A Hubble Space Telescope image of the R136 super star cluster, near the center of the 30 Doradus Nebula, also known as the Tarantula Nebula or NGC 2070. by NASA, ESA, and F. Paresce (INAF-IASF, Bologna, Italy), R. O’Connell (University of Virginia, Charlottesville), and the Wide Field Camera 3 Science Oversight Committee

Good morning, beloved,

I had to chuckle when I walked into my daughter’s room and it was as though I had taken a trip through time and walked into my own room 30 years ago.  I shook my head and began telling my girl what a mess this room was and how she must have gotten these “genes” from her father who yelled from the bathroom ya, right! Every stuffed animal is special. Every piece of paper has meaning. Every doll has a purpose. And our girl knows each by name. She is a little pack rat. Sadly, she “packs” my stuff in her stuff and we’ve had to have discussions. Ahem. After getting her a loft bed, this helped considerably with space constraints but now she hangs things..I could go on and on. Her interior design work is, um, stunning.

Well, anyway, we jump back into our study today and are looking through another set of Jesus’ You have heard that…but I say to you…

So let’s look at the next one on the list. I must say to go from murder to adultery is a fun leap, isn’t it? Or is it? Why would Jesus have done that? If we look back to the 10 Commandments, this is their order. 🙂 His audience would have known their placement. Yet with each law fleshed out, re-visited and given Jesus’ wisdom, each commandment was given new life under His authority and scrutiny. His audience had to be squirming under the new thoughts and considerations.

Matthew 5

²⁷ You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.

²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹ If your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be cast into hell (Gehenna).

³⁰ And if your right hand serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your entire body should be cast into hell (Gehenna).

³¹ It has also been said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.

³² But I tell you, Whoever dismisses and repudiates and divorces his wife, except on the grounds of unfaithfulness (sexual immorality), causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.

According to Precepts, “the verbs looks in the verse 28 is in the present tense, which indicates continuous or habitual action”(SOM, p.80).  Let’s keep looking for truth.

Proverbs 4: ²³ Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

When I mining for nuggets in this verse, I came back and realized the Amplified version did it all for me. and you! Keep, guard your heart! With all vigilance (place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance) for out of it flow the springs of life. We need to be always on the watch. Never bringing our guard down. Always be on the hunt, always be watching, guarding…

Proverbs 23: 7a For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Thinks… reason out, calculate, reckon, estimate

Heart…that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

So, now that we see how highly God values the guarding of a heart and mind, let’s look at some verses on how practically we can do this. 🙂 Some of my favorites. Memorize these with me!

2 Corinthians 10: 

³ For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,

⁵ [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thoughtand purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),

Philippians 4:8 

⁸ For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorableand seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

So, solid ways to keep our minds on the truth, guard our hearts.

1. We walk in the flesh, yes, but our weapons are not physical! They are mighty before God!
2. They overthrow and destroy strongholds!
3. Refute arguments, theories, reasonings, proud, lofty things set up against true knowledge of God
4. Lead every thought and purpose captive TO the obedience of the Anointed One
5. Fix our minds on:

• whatever is true
• worthy of reverence
• honorable and seemly
• just
• pure
• lovely
• kind
• winsome
• gracious