Monday, January 10, 2011
Craving More of Jesus: Heart Surgery
Craving More of Jesus: Heart Surgery: "Romans 2:29 A true Jew is one whose heart is right with God, true circumcision is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person w..."
Heart Surgery
Romans 2:29
A true Jew is one whose heart is right with God, true circumcision is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not people.
One thing I have learned over the years is that if I allow God's Spirit to change my heart then a change in my actions will follow. If I just seek an outward change then I will not have an inward change. God works from the inside out.
Let's dig a little deeper.
1. This change of heart is produced by God's Spirit.- It is not something I can bring about on my own. This change will be done by the Holy Spirit if I submit to His working and remolding in my life. It is literally a surgery. If you have ever had surgery, you know that it hurts! From start to finish it is not any fun. First you get an IV, then they give you some drugs to knock you out and the next thing you know you wake up in pain! Does that mean the surgery went wrong- NO, does it mean that you had an incompetent surgeon- NO, does it mean that you should not have gone through with the procedure and chosen an alternative method? NO. Does the pain last forever? NO. In fact, we are willing to go through the pain knowing that the end result will be a good one. The surgery actually HELPS us.
Well, God is the most gentle surgeon I know, yet when He begins surgery on our heart, it may hurt. But we will recover and the pain produces a good result. We have a changed life and a new heart! There is no alternative treatment for our sin problem other than the mighty hand of God performing surgery on us.
2. A person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not people-If one desires to seek praise from man, they can actually just change their actions when they're around the person from whom they seek praise. They can basically put on a show. Man can not see through into the heart as God can. Therefore, it is easier to fool man, at least for a period of time. But if one desires praise from God then they must have a changed heart.
Today, right now, admit yourselves into God's hospital. Sign the consent giving God permission to do a heart operation on you. Don't tie God's hands with your schedule or plans- just clear your schedule and let Him do what He needs to do. All that matters in life can be summed up in just a few words: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"
A true Jew is one whose heart is right with God, true circumcision is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not people.
One thing I have learned over the years is that if I allow God's Spirit to change my heart then a change in my actions will follow. If I just seek an outward change then I will not have an inward change. God works from the inside out.
Let's dig a little deeper.
1. This change of heart is produced by God's Spirit.- It is not something I can bring about on my own. This change will be done by the Holy Spirit if I submit to His working and remolding in my life. It is literally a surgery. If you have ever had surgery, you know that it hurts! From start to finish it is not any fun. First you get an IV, then they give you some drugs to knock you out and the next thing you know you wake up in pain! Does that mean the surgery went wrong- NO, does it mean that you had an incompetent surgeon- NO, does it mean that you should not have gone through with the procedure and chosen an alternative method? NO. Does the pain last forever? NO. In fact, we are willing to go through the pain knowing that the end result will be a good one. The surgery actually HELPS us.
Well, God is the most gentle surgeon I know, yet when He begins surgery on our heart, it may hurt. But we will recover and the pain produces a good result. We have a changed life and a new heart! There is no alternative treatment for our sin problem other than the mighty hand of God performing surgery on us.
2. A person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not people-If one desires to seek praise from man, they can actually just change their actions when they're around the person from whom they seek praise. They can basically put on a show. Man can not see through into the heart as God can. Therefore, it is easier to fool man, at least for a period of time. But if one desires praise from God then they must have a changed heart.
Today, right now, admit yourselves into God's hospital. Sign the consent giving God permission to do a heart operation on you. Don't tie God's hands with your schedule or plans- just clear your schedule and let Him do what He needs to do. All that matters in life can be summed up in just a few words: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
With all my heart
Deuteronomy 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jump ahead to the New Testament where the apostle Paul writes God knows how often I pray for you, day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about His Son. Romans 1:9
Deuteronomy 11 starts with an admonishment to obey God, and with good reason! They had witnessed the power and mighty acts of God! They had front row seats to the awesome power of God! This should result in them serving God with all their heart
Romans 1:9 says he serves God with all his heart by spreading the good news of the Gospel
What about us? Though we were not there to witness what they saw, we all have witnessed the mighty power of God in our lives in one way or another- in fact I venture to say that we have seen this several times!
