"OUR INTENTIONS"

Well here we go again, we're at the start of another day, and one might call it a "Do Over". Hopefully you thank the good Lord for allowing you to wake up and for the chance to start another day etc. After you commune with our Heavenly Father I would imagine that your intentions for the day would flood your mind.

"Intentions" A determination to act in a certain way.
In the book of Genesis God made a covenant which is still in force, as it is and was a formal and binding agreement. God promised to make Abraham's descendants into a great nation. How many of you indiscriminately allow words, statements and yes promises to flow from your mouth without any intentions to follow through? I believe that every thought and intention that God has is sealed by His Word. He promised to bless and care for the Israelite Nation, and the people promised to obey him. History tells us that the good intentions of the people quickly wore off. Sometimes right actions or good intentions come too late.

I have a confession to make, yesterday morning while at the doctor's a woman passed by with a shade of blue hair like I have never seen before. Lord knows I was fighting every muscle above the shoulders, not to appear startled. I equally was attempting to resist the urge to stare.
Have you ever been proud that you didn't strike out and say what was really on your mind? Discretion is good, but Christ wants us to practice thought-control as well. Yesterday morning I was reminded that we will be held accountable even for our frame of mind.

Wrong intentions are sinful, and can get us into trouble so please read or re-read Matthew 5:27-28 regarding LUST. We all know that it is wrong for a spouse to have sex with someone other than his or her marriage partner (Exodus 20:14). But Jesus pronounced that the desire to have sexual relations with someone other than your spouse is Mental Adultery and therefore sin. Jesus was emphatic that if the act is wrong, then so is the intention. The deliberate and repeated saturation of one's mind with illusions that would be immoral if acted out.
Acting out sinful desires is harmful, sinful desires can lead to sinful actions which is mentally destructive. Nevertheless, sinful desires is just as damaging to righteousness. Left unchecked, wrong desires will result in wrong actions and turn people away from God.

A sincere desire to please God will result in an alignment of your desires with God's desires. You will love what God loves and hate what God hates. If you love the Father, you will hate evil. If you do not despise the actions of people who take advantage of others, if you admire people who only look out for themselves, or if you envy those who get ahead using any means to accomplish their ends, then your primary desire in life is not to please God. Learn to love God's ways and hate evil in every form - not only the obvious sins but also the social acceptable ones.

Until next time,

Jim