THE HEART OF A PSALMIST

 WHAT DOES THE HEART OF A PSALMIST LOOK LIKE?

SYNOPSIS

Christians love “The Book of Psalms” because it speaks the universal language (music & songs) of the soul. Above all, the Psalms declare the greatness of God our Creator, King, Father, Saviour, Shepherd and Judge.

What would be the psalmist’s advice if they lived in our times? How would their songs reflect the same truth in a different age? Be inspired, be encouraged and be blessed as we explore these four favourites Psalms:

Part 1 - Psalm 1 - Two Men Two Ways, Two Destinies

Part 2 - Psalm 23 - My Sheep Hears My Voice

Part 3 - Psalm 90 - Numbering Our Days

Part 4 - Psalm 103 - Blessings The Soul Forgets

PART 1 - PSALM 1

Two Men, Two Ways, Two Destinies

PART 2 - PSALM 23 My Sheep Hears My Voice

PART 3 - PSALM 90

Numbering Our Days

PART 4 - PSALM 103

Blessings The Soul Forgets

Remarks: For Other Sermons / Videos - Go to my YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@rickysimsg 
Mega-Blessings :)

FGA PAKISTAN - MESSAGE ON GUARDING THE HEART

Praise God for the opportunity to share the message on Guarding The Heart via Zoom at FGA Church, Pakistan. Some screenshot photographs and video testimonies. 

TRANSFORMATION OF THE HEART SERIES 101

We are thankful that the LORD has divinely open many doors for the teaching of Transformation of the Heart to nations. This is one unique way of the LORD fulfilling our calling to the nations. This week we will be "zooming" to the UAE, Dubai. 

When the world pandemic started in 2020, our seminars to some countries were cancelled. However, no border closures nor limited travelling constraints can stop the teaching and ministry of His Word. During these 2+ years, besides ministering at local communities and churches, we were still able to "zoom-teach" overseas to Nepal, Pakistan, and some other attendees coming from the USA, Australia, China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, South Africa, etc.

The message of the Heart cuts across all ages, cultures, status, denominations or races. Whether you are a young Christian or many years believers, it is important that we all know how to guard our hearts. The heart is the master control of your life. Whatever you open your heart to has the power to shape your life and your destiny.

"Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it"
Proverbs 4:23 NIV

As you read this blog post, and you are interest to host Transformation of the Heart Seminar, whether you are near or far, you are most welcome to contact us for more information.

Blessings :)

TRANSFORMATION OF THE HEART TESTIMONIES

We are grateful to God for the successful completion of the last two months’ Online Zoom Seminar. There were more than 50 inter-denominational churches represented. The teachings have impacted and ministered to many lives. All glory to God! Below are some testimonies from those who have completed the full course:

Life Testimonies from our Seminars

* There is no doubt the Spirit of the Lord is the one who birthed forth your ministry and teaching. It really helped bring greater clarity and light into areas that are close to His heart too as we are transformed more into the Bride of Christ.

* Both pastors have made it very relevant to our daily lives and interactions with one another, feelings that we are aware of but don’t look into deeply enough nor define it properly. For providing Biblical antidotes in a flashcard prescription for references.

* You both have broken down the teaching into bite sizes and so edible to my mind. My toxic thoughts and resentment have been healed during this seminar.

* This seminar gives Word and clarity to the issues of the heart that is so easy to understand and applicable to my life.

* The topics are indeed relevant in many lives and your proofed points supplemented with Scriptures help us to guard our hearts. Wonderful teaching, So very blessed!

* The seminar helped me to know how to be set free from my anger, jealousy, guilt and greed. It also helped me to identify the root issues, teach me how to seek the Lord for restoration. Gives me keys to victory.

* Extremely blessed by the teaching, indeed Spirit-led as Abba want to heal me on certain heart issue I am facing now.

* The teaching is so rich!

* Deeply appreciate the teachings based on the Word of God. So knowledgeable and great teaching in spiritual that minister to hearts.

* Vitamins for the soul!

* Enlightening and new insights!

* The concepts you presented are so applicable. You used very good examples, stories, Scripture verses to simplify and emphasize a point, easy for us to digest and understand and also your own testimonies, I really like it. So beneficial also are the Gateways into my heart, something I never connect or relate to my heart before.

* It’s like a healing ministry teaching to me. God used your teachings to highlight my problems. Awakened my senses and I had deliverance of my issues after that. Really Good! Very lively.

LOVING GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

with all your soul, and with all your strength."

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NKJV)

Different cultures have different conceptions of the human heart, what it is and what it does, and the biblical authors are no exception. In this video, we'll explore the ancient Hebrew words for "heart" as well as the different ideas of what our hearts represent. There is no biblical word that captures better the essence of human thought, feeling, and desire than this rich and wonderful word.

We explore the Hebrew word "nephesh" that often gets translated as "soul." The English word usually refers to a non-material essence of a human that survives after death, but nephesh means something different. It is referring to humans as living, breathing, physical beings, or just to life itself. Prepare to be surprised at the biblical meaning of this fascinating word.