Based on that, I ask myself am I serving God with all my heart? My life is one big story of mighty acts of God, yet I can easily slump back into lukewarm service if I am not careful.
What about us when it comes to spreading the Gospel- The apostle Paul related serving God with all his heart to spreading the Gospel. See, the two go hand in hand. When I serve God with all my heart, telling others about salvation will be an automatic thing.
What does "with all your heart" mean- This is what the Lord shared with me on May 27th, 2007, please let me tell you.
When I love God with all my heart, then I will love His ways, His works, His wisdom and His war. Let's look at each one separately to get a better idea of what I am saying
I will walk in His ways-I will want His ways to become my ways. I will find myself asking "what would Jesus do?" I will yield to the Holy Spirit and allow myself to be placed on the potter's wheel to be made into something that resembles Christ so that I may glorify Him while I journey through this earth.
I will love His works- His works are people. He created us. I will find myself loving others, desiring to help others, forgiving others and showing the compassion of Jesus Christ.
I will seek His wisdom- I will find myself seeking advice from the Lord and His Word. I will allow it to be the lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I will obey His Word and meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1) It won't be just head knowledge in me, but rather a heart knowledge. A heart knowledge means I will live it out, not just leave it in my head.
I will be willing to boldy enter into the spiritual battle between darkness and light- Most people know the song "Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before" You see, as believers, we are engaged in an invisible yet obvious war against the prince of the power of the air, satan himself! He is out to destroy anything that has to do with God. Guess what, that means he is out to destroy us, for we belong to God. We must be prepared to enter in to battle. Understand the battle will go on whether you're ready or not. It will go on until the return of the Lord and the final binding of Satan once for all. So, the question is not "if" there is a war, but rather are you braced for it? Dressed in the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6. We are not just fighting this spiritual battle for ourselves but also for those around us and those who will come after us. It is a war for the souls of the lost, as we witness and try to snatch them out of the fire. We will find ourselves interceding on the behalf of someone else, or witnessing to those people God places in our paths. The minute we become a Christian we receive our marching orders and enter into the war.This is not a war of hating and condeming others who are blinded by the darkness, rather it is loving them and taking every opportunity to share the love of Christ with this world. It is a tough battle and I believe with all my heart it is about to get even tougher. But the greatest thing is, do not fear! As the song says: "With the cross of Jesus going on before. Jesus is there, the Captain of our army and He has yet to lose a war. (click on the tab "Psalm 18" on homepage)
In 2011, why not serve the Lord with all your heart! He will help you, take a moment right now to ask for that help you need that you may come to the end of 2011 saying "I served God with all my heart"
If you do not know the Lord please click on the page that asks if you have a personal relationship with God
Jump ahead to the New Testament where the apostle Paul writes God knows how often I pray for you, day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about His Son. Romans 1:9
Deuteronomy 11 starts with an admonishment to obey God, and with good reason! They had witnessed the power and mighty acts of God! They had front row seats to the awesome power of God! This should result in them serving God with all their heart
Romans 1:9 says he serves God with all his heart by spreading the good news of the Gospel
What about us? Though we were not there to witness what they saw, we all have witnessed the mighty power of God in our lives in one way or another- in fact I venture to say that we have seen this several times!
Based on that, I ask myself am I serving God with all my heart? My life is one big story of mighty acts of God, yet I can easily slump back into lukewarm service if I am not careful.
What about us when it comes to spreading the Gospel- The apostle Paul related serving God with all his heart to spreading the Gospel. See, the two go hand in hand. When I serve God with all my heart, telling others about salvation will be an automatic thing.
