God heals the brokenhearted!

   Like everyone, I have had my share of losses, disappointments and times of broken heartedness. For the larger part of this year I have been going through some difficult times emotionally and have recently experienced a considerably devastating broken heart. All along I have known that God is the mender of my, our, broken heart. Normally, I do not post anything particularly personal on Facebook or here on Honeycomb about my personal life. Because of something I heard yesterday that truly gave me some real revelation into the broken heart mender God is, I had to come forth with what I just wrote to let you know this close to my heart, personal and not just a “teaching” on a part of God’s Word.

   Yesterday, I was listening to a sermon Joseph Prince preached regarding the resurrection of Jesus. This particular teaching was on resting in the Power of Jesus’ resurrection life. Because Jesus died for us and was resurrected from the dead He will come back for His church and we will have glorified bodies just like His.  We all know why Jesus died, but Pastor Prince focuses on why He was resurrected. We know that it was for our justification, but do we really ever look at what that means?

   

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-5

When God raised Jesus Christ, He raised all that receive Jesus with Him.  When God raised Jesus He raised Him to sit at the right hand of Himself, which is the center of the universe and is a place of honor, authority, exaltation and rest. That is where Christ is seated and we are seated with Him! 

“...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,...

Ephesians 1:17-20

As a result of this resurrection, and because as Christians we do sit with Jesus, we can have wisdom and revelation knowledge that gives us a the ability to truly know Jesus and understand the purpose and power of God. We then can have insight into God’s Word and how it works in our lives.

     After a number of other great points of truth, Pastor Prince began sharing some benefits we have from this resurrection power.  One of them that blessed me was when he spoke on peace. The one I am sharing this writing with you about that became clear revelation for me is what I am going to share here, now.

   Being a teaching on the power of the resurrection of Jesus, there was some preemptive teaching on His death. There was teaching on how horrible, grotesque and drawn out Jesus’ death was because all of the sin, disease, rejection, depression, torment, and all the curses were put on Jesus for mankind. The manifesting of His death was gruesome.  

   If one sin had not been paid for, and the debt was not paid, Jesus would not have been raised from the dead because the resurrection gave us the ability to be the righteousness of God, which could not happen with a sin hanging out there. 

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 

1 Corinthians 15:17

The benefits of the finished work of Jesus are in everything we need!  

   When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection He spoke peace over them and showed them the payment was made so they could have that peace and the abundant life He had just bought for them, for all of us. He showed them His nail scarred hands and side.

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” John 20:27

   Remember that I started this with a broken heart. This teaching enlightened me in such a deep way regarding God mending my broken heart.

But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 

John 19:34

That soldier wanted to make certain Jesus was dead. Roman soldiers were skilled at killing and so he took his sword and pierced under His rib cage and up toward the heart. He was not checking to see if Jesus was dead, he was applying a piercing to Jesus that would insure He was dead. The medical community, heart surgeons particularly, testify that there is a membrane sac underneath the heart where blood and water collect when the heart ruptures. That is why water and blood gushed out of Jesus' side. Medically, there was proof that Jesus’ heart ruptured and that essentially His heart had ruptured, broken into pieces, literally. Therein is the proof He died, John saw it and by the Holy Spirit recorded it. Why did Jesus die of a broken heart? So we do not die of a broken heart. People die all the time of a broken heart, but it is not necessary because Jesus did if for us, a His death and resurrection power give us the way to be mended of a broken heart.

 ...who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,... 

Romans 4:25 - Romans 5:1

   

   Jesus’ nail scarred hands and sword scarred side were the receipt for the justification His death and resurrection payed for and bought for mankind. We received everything we ever needed, including the peace that can provide us with the power to mend a broken heart!