What does it mean to love God "with all of your strength"? In this final installment of our videos on the Shema, we explore the Hebrew word underneath this phrase. And spoiler alert: "strength" is only one of many ways this rich word could be translated.

Let's talk about love, Old Testament style! In this video, we'll explore the various ways the Hebrew authors used the word "love," and how they depicted God as the ultimate source and goal of all human love.

Is hearing and listening the same thing? This video, discover how sound entering your ear-drums isn't synonymous with "listening", at least from a biblical perspective. This video is the first installment of our Word Studies series, a six-part exploration of the ancient biblical prayer called “The Shema.”

TRANSFORMATION OF THE HEART SEMINAR

The School of Transformation 

presents 

 "The Transformation of the Heart" Series 101 Seminar.

This teaching will lay a basic foundation for all believers to live out victorious godly lives. (Topic details in the attached e-flyer) We believe God is after the heart, and so is the devil. So it is very essential for us to learn how to guard our heart zealousy to live out our destiny. This is definitely a life changing seminar and will be a time worth investing in.

Below are some some testinmonies from our ministry in Ipoh, Malaysia in 2019 for a church camp and a weekend seminar:

Chinese Translation

Burmese Translation

THE UNDEFILED HEART

"Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

4 

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully"

(Psalm 24:3-4)

INTRODUCTION

God is after the heart of worship, and so is the devil. In the last days, the enemy is relentless and aggressive to hijack all the worship that belongs to God. One of the ways he does is to defile the altar of our hearts through idolatry. What is the responsibility of every Christian? The thrust of this book addresses the question: “What does the heart of a worshipper look like?” For worship to be authentic, it has to be wholehearted and undefiled 

-  Ricky Sim  -

FOREWORD

Ricky Sim goes after the heart of the matter in this book: The heart. He shows us so well that for worship to be authentic, it must be wholehearted.
But Ricky doesn’t really play it safe with this book. He doesn’t colour inside the lines. He doesn’t honour the boundaries of that which is politically correct. Among other things, he goes after one of the biggest “heart problem” in our day – Idolatry.
Idolatry. Just talking about it is a sure-fire way to guarantee that nobody wants to buy your book. Nobody wants to believe that it’s actually an issue in our hearts.
It’s time to sit up straight and look at this beast of the heart. It’s time to shine the light of truth and wisdom on that part of our heart that is so easily touched by the idols of possessions, pleasures and powers.
When I listen to Christian podcasts today, many of them chart a course that actually supports and validates covetousness of idolatry. It has suddenly become a noble thing to earnestly desire more sales, more profits, more reach, more comfort. All the more reason for a book like this to call us back to the heart of worship.
There’s only one way I know to deal with idolatry, and that is by the violence of incessant repentance. Whenever you see it, take out the sword of the Spirit and hack off that vine. And be aware that the tendrils of idolatry, for they always grow back again. They will launch yet enough effort to wrap around your heart and pull your mind down from things above (Colossians 3:1). The heart’s war against idolatry is not a victory we conquer, but a battle that we engage in on a daily basis. The same is true for most issues of the heart.
Idolatry. That’s only one of many heart issues that Ricky tackles in this book. Buckle up, start with chapter one, and go after the heart of the matter: The heart.

Bob Sorge
Author, bobsorge.com

ENDORSEMENTS

Ricky meticulously traces through the Scriptures from the Old Testament to the New Testament to discover the heart of a true worshipper of God. In the book he details what pleases or offends the Lord and offers the reader practical applications to become a worshipper that delights the Lord.
I highly recommend this book to every believer embarking on this journey.

Pastor Daniel Foo
Senior Pastor and Lead Elder – Bethesda (Bedok-Tampines) Church Singapore & Faculty with Haggai Institute, Tung Ling Bible School and Eagles Leadership Institute.

In this book, Ricky Sim has chosen to address the critical issue of the heart. Out of the heart flows the issues of life and only God can redeem the human heart. Not only did Ricky seek to diagnose what is wrong with the human heart because of sin but he has also highlighted the work of Christ on the Cross to redeem it. He went on further to provide us with fiercely biblical and highly practical handles to continue cultivating a pure and undefiled heart before God. This is one of the most comprehensive and helpful work on the human heart that I have come across in recent times. So read this book and be blessed!

Pastor Benny Ho
Senior Pastor - Faith Community Church, Perth
Founder - Arrows School of Ministry

All that my dear friend Ricky writes in this book is firmly embodied in his lifestyle as a worshipper of Christ. These are biblical truths about worship that have not just been learnt, but lived through as Ricky journeys in the grace of God. So when he writes about the shattering of the altars made to false idols in our lives, he beautifully writes from the gracious place of experience. Definitely a necessary read for those who take their worship seriously.

