Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:

Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”

When you do not exercise your spirit, you stay enmeshed with yourself.

You remain a whole person, an unbroken person.

You are proud, you cannot admit, you cannot confess, you cannot apologize, because there is no objective base in you.

You are caught up and immersed in the feelings of pride with its stiff neck and its inability to lose its face.

This self is so intact and whole that it cannot be broken through, it cannot be penetrated, it cannot be reached, because it does not know itself.

It does not know its folly.

Apart from our spirit, we do not know ourselves, we are ignorant of ourselves.

But when we touch our spirit, we loathe ourselves.

We recognize that there is nothing good in us.

Through and through we are altogether flesh.

We are full of sin and the flesh with its reactions, bitterness, hatred, and lust.

Indeed, every gross sin is a possibility with us.

The spirit of man is the key to knowing ourselves in God’s light.

This is revealed not only in Proverbs 20:27, but also in 1 Corinthians 2:11: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?”

Ezekiel 36:31 tells us what happens at the time of receiving a new spirit (cf. verse 26): “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.”

In other words, from our spirit we know ourselves in God’s light, we are inwardly searched, and we are able to loathe ourselves.

Loathing ourselves has nothing to do with morbid introspection.

It is actually a gift of grace imparting to us the ability to remain objective about our fallen state by agreeing with God’s judgment of it.

Until Tomorrow,

With A Shepherd’s Love

Pastor

TODAY’S PRAYER LIST

Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad

Brandon’s Dad

Dan Haines

Dr. Don Davis – Home

Freddie May’s Mom

George Alexander

Jane Hicks

Joan Cronan’s Sister

Linda Hodges’ Sister

Michael Stanley

John McClain

Ronnie Palmer

Linda Lanier

Melisa Smith’s G’Father

Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother

Tom Witcher

Ann Sullivan – Paula’s Friend

Bentley Smith

James Garner’s Friend 

Kim McClain’s Mother

Lonzo Christian             

Ashley Burn’s Sisters

Bill Moody 

Charlie Sessom – Waiting  

Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons 

Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother

Hanna Hall – Pray for Grace

Kenny & Nora Allison  

Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister  

Larry Barker  

Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah

Mary Sims  

Marynell Ford

Pastor & Mrs. Driskell 

Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend 

Ricky Stubbs  

Roseleigh Osborn  

Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son 

Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend

Sheila Simmon’s Cousin

Tammy Shellnut’s Mother/Dad