New Heart

^"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB

 Having a new heart doesn’t mean anything is easy, in fact it can make things worse. Your old heart and desires are being replaced but it is a daily struggle against the things of God and the things of the flesh. Last night, I saw the play, Sister Act. At the end, the play added that God and the human spirit are equal and are one. Oh my, don’t buy into that untruth! God’s new heart is stronger. He is stronger! Read the Bible: Jesus is all-powerful, Jesus wins!

 If you follow Christ with a passion, you know what it means to believe and have a new heart. God’s promise, found is 2 Corinthians 5:17, is that if we are in Christ (if we have placed our hope in Him, believed God send Jesus to die on the cross, turned to Him and away from sin, and let Him be our Lord and Savior), we have a new heart. We are created by God but return to Him as He recreated us for His glory. Old things are gone, new things are here.

 This week, we are thrilled to release the long-awaited new believers’ guide, “HeartCall New Heart: What it Means to Believe.” This 62 page, eight-day downloadable resource is a workbook designed to help anyone with the basic steps to the faith: hope, believe, turn and call, as well as the next steps to walking with Christ: share, church, pray and Bible. You will find it on our new website, in our shop: www.jayemartin.com/shop.

I pray that if you don’t have a new heart, you will ask God to give you one.

You know you are loved.

The Holy Spirit guides in truth

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come" 
(John 16:13, New American Standard Bible).

One of the neatest things about God, I think, is that He does not leave us on our own to understand Him. A lot of people seem to search for truth every day, even if they are not a detective, judge, or someone who performs experimental research. God sends the Holy Spirit to believers to reveal truth and to guide us in understanding it.

The Holy Spirit does not only declare truth, but also seeks to guide people in knowing and living truth. We may rely on the testimony of the Holy Spirit, because He is one with the Father and the Son and was sent by them (1 John 5:7). The eternal Word and the eternal Spirit never disagree. The Spirit can remind us of writings in Scripture from the past, interpret the gospel for the present, and reveal things to come.

Lord, help us listen to Your Spirit and follow its lead, as we seek to understand You and hear from You. Help us lead others in Your truth. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.lifestylemirror.com.

Bringing truth into focus

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment... But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come" (John 16:8, 13, New American Standard Bible).

A camera lens, like the one recycled to make into owl eyes in the photo above, helps bring things into focus. Owls can see in three dimensions - height, width, and depth - and their eyes are efficient in processing light. Similarly, a camera lens is made to capture what is true and in front of the photographer. As believers, the Holy Spirit is there to help us process God, His will, and to reveal to us what sort of relationship God wishes to have with His people.

Who is the Holy Spirit? Matthew Henry once wrote, "Bodily presence drew eyes, but the Spirit draws hearts" (Matthew Henry Commentary). Jesus drew much attention, but the Holy Spirit heals our hearts. The Holy Spirit is a part of who God is; He is a part of the Holy Trinity. He convicts, comforts, and teaches truth.

Similar to the owl's eyes at night, the Holy Spirit helps bring the truth of God into focus. He reveals truth about God, and He helps us see the guilt of all people because of our rebellion against God and His will (1 Corinthians 2:10). As we accept Christ as Savior of our lives, the Spirit abides in us (John 14:17). Sent by the Father and the Son, He will teach us and bring to mind things God has taught us (John 14:26, John 15:26). Let us pray that the Holy Spirit helps an unbeliever on our mind see His truth.

Lord, work within us through the Holy Spirit. Please work in the life of someone on our mind who does not know You. Help convict us of sin and help us see truth that comes from You. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999)
Photo from http://www.etsy.com/shop/focusonart

something new!

"This is what the Lord says - who makes a way in the sea, and a path through surging waters... Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." -Isaiah 43:15, 19 (HCSB)

There is a beauty in things that are new. Like a fresh snowfall or a new day planner, it is like a breath of fresh air to be able to start again with a blank slate. Jesus, Our Savior, came to save us. And we are able to live for Him. As we prepare to leap into a new year, He is able to help us start fresh and live with Him as our leader. How will we respond? He is waiting with open arms, so we have a choice of whether or not to follow Him. Will we choose to follow His lead?

In Isaiah, Chapter 43, we see how He asks us to put our trust in Him. He is under control and can help us start fresh if we let Him. Our Savior, who we celebrated over Christmas, is here to take us into the new year. He has given us the Holy Spirit inside of us, to guide us and help us lead others to Him.

What will be our focus in the new year? Are our plans the same as His?

I pray that we focus on our Savior and that others may see this and come to know Him, too, in the new year.

Happy New Year's Eve!

the light of life

Fairly recently, I have felt that God has called me to help with Children's Ministry. This realization had left me a bit bewildered. As I talked to one of my friends, he seemed to pick up on this and reminded me of Jeremiah's calling.

Jeremiah explains,"The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.'

'Ah, Sovereign Lord,' I said, 'I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.'

But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord. " (Jeremiah 1:4-8)

I am amazed at how God guides us. When we trust His love, power, and sense of direction, He can do incredible things through us! We can be confident in His support – remembering John 8:12:

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

(photo from http://ecochildsplay.com/files/2008/09/sun-jar.jpg)