Marbaniang, Domenic

Hardening brings calamity (Pro 28:14; Pro 29:1) Hardening is rebellion (Heb.3:7,8) Causes of Hardening 1. Loftiness, Pride (Dan 5:20) 2. Licentiousness; or taking God's grace and mercy for granted (Ex 8:15; Rom.2:1-4) 3. Lawlessness (Mat 24:12) 4. Lusts (2Pet 2:18) 5. Lies (1Tim.4:1-3), Demonic deception. 6. Last days (2Tim.3, 2Pet 3:3, Jude 18) 7. Lord hardens those who love lies (2Thess 2:11,12; Exo 4:21) Heb 3:7,8  Harden not your hearts What kind of heart needed: 1. A heart broken over sins in repentance (Psa 51:17). Depth of sorrow over sin reflects depth of repentance (Matt.26:75). 2. A heart broken for people, in intercession (Ezra 10:1; Jer 9:1; Lk.19:41) God will turn our mourning into dancing (Psa 30:11)

In Matthew 5:4, Jesus declared the Second Beatitude: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." I think that the present generation has lost the capacity to mourn rightfully. To mourn means to grieve over a death. To mourn implies that something has died. For those who seek the Kingdom of God and long for righteousness, the death of truth and justice on the streets elicits intense grief and mourning. The mourners are the ones who stand in the gap; they are the intercessors; and, where there is the absence of true mourners, judgment is imminent (Isaiah 59:14-16). In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul rebukes the Church for being puffed up rather than mourning over sin in the camp (1Cor.5:1). Grace is not an excuse for licentiousness (Jude 1:4). The truth is that Grace teaches us to say "no" to worldly lusts and to live godly and righteous lives in this world (Tit.2:12). Grace doesn't teach us to overlook, ignore, or tolerate sin. It teaches us t...