life's healing choices - week four from Ventura First on Vimeo.

I openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust!!!

Matt. 5:8 (NIV) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The Beatitudes is about God in the Now.

We were Designed to See God

If your sight was blinded or blurred, you would assume that the whole world saw the same.

Can it be that we were designed to actually see God and to see the invisible Realm of God?

The reality is that we live blind.

God created us to "See Him"

Rom 1:20-21 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Satan and Sin blind us and Restrict our Sight

2Cor 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God

We can be trapped in a world that is material and physical – and thinking this is all there is because that is all we can see with our eyes.

Moses

Deut. 34:10-12 (NIV)   Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt - to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Ex 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.

Ex. 3:5 (NIV)   "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

While you see the world through your eyes, you see God through your heart.

B. Our Hearts are Created to Be Pure

1 Samuel 16:7: "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart … ."
Ecclesiastes 3:11: "God has set eternity in the human heart."
Jeremiah 29:13: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Romans 10:10, "for it is with your heart that you believe and are justified."

The Heart was made to be PURE

Sin is aimed at the heart to REPLACE GOD

Our hearts have the ability to live TWO LIVES

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Purity sets the stage for God to make your heart NEW.

Pure in Heart?

• free from impurities.
• same through and through.

In the Old Testament teaches two truths about "Purity":

• Everybody is in NEED of Cleansing
• You Can't Cleanse Yourself.

Ex. 33:14-20 (NIV)  The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" 17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." 18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." 19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. ... 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

Ezek 36:23-29 I will show the holiness of my great name, ... when I show myself holy through you before their eyes ... 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. ... 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness.

God can only make a new heart from a Pure Heart.

Perfection leads to Pride and Arrogance. Perfection points to SELF.

Purity leads to God and point to God.

Jer 33:33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Audio File: 

2010-02-21.mp3

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