What does "with all your heart" mean- This is what the Lord shared with me on May 27th, 2007, please let me tell you.
When I love God with all my heart, then I will love His ways, His works, His wisdom and His war. Let's look at each one separately to get a better idea of what I am saying
I will walk in His ways-I will want His ways to become my ways. I will find myself asking "what would Jesus do?" I will yield to the Holy Spirit and allow myself to be placed on the potter's wheel to be made into something that resembles Christ so that I may glorify Him while I journey through this earth.
I will love His works- His works are people. He created us. I will find myself loving others, desiring to help others, forgiving others and showing the compassion of Jesus Christ.
I will seek His wisdom- I will find myself seeking advice from the Lord and His Word. I will allow it to be the lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I will obey His Word and meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1) It won't be just head knowledge in me, but rather a heart knowledge. A heart knowledge means I will live it out, not just leave it in my head.
I will be willing to boldy enter into the spiritual battle between darkness and light- Most people know the song "Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before" You see, as believers, we are engaged in an invisible yet obvious war against the prince of the power of the air, satan himself! He is out to destroy anything that has to do with God. Guess what, that means he is out to destroy us, for we belong to God. We must be prepared to enter in to battle. Understand the battle will go on whether you're ready or not. It will go on until the return of the Lord and the final binding of Satan once for all. So, the question is not "if" there is a war, but rather are you braced for it? Dressed in the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6. We are not just fighting this spiritual battle for ourselves but also for those around us and those who will come after us. It is a war for the souls of the lost, as we witness and try to snatch them out of the fire. We will find ourselves interceding on the behalf of someone else, or witnessing to those people God places in our paths. The minute we become a Christian we receive our marching orders and enter into the war.This is not a war of hating and condeming others who are blinded by the darkness, rather it is loving them and taking every opportunity to share the love of Christ with this world. It is a tough battle and I believe with all my heart it is about to get even tougher. But the greatest thing is, do not fear! As the song says: "With the cross of Jesus going on before. Jesus is there, the Captain of our army and He has yet to lose a war. (click on the tab "Psalm 18" on homepage)
In 2011, why not serve the Lord with all your heart! He will help you, take a moment right now to ask for that help you need that you may come to the end of 2011 saying "I served God with all my heart"
If you do not know the Lord please click on the page that asks if you have a personal relationship with God
Monday, January 3, 2011
A Heart Check-up
In 2007 I did a word study of all the verses in the Bible that contain the word "heart". It was quite an amazing journey! I took a journal and first wrote out every verse page by page and then I went back to the beginning and meditated and journaled on each verse. I often go back to this journal and that is what I am going to do now- except I am now sharing on my blog what was a personal study for me. May you be blessed, encouraged, and may God use this to draw you closer to the One who resides in your heart.
Deuteronomy 6:4-"The Lord is our God, the Lord alone, and we must love Him with all our heart, all our soul and our strength.
The Lord has to take precedence over all, over everything else in my life.
The Lord is my God, the Lord ALONE. God knows who He is- He knows that He is supreme over any other god. I must understand who He is. It is important that I understand and acknowledge that He alone is my Lord. I can say that I love Him but if I don't put Him first then I am only fooling myself.
What does it mean to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and strength?
