Heart Trouble

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #131a Re-Written 05NOV08 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

Save Me Today—Part One: Heart Trouble

by rev dave c

Several years ago a friend shared this quote: “For Christians, life on this Earth is as close as we will ever come to hell—for unbelievers, life on Earth is as close as they will ever come to heaven.” It is amazing how thoroughly and accurately such a simple statement can summarize the paradox of existence right here, and right now. The Christian looks forward to a time of a new Heaven and a new Earth when the righteous presence of God, Himself, will be restored to all of life and for all eternity (2Pe 3:13). For the unbeliever, however, this life is all there is and he, or she, is faced with choosing a philosophy of “grab all you can whenever you can,” or “learn to cope” with whatever life sends your way, or resign yourself to the fact that “nothing really matters.” The difference is rooted in the individual’s world view. The Christian looks out into the World and can still find the eternal power and divine nature of a benevolent Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign amid the fallen condition of mankind (Ro 1:20). On the other hand, even when events are going their way, non-Christians tend to greet life with suspicion and doubt.

The best for which a non-believer can hope rests in gaining some modicum of happiness from out of all the struggles that inevitably ends in death (He 9:27)—perhaps to build a fortune (that will be taken by government, relatives, and organizations)—perhaps to achieve a measure of public acclaim (to be lost within a matter of a generation)—perhaps to live “a good, and moral life of quiet integrity” (soon to be buried with the bones). We should think that the Christian, who knows that the best is yet to come, would complain about this life being so much less than it could be, and that the unbeliever would be grateful for every good thing that might be had in the here and now. Interestingly, however, the Christian tends to look for evidence of God’s goodness even amid the troubles and disappointments of this life (which are the result of Satan holding the world captive in sin and death), while the unbeliever looks for selfishness and corruption even in the best that this life has to offer (which is offered only because of God’s continued care and concern for all of His creatures and for all of His creation; Mt 5:45).

We see this dichotomy being manifest by those who mock God and ridicule Believers. They stand aghast at “those ignorant Christians” who have the unmitigated gall to publicly voice opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. For many months we have listened to some of the more pragmatic pro-abortion and pro-“same sex marriage” politicians proclaiming their “family values” and declaring their personal history of an abiding faith in Christianity and commitment to their local church. These people just don’t get it. They are only able to grasp the idea of religious forms born of philosophical ideologies—they have no clue regarding the whole truth, the absolute reality of a personal relationship with the living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “Talking about family values” and “going to church” are meaningless in the face of continued agendas to fortify abortion on demand, and the advancement of homosexuality. For the Christian who accepts the fundamental truth of the Word of God as inerrant and infallible it is impossible to separate social agendas (such as the economy, health care, and foreign wars) from the matters of faith that forbid murder (especially the slaughter of our children) and the violation of the laws of God and common sense regarding human relationships. If I serve a God of real love and life, I seek to live in love’s shadow. If I serve a god of lust and death, I strive to use those who surround me to at least the extent that I am being used. Our God is a jealous God and we cannot serve both love and lust (Mt 6:19-24).

The disciples came to [Jesus] and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "`You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them' (Mt 13:10-15; NIV).

It is now our responsibility as the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, to pursue the hands, heads, and hearts of our elected officials as an encouragement to live up to a platform of life and common decency for all people of all ages and throughout our nation. Now is the time to make a real commitment to prayer for our local representatives, our state officials, our Federal congressmen, and our President. And now is the time to pray for those who are deafened and blinded by the artifice of humanistic secularism. Pray that the eyes of their understanding be opened to eternal truths—pray that their ears be opened to the still small voice of the Creator of the Universe—pray that their hardened hearts might be softened.

God assures us in Ezekiel 11:19-21 that as we pray for the lost and they repent: I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD" (NIV). If we don’t pray for the deceived—who will? “God help us to live up to Your name. Amen.”