of going up, the market hit bottom. He was now in real trouble. He would have to manipulate the company rec ords. So covetousness had led to deceit and theft. This man had to face up to the fact that what he did was a result of a sinful heart. How is it with you in your life? Jesus said that the very thought is as sinful as the act itself. The Lord Jesus came to save us from our sins, as well as to cleanse us from a vile and guilty heart. He desires to give us victory over temptation. He died to eliminate covetousness from your heart; to change the tendency toward fornica tion and adultery; to make it possible for you to find victory over evil speak ing, wickedness, deceit, lust and the evil eye. You don’t have to ever get into situations such as I have described if you realize that what you do is a result of what comes out of you. Christ’s redemption and daily cleans ing is good news. You may not be able to control what your husband is going to do. You may not be able to control who" moves next door to you. You may not be able to have much to say about the temptations that are going to con front you. But there is one thing you do have control over. That is the prod uct of your heart. .Christ died to change your heart if you want it changed. Don’t blame someone else for what goes on in your heart. Most of us have two kinds of problems: what we do about the people in our lives, and what we do about circumstances sur rounding us. Actually it is our heart attitudes toward people and circum stances in our lives that makes the dif ference. The product of your heart can be cleansed if you will come to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to do it. “Search me, O 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 ever lasting.” Don’t worry about the other person, a child or marriage partner. The important thing to you is what are you going to do about your own heart? Christ died to cleanse it and He will if you will just turn your life over to Him.
the sniper
by Dr. Henry Brandt O n e o f t h e most difficult things about our ministry is to see the growing number of weary, tired and unhappy people who come, for help. The thing that makes it so sad is be cause it is unnecessary. The message of the Gospel is one of positive hope and assurance. It is a message of reconcilia tion and joy, all of which can be yours, no matter what your problem may be. The Lord Jesus Christ died for your problems. The attitude of heart needs to be, “Search me 0 God and know my heart, try me and know my thought^ and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlast ing.” Working with troubled hearts most of the time these folks have some body else on their minds. They come in and want to talk about the way somebody else has treated them. They usually ask, “What can I do about somebody else?” What is really needed is to center your attention on letting God talk to you. It is like the Pharisees who came complaining to Jesus about His disciples. They didn’t appreciate the fact that they chose to eat before: washing their hands. The Lord JeSus (continued on next page) 5
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