THE UNDIVIDED HEART

“Teach me Your way, O LORD;

I will walk in your truth;

Unite my heart to fear Your name.”

Psalm 86:11

"The undivided hearted believer is one who has a devoted, a dedicated, and a committed heart in his relationship with God. This wholehearted devotion is made possible because he chooses to walk in partnership with the Holy Spirit and in the reverential fear of the Lord, which result in a lifestyle of obedience to the Lord in all that he does"

Ricky Sim

BOOK CONTENTS

Part 1: The Undivided Heart - You Have A Choice

Chapter 1: The Quest for an Undivided Heart

Chapter 2: The Commitment of an Undivided Heart

Chapter 3: The Choice of an Undivided Heart

Chapter 4: Two Men, Two Ways, Two Destinies

Part 2: The Undivided Heart - Dealing With The Issues of Life

Chapter 5: Envy and Jealousy

Chapter 6: Anger

Chapter 7: Anxiety and Worry

Chapter 8: Covetousness

Chapter 9: Pride

Chapter 10: Lust

Part 3: The Conclusion

Chapter 11: Walking in the Spirit

Chapter 12: Walking in the Fear of the Lord

Chapter 13: God is After the Whole Heart

ENDORSEMENTS

It doesn't take long for one to notice that Ricky Sim eats, breathes, sleeps, and talks only about his love for Jesus. I had the privilege to work closely with him on several Praise & Worship projects and I often came away impressed with his single-minded dedication to God. It was so genuine that it emanates through his being. Worship for him is not just the music and songs in which we both played and sang together so often. Worship is his lifestyle.
Though I may not know many authors who may have written similar topics in the past, I do know Ricky. Reading this new book is like having a chat with him in the coffee shop. I cannot put it in any other ways, but just “it is so Ricky.”
The Undivided Heart, which I believed was compiled from his own years of experiences, speaks volume of his selfless intention to encourage and motivate others along.
He personified what he wrote on page 29 - “A believer with an undivided heart is one who walks in the fear of the Lord and in obedience to God’s Word.” Those who know him would attest to this.
The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart as he inferred to in Part Two of this book. As a Psychologist, I am impressed with the manner in which Ricky was able to take on some of the most challenging emotional issues of life head on. More than just raising the problems that often crowd our attention away from God, he also articulated ways how his readers could overcome them, in clear and succinct ways. The way he skillfully weaved Bible verses into our daily struggles is an art in itself and thus, made it a joy to read.
I have no doubt that this book, “The Undivided Heart” is another winner in the making and I commend Ricky for an excellent job in publishing this book.
Dr. Fred Toke, PsyD
Chief Operations Officer, Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries

The author and I went back more than three decades ago… while he chose to serve God in the marketplace, I had answered the call to full-time ministry. All these years, I have known Ricky to be steadfast and faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. He is gifted in the area of worship ministry and uses this gift to glorify his Saviour.
His latest book, The Undivided Heart, is a reminder that we all have choices to make and that we decide where we end up on this journey of faith. We must guard our hearts in an increasingly corrupted and godless culture. I especially like the part where he emphasizes that we must not be a “two-timer” in our relationship with God. We cannot have one leg in the Kingdom of God and the other in the world - wanting God’s favor and at the same time desiring all the world can offer.
This strong message is much needed today. Ricky reminds us that we must make choices and take action to ensure our hearts are undivided, and to uphold the biblical standards entrusted to us. You will be challenged as you digest the timeless principles found in this book.
Rev Lawrence Seow - Evangelist-Revivalist

Our ‘heart’ is the most important subject that requires our attention and we need to do our utmost to understand it. As Christians, having ‘undivided heart’ is the key to achieve success in both our physical and spiritual lives. With our willingness to change and having our focus on Jesus Christ, God will be able to give us a change of heart.
I highly recommend Ricky Sim’s book titled ‘The Undivided Heart’ to those who wish to live a successful and meaningful life which pleases our Almighty God.
Rev. Song Meng Liang - Senior Pastor, Church of Singapore Bukit Timah

I have known Ricky as one who enjoys and loves to worship God. What Ricky has written is simple but profound. Practical yet insightful. If you are concerned about the issues of your heart, this book is a must-read for it instructs, warns, teaches and advises the ways of the Lord. It urges you to make the right choice of walking in the fear of the Lord with wholehearted devotion.
Doris Ng - Senior Director, Life Coach
Author of Multiplying Marketplace Miracles/Marketplace Manna/
Marketplace Manners/Soul Food

FOREWORD

What God desires more than anything else is our heart and it is also what the devil wants most as well. This is because the “heart” in
Scripture is seen as the master control area of our lives. It defines who we are and determines what we become.
Our hearts can be our greatest treasure or a most grievous traitor, it depends what has captured and controls them.
Jesus said that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand and neither can a heart that becomes divided within itself. When you hear of the latest tragic account of a well-known Christian man and woman and their ministry “fall and fail” morally or monetarily, it is because at some point, their hearts became divided. They didn’t stop loving and serving God, but they also began to love and serve the gods of lust and mammon alongside Him.
This is why the great call of the Old Testament is to love God with all our hearts and Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts. The commandments made clear we are not only to have no other gods before God and also no other gods beside Him.
In his latest excellent book, The Undivided Heart, Ricky Sim takes us on a journey through the Scriptures and the lives of many of its prominent characters to show the dangers and destructiveness of a divided heart. Even more importantly, he explains how we can avoid the shipwreck of such a condition and live in God’s blessing and walk in integrity. He reveals the causes and cure for a heart that has become captured and corrupted by the world, the flesh and the devil.
He also shows us the benefits and blessings of a heart totally yielded to an undivided before God. What he says will not only inform you, but also help to transform your life,
Rev. David Holdaway
Elim Pentecostal Church (United Kingdom)