Pastor Neli Atiga
Senior Pastor
Every Nation Church, Brisbane

Ricky Sim is a man who is passionate about worship. While he is a worship leader, it is clear through his writing that worship is not merely about worship leading in a service. For Ricky, worship leading extends beyond the service, it has to affect every part of daily life. And at the heart of it all, Ricky tells us that it is a matter of the heart. Is the heart one that loves and fears God or one that loves the world and fears man? In his own words, “If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then the fear of man is the end of it.” There is good teaching in this book – lots of it – that will help the reader understand more about the issues of the heart and begin a life of holiness. Take your time, savour every bit of it and let God cultivate and purify your heart through this book in one hand and the Bible in the other, so that you might see God.”

Rev Barnabas Chong
Pastor, Christ Methodist Church

Ricky has done well in capturing the essence of the heart. Since his days at Tung Ling Bible School, we hear his heartbeat for the matter of the heart. As they say, “The heart of the matter, is the matter of the heart.” In this third edition of a series of books on the heart matter, Ricky continues to deal with the issues of the heart of a worshipper. A wonderful treatise on The Undefiled Heart. Without doubt, you must give your undivided heart to read it. Congratulations Ricky on the publishing of yet another title. We are proud of you!

Ong Guek Ju
Principal, Tung Ling Bible School

Contents

Foreword
Endorsements
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Overview
Prologue

Part 1 – A Pure Heart 
Chapter 1 Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
Chapter 2 Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Part 2 – An Undefiled Heart 
Chapter 3 What Defiles our Hearts?
Chapter 4 The Golden Calf
Chapter 5 Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech
Chapter 6 Demolishing the High Places
Chapter 7 Defiling the Temple of God
Chapter 8 Rebuilding the Temple of God
Part 3 – A Steadfast Heart 
Chapter 9 Who Gets the Worship?
Chapter 10 The Unstoppable Worshipper
Part 4 – A Passionate Heart
Chapter 11 Are you a Worshipper?
Chapter 12 The Essence of Worship
Chapter 13 Worshipping the Ways of God
Epilogue
Chapter 14 The Undefiled Heart

PROLOGUE

The Undefiled Heart is the third book on the “Guarding the Hearts” series. The first book is “The Unguarded Heart” and the second is “The Undivided Heart.”

In The Unguarded Heart, I have addressed the following questions: What is the heart? Why do we need to guard our heart? And, how do we guard our heart?

In The Undivided Heart, the book is about making choices. We need to choose to stay guarded and deal with issues of the heart (e.g. anger, envy, jealousy, unforgiveness, pride, greed, lust, etc.) that could affect our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ and our devotion to God.
It defines as: “One who has a devoted, a dedicated, and a committed heart in his relationship with God. This wholehearted devotion is 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 he does.”

In this book, The Undefiled Heart - It is an expansion from The Unguarded Heart. Here the focus is about having a pure heart, an undefiled heart, a passionate heart, and a steadfast heart in worshipping God. We can only do so when we choose to love the Lord wholeheartedly:
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).

It is more than expressing a love song, singing a worship song, or playing an instrument, but it is a heart that is committed to being in an intimate relationship with God and walking in obedience to His commands.

It is about being a worshipper rather than doing worship. The emphasis is at the heart of a lifestyle worshipper as compared to the art of worship. We are familiar with the story of Mary and Martha, who worship and serve Jesus, respectively.

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’
And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42).

Today, Jesus is still addressing that one thing which Mary does that is needful, and that is, to have a heart that is pure, passionate, steadfast, and an intimate relationship with Him! You see, Martha knows how (about serving), but Mary knows Him! (about intimacy). The key is to first be a worshipper and then do worship! Otherwise, we may end up doing worship ritualistically, but our hearts may be far away from Him.
Jesus warns:

“This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men” (Mark 7:6b-8a).
“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honour Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men” (Isaiah 29:13).

Today, the Father is still seeking, yearning and longing for worshippers who will choose one thing – to put their hearts into worshipping Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).
May this book revolutionise our perspective about being a lifestyle worshipper who will please the Father’s heart.

One of such worshippers found in the Bible is none other than King David. He said: “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).
We all know that King David was not a perfect man. He was not just an adulterer; he was also a murderer of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. When confronted by the prophet Nathan, he was convicted of his sins and humbly repented before the Lord (2 Samuel 11).
Does this story speak to us? In Jeremiah 17:9, the Lord said that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”
Will we be able to pray the prayer of King David: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10)?
Through David’s wholehearted repentance, God forgave him and gave him the new heart (a pure heart) that He was after:
“The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14a).
“I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do My will” (Acts 13:22).

With the above synopsis, we will now step into the journey of a lifestyle worshipper by addressing the thrust of this book: What does the heart of a worshipper look like?
He is one who has an undefiled heart. We can seek to have an undefiled heart by asking ourselves some of these vital questions:
- What defiles our hearts?
- Why we must choose to worship God alone and no other gods?
- How do we become a lifestyle worshipper who worships God in spirit and in truth as such bringing pleasure to Abba Father God?

To have a pure heart is to be single-minded, and our hearts need to focus on one thing: That it is not distracted nor cluttered in our devotion to God.

God is after our hearts of worship, and so is the devil! We have a choice to give God our full, undivided attention and devotion.

“Worship is in the Heart and not in the art”

- The Praise and Worship Connection -