The Sincerity of the Heart Psalm 11:7 For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. The meaning of the word sincere and sincerity. Sincere True, without falsehood or hypocrisy: sincere love; sincere words. Sincere Synonyms: frank, true, trusting, cordial, natural, honest, noble, clean, truthful, serious, spontaneous, loyal, open, effusive, clear, naive, innocent. Antonyms: hypocrite, fake God loves a sincere heart. Sincerity Sincerity: Truth, lack of pretense or lies in what someone does or says: Synonyms: frankness, trust, cordiality, naturalness, honesty, seriousness, truthfulness, spontaneity, loyalty, clarity, simplicity, plainness. God's promises to those with a sincere heart Psalm 7:10 My protection is the Most High God,that saves those with a sincere heart. Psalm 31:23 Amen to the Lord, to all his faithful.The Lord takes care of the sincere.But he gives the arrogant their just deserts. Psalm 51:6 Truly, you love the sincere heart,and in my innermost being you have given me wisdom. God loves the sincere heart, when we talk to God in prayer it is important to be sincere. To be honest with Jesus in our conversations with Him. God is looking for someone who is sincere among his people to forgive them. Jeremiah 5:1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. Honesty at work. Colossians 3:22 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your masters here on earth, not only when they are watching you, to please them, but from a sincere heart, out of fear of the Lord. How can we draw closer to God? Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. The example of Nathanael, a man of sincere heart Juan 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44And Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”46Nathanael said to him, “Can anyone come out of Nazareth?”something goodPhilip said to him: Come and see.47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching him, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48Nathanael said to him, "Where do you know me from?"Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”49Nathanael answered and said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe?”You will see greater things than these.51And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Jesus the Lord speaks of Nathanael as a man of sincere heart; this is something we should long for. Let us meditate for a moment on who is saying this about Nathanael: Jesus the Lord. God is saying to Nathanael, "I know what kind of person you are." What will the Lord Jesus say about my life? What will the Lord say about your life? Am I a sincere believer? Let us reflect on this today.

If someone serves me, let him follow me John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it: and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life. 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me: and where I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, my Father will honor him. Here the Lord is speaking to me of the need for the grain of wheat that falls on the ground to die, because when it dies it bears much fruit. •BIBLE CONTEXT Mat 10:37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Mat 10:38 "And whoever does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Mat 10:39 "He who has found his life will lose it; and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. •BIBLE CONTEXT Mat 16:24 And Jesus said unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. Mat 16:26 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what reward shall a man give for his soul? Matt 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay every man according to his works. •BIBLE CONTEXT Mar 8:34 And he called the crowd and his disciples and said unto them, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, and for the gospel's sake, shall save it. Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mar 8:37 Or what reward will a man give for his soul? Mar 8:38 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man shall also be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. •BIBLE CONTEXT Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Luke 9:25 For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and destroys or loses himself? Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, the Son of Man shall be ashamed of him, when he comes in his glory, and in the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. •BIBLE CONTEXT Luke 17:26 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. Luke 17:27 They ate, drank, married, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:28 And as it was in the days of Lot; they ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, built; Luke 17:29 On the day that Lot came out of Sodom, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven, and destroyed them all. Luke 17:30 So shall it be in the day that the Son of Man shall be revealed. Luke 17:31 In that day, whoever is on the housetop, and his goods at home, let him not go down to take them; and he who is in the field, likewise let him not turn back. Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:33 Everyone who seeks to save his life will lose it, and everyone who loses it will save it. Luke 17:34 I say unto you, That night there shall be two in one bed; the one will be taken, and the other will be left. Luke 17:35 Two women will be grinding together; the one will be taken, and the other left. Luke 17:36 Two shall be in the field; the one will be taken, and the other left. Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will also gather. •Jesus calls us to make a firm decision to follow him and to serve him. He calls us to die in order to live. •EXHORTATION TO BE GOOD SOLDIERS OF JESUS •THE DISCIPLINE AND POSTURE OF A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST (Exhortation to Timothy) A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ 2Ti 2:1 Be strong therefore, my son, in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2Ti 2:2 That which thou hast heard of me before many witnesses, this entrusts faithful men to be able to teach others also. 2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore suffer hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2Ti 2:4 No one who is a soldier is entangled in the affairs of life, that he may please him who took him for a soldier. •THE DISCIPLINE AND POSTURE OF A WRESTLER (A WRESTLING ATHLETE) 2Ti 2:5 And he who wrestles as an athlete is not crowned unless he fights lawfully. •THE EXAMPLE OF THE FARMER 2Ti 2:6 The farmer, in order to partake of the fruits, must first work. 2Ti 2:7 Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. •THE FIRMNESS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL Acts 20:24 But I take no heed to anything, neither do I esteem my life precious to myself, provided I finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of the grace of God. •THE DISCIPLINE AND POSTURE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL 1Co 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in the race run all of them, but one gets the prize? Run in such a way that you will get it. 1Co 9:25 Everyone who struggles abstains from everything; they indeed to receive a corruptible crown, but we to receive an imperishable crown. 1Co 9:26 Wherefore I run in this way, not as a haphazard; thus do I fight, not as one who striketh the air, 1 Corinthians 9:27 but I strike my body, and bring it into bondage, lest I be a herald to others, I myself come to be eliminated. •This is what our Lord Jesus is telling us in the chapters and passages we read earlier. Paul is a clear example of the meaning of following Jesus the Lord. 2Ti 4:5 But be sober in everything, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2Ti 4:6 For I am ready to be sacrificed, and the time of my departure is near. 2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2Ti 4:8 And the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me in that day, and not only to me, but also to all who love his coming. •This is God's plan for my life; I have to fight the good fight of faith, I have to finish the race, I have to keep the faith. I am to fulfill the ministry I received from the Lord. Paul did not waste his time, Paul took advantage of every day of his life in following Christ, Paul kept his eyes on the reward at the finish line. Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, I counted them loss for Christ's sake. 3:8 And verily, I count all things loss because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things, and count it as rubbish, that I might gain Christ, 3:9 and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is by the law, but that which is by faith of Christ, the righteousness that is of God through faith; 3:10 That I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 3:11 if I might by any means attain to the resurrection from the dead. •STRIVING TO REACH THE GOAL Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained it, nor that it is already perfect: but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which I was also laid hold of by Christ Jesus.3:13 Brethren, I myself do not claim to have already attained it: but one thing I do, forgetting that which is behind, and reaching out to that which is ahead, 3:14 I press on to the goal, to the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. •It is time to forget all that is behind us, it is time to press on to the goal, to the supreme call of God in Christ Jesus. It is time to follow Christ Jesus our Lord.

Without GOD We can't bear fruit John 15:2-10 'I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. He that abides not in me shall be cast out like a branch and shall wither; and they gather them up, and cast them into the fire, and they burn. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, even so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. Every branch that does not bear fruit in me he will take away; and everyone who bears fruit he will cleanse, that he may bear more fruit. You are now clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ' John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the one who cultivates it. If one of my branches does not bear grapes, I cut it off; but if it bears grapes, I prune it and clean it, so that it may yield more. You are already cleansed by the words I have spoken to you. Stay united to me, as I am still united to you. A branch cannot bear grapes of itself, if it is not united to the vine; In the same way, you cannot bear fruit if you do not remain united to me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who remains united to me, and I united to him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. He who does not remain cleft to me will be cast out and will wither like the branches that are gathered and burned in the fire. If you remain united to me, and if you remain faithful to my teachings, ask for what you want and it will be given to you. In this is shown the glory of my Father, that they bear much fruit and thus become my true disciples. ' ●The only way I can bear fruit is by abiding in Jesus, I have to understand that I am only a branch, and that it is the Vine that sustains me. THE FRUITS WE NEED TO BEAR ●22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 PARTS OF THE VINE 1.Root 2.Trunk 3.Branch 4.Sarmiento 5.Thumbs 6.Tendril 7.Sheet 8.Cluster 9.Fruit THE VINE IS THE WHOLE TREE OR VINE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE GRAPE TREE IS OF COURSE THE ROOT AND TRUNK. THE LORD ASKS US TO BEAR FRUIT. AND THE FRUIT IS PRODUCED WHEN WE ARE AND REMAIN IN THE VINE. WE MUST BE UNITED WITH JESUS OUR LORD. IF YOY REMAIN FAITHFULLY TO MY TEACHINGS. IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU YOU WILL ABIDE IN MY LOVE HE WHO DOES NOT REMAIN CLEFT TO ME. THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD ARE SO ESSENTIAL TO OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23. Are we bearing these fruits?.

WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD FAITH 1 Faith is therefore the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.2 For by it the ancients have obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we mean that the universe was constituted by the word of God, so that what is seen was made of what was not seen. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, whereby he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God bearing witness to his offerings; and when he was dead, he still speaks by it. 5 By faith Enoch was transposed so that he would not see death, and was not found, because God transposed him; and before he was transposed, he had testimony of having pleased God. 6 BUT WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD; For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. Hebrews 11:1-6 IT IS, THEREFORE, FAITH The certainty of what is expected, the conviction of what is not seen There must be in me the assurance of what I hope for in the promises of Jesus in His Word for my life. What I expect from all the promises God has promised. In me there must be the conviction of what I do not see, but which are already made by the Lord Jesus according to his very great promises. He Who Draws Near To God Must Believe That He Is And That He Is A Rewarder Of Those Who Seek Him. It is necessary for me to believe that God exists and that He is there with me and that He is for me, that I believe in Him, and in what He says in His Word. And that God Is Going To Reward Me, Reward Me, For Seeking Him Believing In Him. Every time I talk to him in prayer. Because this is the way you should act when you approach God. This is faith. By faith the ancients obtained a good testimony. Testimonies of the ancients ●ABEL GAINED A GOOD TESTIMONY THROUGH FAITH ●ENOC ●NOAH ●ABRAHAM ●ISAAC ●JACOB ●JOSEPH ●MOSES ●THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL ●Rahab ●GIDEON ●JEPHTHAH ●BARAC ●SAMSON ●DAVID ●SAMUEL ●THE PROPHETS ●MEN AND WOMEN OF FAITH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. 39 AND ALL THESE, THOUGH THEY HAD A GOOD REPORT THROUGH FAITH, did not receive what was promised; 40 God providing something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect apart from us. Hebrews 11:39-40 THE WAY TO GAIN A GOOD TESTIMONY IS THROUGH FAITH. Our brethren in the Old Testament were perfected in the faith, and as the writer tells us ; We Too Will Be Perfected In Faith 1.By Faith Abel 2.By faith Enoch 3.By faith Noah 4.By Faith Abraham 5.By Faith Sarah 6.By Faith Isaac 7.By Faith Jacob 8.By Faith Joseph 9.By Faith Moses 10.By the People of Israel 11.By faith Joshua and the people of Israel 12.By Faith Rehab 13.By Faith Gideon 14.By faith Barak 15.By Faith Samson 16.By Faith Jephthah 17.By Faith David 18.By faith all the prophets 19.By Faith All Men And Women In The Old Testament BY FAITH IN THE LORD GOD, IN JESUS OUR LORD OUR GREAT GOD; THE WRITER TO THE HEBREWS EMPHASIZES HOW IT IS THAT THEY ACHIEVED THESE TESTIMONIES IN THEIR LIVES AND ALL ACHIEVED IT BY FAITH. Keeping our eyes on Jesus 1 Therefore we also, having around us so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,2 looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him suffered the cross, despising the reproach, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who suffered such a contradiction of sinners against himself, so that your spirits may not grow weary until they faint. Hebrews 12:1-3 The Writer To The Hebrews Leaves Us A Reflection In The Chapter 11 Of The Testimony Of The Men And Women Of Faith Of The Old Testament but then begins chapter twelve. He exhorts us to look at the great cloud of witnesses around us, all of them are witnesses of the faith of our God. Now he tells us that we have a race ahead of us. Now he shows us the example of them ; But even greater than their testimony is the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. For our encouragement do not tire until we faint. He exhorts us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Both the testimony of the ancients should motivate and encourage us to continue, but even more so the example of our Savior. We need to lay off every weight and sin that besets us, and we need to run patiently in the race that lies ahead. The Good Fight of Faith 11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, to which you were also called, having made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 Paul exhorts Timothy to fight the good fight of faith, to lay hold of eternal life. Now I take this exhortation for myself. As if Paul were saying it to me. Brother, sister in Christ, take courage in the Lord Jesus, there is a great reward for all those who love God, who keep the faith. I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I kept the faith. 5 But be sober in everything, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am ready to be sacrificed, and the time of my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 And the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me in that day, and not only to me, but also to all who love his coming. 2 Timothy 4:5-8