Tag: witness

  • A Heart Cries Out

    A Heart Cries Out

    A heart cries out

    In sad futility:

    Is anyone out there?

    Does anyone care?

     

    Yes, says the Lord

    I hear your prayer.

    Do you hear my answer?

    Do you really care?

     

    A soul sadly survives

    Without being alive:

    Why do I matter?

    Why do my thoughts scatter?

     

    I still love your soul.

    I showed you the Way.

    When will you believe,

    That your heart will not deceive?

     

    Is anyone out there?

    Does anyone care?

     

    I hear you in prayer.

    I AM your joy and salvation.

     

    Sad, isn’t it – the futility of one without God.

    In fact, the Bible points to many of God’s faithful who have moments of doubt and hopelessness.  Yet their answer always comes though faith and prayer.

    The American Heritage Dictionary gives us a rather complete picture of futility by definition:

    1. The quality of having no useful result; uselessness.
    2. Lack of importance or purpose; frivolousness.
    3. A futile act.
    “Life without God is lifelessness.
    We often confuse the emotions and moods of the heart with the temporal worldly meanings imposed on our self-seeking souls by the ruler of this world.
    • The world does not equate Heart to soul.
    • Love is only equated to sexual love by the imposition of false meaning twisting our every thought.

    We do not think to ask God for an answer.  Time after time our heart cries out in hopelessness.

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    Without God as part of the love of our life, we miss out on the very love God intended.
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    The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? – Jeremiah 17:9 KJV
    If you want to understand the heart, look to the Hebrew root word: leb.
    Foremost in your understanding of your own heart is that your heart is your soul. 

    We are not really just the flesh and bones that others see or the mind and actions you show off to others. At the core of our being, you are your Leb:

    inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding; 

    1. Inner part, midst
    2. midst (of things)
    3. heart (of man)
    4. soul, heart (of man)
    5. mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
    6. inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
    7. conscience
    8. heart (of moral character)
    9. as seat of appetites
    10. as seat of emotions and passions
    11. as seat of courage

    Yes, there is much more to us than just our nature of the flesh.

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    The scriptures about the heart are also most revealing.  The list is long and includes some of what Jesus had to say about our hearts.

    Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ – John 7:38 ESV

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    So why are faith and prayer the answer?

    Did you hear a conversation in the opening poem?

    One caught-up in his or her own heart will have neither humility nor faith to hear God’s answer:

    requiring trust in Jesus as Lord.

     Psalm 4:

    Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
    You have given me relief when I was in distress.
    Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

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    Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself on the Cross because of God’s love for you said:

    And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. – Matthew 21:22 ESV

    Does your heart cry out?

    You with ears to hear, listen to God in your conversation of prayer.

    Jesus IS Lord.

  • A True Servant

    A True Servant

    I usually don’t have many dreams but I had one this morning and felt like I was supposed to post it.

    In the dream I saw a true servant of God who God was using.

    Because the authorities in the church did not understand what was happening they misjudged him and were telling him to repent of what he was doing.

    In the end, they realized that he was a true servant of God and they repented.

    The LORD says, “Many of My servants have been misunderstood by the authority I have placed in My Body (the Church). Because of that they have been rejected and pushed aside and as a result that which I wanted to do in your midst has been aborted. When you realize that which you have done is wrong and you truly repent of that wrong…I will pour out My goodness upon you and there will be a revival in your midst like you have never seen before. Many of those who have become cold and indifferent toward me will return with newness of heart, mind and actions and those who did not know Me will say, ‘surely God is in this place’, and will turn to Me. My BODY will receive healing and My glory will be seen.”

    Scriptures:

    Romans 2:4b (Amplified Bible) “…are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness (goodness…KJ) is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?”
    Acts 3:19 (Amplified Bible) “So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord.”

    God will ALWAYS honor His Word :0)(0:
    3Like ·

    Bruce James Bender

  • It is Finished!

    It is Finished!

    It is Finished! – Part 1 – Truth For Life broadcast

    The work of Jesus Christ was finished [accomplished] on the Cross.  Our work and witness for Jesus is not yet finished.

    Because of the Cross, we have something to finish for Jesus before it is finished in our temporary lives in this temporary place.

    What is your Christian Social Witness?  

    Listen to Truth For Life for today’s message of our hope.

    ALSO, Please comment on this week’s witness and discussion on death:

    How should Christians respond to grief?