How's your heart?

How's your heart? That can be a very important question. Towards the end of last year, a very dear friend of ours (my wife and me), who was 81 years of age (the same age as I currently am!), but full of life, and joy, and who always seemed to be in the best of health, died unexpectedly. The cause of her death? A sudden heart attack. The Emergency Services were called, but it was too late. Now, I have to say that this dear lady was a true disciple of Jesus and we believe, firmly, that while the physical body died, her spirit - the very essence of who she was - went to be with her Saviour, to be eternally with Him. However, it would appear that her heart - the physical organ - wasn't as strong as those who knew her had believed!

The heart, as well as being a physical organ, has long been considered to be the seat of our emotions; the seat if decisive action; and the seat of belief (as well as of doubt!). The heart symbolises the centre of our moral, spiritual, and intellectual life. It is the seat of our conscience and life.

And Almighty God knows our hearts well! Through the prophet, Jeremiah, He states that "I YHWH search the mind and try the heart, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." (17:10). After the global flood, He pronounces that "the desires of the human heart are evil from youth;" (Gen. 8:21; NABrevd).

The Lord Jesus informed His disciples that "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." (Mark 7:21-23).

Father God searches, and weighs, our hearts by the teaching of the Scriptures. He opens our hearts, to His truth, and gives us a new heart when we come to the Christ, in confession, repentance, faith, and commitment. He gives us a heart that is sensitive to His presence, His leading, and His love. Speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, He states: "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances." (36:26-27), words originally declared to the Children of Israel, but applicable to all.

Don't ever hesitate to take to Him whatever is on your heart. He already knows it, in any case, but He doesn't want you to bear its pain, or celebrate its joy, alone!

So, "How's your heart?"!

The camera never lies!!

When we see a photograph, or watch a video, today we may be excused for asking: "Is it real?" When I was a younger man, it was often said that "the camera never lies"! However, even if, in our day, the camera itself never lies - the resulting photograph/video may be manipulated by the use of computer software (and it doesn't have to be the expensive programmes!) to show something that is, in fact, totally false.

For example, this well-known photograph (it appears on many web-sites) indicates that a young girl has climbed to the top of a very high tower of some sort, and is taking a "selfie"! However, if we look more carefully, we see that she is portrayed in very high contrast, whereas the surroundings are just the opposite. There is no shadow on the platform on which she appears to be standing. Even on an otherwise calm day, the wind at that height would, I suggest, have both her hair and her skirt blowing a lot more than is shown in the photograph. Indeed, I find it difficult to believe that anyone would manage to climb to that height in a skirt! 

I may be wrong - but I am certainly not convinced that this is a genuine photograph! 

Centuries before even the basic box-camera had been invented, the apostle Paul warned his young "son in the faith", Timothy, about counterfeit reality (if that is not an oxymoron!) in the church. He said that, in the last days, people would be self-absorbed: "... holding the form of religion but denying the power of it." (II Tim 3:5). He repeatedly emphasised the need to live a godly life, warning that "... evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived." (II Tim 3:13).

Paul charged Timothy to "... continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (II Tim 3:14-15). True godliness honours, and obeys, God; while its counterfeit seeks pleasure, and personal gain. One seeeks to please the Lord; the other gratifies natural desire. Each one is identified by its actions.

When others hear us say that we are "Christian" (although I prefer to say "disciple of Jesus", as the word "Christian" has, sadly, become greatly devalued in our modern society and culture!), they may wonder about the reality of our claim, and of our faith. Our lives will answer that question by reflecting the reality of the Christ!

How real am I making the Lord Jesus to others? And you?!

Can you spare 30 minutes?

Continuing with the political theme, and nailing my anti-EU (although very pro-Europe!) credentials to the proverbial mast, I offer this video.  Introduced by none other than the late Patrick Moore, it may open the eyes of some!  



If you have another hour to spare, then there is an excellent six-part series that may be accessed at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSQiPY3VVyA&index=1&list=PL7E2243A0D0C90B4B

This series is narrated by the admirable Peter Hitchens - in my opinion, one of the most honest, and trustworthy, journalists around.

If you live in the UK, and are in agreement with the sentiments expressed in these videos, then you will know that there is only one political party to support on May 7th - (and it is NOT the Green Party!).

Paliwood ('Palestinian' Hollywood) at its best!

 

This shocking picture is being used, for obvious propaganda purposes, by terrorist organisation Hamas and/or their supporters. As you can read, it purports to be "... what the medical personnel saw after the Israeli army left this house in Gaza."

If that were true, then Israel would rightly be the object of much, well-deserved, criticism.  However, please look carefully at the bottom one of the three pictures.  Notice, if you will, the object on the door-post at the top right-hand corner.  That object is, most definitely, a mezuzah.

Now, as anyone who has even limited knowledge of Judaism will be all too aware, a mezuzah is an object of great importance - to Jews!  It is part of their physical response to the command, given in Deuteronomy 11:20, concerning the words of YHWH (Ha'shem to a Jew who would not use the sacred Name as someone such as I would do): "... you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates, ..."   A mezuzah might be found in a Christian home (I have one, gifted by a dear Christian friend from Australia that is normally kept on the doorpost of my study), but never - absolutely never - in an Arab home.   The mezuzah traditionally contains a small scroll with the words of the Shema written thereon (see Deut.6:4ff).   Whatever this home, we may be assured that it is not the home of a 'Palestinian' family in Gaza!

However, we do have knowledge of the origin of the photographs.  Revealing this to be an act of the most obscene deceit, they have been confirmed as photographs of the home of the Jewish Fogel family - slaughtered in their home by Islamist terrorists who cut the baby's throat!   I asked, recently, when Hamas would start using pictures from the Holocaust to promote their own agenda - this suggests that such a possibility is not as remote as some may have thought!

You are unlikely to see any of this in the mainstream media, but please disseminate among your own friends and contacts.  The truth must be known!