Family Turned Hearts

Family

Turned Hearts

The last verse of the Old Testament tells us

How concerned God is with the hearts of fathers, sons and daughters

God will turn the hearts

A heart is the treasure chest of desire, hope, and expectation

It is the emotional side of the brain affecting the way we think

God will turn the heart that opens the door to Him

If your heart is a treasure chest empty of treasures and full of darkness

God wants to turn your heart

To change your emotional desires from the cures to the blessing

We cannot put enough emphasis on turning the

“Fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers”

God turns the heart by infusing love 

The love of God is the love of the Father

And there is where we get our example and encouragement 

Turned Hearts

Every writer and speaker knows

the importance of the final words.

The words you sum up everything else you said.

They are the words you want your hearers

to walk away with and never forget.

Had you ever thought about the

last word of the Old Testament?

The word is cherem in Hebrew.

We translate it as “Curse”.

Of all the ways we use “curse”,

 this word is the strongest.

In other places in the Old Testament it means…

Total, utter destruction,

complete extermination

Nothing is salvaged,

 everything is destroyed.

That is the last word of the Old Testament.

It makes you want to back up to see

what would bring on such a curse.

So let’s look at the last verse in the Old Testament…

He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, 

and the hearts of the children to their fathers; 

or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

Malachi 4:6

  WOW!

Turning of hearts

I would have expected turning

of hearts toward God…

 But I am some want surprised that God puts

such an emphasis on family at this point.

Fatherhood has everything to

do with where the heart is.

 

Obviously from this verse…

 God sees the heart of the father

and the heart of children can be

toward each other or somewhere else.

There are three signs of a heart that needs to turn.

Fathers who “ignore” their children…

Failure to consider, do not take notice

of or acknowledge; disregard.

If God puts such importance on fathers

 to turn their hearts to their children,

than we have to ask the questions…

What things can be more important than a father’s

heart being turned toward  his children?

 Or, what would keep him from

his heart being toward his children?

Whether the children are young or old,

fathers should take notice of them…

For praise, giving them security and confidence

and for correction and instruction.

That means a father needs to be

involved in his children’s lives.

 

The second sign is “Abuse”.

Abuse comes in many ways like

the type we see in Colossians 3:21…

Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them

or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose

and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.]  AMP

Sadly, we see child abused, too often…

 In the news not only among

unbelievers, but in the church,

Physical, emotional, domestic

violence, sexual abuse and more.

 

We must ask ourselves the question…

 Why is abuse increasing?

The third sign is “embitter”.

Fathers have expectations for their

children, valid and sometimes invalid.

When a child does not meet the expectation

of the father, a father’s heart can turn.

 

These three signs…

 Ignore

Abuse

Embitter

Are also found in the children.

Whether young or old, we can ignore the

needs and responsibilities to our parents.

Our words and actions can be very

abusive, provoking bitterness and anger.

As children, we have expectations of our father’s

and become embitters at our disappointment in them.

We should realize being a father

starts at conception and never ends.

Being a son or daughter starts

at conception and never ends.

God takes the heart of the fathers and

the sons and daughters very serious.

So much so that He will cursed

the land with total destruction.

In the last verse of the Old Testament

is one more powerful statement…

 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,

and the hearts of the children to their fathers

God will turn the hearts.

A heart is the treasure chest

of desire, hope, and expectation.

It is the emotional side of the

brain affecting the way we think.

God will turn the heart that

opens the door to Him.

If your heart is a treasure chest empty

of treasures and full of darkness…

 God wants to turn your heart.

To change your emotional desires

from the cures to the blessing.

We cannot put enough emphasis on turning the…

“Fathers to their children, and the

hearts of the children to their fathers.”

God turns the heart by infusing love.

  

The love of God is the love of the Father.

And there is where we get our

example and encouragement.  

Scripture Reading

Malachi 4:1-6 NIV

4:1 "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. 3 Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty.

4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."