   The scripture, most points surrounding them and the benefit Pastor Prince explained through Jesus’ broken heart were pretty close to what he taught. The rest of this is my take on it. The point is through what he taught I was able to have that revelation knowledge that set me free from a broken heart! Praise God! It sounds simple I know, but when you get a revelation from God it means your heart receives that beauty of hope that gives you understanding about the riches of the glory we as Christians have! That revelation gives you understanding of the purpose and power of God in our lives! One word from God can burst into volumes in your heart! That is what happened as I gave attention to the Word Pastor Prince was teaching! That understanding of truth sets you free.  I want to tell you that..... set me free!

  Interestingly enough, today it has been three years since Baxter died and I still miss him, but my heart is mended. The revelation I received yesterday has already made a vast and wonderful transformation in me (as revelation by the Holy Spirit does). It is as if months of healing my heart happened in a few minutes. God is so good all of the time!

He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:8

If you would like to hear this 28 minute teaching you can go here, 

go to the "Broadcast" drop down menu, 

then to "On demand", 

then to the teaching titled #348 - Rest In The Power Of His Resurrection Life (Saturday). 

I am not sure how long these teachings stay on here so if you don’t see it, it is because the time has lapsed. Any of his teachings you do see are well worth the time to watch them though.

Peaceful unity promotes the Gospel!

These three verses are very dear to my heart, two are exhortations, the other an edifying encouragement. 

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

James 3:16

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 

Romans 12:8

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 

Psalm 133:1

   I enjoy life pleasant and do not like evil- ever. I live a life where being spirit-led is very important to me. I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me in living in such a way that those verses are not just words in a book, but written on my heart and manifested in my life.

I think Bob Yandian is one of the best Bible teachers of our day, and this article is so needed in the body of Christ.

Bob Yandian SETTLING DIFFERENCES If another believer sins against you, go privately and out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17 NLT Jesus tells us that the most important thing is not who is right or wrong in a dispute, but that peace is kept between brothers and sisters in the family of God. In other words, winning your brother or sister is more important that winning an argument. The “one or two others” mentioned are to be impartial. As impartial observers and hearers, they can make an objective and prayerful decision. Again, the desired result is the gaining of the brother or sister. Settling strife is the honorable conclusion God is looking for. When issues are settled behind closed doors, the first benefit is to the local body of believers. Because little or nothing is known by others, gossip and discord cannot begin. The next benefit is toward unbelievers. Because strife is not seen, the issue of the gospel can be kept clearly before them, even by those believers who at one time had contention between themselves. The Holy Spirit is involved in the private settling of strife and in the public declaration of the gospel. When strife and contention become manifested before the world, the issue of the gospel is lost behind the smokescreen of accusations. We are to go into all the world to preach the gospel, but into the closet to settle our differences. Yours in Jesus Christ, Bob Yandian

You can visit Bob's website here.

   

A softened heart is a yielded heart, full of peace.

   This past week has been full of wonderful things happening in my family, some stretching things in my family, and for me personally a bit of a stretch in my own life. I have been truly seeking God on a decision I must make, and I can’t seem to get direction. While praying earlier this week I realized I was operating in pride. I had a certain city I thought would be nice to have on my diploma when I graduate next spring, and I am able to attend there. It just so happens I love that particular city and would have no problem doing my Practical end of finishing my degree there. I will need to be on campus and that will require moving. If that is where God would have me to graduate then so be it. If not I do not want to be there; I do not want to be anywhere He does not have in His plan for my life. I was however not being as open to that as I thought I was. Once I realized pride was blocking any direction I would ever get from God, I repented, laid the notion down and pressed into my relationship with, my Father. I had been sensing a lack of peace when considering certain avenues, and knew to stop going down that those thought paths, and have done so. Still overall, I don’t seem to be able to hear what I need to hear, and there is a time frame on this decision. 

   Mark 6:45-52 and Mark 8:8-38, are good passages to refer to if you are having trouble discerning things, remembering things, or hearing from God. We can see in those passages the matter of allowing our heart to be hardened in some way where God is concerned. So, after studying Mark 8 some on Wednesday evening, I took a nice 3 mile, 1 hour walk Thursday morning to sort that out. I thought I would share some of that walk here.

