Tag:

Hurting

God’s Heart Is Aching And Yearning For All Humanity

by Henrietta Decruz June 30, 2020

God’s heart for humanity is summed up in this verse, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Jesus died so we could be saved. He came to restore our relationship with our Heavenly Father. He did not come only for the people of Israel and Christians but for all of humanity to be saved and receive new life. Would you believe it if you were told that there are many people who have shunned Christ and His message just because of believers, their behavior, or actions?

If you find that hard to believe here is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, he said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” It makes me wonder how we really could be more and more like Jesus. Then how many more people would have accepted the Lord as their Savior and be saved!

Called to be Soul Winners

It also makes me wonder how well we are fulfilling the great commission that Jesus gave us in Matthew 28: 19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

There will be times when we will be hated because we are true followers of Christ. However, if we are having a negative impact on people because we lack the fruits of the spirit, it is definitely a cause for concern. Galatians 5:22, 23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Leaders have more responsibility

The weight of responsibility is far greater on the leaders and the shepherds. In Jeremiah 23:1-2, the Lord says, “Woe to the shepherds (the civil leaders) who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasturing! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for and feed My people. You have scattered My flock and driven them away and have not visited and attended to them; behold, I will visit and attend to you for the evil of your doings, says the Lord.”

Jesus Christ died for us

God’s Heart For The Hurting

Both Isaiah 42:3 and Matthew 12:20 says, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.” The Lord cares deeply for the brokenhearted and downtrodden. Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” He takes this very seriously. When those who are already bowed down and heartbroken are subjected to even more grief and sorrow.

We hear the grieving heart of our Lord in Isaiah 1:2 where He says, “Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken:“I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.” Isaiah 1:23 shows us what grieves Him, “Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.”

God’s Heart: Wake-up Call

Can you imagine how much these things are grieving the Lord’s heart? He gave up His life on the cross and paid the ultimate price for these precious and timeless souls. He created them so they could spend eternity with Him and His ‘heartless‘ followers are the reason they shun Him. It is time Christian leaders and we the followers of Jesus Christ take more responsibility for our actions. And became aware of the kind of impact we are having. Especially if it is negatively affecting the kingdom work being done.

There are many people who ‘used to be believers‘. But they have not been called by their leaders or church members after they left the church. There are many who are so ‘different’ that nobody tries to understand them and even worse, they are pushed away. We need to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 25:45,46. “TRULY I TELL YOU. WHATEVER YOU DID NOT DO FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID NOT DO FOR ME.” And let us remember what He said after that, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Let us ask the Lord to search our hearts and reveal to us what we need to change within ourselves and the way we interact and treat others so that we can truly reflect His love to the lost.

June 30, 2020 0 comment

Articles

Are You Ready To Work Alongside The Lord And Be His Partner?

by Henrietta Decruz November 14, 2019

written by Henrietta Decruz

Did you know that God wants you to be His partner? Did you know God wants you to work along with Him, to build His Kingdom! Yes He does! It is true!!

The Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo

God reaching out to His child

God’s power

Some people may say, “God is God! Being God, He doesn’t need our help! Even the Bible says He spoke a few words and created the universe. He is a God for Whom nothing is impossible. He doesn’t need our help at all!” Yes, it is true. He is able to do anything and everything He wants.

Daniel 4:35 says, “And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing?” When God decides something, no one on earth has the power or ability to stop Him or come against Him.

His Partner: God’s dream

God’s dream is for all His children to be with Him for eternity. Jesus was born a man, lived among men and died on the cross only for this reason. It is the reason why John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Our Father in Heaven wants us to co-labour with Him and share His love with His children who have still not understood how much they mean to Him and how much He loves them. Isn’t it wonderful that God is calling us, mere humans He created, to become co-labourers to fulfill His dream! He has given us the privilege to do something of eternal value and impact. This is the reason why He calls us “fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God.”

God misses His lost children

Missing a loved one

Let’s imagine a family is traveling. Suddenly they realize that the younger child is missing. Wouldn’t the father ask the older child to go looking for his brother? Yes, he would. He will send him out to look for him, find him and bring him home. The parents too go searching for the one who is lost. No one rests until the family member is back home with them.

Have you missed anyone in your family before? Do you know the grief and pain the Father feels due to the separation from His children? Our loving heavenly Father misses those children who have no idea how much He loves them! Some of them think that they were created out of “nothing” and they are who they are just by chance. God wants them to know their true identity and show them how valuable they are to Him.

God values His children

Psalms 139:13 says, “For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.” These brothers and sisters do not know how their Creator and Father in Heaven created them. They need to know the immense value He has placed on them, and that no one else is unique and special like them!

