Open Heart Surgery*

This message continues the series: "Search the Scriptures". I believe that the Body of Christ is in need of spiritual open heart surgery, as we have been dealing with issues of the heart (see last week's message). We will see how God works this spiritual surgery in us according to His Word. The Book of Hebrews identifies Jesus Christ not only as our Savior, but as our Apostle and High Priest: "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession (homologia/homologeo - to say the same thing as), Christ Jesus..." (Heb. 3:1). The first "heart problem" is identified here: our profession - are we speaking the same thing as the Word of God? Hebrews continues in warning believers: "...today if ye will hear his voice...", not to harden their hearts, as their fathers did in the wilderness, although they saw the mighty works of God. The LORD said of that previous generation: "Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest." (Heb. 3:10-11). Hebrews then says: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God...lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (v. 12-13). Unbelief and sin cause our hearts to be hardened, leading to a departure from the Lord. There is also a rest to be entered into if we hold fast to our belief. It is the "rest" that the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness were not allowed to enter (Heb. 4:1-3). "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (v. 9-11). The importance of the Word of God in dealing with this problematic heart condition is explained: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (v. 12-13). The Word discerns, and God sees, what is in our hearts, and a godly man places his heart and his thoughts before God for examination: "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 everlasting." (Ps. 139:23-24). We read last week in Jeremiah that the heart is wicked and deceitful above all things. Only the Word of God can reveal the things that are hidden in our hearts that cause us to harden ourselves against God. Proverbs also confirms this: "The (re)fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue." (Prov. 17:3-4). The LORD has a refining process by which He purifies the hearts like a smith purifies a precious metal - by fire. Both of the prophets Zechariah and Malachi also wrote the Word of the LORD concerning this purification and refining process by which the God will cleanse the hearts of His priests and His people in preparation for the appearing of the LORD among them (see Zech. 13:7-9 and Mal. 3:1-3). The apostle Peter also wrote to the believers, those "...who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time", about the trying fire of God: "...though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ...receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (1 Pet. 1:1-11, excerpt, see also James 1:1-4). This purifying fire perfects our way of salvation in preparation for the Lord's appearing. If we need wisdom to understand the necessary working of this refining process in us, the Lord will give that wisdom to whoever asks Him for it (James 1:5). Scripture gives us another reason for the hardening of a heart: Pharaoh of Egypt was experiencing the trying plagues of the LORD for his disobedience of the command of God. However, once the plagues were lifted, Pharaoh would again harden his heart against the Word of the LORD though Moses (Ex. 8:15). King Zedekiah of Judah, was appointed king by Nebachadnezzar of conquering Babylon. However, Zedekiah was an evil king. He broke his agreement with Nebachadnezzar, which he had sworn by God, and "he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel." (2 Chron. 36:11-13). Unfortunately, as the king followed after evil, and hardened his heart against God, his sin influenced others in his kingdom, the chief priests and the people, to do the same. They followed after the abominations of the heathen and polluted the house of God. They would not listen to the messengers that were sent from God, mocking and despising instead God's warning words and abusing His prophets, until there was no remedy left, and the wrath of God broke out against them (v. 14-16). We see the same hardened hearts today, disregarding the Word of God and His servants, and open heart surgery is needed within God's own people. The prophet Daniel dealt with the son of Nebachadnezzar, Belshazzar, who became king of Babylon when his father died. He disrespected the holy temple vessels that the Babylonians had looted from Jerusalem. This king, Daniel said, had known about the terrible event that had overtaken his father when he had tried to exalt himself before the people of God. God had taken his father's sanity from him, and Nebachadnezzar had become like a beast. It was not until Nebachdnezzar had looked up to heaven that God returned his right mind to him. Even knowing what had happened to his father, Belshazzar still lifted up his heart against God and His holy vessels: "...and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.". Ominous handwriting mysteriously appeared upon the wall during the king's feast prophesying of his death to come that night. (Dan. 5:18-23). Even when a man has witnessed for himself the judgment of God, and His subsequent healing restoration, he can still harden his heart against the LORD. God spoke about the spiritual open heart surgery, even a heart transplant, that He has provided for His people: "...I will even gather you from the people...and I will give you the land of Israel...and they shall take away all the detestable things...and all the abominations from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." (Ezek. 11:17-20). However, as for those who continue to walk after their abominations instead, "I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the LORD God." (v. 21). Ezekiel wrote again the Word of the LORD: "Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you..." (Ezek. 37:25-28, excerpt). The cleansing water of the LORD is His Word received into our hearts (Eph. 5:26). This same cleansing Word of God, believed and confessed, saves a heart, and a life: "...The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Rom. 10:8-16, excerpt). Search the scriptures, and get life saving open heart surgery from the Lord. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 9/18/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and endtimeschool, also on Facebook.