It means I must give God first place in
1.) My time- God must be priority over recreation, relaxation, being with my friends. I must start each day with the Lord. I should feel no shame in inviting Him into my activities. If I am turning on the TV before I take time with the Lord then I am not giving Him first place with my time
2.) My thoughts- My thought life is not as secret as I may think. What I spend time thinking about will sooner or later reveal itself in my actions and my speech. That is why we are to wear the helmet of salvation as laid out in Ephesians 6. Satan's primary work begins in our minds. He places thoughts there, they lay as bait as he waits to see if we will chomp on it! When I have a thought that does not come from God I must renounce it immediately. Sometimes Satan plants a thought and we claim it as our own and fall into self condemnation. This is exactly what he wants us to do. When we are walking with the Lord and we are surprised with a bad thought that just came out of no where- renounce it, rebuke satan and move on. At the same time, we must do what we can to guard our thought life. We do this by what we watch on TV what we listen to from the lips of others, what books we read, etc. If I am watching the wrong stuff on TV then I have only myself to blame when an evil thought enters my mind. God has given us great advice to guard our mind, it is found in Phillipians 4:8-9 "Finally brethern, whatsoewver things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue if there be any praise, think on these things
3.) My talent-God desires to go to work with you in the morning and glorify Himself through your life on the job. Invite Him into that area and allow Him to use you to reach out to the lost or wandering soul you work with day after day. I must also put Him first in my talents by serving the Lord in the areas where He has gifted me. To whom much is given, much is required. As a child of the King we have been given so so much!
4.) My treasure- God demands the tithe. The first 10% of my income must be God's. There have been times when I have been scared to tithe. Money was tight and if I gave that 10% it would really leave me with very little til next paycheck. Yet, I am always reminded by God that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine. I would be a fool to hold back from the One who has immediate access to every resource in this world. We must surrender to God what is already His. We are just stewards of it for a short while as we journey on this earth
5.) Lastly, my tomorrow- I must put God first in my plans- Which really means that I let Him do the planning. I should not come to God asking Him to bless what I have planned out for my life. I must seek Him out and then allow Him to plan my life, all my tomorrows. When God moved me out to California, I didn't understand the timing. I had always wanted to live out here, as a little girl I would say one day I would live here. I loved the mountains and the ocean. Yet, the timing of this move caught me off guard. I had just gone through some major medical problems and surgery. Not even 4 months out, still being monitored health wise, God tells me to move to California. I was excited about the opportunity but didn't understand the timing. I just started packing and moving and trusting God's timing. Within 2 weeks or so of being here, I met my wonderful husband. I would have never guessed what God had in store for me out here. I am so glad I made the move.
In 2011, let's just give it all to God, our time, our thoughts, our talents our treasure and our tomorrows. Though we may not see it immediately, it will prove to be the best thing we've ever done. To God be the glory
Deuteronomy 6:4-"The Lord is our God, the Lord alone, and we must love Him with all our heart, all our soul and our strength.
The Lord has to take precedence over all, over everything else in my life.
The Lord is my God, the Lord ALONE. God knows who He is- He knows that He is supreme over any other god. I must understand who He is. It is important that I understand and acknowledge that He alone is my Lord. I can say that I love Him but if I don't put Him first then I am only fooling myself.
What does it mean to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and strength?
It means I must give God first place in
1.) My time- God must be priority over recreation, relaxation, being with my friends. I must start each day with the Lord. I should feel no shame in inviting Him into my activities. If I am turning on the TV before I take time with the Lord then I am not giving Him first place with my time
2.) My thoughts- My thought life is not as secret as I may think. What I spend time thinking about will sooner or later reveal itself in my actions and my speech. That is why we are to wear the helmet of salvation as laid out in Ephesians 6. Satan's primary work begins in our minds. He places thoughts there, they lay as bait as he waits to see if we will chomp on it! When I have a thought that does not come from God I must renounce it immediately. Sometimes Satan plants a thought and we claim it as our own and fall into self condemnation. This is exactly what he wants us to do. When we are walking with the Lord and we are surprised with a bad thought that just came out of no where- renounce it, rebuke satan and move on. At the same time, we must do what we can to guard our thought life. We do this by what we watch on TV what we listen to from the lips of others, what books we read, etc. If I am watching the wrong stuff on TV then I have only myself to blame when an evil thought enters my mind. God has given us great advice to guard our mind, it is found in Phillipians 4:8-9 "Finally brethern, whatsoewver things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue if there be any praise, think on these things
3.) My talent-God desires to go to work with you in the morning and glorify Himself through your life on the job. Invite Him into that area and allow Him to use you to reach out to the lost or wandering soul you work with day after day. I must also put Him first in my talents by serving the Lord in the areas where He has gifted me. To whom much is given, much is required. As a child of the King we have been given so so much!