Author of more than 20 books, including The Captured Heart/The Burning Heart/The Issues of The Heart/Revival Is a Heart Issue

PREFACE

The book is a continuing series from my first book - The Unguarded Heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV).
For many months now, I have been searching deeper at what the Scriptures have to say about the importance of the guarding of the heart. In writing this second volume, I am challenged to look specifically on the subject concerning the believer’s choice to walk with an “undivided heart” in relation to our devotion to God and why it matters?
Firstly, in practice, the guarding of the heart simply means preparing our heart in advance so that when someone “blows it” – for an example when dealing with the issues of life, such as unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, pride, lust, envy, greed, etc. We are ready to choose to stay guarded in the Lord and by His grace let go and move on. Somebody has to get spiritual first; let it be us.
Secondly, this book is also an invitation to step into the prayer of King David, the psalmist:
“Teach me your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart, to fear Your name.” (Psalm 86:11)
“God’s way and David’s walk” are metaphors on how the psalmist ought to conduct his faith in the Lord, which is choosing to do God’s will and obeying His commandments. David had made a choice (“I will walk”) to walk in the way of the Lord. This had led him to the next step, which is to desire to be steadfast in his devotion with an undivided heart. He was able to do so because he had chosen to walk in the fear of the Lord as seen in the following verse:
“Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.”
(Psalm 128:1)

At this point, I wish to address the earnestness of having an undivided heart. In these last days, we cannot be a “two-timer” in our relationship with the Lord, where one foot is in the Kingdom of God and the other foot is entangled in the system of the world. As we witness the many end-time signs being fulfilled right before our eyes, we need to be watchful that there are many distractions surrounding us. These temptations will lure us away from the one important thing we need more than anything else as we anticipate our Lord’s soon return – Our intimate relationship with God.
The Apostle Paul warned us to:
“Work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) and we are to “walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).
Jesus also warned us in Matthew 25:1-13 of the parable of the wise virgins and the foolish virgins. The wise virgins had extra oil while the foolish virgins did not. Let us choose to be the wise virgins to ensure that we have sufficient oil in our lamps to be ready for the soon coming of the bridegroom. Please note that both the wise virgins and the foolish virgins had the same opportunity to buy oil. However, only the wise virgins chose to take extra oil in their vessels with their lamps.
There is therefore an urgent call to stay vigilant with an undivided heart, with the reverential fear of the Lord. We cannot walk with God and yet holding hands with the devil. There’s a choice to be made by all. Let us be wise and walk circumspectly so that we will fulfil God’s destiny for us.
Blessings, Ricky Sim

AUTHOR, WARNS AGAINST "UNGUARDED HEART"

For author Ricky Sim, accounts of biblical figures succumbing to temptations are a powerful reminder that the human heart is prone to stray and deceitful, and needs to be protected.

Speaking in an interview with The Christian Post, Ricky, 56, who wrote The Unguarded Heart: Everything You Do Flows From It (self-published, 2012), highlighted the cases of David and Solomon, two kings of Israel.

The book addresses the biblical understanding of the heart, the need to guard it, how to do so, and the heart of a worshipper. A public and private book launch was held on Palm Sunday.

Explaining the meaning of the title of his first book, Ricky noted that he had been asked why it is important to guard one's heart.

"If you don't guard it, everything will fail," said the avid Christian blogger, songwriter, and worship leader.

Spirituality itself is no insurance against succumbing to temptation. King David was commended as a man after God's heart. And yet he committed adultery and murder after seeing a woman bathing one day.

King Solomon, said to be the wisest man of his time, is another extreme case. His many wives turned his heart away from God.

The same pressures of life exist today. This often takes the form of the temptation to pursue wealth, power, and pleasure at all costs.

Another reason for guarding the heart is that God is concerned about it.

"If your heart is not right, your worship can become... noise," said Ricky, citing 1 Corinthians 13. After all, God admonished the Israelites in the Old Testament for not putting their heart into their worship, he added.

Ricky, an engineer, observed that the Kingdom of God has been an emphasis of the Christian community in recent years. As he wrote his book, he asked God how his subject fits into the flow of things.

His answer: "If your heart is not right, you can be talking about the Kingdom of God (but) it won't work."

An unguarded heart affects one's personal relationship with God. One begins to lose interest in reading the Word of God and becomes more prone to succumbing to temptation.

Spending hours watching television and neglecting Bible reading, and an inclination toward anger, hatred, bitterness, envy, jealousy may be signs of an unguarded heart.

In regard to guarding the heart, Ricky believes it is important to commit one's heart to the Lord and to sing to Him in worship on a daily basis. Christians should also guard their devotional time with God, memorizing and obeying His Word, and allow the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, counsel, convict, and lead them.

Strengthening one's personal relationship with God is an effective way of dealing with the numerous temptations. In his book, Ricky included the story of a Christian who, when he heard, Satan knocking at his door, promptly sent Christ to answer it.

The author hopes that his book will inspire Christians and help them to offer beautiful and clear hearts to God. An unguarded heart is a horrible thing, he expressed. The book's cover illustration of a fragmented heart shows this. Seeing the picture, one of its endorsers even described the book looked like a 'horror book'.

He encourages readers of his book to re-read it and allow it to become part of their daily life.

Ricky was motivated to write by a writer's workshop held two-and-a-half years ago. He is already planning to write two more books. One will be at the heart of the psalmist and another about 52 ways to guard the heart.

Note: This article was published in The Singapore Christian Post in May 2012.