These lost children are broken, hurting and crying out as they feel unloved, unwanted and misunderstood. If only they knew how much their Father longs to love them and tell them how wanted they are! Our Father is calling us, the children who know Him, to be His partner, to share His love with the ones who are lost.

Each of us can be the hands of God

His Partner: What can we do?

The Lord wants us to be His hands that reach out to those in need. He wants us to lend Him our feet to run to help someone who is in distress. He wants us to speak a kind word or a comforting word to those in need. Jesus will not ask us to do anything that He Himself did not do. He heard the cry of the needy and healed them. He was quick to respond to anyone who had a need. Anyone who came to Him found relief or found an answer.

One example of someone who co-laboured with God for His kingdom purpose is William Wilberforce. William played a great role in the legal abolishment of slavery. Perhaps you think, “I cannot do great things like William Wilberforce or other great leaders of our time.” Don’t worry about the size of the task, if we commit to God, He will lead us to do our part for His Kingdom. You can also support the missions and be a blessing!

November 14, 2019 0 comment

Articles

With All Of Your Heart

by Mel Taylor October 30, 2018

written by Mel Taylor

“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked Him, which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:28-30)

Is your heart divided?

Your whole heart. It’s a simple statement. It’s not a simple task. Unfortunately, there are times we find our heart is divided and we have not fully given ourselves to God. How about you? Do you love the Lord with all of your heart? Your whole heart? Don’t answer too fast. Take inventory of your life. How much time did you give to God last week, and how much time did you give to this world? There comes a time when we as Christians must decide, “If God is in my life, I belong to Him. I’ve got to give myself completely to Him.” The tricky part is that sometimes there are less obvious reasons as to why we are divided.

Broken from the inside out

In John chapter 5, we take a deeper look into issues that can divide our hearts. We are presented with a story of a lame man. He was brought to the pool of Bethesda, one of the places that they would bring sick, or lame people at that time. We are told they brought them there because during a certain season an angel would trouble or stir up the waters. When this happened, the first one to get in would be healed of their infirmity. This man had been brought to this place for 38 years. Yet there was no change to his condition.

I have no doubt that during all that time, his physical problem was no longer the only issue with which he was suffering. We must consider, that after 38 years this condition must have been weighing on his mind. We can imagine it had probably broken his spirit more than once. He probably had hope from time to time, only to get disappointed, and downhearted because he didn’t get in the pool to get healed. However, on this day the Scripture told us it was going to be different. Jesus was on the scene. Jesus asked him a question that has been retold for centuries now. However, without examining this passage in the original language, so much is overlooked.

The right approach can be crucial

Jesus approached this man and asked him a very direct question. “Will you be made whole?” In the original language, it would be more accurately rendered for us to understand, “Are you serious about getting well? Completely well?” As in, not just his body, but his mind and spirit also.

Sometimes we forget that when people go through difficult things, and especially when it is over a longer period of time, they not only get hurt, but they can get completely broken. Sometimes it seems as though they are broken beyond repair. We often just lay them to the side, and walk on by (Acts 3). That is not a Christian’s expected course of action. Yet, we find it does happen and probably happens on a daily basis, if we are being honest. Let’s consider one more passage…

Don’t just walk on by!

“Jesus replied, ‘A man went from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way robbers stripped him, beat him, and left him for dead. By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he went around him and continued on his way. Then a Levite came to that place. When he saw the man, he, too, went around him and continued on his way. But a Samaritan, as he was traveling along, came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he felt sorry for the man, went to him and cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper, Take care of him. If you spend more than that, I’ll pay you on my return trip. Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?’ The expert said, ‘The one who was kind enough to help him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do the same!'” (Luke 10:30-37)

If we dive into the meaning of this passage, we find God is trying to show us so much more. He is trying to get us to examine the true issues that everyone has in their lives. God wants us to realize that every person has deep-seated issues that we must examine. If we are truly going to reach out to help those in need, we need to take our steps carefully and slowly. When approaching someone that is hurt, we must realize that what we see is probably only the tip of the iceberg, as they say. We must consider that healing may not happen overnight. The healing process might take a month, or two, or even more. However, we must be willing to stick it out if we are serious about helping others be made whole, and conquer what is dividing their hearts.

How many people do you know in your life, that have suffered with certain health conditions for months or maybe even years? When we consider what Jesus stated, that we are to, “Love the Lord with all of our heart mind and strength,” we must realize that there may be a process involved. A healing must first happen before we can love God with that wholeness He has called us to. Whatever the situation, don’t be someone that just walks by. Be someone who takes the time to get them through, and on their way with God.

