THE RIGHT HEART
By Lemuel Baker, PhD
While in Rome, Italy on assignment I visited three specific locations and as a result the recurring theme "the right heart" emerged. It is God's will that all Christians "hit the mark" as the Apostle Paul wrote to us in Philippians 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Hitting the mark is having the right heart consisting of right motives, the right attitudes and the right priorities. The right heart is a heart that is in positional but especially experiential right standing with God. The right heart is the headquarters and life source of an excellent spirit of Daniel 6:3 attributed to the Statesman Prophet and Bureaucrat Daniel as well as to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:5 who referred to it as magnanimity. The excellent spirit has added features that include a well developed submitted to God intellect and mind, a healthy emotional life that results in Godly decisions, a pliable submitted will and Godly wisdom.
Saint Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum and the Mamertime prison underscore the theme of the right heart because of the attitudes of the Christians and Christian leaders who have become perfect examples and aids to our faith leaving evidence of their victories over paralyzing adversity. The spiritual strength, wisdom, faith in God and courage each displayed was cultivated in what I identified as the right heart each Christian should have.
The right heart is a gift from God that gives a true convert to Christ a spiritual and paradigm conversion that permanently places all of their affection, desire, love, faith and mental attention on eternal things, prioritizing heavenly rewards and those things important to God as first, far elevated above all earthly rewards and the best gratifications earth has to offer naturally.
The original apostles, the next generation Church Fathers and first century Christian Martyrs all possessed the right heart which enabled them to find the strength and courage to accept their negative situations with joy only because they could clearly see the will and plan of God as pertaining to each situation and anticipated Gods pleasure toward them because of their faithfulness. All placed an ultimate premium on heavenly treasure despising satan, worldly pleasures and fleshly pleasures. As a result of God's great grace each was extremely empowered or charged in their inner man with heavenly pleasures, that produced even temporal provision. The core of the right heart concept is both you, and God know you are 100% sold out to Him and there is no treason in your heart. You know your reward in heaven is sure and you know this reward is infinitely greater than any earthly satisfaction.
When I visited Saint Peter's square I immediately reflected on Saint Peter and his unmistakeable display of the right heart. Saint Peter's bones are allegedly buried under the Sistine Chapel although some believe his bones are with the bones of other Christians buried at the catacombs. He was crucified upside down in the Roman Colosseum 64 AD and accepted this cruel death as nothing compared to the glory of his heavenly reward that will last throughout all eternity. Peter's journey began when Peter realized that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, the Christ and Son of God.
Matthew 16: 13-20
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is?
14 They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
15 But what about you he asked. Who do you say I am?
16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
17 Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter,and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Standing in Saint Peter's Square located in the enclave of Vatican City, a city within the city of Rome, Italy it was inspiring to remember Peter, his conversion and his being given the spiritual understanding Jesus was not just a man but the Messiah and also keys of mature revelation of his authority as a believer and Apostle. Peter could only achieve full success completing God's will for his life because he possessed the right heart where all of God's plans are cultivated and from which all the issues of life are brought from that which is seen by the inner man to that which is seen by the natural eye fully manifested. Peter preferred God's will and saw his own desires a foolish.
The Colosseum brought to mind the many Christian martyrs who willingly, joyfully and confidently laid down their lives unto death knowing heaven had infinitely better for them than anything on earth. This is an attitude of a heart that is right. A martyr is a witness for Christ a lifestyle produced in the soil of the right heart. In the colosseum martyrs were willing to be stoned to death, crucified and thrown to the beasts referred to as damnatio ad bestia. In the colosseum emperor Nero would light Christians on crosses as human torches, emperor Trajan would throw Christians to be eaten by beasts. On one occasion around 107 AD Church Father Saint Ignacious was thrown to beasts by emperor Trajan and when it was all over his body was fully devoured except for a few bones. The Roman historian Publius Tacitus reported that the coliseum was an edifice used for bloody carnage many who were Christian martyrs.
