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April 2023 Printable 183 KB .pdf

MOR-Bible, which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, peace to you and grace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and us.

First of all, we give thanks to God our Father that our hearts might be comforted, being knitted together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding in our hearts and minds to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God our Father and Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Christ, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We are complete in Christ who is the head of all principality and power. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

In the March 2023 teaching, we performed a word study on the Greek word nous translated for our English word "mind" as documented in Romans 12:2. Nous is defined as understanding, reason, or will. Nous or a person's mind enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; it is the faculty of consciousness and thought. The mind is the way we receive God's thoughts through our believing. The word nous is sometimes employed to denote the total inner person, including their ability to distinguish between right and wrong.

Also in the March 2023 teaching, we learned we must renew our minds to God's Word, or the desires of the members or parts of our body will bring us into captivity to the law of sin (see Romans 7:22-23). All we do, say, think, and experience starts in the mind. We learned that the born-again believers of Thessalonica were told not to be shaken in mind or troubled by devil spirit possession of people's minds which was trying to get them to say that the day of the Lord is at hand (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). See April 2020 teaching.

In this month's teaching, we will trace, track and search in God's Word the Greek word kardia translated into our English word "heart." The English word "heart" is often used interchangeably in the New Testament for the word "mind" (the Greek word nous).

The sources for all Greek-English words are Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, The Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (Bullinger), Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible, The Word Study Concordance by George V. Wigram and Ralph D. Winter, and Harper's Bible Dictionary, Sixth Edition.

The Greek word kardia (kar) means heart. In the Bible, the heart is the repository and directive center of thought, will, feeling, and conscience. The Greek word kardia translated for our English word "heart," never referred to the actual physical heart that drives the blood. The word "heart" is only used metaphorically; both in the Old Testament and New Testament. As the corporeal organ of the body, the heart is seen as the seat of life, which chiefly and finally participates in all its movements.

There are 159 usages of the Greek word kardia in the Bible and it is translated into the word "heart" 158 times and "broken-hearted" (passive) once and means "to break in pieces." We will read some usages from the following books of the Bible: Acts, Romans, Ephesians, and Thessalonians.

In the book of Acts, there are 20 usages of the Greek word kardia. We will read five (5) of these usages in Acts. I exhort you to read all 20 usages and their contexts for a better understanding. The word "heart" will be bolded in the scriptures for emphasis. Let us start with Acts 2:25-26:

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

Therefore, did my heart [kardia] rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope.

Acts 2:31explains what David foresaw:

He [David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

David foresaw the Lord always before his face or in his eyes. David saw in the Word of God the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his soul was not left in hell or hades and neither did Jesus Christ's flesh see corruption. Because of what he foresaw in God's Word, David's heart, the seat of his personal life, rejoiced and his tongue was glad. Because he saw in God's Word that Jesus Christ soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption!

In the Bible, David always saw God before his eyes; for him God was on his right hand so that he was not to be moved from the Word of God. David's heart, the seat of his personal life, rejoiced and his tongue was glad. He saw in God's Word that his flesh would rest in hope!

Turn to Acts 2:46-47:

And they [see Acts 2:44], continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart [kardia],

Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 4:32:

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart [kardia] and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

And the "multitude of them that believed were of one" what? One heart, one soul and "had all things common!" Remember the word "heart" means the repository and directive center of thought, will, feeling, and conscience.

Acts 13:22:

And when he [God] had removed him [Saul], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart [kardia], which shall fulfil all my will.

I want God our Father to say of me "He has found me a man after His own heart, which shall fulfil all His will!" In the Bible, the heart is perceived as the starting point of the manifestations of personal life.

Acts 16:14:

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart [kardia] the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

There are 15 usages of the Greek word kardia in the book of Romans, we will read five of the usages. We will start with Romans 5:5:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts [kardia] by the Holy Ghost [holy spirit] which is given unto us.

Once we are born-again of God's Spirit, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts! We can walk as a perfect example of the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation in Christ Jesus. Christ is in you, the hope of glory spiritually (see Colossians 1:27). But what about that love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit? We must go to God's Word where we are instructed to love with the love of Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:17:

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but [in contrast] ye have obeyed from the heart [kardia] that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

My beloved brothers and sisters it starts in your heart and mind then you obey by free will choice the doctrine of God's Word!

We will next look at Romans 8:26-28:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts [kardia] knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 10:9:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart [kardia] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

We must believe what God's Word says in Romans 10:9 in your heart which is the seat of your personal life, the inner most part of your being. You must confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart or kardia that God has raised Jesus from the dead. Once we do this, you are saved!

Romans 10:10: tells us:

For with the heart [kardia - the seat of life] man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Glory to God who has made it available for us to be born-again of His spirit and receive eternal life through His son the Lord Jesus! The Word of God is the Will of God!

There are five usages of the Greek word kardia in the book of Ephesians. We will look first at Ephesians 3:17:

That Christ may dwell in your hearts [kardia] by faith [believing]; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.