October 30, 2018 0 comment

Faith Lifestyle

Are You Hurting? God Can Heal You Physically and Emotionally

by Elizabeth Pitman January 21, 2018

written by Elizabeth Pitman

God Can Heal You

“Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are the ONE I praise.” ~Jeremiah 17:14

Imagine feeling completely isolated, rejected, shunned by society, physically and emotionally spent…unloved and unwanted—only to have circumstances change in an instant. Suddenly, your body is whole; you feel love for the first time…but not fleeting love…eternal love—the kind that lasts forever and heals the brokenness that has been overwhelming on the inside. What changes? The Savior of the world enters the picture and changes everything. His unfailing love overcomes barriers, softens the hardest hearts, and brings hope and healing both physically and emotionally.

This description above is based on the healing of the leper found in Luke 5. Maybe as you were reading, you didn’t have to imagine this scene. Maybe you are living it right now, whether through a physical ailment or intense emotional wounds. Recently, I was reflecting on the leper in the Bible and was envisioning how this person must have felt: everywhere he entered, people would shout “unclean” and run away. Not only was he dealing with this debilitating disease and experiencing the physical pain, but he was also having to deal with the severe rejection that comes along with feeling unaccepted by society. Talk about a double whammy! Out of all the healings in the Bible that Jesus performed in Scripture, this particular one grabs me most deeply.

Take a look at these two verses and soak in the powerful meaning and the method that Christ used to heal the leper. “In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed his face to the ground, begging to be healed. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and TOUCHED the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said, ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.” Luke 5:12-13.

There are so many encouragements from these verses:

The leper bowed his head in reverence and honor to the Lord. He worshiped the Lord by acknowledging His authority. This was an act of humility on behalf of the man recognizing Jesus’ ability to change the situation. We can learn from this example by doing the same. There is strength that comes from understanding that Christ is the one who enables us and makes us strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). He is God, and we are not. He holds the universe together and reigns Supreme. Christ loved us enough to die on a cross, take the sins of the world on Himself, and overcome death to offer us life—eternal life (John 3:16). And, because He is God, He has the power and the ability to heal, to restore; to bring death to life. We can bring Him everything that concerns us and lay them at His feet and entrust our lives to His care by believing in His Sovereignty.
The leper asked the Lord to cleanse Him. He asked God for a miracle; for a breakthrough. But, this statement is also very symbolic. God is not only able to physically heal us, He is also able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. According to 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Not only can we experience physical cleansing (like the leper), we can also experience spiritual cleansing, as well.
The leper is healed both physically and emotionally. When Jesus listens to this man’s plea, He does more than what the man even asked Him to do. This individual not only receives physical healing, but emotional healing, as well. How do we know this?…The method that Christ chose to heal him—physical touch. The Savior of the world could have chosen any number of methods…The method He chose was one that would have melted the hardest heart…He reached out and touched the very person that everyone else would have run away from. Breaking barriers, Jesus reached the deepest recesses of this man’s heart and let this person know that he was indeed loved, noticed, cared for, and accepted.

In what areas can you personally identify? Are there deep emotional wounds that need to be healed? Do you have physical ailments that are debilitating or causing you pain? Know that just like the leper, Christ cares about you and has compassion on you. He is fully able to turn circumstances around 180 degrees. Like the account in Luke 5, invite Jesus into your circumstances and recognize His Lordship in your life. Surrender to His plan, and know that He has a purpose and a plan for whatever challenges you have had to endure or are currently enduring. Whatever method He uses to accomplish His purposes in your life, take encouragement from Scripture. God is able to do more than you can ask, think, or imagine. He can supersede what you ask for and do far greater things than you have pictured for yourself. Let’s focus on these healing Scriptures below and believe in His authority and His ability to perform the impossible. There is power in the name of Jesus and in His Word. Claim His promises. Keep believing that He is able. Keep trusting. Keep expecting:

*“Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” ~Isaiah 53:4-5

* “‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD.” ~Jeremiah 30:17

* “You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love You kept me from the pit of destruction; You have put all my sins behind your back.” ~ Isaiah 38:16-17

* “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind.” ~Psalm 107:19-21

* “LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” ~Psalm 30:2

*He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” ~Psalm 147:3

January 21, 2018 0 comment

Lifestyle Music

LISTEN – A Song to Sing Over Your Life: “You’re Gonna Be Ok” By Jenn Johnson

by Nathan Simpson March 24, 2017

written by Nathan Simpson

Jenn Johnson: “You’re Gonna Be Ok”

As you sing these lyrics, hold on to them, believe them; declare them over your life.

Maybe you’ve just been left with a broken heart. Maybe you’ve been betrayed. Maybe you’re losing your drive. Maybe you’re tired of fighting. Maybe you’re ready to give up. Maybe your pain isn’t fading. Maybe you don’t feel God right now…

We all go through times when we feel like we have no hope. It’s ok to not be ok. But we have to realize that it doesn’t matter what we’ve done, where we’ve been, or when we’ve failed…God says we will overcome. We will be ok.