The Mamertime prison the location set aside for the detention for convicted criminals awaiting execution. The prison has a lower level called Tuilianum named after it's architect that is twelve feet below ground, where criminals were lowered, dropped, forgotten about and filled with a stench. Both Apostles Peter and Paul were detained at the Tuilianum prison and were able to rejoice in this horrible situation only because they possessed the right heart. I noticed spiritual songs coming out of my spirit since I arrived in Rome, Italy and reflected on Paul and Silas who sang in prison in the Tuilianum that literally caused their supernatural release. That same anointing not only rests upon Rome but for all who desire the right heart.
The Apostle Paul exhibited the right heart when he joyfully stated "it became clear among the entire palace guards and everyone else in Rome that I was in chains for Christ." Paul also stated in his imprisoned situation the gospel was being advanced. See Philippians 1:13. Paul was sold out to fulfilling the will of God and prison was a part of God's plan thus prison was good only because it was part of God's perfect and divine holy plan. Paul rejoiced in God's will and treated God's will as all in all never entertaining any attraction to worldly desires.
The locations above reminded me of the wonders and deep benefits that bring great spiritual strength and joy to all of us who possess and treasure the right heart guarding our hearts with all diligence because out of the heart comes all the issues of life, Proverbs 4:23.
Ask God to give you a right heart today and enjoy the journey looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith.
See Videos on "The Right Heart" filmed in Rome, Italy
Chinese Version
正確的心 作者：雷米爾‧貝克博士 在義大利羅馬執行任務時，我參觀了三個特定地點，結果出現了反覆出現的主題「正確的心」。神的旨意是讓所有基督徒都“擊中目標”，正如使徒保羅在腓立比書3 章14 節中寫給我們的那樣：“我向著標桿直跑，要得神在基督耶穌裡從上面召我來得的獎賞。擊中目標就是擁有正確的心，包括正確的動機、正確的態度和正確的優先事項。正確的心是指在立場上，特別是在經驗上與神站在一起的心。右心是但以理書6:3 中優秀精神的總部和生命源泉，這種精神歸因於政治家先知和官僚但以理，以及腓立比書4:5 中的使徒保羅，他將其稱為寬宏大量。優秀的精神還有其他特徵，包括發展良好的順服上帝的智力和思想、健康的情感生活、導致敬虔的決定、柔韌的順服意志和敬虔的智慧。 