In the phrase "That Christ may dwell," the word "dwell" is the same root form of the word "habitation" in Ephesians 2:22:

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Christ dwells or has his habitation in each of us - its God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19) in you, (Colossians 1:27) in your heart and mind, by believing. We are to be rooted and grounded in love. The word "grounded" means to be founded to be established in love. Everywhere we go God in Christ is with us! When you understand and know in your heart the reality of this truth documented in God's Word you will have power in your life!

Let us continue with Ephesians 4:17-18:

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart [kardia].

Why is the ignorance in them? Because of the free will blindness of their hearts. "Blindness" means "hardness." This Greek word is porosis from which we get our English word paralysis. Atherosclerosis comes from that word. When you have that condition, your arteries become stiff and are not flexible.

A person by their own free will can harden their heart by how they think and act contrary to God's Word! Their heart becomes hardened! Remember the word "heart" means the repository and directive center of thought, will, feeling, and conscience.

Turn to Ephesians 4:19:

Who [those with the hardness of heart - kardia] being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

In this verse we see that those who have given themselves over "unto lasciviousness [lust], to work all uncleanness with greediness," have the hardness or paralysis of their heart. The "past feeling" means their heart has been hardened and their thoughts, will, and consciousness is not centered on the Word of God. Whereas in Ephesians 4:16, love tenderized the heart of the body of Christ in love.

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation tenderizes our heart or kardia. When people have their understanding darkened or turned away from the Word of God, they get hardened.

Ephesians 4:20 tells us:

But ye have not so learned Christ.

So, in contrast if you have hardened your heart or kardia, you have not learned Christ. You have not rightly divided the Word of God!

Turn to Ephesians 5:19:

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart [kardia] to the Lord.

Here, we are instructed to speak to ourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We are to sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord!

Ephesians 6:5:

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart [kardia], as unto Christ.

"Fear and trembling" in this verse is translated as"reverence and respect." We are to be obedient to them that are our masters according to the flesh with singleness of heart [kardia], as unto Christ. The phrase "in singleness of your heart" means we are free from duplicity in our hearts; we are united as one to Christ!

Ephesians 6:21-22:

But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

Whom I [Paul] have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he [Tychicus] might comfort your hearts [kardia].

Once we know the affairs of our leadership who are teaching us God's Word, we are to pray and believe together according to God's Word. This will bring comfort to our hearts or kardia. In these verses, Paul did not want to upset the believers; he wanted to comfort them. The Word of God should always bring comfort to God's children's hearts.

There are three usages of the Greek word kardia in the book of 1 Thessalonians. We will start with 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4:

For our [Paul, Silas, and Timothy] exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

But [in contrast] as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth [proves] our hearts [kardia].

1 Thessalonians 2:16-17:

Forbidding us [Paul, Silas, and Timothy] to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart [kardia], endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

1 Thessalonians 3:13:

To the end he [the Lord] may stablish your hearts [kardia] unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

In these verses, we are instructed to fix God's Word firmly in our hearts. When people see us, they should see Christ in us! Remember, in the Bible, the English word "heart" is often used interchangeably in the New Testament for the word "mind" (the Greek word nous). When reading these verses, we are instructed to fix God's Word firmly in our mind.

Finally, there are two usages of the Greek word kardia in the book of 2 Thessalonians. Turn to 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17:

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

Comfort your hearts [kardia] and stablish you in every good word and work.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 tells us:

And the Lord direct your hearts [kardia] into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

We are told in God's Word the Lord will direct our hearts and minds into the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation while we patiently wait for Christ's return!

In this month's teaching, we traced, tracked, and searched in God's Word the Greek word kardia translated into our English word "heart." Our English word "heart" is often used in the New Testament for the word "mind" which is the Greek word nous (see March 2023 teaching). We learned the Greek word kardia [Greek root word kar] means "heart." In the Bible, the heart is the repository and directive center of thought, will, feeling, and conscience.

There were 159 usages of the Greek word kardia in the Bible, and it is translated "heart" 158 times and "broken-hearted" once. We read some of these usages in Acts, Romans, Ephesians, and Thessalonians.

The renewed heart (kardia) and mind (nous) are the keys to manifesting Christ within us! We live triumphantly or are destroyed in this life by how much of the Word of God we have in our heart, mind, and actions! I do not know about you, but my heart and mind burn within me when the scriptures are opened to me. It is as if fire is all shut up in my bones! My heart and mind just rejoice over and over again when I read God's Word and increase my understanding in my heart (kardia)! I just cannot get enough! Only more of the Word of God can satisfy that fire in me!

Father, in the multitude of my thoughts within me, your Word delights my soul. Father, I pray that we all have a single heart and mind when it comes to your Word. I pray that our single heart and mind is after your heart, and that we shall fulfil all your Will which is your Word. Father, thank you for giving us a heart and mind of love through your gift of holy spirit. Father, we pray that your Word may dwell in our heart and mind by believing. Father, thank you for establishing and comforting our heart and mind. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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