Spiritual Heart Burn

Luke 24:32  "And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures." 

According to experts in the field of medicine, heart burn can be caused by many contributing factors.  Many times it is brought on by something that has been eaten and the pain worsens as one lays down or bends over. Physical heart burn rarely just happens on it's own with out some out side influences that are taken into the body.

In Luke chapter 24 we find 2 men that walked with Jesus following the Lord's resurrection.  As they walked with Him they did not realize that they were walking with the resurrected Savior of the World.  However, as they walked they could feel something inside of them that caused them to pay special attention to what He was saying on their journey.  When they sat down to eat with Him, He prayed for the meal and vanished out of their sight. It was at that point that they made reference to their spiritual heart burn. 

Do you ever experience spiritual heart burn?  You can't spend time in the scripture, and you can't learn more about the Lord Jesus with out it affecting your heart in some way.  As we learn what the Bible says about how we ought to behave and carry ourselves it ought to cause our hearts to burn within us.  Our hearts ought to burn with a Holy Spirit conviction as we process what God has for us.  If we are truly taking in God's word the way He intends for us to take it, it will affect us. 

Take some time today to meditate on some scripture and see if you can experience a spiritual heart burn within your soul.  

Is Your Social Media Unsocial?

Ephesians 4:29-  “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
 
We live in a day in which there are many venues to express one’s thoughts and opinions, or even share biblical truths. It can be encouraging and at times entertaining to read other’s thoughts on popular topics or current trends in culture or ministry. Eventually, we each may try our hand at social media. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and the like have become second nature to this technologically savvy generation. While I don’t condemn the medium, I believe we should consider our motives.
What moves us to write?

Are you raving mad when you write? I have to admit that there are times when I read something that just infuriates me. If it were a published article in a magazine or paper, I probably wouldn’t take the time to sit down and write a “Letter to the Editor.” If I did, I might lose my head of steam before I got done writing and decide against it (or write it in a more gracious manner). But not anymore! With social media, I can fire off a comment in the anonymity of my home and before I have time to regret it, I will already be getting responses. Then ensues a Facebook fight or Twitter tussle for everyone to see! Not very Christian, I know.

When you sit down to write, do you do it like you are loading a gun or wrapping a present? When you load a gun, you intend to do some damage. Each chamber is filled with a projectile that will be aimed at some perceived enemy. Then, we pull the trigger. “Shoot first, ask questions later,” seems to be the motto in social media.

But gift wrapping is different. It brings joy to the giver as they load the box with helpful things. I am not saying that we don’t confront wrong doing, but our motivation should be to disciple, not damage—to win a brother, not an argument.

By Pastor Fred Fies

In Nehemiah 8:10 the Bible says,"... neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

What a tremendous thought that is to know that our strength comes directly from the joy we have in the Lord.  It does come from our bodies, but rather from the Holy Spirit of God that dwells with in our hearts.  His joy lightens the path that we must go down, and it is His joy that repels temptations that would normally trip us up along the way.

One of the most dangerous opponents to victorious daily Christian life is sorrow and despondency. When we allow ourselves to get bogged down in the depths of lacking hope and discouragement, dejected by the cares of this world, we lose the strength and will to fight on. It is in those times that we need a fresh dose of rejoicing over what great and mighty things God has done in our lives.  When we bring ourselves to a place of rejoicing and contentment - the strength from God comes to rest upon our spirit. 

Don't live in a world of despair, rejoice in what God has done in your life, and feel the strengthening power of His joy.