聖彼得大教堂、羅馬競技場和馬梅爾泰姆監獄強調了正確的心的主題，因為基督徒和基督教領袖的態度已成為完美的榜樣，並為我們的信仰提供了幫助，留下了他們克服令人癱瘓的逆境的證據。他們所展現的精神力量、智慧、對上帝的信仰和勇氣，都是在我認為每個基督徒應該擁有的正確的心中培養出來的。 正確的心是來自上帝的禮物，它給予真正皈依基督的人一種精神和範式的轉變，永久地將他們所有的感情、慾望、愛、信仰和精神注意力放在永恆的事情上，優先考慮天上的獎賞和那些對上帝來說重要的事情首先，遠高於所有塵世的回報和地球自然提供的最好的滿足。 最初的使徒、下一代教父和第一世紀的基督教殉道者都擁有正確的心，使他們能夠找到力量和勇氣以喜樂的心接受他們的消極處境，只是因為他們能清楚地看到上帝的旨意和計劃與他們的每一個處境，都因他們的忠誠而預期上帝對他們的喜悅。所有人都極度看重天上的財寶，藐視撒但、世俗的享樂和肉體的享樂。由於上帝偉大的恩典，每個人的內心都被賦予了極大的能力或充滿了屬天的快樂，這甚至產生了屬世的供應。正確的心概念的核心是你，上帝知道你100%出賣給他，你的心裡沒有背叛。你知道你在天堂的獎賞是確定的，你知道這個獎賞比任何塵世的滿足要無限大。 當我參觀聖彼得廣場時，我立即想起了聖彼得和他毫無疑問的正確心腸。據稱，聖彼得的骨頭被埋在西斯汀教堂下，儘管有些人認為他的骨頭與埋在地下墓穴的其他基督徒的骨頭在一起。公元 64 年，他在羅馬競技場被倒釘在十字架上，他接受了這種殘酷的死亡，與他將永遠持續的天上獎賞的榮耀相比，微不足道。當彼得意識到耶穌確實是應許的彌賽亞、基督和神的兒子時，彼得的旅程就開始了。 馬太福音 16：13-20 13 耶穌到了該撒利亞腓立比境內，就問門徒說，人說人子是誰？ 14 他們回答說，有人說是施洗約翰，也有人說是施洗約翰。也有人說以利亞；還有其他人，耶利米或先知之一。 15 但他問你呢？你說我是誰？ 16 西門彼得回答說，你是彌賽亞，是永生神的兒子。 17 耶穌回答說，約拿的兒子西門，你是有福的，因為這不是肉和血指示你的，而是我在天上的父所指示的。 18 我告訴你，你是彼得，我要把我的教會建造在這磐石上，陰間的權柄不能勝過它。 19 我要把天國的鑰匙給你；凡你在地上所捆綁的，在天上也會被捆綁；凡你在地上所釋放的，在天上也會被釋放。 20 然後他吩咐門徒不要告訴任何人他是彌賽亞。 站在位於義大利羅馬市內的梵蒂岡城飛地的聖彼得廣場，想起彼得、他的皈依以及他被賦予的精神理解，耶穌不僅是一個人，而且是彌賽亞，也是鑰匙，這是令人鼓舞的他作為信徒和使徒的權柄的成熟啟示。彼得之所以能夠完全成功地完成神對他一生的旨意，是因為他擁有正確的心，神所有的計劃都是由他培養的，所有生命的問題都是從內心所看到的轉向人所看到的。
體現出來了。彼得更喜歡神的旨意，並認為自己的願望是愚蠢的。 羅馬競技場讓我想起許多基督教殉道者，他們心甘情願、快樂地、自信地獻出自己的生命至死，因為他們知道天堂對他們來說比地球上的任何東西都要美好。這是一顆正確的心的態度。殉道者是基督的見證，這是一種在正確的心靈土壤中產生的生活方式。在鬥獸場裡，殉道者願意被石頭砸死、釘在十字架上並丟給被稱為「dammatio ad bestia」的野獸。在羅馬競技場，尼祿皇帝會點燃十字架上的基督徒作為人類火把，圖拉真皇帝會將基督徒扔到野獸面前去吃。西元107 年左右，有一次，教會神父聖伊格納修斯(Saint Ignacious) 被圖拉真(Trajan) 皇帝扔去餵野獸，當野獸吃完後，他的全身都被吃掉了，只剩下幾根骨頭。羅馬歷史學家普布利烏斯·塔西佗 (Publius Tacitus) 報道說，這座競技場是一座用於血腥屠殺許多基督教殉道者的建築。 馬默泰姆監獄是專門用來關押等待處決的已定罪罪犯的地方。監獄的下層稱為圖伊利亞努姆 (Tuilianum)，以其建築師的名字命名，位於地下 12 英尺處，罪犯被降下、扔下、遺忘，並充滿惡臭。使徒彼得和保羅都被關在圖伊利亞努姆監獄，他們能夠在這種可怕的情況下感到慶幸，只是因為他們擁有正確的心。自從我到達義大利羅馬以來，我注意到精神歌曲從我的精神中發出，並反思了保羅和西拉斯，他們在圖伊利亞努姆的監獄裡唱歌，這確實導致了他們超自然的釋放。同樣的恩膏不僅臨到羅馬，也臨到所有渴望正直之心的人。 使徒保羅高興地說：“整個宮殿的守衛和羅馬的其他人都清楚地知道我為基督而被鎖鏈”，這展現了他的正確心。保羅也表示，在他被監禁的情況下，福音正在被傳播。參閱腓立比書 1:13。保羅被出賣來實現神的旨意，而監獄是神的計劃的一部分，因此監獄是好的，只是因為它是神完美和神聖的神聖計劃的一部分。保羅以神的旨意為樂，視神的旨意為一切，不為世俗的私慾所吸引。 上述地點讓我想起了奇蹟和深刻的好處，它們為我們所有擁有並珍惜正心的人帶來了巨大的精神力量和歡樂，並勤勉地守護著我們的心，因為生活中的所有問題都來自內心，箴言4： 23. 求神今天賜給你一顆正確的心，並享受仰望你信仰的創始者和完成者耶穌的旅程。 觀看在義大利羅馬拍攝的“正確的心”視頻
