She's seen slave dungeons in Ghana. Genocide in Rwanda. Systemic sexual abuse in Brazil. Child abuse and domestic violence in the US. After forty years of counseling abuse survivors around the world, Dr. Diane Langberg, a world renowned trauma expert, remains certain that what trauma destroys, Christ can and does restore. This book will convince you, too, of the healing heart of God. But it's not a fast process, instead much patience is required from family, friends, and counselors as they wisely and respectfully help victims unpack their traumatic suffering through talking, tears, and time. And it's not a process that can be separated from the work of God in both a counselor and counselee. Dr. Langberg calls all of those who wish to help sufferers to model Jesus's sacrificial love and care in how they listen, love, and guide. The heart of God is revealed to sufferers as they grow to understand the cross of Christ and how their God came to this earth and experienced such severe suffering that he too is "well-acquainted with grief." The cross of Christ is the lens that transforms and redeems traumatic suffering and its aftermath, not only for the sufferer, but it also transforms those who walk with the suffering. This book will be a great help to anyone who loves, listens to, and seeks to help someone impacted by trauma and abuse. There is no quick fix, but there is the hope for healing through the love of God in Christ.
Pursuing God really is an adventure—one that can get extreme, one you'll never tire of. Becoming a young man after God's own heart is a lot like climbing a mountain. You'll find all sorts of challenges on the way up, but the awesome view at the top is well worth the trip. Real success in life—the kind that counts with God—starts by discovering God's priorities for you. These include... building your faith choosing the right kinds of friends getting along at home winning the battle over temptation making right choices about the future Once you get started on this journey, you'll never be the same! Includes new and revised content.
The mind is an amazing thing, but it is just part of the heart. Let me explain. When the Bible refers to the metaphorical heart it includes our mind, (our thought life), our desire (our emotions), and our will (our decision making). This makes up our character; who we really are. In this writing I would like to look at the heart of man and then the heart of God. The first three parts of this writing is based on three messages given by Charlie Fizer at the Hiawatha Bible Chapel in Wabasha Minnesota. I have added my thoughts to his teachings plus seeing his teaching was about the heart of man, I am adding a fourth part on the heart of God to round off his lessons on the heart of man. Charlie Fizer is retired from Emmaus Bible College and is now serving the Lord by traveling to small churches across the US and Canada teaching God's Word. He also holds a position as Chaplain in Dubuque, IA. Where he and his wife Darlene live. Charlie and Darlene also served as missionaries in Japan for many years. As we start to look at the heart of man we see something that happens over and over again in all mankind; and this includes men and women alike. When a person sins it happens like this. First the thought is conceived in the mind; we think about something like David did when he looked at Bathsheba and started to lust after her. Then that thought started to develop within, (the heart). It became a desire of the heart. Then by the will one acted on that desire so becoming an act of sin. This is the case for every sin we commit, or action we take whether good or bad. It starts in the thought process of the heart, which is called the mind. We are so programmed to think when we hear the word “heart”, we start to think about the organ in our chest that pumps the blood throughout our bodies. This is true but when we hear the word in the Bible it always mean, the most inner part of man's makeup, except for two places where it meant the organ that pumps blood. It is who you really are. It has to do with your intellect, feelings, your will, and all your desires. It also can mean the most center part of you. It is where everything in you comes from. Let us look at the way we use this word and some of the meanings; the idioms we use. First “at heart.” We use this in reality, fundamentally; basically. Then when we say “break someone's heart” we mean to cause someone to be devastated by sorrow or disappointment. If you say, “I can say that by heart.” you mean you can do it entirely from memory. There are so many more like this, “eat your heart out”, “have a heart”, “have one's heart in the right place”, lose one's heart to”, and this list can go on and on. All this idioms deal with what we are talking about here. If you don't think this subject is important, just think of this. The word “heart” is found 835 times and is in 775 verses in the New King James Bible (NKJV). (A side note: I did a search on BibleGateway.com and searched the entire Bible for the word heart in the New King James Version Bible and it is found 926 times). In any case it is found many time. Let me ask some questions. Have you ever questioned the motivation of your heart? Or have you ever thought yourself to be something? Then maybe you have never read verses like “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Galatians 6:3, or “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.” James 1:26. Maybe one last verse, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. Wow! This should make us question our hearts all the time, but the truth is not many of us do this. We trust our hearts even though the Bible tells us not to. This will lead us down the wrong path every time. Let us try to understand the heart of man by what the scriptures tell us about it. First the heart is the thinking aspect of man. We read in Proverbs 23:7 NKJV, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Then Jesus asks in the New Testament, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.” And again he said “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” There are so many scriptures that tell us this, (Matthew 9:4; 15:19; 24:48, Luke 2:19) just to mention a few. Now the question is, Does it make a difference in the way I think? What does my eternal destiny have to do in the way I think? Or maybe to put it another way, Am I responsible for the way I think? I say a big “YES.” Again the scriptures tell us affirmative, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” (Romans 8:6 NKJV). (Remember the mind is part of the heart). Whatever things are true, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV). I believe there is a lot said about our thought life because that is where sin starts. We have to remember because of the fall our heart changed. We need a heart transplant which we will talk about later. Now if our thought life is wrong it will now make our actions wrong. Even when we think we are doing good, sin enters in by way of pride, and pride is sin. Are we messed up or what? All right now, after we have wrong thoughts then our desires and will come into play. Our thoughts control our desires, (an emotion) which in turn controls our will, (our actions). With all this in mind, let us move on with this subject. We are going to start a three part study plus one on the heart, which I described above. Let us start with this scripture and Charlie Fizer's first message.
In all your boyhood dreams of growing up, did you dream of being a "nice guy"? Eldredge believes that every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. That is how he bears the image of God; that is what God made him to be.
The Bible reveals glorious things. And yet we often miss its power because we read it the same way we read any other book. In Reading the Bible Supernaturally, best-selling author John Piper teaches us how to read the Bible in light of its divine author. In doing so, he highlights the Bible's unique ability to reveal God to humanity in a way that informs our minds, transforms our hearts, and ignites our love. With insights into the biblical text drawn from decades of experience studying, preaching, and teaching Scripture, Piper helps us experience the transformative power of God's Word—a power that extends beyond the mere words on the page. Ultimately, Piper shows us that in the seemingly ordinary act of reading the Bible, something supernatural happens: we encounter the living God.
The editor of Discovering the Character of God presents further devotional selections from the poetry, sermons, and stories of George Macdonald. One of the nineteenth-century's greatest thinkers, George MacDonald has inspired generations with his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Now his words of wisdom are available in a series of devotionals compiled and edited by MacDonald scholar and biographer, Michael Phillips. Knowing the Heart of God presents brief, daily readings from MacDonald’s poetry, sermons, and fiction. Each offers deep insight into God’s love for humanity and his desire for us to love Him and each other. Readers looking for greater illumination along the Christian path will find it in this invaluable volume.
Growing as a man after God's own heart happens one step at a time. Bestselling author Jim George shares quick, focused devotions that will enable you to make every step count. You'll discover great advice for... making forward progress in your spiritual growth staying strong when life gets tough managing your responsibilities with wisdom leading and loving your wife and children living with maximum impact in all you do Along the way you'll experience the satisfaction that comes from living as the kind of man God designed you to be.
