people around them.

That very same thing is still happening today.

Just think again about what those Pharisees were doing. They were:

1. Criticizing the minister of God.

2. Protecting their religious traditions instead of obeying the Word of God.

3. Worrying about their own welfare rather than that of those around them.

Have you ever known any believers who fit that description? Sure you have! In fact, every one of us has done those things at some time in our lives.

Every one of us, to one degree or another, has fallen prey to the same mistake the Pharisees did. We've gotten so caught up in doing and saying all the "right" things that we've let the tender warmth of God's love inside us grow cold.

I know that's true because if it weren't, we'd be seeing tremendous moves of God among us. We'd be seeing revival on every corner.
That's what God longs to do. God longs to pour out His Spirit in supernatural power and abundance through His Church. But we've developed a heart condition that's holding Him back.

Today if you are desiring an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life and the manifestation of His power in your church, check the condition of your heart. If you find any hardness there, repent and ask God to change you. Ask Him to give you the kind of heart that will allow Him to show Himself strong on your behalf.
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Scripture Reading: Mark 3:1-6
© 1991 Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc. aka: Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved
 
I read this book about modern day orthodox jews who act in similar ways to Pharisees.

They have communities that follow all the rules, observing all the traditions but many do so without believing in God.
I dont know about 1. Though certainly they dismiss Jesus as messiah, apart from never considering him as a rabbi.
2. Absolutely at all costs.
3. They form closed communities of only themselves and shun anyone outside who doesnt practices as they do.

An example, God wants everyone to celebrate the sabbath and do no work, but these orthodox take it to mean you cant even turn a light on when the sabbath starts. So they have their lights on timers, but if not, they ask someone else who is not orthodox to turn the light on for them. If they have a fridge that has a light on when you open the door, they will cover the light before the sabbath so they dont break the rule!

There is a book called the Talmud which is basically rewriting the bible explaining all the commandments and making them into rules everyone has to follow. Can you imagine living like this. Without Jesus, they have no hope of being holy, as you would need to be an absolute sinless perfectionsist to get everything right all the time. What is the difference, they might have the truth and oracles of God handed to them but they do not have grace.

We believers also need grace, not just for ourselves but for others. We will get it wrong! Others will stumble or may not listen or obey all the time, or they are slow to understand. They need grace too. Grace changes everything, and gives us the power to make everything right.
 
We should be praying for them all... cuz while the do know God and the Holy Spirit... many have not accepted Jesus as Savior.. although the number of non believing Jews is getting lower every day.
Blessings
 
Lord soften their hearts to receive you...more grace will soften the hardest of hearts...Your light is shining all the time so we dont need to worry 'is it work to turn a light on?' Help these jews to see your light and understand what these 'righteous gentiles' have that they dont and hunger for it, as I read and hear more and more orthodox religious jews become disillusioned with incessant rule keeping.
 
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