Gems From Pastor Jim

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by Jim Hughes

CrossProv. 16:2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines his motives.

You have heard the saying that actions speak louder than words. It is true, but I will take it one step further, “Motives speak louder than actions.” We need to back up our words with our ways, but we also need to back up our ways with our whys. The Lord looks upon the heart to see the why behind what we say and do. The heart is where our character is found.

Jesus changes the heart. He gets rid of the selfishness and replaces it with His love. He gives us hearts that want to do what is right before God. He moves us to live with God in mind. The true test of whether or not we are getting it right is found in the motives of the heart.

We may not always get things right, but if the motive is right, it pleases the Lord. And, if we seemly get everything right and do if for all the wrong reasons, the Lord will not be pleased with us at all.

The only way we can be assured that our motives are right is for us to take seriously the role the Lord plays in our lives. We must stay deeply connected to Him so that He can influence the direction of our hearts. If our intent is to always do what is right before God, we will do it. He honors those who honor Him. When Jesus is Lord of our hearts, our hearts will always please God.

And, Jesus becomes our Lord when we purposely let Him. He will not take ownership of our hearts without our permission and cooperation. Are you letting Jesus have His way with you? Is He determining the course of your life? Are you cooperating with Him to keep your heart pure before Him? Are the motives of your heart to always do what is right before God and to please Him? Is it for His honor and glory that you live?

Before and After the Honeymoon

About the Author:

Jim HughesSpending his formative years in Ft. Wayne, IN, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.

C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one’s self from such failures.

I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If is isn’t broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.

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