   Friday evening it occurred to me I might be struggling with hearing from God because I was constraining Him to the box we call a calendar. Yesterday morning I realized that was true, but the real box I was putting Him in was the whim of my personal preferences. Breakthrough! I love it when peace flows.

   Had you asked me before this week if my heart were hardened to God I would have have told you my heart was sensitive toward God, and that I did not have a hardened heart. That answer needs modified. I do have a heart that is sensitive toward God. I have had a bent toward the Word of God since I was a young girl. However, there is some hardness in some areas. I was devastated to realize that, but it did not take me too long to see the blessing in it that realization. 

   We all have areas that we have hardened our hearts toward God. Having a heart that has been hardened in some way, or ways, is not always a result of sin. God’s heart is never hardened toward us because of our sin, but our heart is hardened toward Him when we sin. That is pretty self explanatory and there are plenty of opportunities to hear those sermons so I will leave that there. Some hardening comes from another source. There are two accounts of Jesus miraculously feeding a multitude of people with barely enough to feed a handful. I am going to address the one in Mark 6:37-44 where Jesus fed 5,000 men with five fish and two loaves of bread with baskets leftover because I want to use some of  the remaining passage in Mark 6. Mark 6:45-52 happens immediately after this and is the account of Jesus walking on water out to the boat where the disciples were struggling in a storm. In verses 50-52 it says, “50 ...for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. Let’s take a quick look at those last few verses. “... and they were utterly astonished,...” The disciples had just seen Jesus miraculously feed 5,000 men, who knows how many women and children, and yet “...they were utterly astonished...”. And why was that? The answer is in the last four words of verse 50, “do not be afraid.”, and verse 52, For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. Fear is not a lack of faith; it is putting faith is something God did not author. Fear is a result of a hardened heart and will keep us from living the life of victory Christians should be enjoying. Verse 52 clearly shows us the crux of the answer. The disciples saw Jesus multiply the fishes and loaves. They knew it was a fact that happened, but they did not consider the spiritual meaning whatsoever. The Amplified Bible records verse 52 as saying, For they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves; [in fact] their hearts had grown callous [had become dull and had lost the power of understanding]. To consider means; think upon, deliberate, study, examine, ponder, or meditate on. The disciples did not give any attention to, or focus on, the miracle and the power of that miracle, or the meaning of how Jesus fed the multitude. They knew of the event, they had no understanding of it spiritually. Simply put, a hardened heart is a result of a person thinking more about, and relating better to the natural world than the spiritual world. That heart is a result of thinking about, considering, pondering or meditating more on what the world says about an issue than what God says.

   Hardening of our hearts toward God is a process. It happens one act of disobedience, one thought of doubt, one thought of unbelief at a time. It can be a result of sin, rebellion or in the case of an unbeliever, it can be hatred toward God. Often it is just continuing to see things from a carnal, natural viewpoint. To keep our heart softened from God we must stay focused on Him. Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. We can know plenty about what the Bible says, we can believe it is God's Word, but it is what we think on that determines whether our hearts are soft or hardened toward God. If you are on the internet looking up any possible disease you think you might have by studying the symptoms and how they may add up to something in your body, that is what you are thinking about ~ even after you get off those web sites. If you are reading what God has to say about disease and sickness in His Word, that is what you will be thinking about. The first venture will layer by layer callous your heart toward what God says about your body. The latter will develop your faith and soften your heart toward what God has to say about your body. That is an across the board principle. You can apply it to business ventures, finances, employment, choosing a field of study in college, a marriage partner... every area of you life. In my case I have been "spinning" about where I will be in the autumn to finish college. After a week of asking God to prune me, I am no longer spinning. I do not have my answer yet but the door of communication is wide open because I am not blocking God with my notions, concerns and whims. I am focusing on, and pressing into my relationship with God, and leaving it there. He will show me exactly what His plans are for me. And, He will speak His will for your life into you, just keep your focus on Him, not the world.

   Are there areas in your life that you think about that you find yourself weighing out all of the tangible and natural potentials. but neglecting, or at best minimizing any input from God? I would love to encourage you to turn that around and enjoy the peace that is so very available to you. 

