THE LENS OF THE HEART

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Matt 5:8 NKJV

“Spiritual perception is based on purity of heart.” Francis Frangipane

As a good student I seek to teach immediately what I am learning. I’ve often thought that when I need healing the best person to find to pray for me is some young born again one who hasn’t learned yet that God doesn’t always answer prayer. Why? Purity of heart! Matthew 5:8 is not a salvation verse. It is a practical, here-and-now verse that says if I want to see, perceive, understand and know my God, I must view Him through the lens of a purified heart.

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: Heb 12:14 NKJV

God’s Word is laying out for us the conditions upon which the Lord is able to move remarkably in our lives. Peace with all men, holiness, purity of heart, faith.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 NKJV

We’ve learned in helping people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit in many cases to take them through confession, repentance of sin and deliverance before leading them into the Baptism. Why? Purity of heart.

One time I was in a large Anglican church in Kampala. I had twenty minutes to preach. The Lord wanted me to preach on the Baptism and pray for people to receive. My response was, “Lord, are You sure?” He said, “What? You think I can’t handle this?” As I was preaching, He said, “This is what will happen. You will pray and very few will receive. Ask the ones that still want to receive to stay around afterwards. Take them through deliverance and have them line up. Pray for them one by one and all will receive.” I did what He said!

At the close of the service I went and sat up on the altar and waited. A young girl in a white dress came, kneeled in front of me and asked to be filled. I said, “Lets wait and see what happens.” In a few minutes, the church was three quarters full again. I led them through deliverance, without mentioning deliverance, as a way to prepare their hearts. Then they lined up, and one after another began to speak in tongues. The last in line was the little girl in the white dress…

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. Ps 25:14 NKJV

One text reads, ‘The Lord confides” in those who fear Him. Clearly the fear of the Lord is a great prerequisite to seeing, perceiving, understanding and knowing Him in all of His fullness that is available.

…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; Phil 2:12 NKJV

The purity of our spirits is totally based on the finished work of Christ. The purity of our souls is accomplished, worked out, as we walk out the purity imparted to us through the finished work of Christ. What we seek is to be led by the Spirit. The challenge of being led is to perceive what God is doing, through the purity of our hearts, and then join Him as He leads. A pure heart positions us to say and do the right thing at the right time continually.

At times in culture I see a strong antipathy towards God, His scriptures and the people of God. At some level this is demonic. But many times, it is borne out of experience with the Church where we as the Church have come with an ungodly agenda rather than purity of heart.

Rich people, especially in Christian African nations, many times hate pastors, even running the other way, because the ‘man of God’ always comes with his hand out, begging to receive rather than seeking to give. ‘Christian’ missionaries came to what became the Belgian Congo with the agenda of subverting the Hutus and Tutsis politically, by using the Gospel. This evil produced the end result decades later of the Rwandan Genocide. Many times, I have apologized to people on behalf of the Church, saying, “We hurt you. Please forgive us.” When I’ve done this, miracles have happened…

Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us! 2 Cor 6:11-13 NLT

If you want to see God, lay your agendas down. In July we are going to do an ‘immersion style’ training in the gifts of the Spirit. For ten days the students will be challenged to lay all of their responsibilities, their agendas, their habits and even addictions, aside and concentrate on God and His Spirit. We will have some transformed individuals, who can transform nations, in a short amount of time!

Conscious action can lead to purity of heart.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isa 26:3 NKJV

What you look at, what you dwell upon, you begin to imitate. Do you see the purity of heart in staying your mind on God? Light dispels darkness. ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.’ I feel some worship coming on! Can you worship Him right now with me? Right now, in the middle of this article, can you stop and worship Him? The peace that passes all understanding will fill your heart as you stay your mind on Him.

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Ps 119:9 NKJV

The rule here is – let the Word do the work! In preaching I try to present the Word in such a way as to allow it to answer the arguments of men even before they ask. Instead of striving to cleanse ourselves, we let the Word do the work. Read the Word with the pure joy of the fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The Lord will bring encouragement and conviction as needed. The key is to stay in it long enough for God to grab your attention and begin to work in you.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… Col 3:16 NKJV

Speaking in tongues much will allow the Spirit of God to burn up so much of our carnality and cleanse the inner lens of our soul to see clearly what God is doing, and how we are to relate to Him. Such simple things! Don’t allow the enemy of your soul to rob you of the blessing of walking in power and glory with the living God. Spiritual perception is tied intricately with purity of heart. Pursue the one to achieve the other! Love you…

Remember dear one, we must be about our Father’s business…