Tried: Refined, Tried:Revealed

 

 

The process of trials and trying in scripture is for the purpose of refining and revealing. The prophet Daniel explained that this would be especially true in the last days, or the end times. It is the time when both the wicked and the righteous are revealed. As the person whom we call the antichrist is revealed on the world stage, the people who know their God are also revealed:

"And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he (the king of the north/the antichrist)corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days...And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try (to smelt, refine, like a goldsmith, to test, to prove) them, and to purge (to purify, cleanse, make bright, to test, prove), and to make them white (purified, made white), even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed."  
                                                                                                           Dan. 11:32-35

A great trying comes to God's people during this time. That trying process is like a gold or silversmith who heats the gold and silver to a very high temperature in order to remove the impurities, or dross, from it. What is revealed at the end of the process is the pure, precious gold or silver. For the people of God, this process will reveal righteousness. Revelation tells us that the clean, white, fine linen white garments of the Bride of Christ are the righteousness of the saints (Rev. 19:7-8).

Peter wrote that in the last time, the power of God keeps and reveals those who by faith, have entered salvation (1 Pet. 1:5). The revealing comes from the trial of faith:

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial (testing, trustworthiness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ...Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."  v. 6-7,9

Peter tells us to rejoice in the trials, not only because we are revealed in our salvation, but this is the time when Christ, Himself is revealed also.

"Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  v.13

Our faith has a conclusion, a joyful conclusion, which will be our salvation. We must understand, and stand faithful in hope even through the trials which purify and cleanse us.

Jesus tells the church at Philadelphia that He will reveal those belonging to Satan, while claiming to serve God. As Peter told the church that the power of God would keep them through the trial, Jesus also makes that promise:

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly..."   Rev. 3:10-11

Again, as the wicked are revealed, as the righteous are revealed to stand true in His name, and in His Word, Jesus relates this to the time of His coming, or revealing.

In these last days, this is the time to test ourselves:

"Examine yourselves (to make trial of, to test: for the purpose of ascertaining quality)whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves (test, examine, as with metals, whether it is genuine). Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"   2 Cor. 13:5
As we see the wicked being revealed more and more, as we experience the trials to the core of our faith and hope, as we know that the return of Jesus is drawing near, this is the time to examine our own hearts, to decide where we are going to stand in the truth, to search ourselves regarding the strength of our commitment to Christ, and to His Word.

The prophet Malachi ("My Messenger"), as he describes the imminent arrival, or revealing of the Lord, also describes a refining process for God's people:

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' (to wash with trampling of the feet) sope (soap, alkali used for smelting metals): and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."   Mal. 3:2-3 
The trial may be difficult, but it is necessary to produce or reveal the end result, righteousness. The Lord has promised to see us through the trial with His power.

At this same time (v.5), Malachi tells us that the wicked are revealed, including sorcerers (practicing witchcraft, occultism), adulterers (sexual sin, breaking wedlock, to apostatize), false swearers (liars, the deceitful), oppressors of the poor and weak for profit, the prejudiced or racist (that turn aside the stranger, or foreigner from his right).  We certainly see the proliferation of all of these things in these end times. Malachi said that their trial of revealing, however, also carries the judgment of God. Jesus, describing this revealing, advises:
"For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth, Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."   Lk. 21:35-36
Who shall abide the day of His coming? Who shall stand when He appears?

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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.