BE RESURRECTED AND LIVE! by PJ
During this time of year we come to Passover and Resurrection Day with Judaism and Christianity having to face the same issue, i. e., hard hearts.
Today's society grants us so much freedom to create our own little worlds, our fake realities, creating lives built around "I, me and mine." It's very easy to become god of our own lives and deny the KING of the Universe. However, it is a perilous road to self-destruction to deny Truth. This is precisely what happened to Pharaoh.
I was always baffled by the Scriptures in Sh'mot/Exodus 7, 8 and 14 where Ha Shem hardened Pharaoh's heart. How could and why would G-d harden the heart of a human being? Does G-d have the right to commandeer the will of a human being for His own purposes? Did G-d ultimately override the will of Pharaoh? Why would Pharaoh make such obvious and ridiculous decisions? Did Pharaoh not see all the signs and miracles? Did Pharaoh not hear the prophet of G-d?
When I have so many questions on an issue, G-d most usually teaches me through a personal life event. Many times they come from events originating from my error or an attack of the adversary. In this instance, G-d hardened a heart belonging to someone I deeply love.
I was going to remove a member from my ministry prayer team the past year after several incidents that troubled me. I knew there was a breach occurring that was interfering. While explaining the situation and what my response was going to be to another minister on the team. it was if that person did not hear one word I said. I received a rash and cruel response of "No further contact and no prayer!" I sat at my desk shaking my head wondering what in the world just happened? The one I was actually letting go responded with, "G-d put the two of us together and I will never leave you. I love you." And the one I wanted to stay and the one who had assured me of love and support responded with "No further contact and no prayer!" It lead me to question how a servant of the Most High could just suddenly not pray for someone? I was wondering how a Pastor could be so mistaken and take such rash action without at least trying to speak with me. To further add to the event, G-d spoke to me so strongly I about fell out of my chair when He said, "I DID THIS!"
When G-d speaks such words, it is a good idea to stop and pay attention and even ask questions. As I sought G-d about why He did this, He began to reveal to me that one loved me and one did not and my eyes had not been seeing reality. The words and actions said one thing but the reality was another. I had been blinded by my love and refusal to believe what was actually happening. He reviewed my year and showed me why I had encountered battles that were just overwhelming me. When push came to shove, Light shined upon the breach. I had not seen true hearts. I had prayed and prayed and cried out to G-d seeking His counsel so when He moved, He forced me to see a Truth I had refused to believe because I just didn't want to believe it.
A hard heart can be a stronghold that holds blessings back. A hard heart can hinder G-d's blessings for an entire group of people. Within 24 hours of G-d moving, three new ministries were born within the Signs and Wonders family and a spirit of liberty hit that gave us room to maneuver. The prophetic Word broke forth in a way it had not in several years. It was like a bolt of lightning had gone through the ministry. G-d not only restored but grew the prayer team. G-d made funds available to other ministries that did some amazing things in His hands. Even the website has come back to life GLORY TO YESHUA!
Why does G-d harden the hearts of individuals to make the decisions and choices they do? Man is created in the image of G-d and when man purposely sets himself against his Creator in any aspect he is no longer viewed as an image of G-d or even a man. He is merely a lifeless automaton. I think of it much like a puppet on strings versus a real human being. Think Pinocchio. As a result the man is deprived of his ability to choose between right and wrong, good and evil that is reserved for human beings. Then G-d allows decisions that force a hard heart to face Truth about self and it brings that one to accountability.
We don't like to think such a thing could happen but I see it a great deal. I have even seen it in my own life in areas. I have seen it, for example, when Church leaders make all leadership family members. The reason that happens is because only they are anointed or only they understand. Truth is, it is all about control. When we try to maintain power and control, we deny G-d. When we deny G-d in any area, we are no longer human in that area and steadfast denial of G-d in that area will enslave us. For example, if we deny G-d's laws about gluttony, being overweight will enslave us. If we refuse to love our brothers and sisters in Messiah, we will be enslaved to try to destroy them just as Pharaoh tried to destroy the Hebrews. He wound up enslaving himself and his nation because he reaped what he sowed. One can only imagine the blessing had Pharaoh not been full of his own self and obeyed G-d in the first place. G-d would have blessed him, Egypt and history's account. Pharaoh had denied G-d to rule his life in the area of the Hebrew slaves but since when does such a choice stop G-d? G-d was going to be glorified even in the midst of his hardness of heart! Pharaoh forfeited his choice and was face-to-face with Truth and held accountable.
For the sinner who has never accepted Messiah, complete and utter denial of G-d is a self-imposed spiritual death. When we forfeit our choice, we lose, as man only exists because he recognizes G-d. The great question each of us must ask is simply, "Am I surrendered to His will or am I still being the boss of my life?" You can always rebel and attempt a coup against G-d or His people, but the end thereof is impending disaster because He is not going to allow anyone to replace His authority. It is a self-fulfilling enslavement to a hard heart. You simply cannot drink from the cup of the adversary and be full of the life of G-d in any one or all areas.
A hard heart is not pliable, cannot bend, and it eventually breaks. It's like a sheet of glass with a tiny flaw that shatters at the smallest stress. The hardness of such a heart makes it much more susceptible to destruction.
How do we get hard hearts? Almost always a hard heart begins with pride in some area; most usually some trivial such thing as a title, something one has accomplished or acquired, some knowledge allegedly no one else has, etc. Pride, the original sin, is all about self, selfish motivations, me, mine, I. A hard heart is so self-focused it is dead much like the Dead Sea with no outlet. The Word says, For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25 NIV) A hard heart misunderstands things and misses things G-d reveals. A hard heart is unrepentant, unsympathetic, judgmental, jealous, unforgiving and resentful. Sometimes we hold onto bitterness and unforgiveness to protect ourselves from more hurt, but unfortunately in blocking out the perceived bad that may or may not happen, we harden our hearts to block out the good that G-d wants to bring into our lives.
There is Good News! G-d can make even the hardest heart soft again when we begin to break up the fallow ground and return to Him to lead. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26 ESV)
The Hebrews of Pharaoh's day applied the blood of the lamb to their doorposts to save them from death which opened the door to escape from slavery . Yeshua, the Lamb of Glory, came, lived, died, was buried and rose again three days later to pay the death penalty we owed and to open the door to freedom from the enslavement of sin.
Only you can choose for yourself life or death. If you have sinned in some area, now is the time to stop and ask forgiveness and receive the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb. It is time to go free! Be resurrected and live today!