4.) My treasure- God demands the tithe. The first 10% of my income must be God's. There have been times when I have been scared to tithe. Money was tight and if I gave that 10% it would really leave me with very little til next paycheck. Yet, I am always reminded by God that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine. I would be a fool to hold back from the One who has immediate access to every resource in this world. We must surrender to God what is already His. We are just stewards of it for a short while as we journey on this earth
5.) Lastly, my tomorrow- I must put God first in my plans- Which really means that I let Him do the planning. I should not come to God asking Him to bless what I have planned out for my life. I must seek Him out and then allow Him to plan my life, all my tomorrows. When God moved me out to California, I didn't understand the timing. I had always wanted to live out here, as a little girl I would say one day I would live here. I loved the mountains and the ocean. Yet, the timing of this move caught me off guard. I had just gone through some major medical problems and surgery. Not even 4 months out, still being monitored health wise, God tells me to move to California. I was excited about the opportunity but didn't understand the timing. I just started packing and moving and trusting God's timing. Within 2 weeks or so of being here, I met my wonderful husband. I would have never guessed what God had in store for me out here. I am so glad I made the move.
In 2011, let's just give it all to God, our time, our thoughts, our talents our treasure and our tomorrows. Though we may not see it immediately, it will prove to be the best thing we've ever done. To God be the glory
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Not by accident
Yesterday I wrote about wanting to be available for God to use me as HE chooses and how that is a costly decision. Today at church Pastor Joe spoke about alligning your vision with HIS mission and how that is costly even to the point of giving your life.
This was no accident or coincidence but rather something the Lord was driving home to me. I can't ask God to bless what I choose to do, rather I must go to where He is blessing.
Pay attention to these situations as they enter your life. Usually, it is no accident, but rather God confirming something in your life.
I want to be a light in this world. If I try to do it myself I will at best be a little tea light and at worst be no light at all.
If I allow the light of the Lord to shine through me then I can be a bright light for the glory of God
To God be the glory
This was no accident or coincidence but rather something the Lord was driving home to me. I can't ask God to bless what I choose to do, rather I must go to where He is blessing.
Pay attention to these situations as they enter your life. Usually, it is no accident, but rather God confirming something in your life.
I want to be a light in this world. If I try to do it myself I will at best be a little tea light and at worst be no light at all.
If I allow the light of the Lord to shine through me then I can be a bright light for the glory of God
To God be the glory
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year
My desire for this new year is to make myself available for the Lord to use in whatever way He desires.
I am His and I want to relinquish my "rights" and desire to be and do what I want to be and do and submit to who He wants me to be and what He wants me to do.
Submission to the Lord will cost everything, but I don't think for one moment that I will ever feel "broke". Whatever it cost will be worth it.
When we go to make a big purchase we look at several things: How long will it last, how badly do I need it, is it worth it. Jesus tells us to consider the cost when we make the decision to follow Him, for He does not shy away from telling us that it will cost us everything.
So lets look at the 3 questions I ask myself when making a big purchase
How long will it last?- Well, God's plan is not a 5year,100,000mile warrenty. He is eternal and everything He asks me to do for Him has eternal value---my decision-worth the cost
How badly do I need Him?- Well when I look at this world today, it only takes me 1 second to clearly see I need Him, I see this so badly that I don't understand how people go one day without Him- my decision...worth the cost.
Is He worth it?- He has said that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor can man comprehend all that God has instore for His children. He has told me He will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. This is a promise that cannot honestly be true of any other being. -my decision---worth the cost
This year I urge you to seek the Lord, accept Him as your Lord and Savior and surrender all to Him. He is worth the cost.