Keep Calm and Carry On

   

   George Alexander Louis, HRH Prince of Cambridge and his parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are quite the big media item just now so I thought I would jump in and do something a little British.

   This bold colored poster with simple font was created and designed to boost morale of the British people in late 1939 after World War ll broke out. This typically British stiff upper lipped slogan was developed by civil servants, it was designed by the British Ministry of Information and produced by King George VI’s HMSO, His Majesty’s Stationery Office.  This was done to raise the morale and keep the British public positive and peacefully focused in the event of massive air attacks on Britain by Germany, which were expected at the outbreak of this war. Over 2.5 million posters were printed. Fortunately, since the war ended without such attacks few were distributed for the public to actually see. This was the third and last poster in a series of three. Most of the original Keep Calm and Carry On posters were destroyed. What precious few that were left, possibly only 15, began emerging around the turn of the 21st century, circa 2,000 A.D. The emergence of these rare posters has unveiled an interest in the message therein. Crown Copyright expires after fifty years on artistic workmanship making this piece now public domain and we are seeing the vast interest appeased with mugs, T~Shirts, mouse pads, books such as Keep Calm for Mums, Keep Calm for Chaps, Keep Calm and Cuddle Up, tote bags and biscuit tins just to name a few available for purchase.

   Public domain, what an interesting and legally binding, or freeing term. I love God’s Word! Public Domain has never been, nor will it ever be an issue for God’s Word. Can we use that verse? Is it plagiarism to use a certain version or translation? Thankfully, no. God’s Word is timeless, eternal, and freely (well except for that payment Jesus made that bankrupt Heaven to get it here for us) given to all men that will receive it. So, that brings me to something I was studying this week and thought that beautiful British poster was perfect for this post.

   In the gospels we see what Jesus came to do; in Acts we see what was to continue being done by the original disciples and is now to be carried out by us. The gospels give us the teaching of Jesus, in Acts we see how that teaching works through the apostles. Jesus told His disciples that He was leaving and that He would leave His peace and they were not to be afraid. Jesus spoke peace to a raging storm and all was calmed, including the fearful disciples.  In John 14:27 the word “leave” means “bequeath”.  Jesus was leaving and going to be in Heaven with our Father, and at His right hand. It is there that His enemies are being made His footstool. Jesus took back the devil’s authority over earth and gave it back to us. While here on earth it is the body of Christ that has been given that authority and the responsibility to be more than conqueror’s, making the enemies of Jesus His footstool.  What a person “bequeath’s” to another is something of value to them. Jesus bequeathed us His peace because He knew we were going to need it to be victorious.

   Paul demonstrates that beautifully and with victory.  Paul kept His peace by keeping his focus on, Jesus Christ. Take a look at the book of Philippians and see how many times Paul mentions Jesus Christ. Then take notice of how many times he mentions joy, or rejoicing, or thankfulness. This focus on Jesus in the midst of living through tribulation, persecution and horror we will most likely never  know, is Paul’s book on joy. Keeping his mind fixed on Jesus was how he stayed full of peace and joy. And Paul was very victorious in his walk with the Lord here on earth!

   Anyone that has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior has the peace of God in them. Peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit and is given to the new believer when the Holy Spirit enters them. The same way we trusted Jesus for our salvation; we must trust and allow the Holy Spirit to work and flow in our lives. He is the one ministering to us and in believing God for that, and for peace through the power of the Holy Spirit we will have the victorious lives God intended for us. Also, as Romans 15:13 says, we will abound in hope which is a precursor to victory.

   I think King George VI was onto something, something quite powerful.

   Stop and think for a moment about a time that you stayed calm, held on to your peace, and then enjoyed a victory because of it. You can put that on your “Count Your Many Blessings” list and name it among all the others.  God is so good ~ all the time.

Okay, it's not the motivational King George VI red, but don't you agree the pretty pink just promotes peace?

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.  

Isaiah 26:3