GOD'S VALENTINE
Did you ever wonder why we associate our emotions and spiritual feelings with the heart? Why the heart, since we learn that our body is geared to and directed by the brain, which isn't even located near the heart? Why do we observe this special day in the (for many of us) bleakest month of the year, with bitter cold, harsh winds, long hours of darkness and general unfavorable environmental conditions? I offer here with my message as an explanation, at least as I receive my message, for your consideration and thought.
I do want to explain that I do not work at coming up with messages, and the subjects are sort of "handed" to me, sometimes to go with certain observances such as Valentine's Day. When I first entered the ministry, I was somewhat taken aback by offers I received from a number of established radio, television and various denominational organizations. Their offers were "canned" sermons or subject outlines to help a pastor provide his pulpit responsibilities. If the Holy Spirit was busy, they were available to fill in the material for a really good sermon. This was not my understanding of being God's servant or messenger. If the Holy Spirit isn't speaking to you, there are two things to carefully consider: is the spirit speaking to you actually from the Devil, or are you in the wrong occupation?
Back to the subject of the heart. We learn in school that the heart is a vital organ, pumping blood to all parts of the body, including the brain. The heart, however, does not direct the uncountable actions of all the body parts. The direction or control is provided exclusively by the brain. Since the brain accounts for our thoughts, and that includes our emotions, how can the heart be the center of these emotions that include love and Godliness? God uses the word "heart" very liberally throughout scripture, beginning with Genesis and through Revelation. Don't you think we should try to understand the spiritual reasoning for God's use of the heart? You know everything is part of His plan, including the body parts and what they represent.
We are admonished to believe with all our heart, trust with our heart, love, cherish and respect with all our heart. We express our love on Valentine's Day with hearts, often boxes full of candy--sweetness of love. Jesus taught love, and in fact, added an eleventh commandment that He said actually followed the First Commandment in importance. That added commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself. Christ taught love, healing, forgiveness, sharing and caring. If you read the Four Gospels, you should recall these qualities. He spent little time on money and that time was mostly spent on warning us that money would no way get us into heaven or accomplish salvation.
Perhaps it is easier to understand the role of the heart to our bodies if we use man's definitions of the carnal world. We readily accept that our brains direct and control our bodies. That's where we get our ideas, make our decisions and control our muscles, bones and flesh to do things. The heart, meanwhile, just keeps on pumping the lifeblood through out our body. The brain may rest, but the heart
doesn't rest. It works so that we continue to live. When it stops working, we no longer exist. That's also when the part of our body that consists of our spiritual being leaves the body for another home. That "retirement" home is of your choice. God gave you the option.
When Christ told His disciples about His impending death, He also told them they would shortly receive
a Comforter. Also known by many other names, this comforter is the Holy Spirit. In the God family, the Holy Spirit represents the power and workmanship for saved people in this world on earth. He is the power so well illustrated by Christ, and the Comforter is here for us as we need and seek His assistance.
As our workman is our spiritual helpmate, so our heart is the workman of our body. We talk about being smart or having brains, but you may notice that when someone does something extraordinary, we usually say "he is all heart". Without realizing it, we are giving the credit where it is due. Our brain has the ability to do wonderful things like discovering a cure for a disease, building a rocket to fly to the moon, or designing a beautiful building. But, it can also provide plans to build weapons capable of destroying God's planet, or spreading disease, cheating in business and enslaving people. The heart, however, is always true. If
we had the personal will to follow God, our heart would rule our emotions. Some say, follow your head, not your heart, or you will suffer.
We need to look at the word suffer to consider the implications of following your heart. When a romance
goes awry, or a plan doesn't work out, we suffer because the expectancy of our heart wasn't the result. There
may be many reasons for the disappointment, but none actually have anything to do with the heart's mistake.
Your brain made the decisions, and I use the plural for emphasis. When your brain considers a decision that
is part of the final decisive act, it is the brain that directs your action. The Holy Spirit will guide you, but you must be receptive to the knowledge and leading of the Holy Spirit. Your heart won't lead you wrong, but your brain might.
Americans are great on bigness, especially in business. In fact, we revere business so highly that we have changed God's creation to elevate corporations into the "likeness of God", as He created only men and women. If we're going to be Christians, we should start our journey in the beginning of the bible, where we are told in Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.'"
In case you didn't understand Gen. 1:26, read Gen. 1:27, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." If you can't understand these verses, you are not a Christian. If you believe a corporation is a person, you contradict God's Holy Word and call Him a liar. It's not an unforgiven sin to call Him a liar, but such an act does put to question any claim you have about being a Christian. The United States Supreme Court is in no way Christian to have voted as they did, and their vote was a party vote against God as well as the people. If you need more proof of the difference between a person and a corporation, think about God's Son, created as a man, not a corporation.
We are here talking about the difference between a loving heart and a callous brain. Corporations are ruled by money and influence. For the most part it is strictly bottom line thinking and decisions. Little love of Jesus, lots of love for money and power, nearly opposite of Christ's teaching and actions. We shouldn't blame any individual or political party. The fault lies solely with leaders of Christianity, both in the United States and Rome. They sat by and let this contradiction to God's Word be enacted as the law of the land. These fraudulent "Christian" leaders not only did nothing to protect and preserve God's Word, they encouraged the acceptance of this ruling mostly as support for their "family values" political support. Some family values, choosing to blatantly preach in support of people who chose to alter scripture for their own gain. Justices are appointed
for life, so they don't have money or re-election worries. But, they do have to listen to part politicians and their lobbies, who live and die for the dollar sign. It was God or money. Christ warned about that. Money won.
Money has a great deal going for it. You can receive your rewards here on earth in money, success, fame and whatever. Again Christ and the other writers of the New Testament explain very clearly how and where a Christian's rewards are given. And it's not usually on earth. Even Job had to suffer before his former blessings were restored. Spend a little time refreshing yourself on the earthly rewards of the Apostles, early church organizers, Christians in Rome, and, for that matter, Christians today living in godless nations. If you think you know how to pass a camel through the eye of a needle (Luke 18:25), perhaps you can earn your way into heaven. Other earthly rewards include such things as occupational success and fame. Of course being
successful is not a sin, but how you gain success may be a sin.
God planned and knew the heart would always be true, but He also knew our brain, given free choice, would not always be true. The heart, like the Holy Spirit, is our workman as long as we follow and teach the Christian principles as given in scripture. We cannot change scripture to gain money or influence. Politicians do both. We cannot hide in the pulpit as most preachers do. When we see a flagrant breech of scripture such as that of the Supreme Court, we need to open our bibles and preach the truth. Not
doing it is a sin of omission.
I will probably take a great deal of criticism for this loving message, and some will not want to read another word from me. Some have tried to have my messages banned from the internet, and one newspaper editor did ban my message, which was unconstitutional. I do not seek financial help, unlike most ministries, because I believe the Word should be available and free to everyone. I pray you will have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones, and that you will remember the words of love given you in scripture, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whoever believes is Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Rev. Walbear
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