I am His and I want to relinquish my "rights" and desire to be and do what I want to be and do and submit to who He wants me to be and what He wants me to do.
Submission to the Lord will cost everything, but I don't think for one moment that I will ever feel "broke". Whatever it cost will be worth it.
When we go to make a big purchase we look at several things: How long will it last, how badly do I need it, is it worth it. Jesus tells us to consider the cost when we make the decision to follow Him, for He does not shy away from telling us that it will cost us everything.
So lets look at the 3 questions I ask myself when making a big purchase
How long will it last?- Well, God's plan is not a 5year,100,000mile warrenty. He is eternal and everything He asks me to do for Him has eternal value---my decision-worth the cost
How badly do I need Him?- Well when I look at this world today, it only takes me 1 second to clearly see I need Him, I see this so badly that I don't understand how people go one day without Him- my decision...worth the cost.
Is He worth it?- He has said that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor can man comprehend all that God has instore for His children. He has told me He will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. This is a promise that cannot honestly be true of any other being. -my decision---worth the cost
This year I urge you to seek the Lord, accept Him as your Lord and Savior and surrender all to Him. He is worth the cost.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Windows
Have you heard the saying "Eyes are the windows to the soul?" That got me thinking about windows.
Windows have have several uses. We open them to let in fresh air, we close them to keep out cold air or dust and debris from the outside. We also close them for safety. We read time and again about thieves who have crawled through a window and stolen valuables from homes.
Hmmmm.....If our eyes are windows and our body is a temple then there are some good lessons here.
We must keep our eyes open to the things of God. His Word, His voice, good Christian music, books, etc.
But at the same time we must close our eyes to keep out the bad. The dust and debris of spiritually unhealthy TV programs, music, movies, etc.
The Bible refer to Satan as a thief. We just got done talking about how a thief will come through the windows of our home in order to rob us.
Well, Satan is no different. We lock our doors, but sometimes we crack open our windows just enough that Satan can get the foothold. What do I mean by that?
I mean that we must pay attention to the little things that will rob us. We "lock our doors" meaning we shut out those "big, sinful things" . But sometimes we don't pay attention to what we may see hear and there when we watch questionable shows or listen to questionable music or go to questionable movies. That is when we allow Satan a foothold....he just needs a crack in the window to enter in and rob us of our joy in the Lord!
What we take in with our eyes will affect our souls....remember that old song you may have learned as a child
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
oh be careful little eyes what you see
for the Father up above is looking down in love
oh be careful little eyes what you see
Take time to care for the windows to your soul
let's talk again soon
Windows have have several uses. We open them to let in fresh air, we close them to keep out cold air or dust and debris from the outside. We also close them for safety. We read time and again about thieves who have crawled through a window and stolen valuables from homes.
Hmmmm.....If our eyes are windows and our body is a temple then there are some good lessons here.
We must keep our eyes open to the things of God. His Word, His voice, good Christian music, books, etc.
But at the same time we must close our eyes to keep out the bad. The dust and debris of spiritually unhealthy TV programs, music, movies, etc.
The Bible refer to Satan as a thief. We just got done talking about how a thief will come through the windows of our home in order to rob us.
Well, Satan is no different. We lock our doors, but sometimes we crack open our windows just enough that Satan can get the foothold. What do I mean by that?
I mean that we must pay attention to the little things that will rob us. We "lock our doors" meaning we shut out those "big, sinful things" . But sometimes we don't pay attention to what we may see hear and there when we watch questionable shows or listen to questionable music or go to questionable movies. That is when we allow Satan a foothold....he just needs a crack in the window to enter in and rob us of our joy in the Lord!
What we take in with our eyes will affect our souls....remember that old song you may have learned as a child
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
oh be careful little eyes what you see
for the Father up above is looking down in love
oh be careful little eyes what you see
Take time to care for the windows to your soul
let's talk again soon
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