RENEWAL OF MY HEART

I ALWAYS HAVE LOVED SUNDAY NIGHT CHURCH SERVICE AND LAST NIGHT HAD TO BE ONE OF THE BEST.  WE STARTED OUT AS USUAL WITH SINGING AND WORSHIP BUT IT DIDNT TAKE LONG FOR THE LORD TO SHOW UP AND TAKE COMPLETE CONTROL.  THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SWEPT OVER THE WHOLE PLACE.  BRO JERRY RECOGNIZED THIS IMMEDIATELY AND TOLD US ALL THAT WE WOULD IN NO WAY RUSH THE SERVICE.  IT WAS AWESOME!  WHEN BRO JERRY ANNOUNCED THE MESSAGE HE HAD PREPARED FOR THE SERVICE, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE LORD DID INDEED WANT US TO HEAR THE SERMON WHICH HAD BEEN PREPARED. 





LAST NIGHTS MESSAGE WAS ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND.  IT WAS BASED ON SCRIPTURES FROM HEBREWS AND DEALT WITH THE HARDENING OF THE HEART.  I HAVE A NEW KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE AND IN AT LEAST THREE SCRIPTURES, THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE PLAIN AND SIMPLE.





......HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART......





IT WAS SO EASY FOR ME TO RELATE TO THE MEANING OF THESE SCRIPTURES.  FOR SO MANY YEARS, I WALKED AROUND WITH A HEART FULL OF ANGER, RAGE, UNFORGIVENESS AND HATE.  MY HEART WAS WAY PAST HARDENED.  SOME PEOPLE EVEN SAID THAT I DIDNT HAVE A HEART, THAT I HAD A LITTLE BLACK ROCK INSIDE MY CHEST.  AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS FUNNY.  I THOUGHT THAT WAS CUTE.  I ENJOYED PROVING TO PEOPLE THAT I SIMPLY DIDNT CARE HOW ANYONE ELSE FELT.  I TRULY HAD A HEART OF STONE.  MY HARDENED HEART LED ME TO A PLACE FULL OF OTHER HARDENED HEARTS.  I SHOULD HAVE FELT RIGHT AT HOME.  BUT, THANK GOD I DIDNT.





I HAD TO BE TAKEN DOWN TO MY KNEES.  I HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM EVERYTHING THAT MEANT ANYTHING TO ME.  I WAS LITERALLY DROPPED AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS.  I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LOOK UP AND CRY OUT FOR FORGIVENESS.  I DIDNT WANT A STONY LITTLE BLACK HEART ANY LONGER.  I WAS COMPLETELY ASHAMED AT WHAT I HAD ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME.  IT WAS THERE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS THAT I CRIED OUT FOR FORGIVENESS.  I ASKED THE LORD TO SEARCH MY HEART AND REMOVE THE ROOTS OF EVIL.





I DONT EVEN FEEL LIKE THE SAME PERSON THESE DAYS.  I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH OF A BURDEN HAS BEEN LIFTED FROM MY HEART.  IT IS OH SO MUCH EASIER TO ALLOW MYSELF TO LOVE AND TO CARE.  MY HARDENED HEART HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A HEART WHICH IS SOFT AND WARM.  I LEARNED THAT I MUST ASK THE LORD DAILY TO REMOVE ANY SEEDS OF BITTERNESS AND ANGER FROM MY LIFE.  THROUGH HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY AND HIS LOVE, I AM NO LONGER MY OWN WORST ENEMY. 





THANK YOU LORD FOR RESTORING MY ABILITY TO CARE. 


THANK YOU GOD YOUR WORD, WHICH DIRECTS MY PATH DAILY.


THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THE RENEWAL OF MY HEART!