Heart Songs

Accused and tried in a Kangaroo court, whipped many times, beaten, thrown into prison, put into stocks on the floor of the inner prison - ALL that and probably more Paul and Silas endured in a first century Philippian jail! They had every reason to have a serious pity party!
SO what does the historical account of the the incident in Acts 16 describe? They were singing; the other prisoners were listening! Then there was an earthquake so every thing was shaking with enough force to open the doors of the prison and loose the chains and stocks.
Singing in jail and sleep deprived at midnight? WOW!
Lord, give me a heart that will sing praise to you after a beating in prison at sleepless midnight! (John Piper tweet)

That Achy Breaky Heart!

Billy Ray Cyrus achieved fame singing "Achy Breaky Heart." This country western song is all about the girl who left him and isn't coming back.
I'm singing "Achy Breaky" blues today but it has nothing to do with lost romance. I have this achy breaky feeling in the center of my chest. No, my heart is beating just fine and in no particular distress, thank you.
My heart problem is of another kind: too much life, too much pain, too much loss! My heart aches and breaks for what might have been because of what is. What can I do?
What I'm gonna do is the ONLY worthwhile thing to do: preach the Gospel to myself today - probably many times just so it sticks where I'm aching and breaking. I'm gonna tell my achy breaky heart that Jesus "knows all the trouble I've seen." I'm gonna tell my achy breaky heart that Jesus came to fix achy breaky hearts like mine (and yours).
Louie Armstrong is famous for his rendition of the African American slave spiritual, "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've seen." It goes like this:

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen

Nobody knows but Jesus

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen

Glory Hallelujah!

Sometimes I'm up and sometimes I'm down

Yes Lord, you know sometimes I'm almost to the ground

O yes, Lord!

The Gospel is for my heart when it's achy breaky "when I'm almost to the ground" AND when I'm not! The Gospel is where I plan to camp out today! It is the ONLY safe place to be! It is absolutely the place for achy breaky hearts like mine (and yours)!

Forgiveness

I am impressed that my friends who don't know Jesus yet don't have a clue about the wonder of forgiveness. It breaks my heart and compels me to model and share the Gospel as God gives me strength and grace!
Martin Luther spoke the truth when he wrote, "To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God alone is the hardest thing."
The Gospel is the ONLY hope for the world of hurting people who don't know Jesus and haven't a clue about forgiveness!

Be Heart Healthy! Forgive!

"To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace alone is the hardest thing." --Martin Luther

Gospel Grace for the Heart!

From depths of woe I raise to Thee the voice of lamentation;
Lord, turn a gracious ear to me and hear my supplication.
If Thou iniquities dost mark, our secret sins and misdeeds dark,

O who shall stand before Thee? (Who shall stand before Thee?)
O who shall stand before Thee? (Who shall stand before Thee?

To wash away the crimson stain, Grace, grace alone availeth;
Our works, alas! are all in vain; in much the best life faileth;
No man can glory in Thy sight, all must alike confess Thy might.

And live alone by mercy! (Live alone by mercy)
And live alone by mercy! (Live alone by mercy)

Therefore my trust is in the Lord, and not in mine own merit;
On Him my soul shall rest, His word upholds my fainting spirit;
His promised mercy is my fort, my comfort and my sweet support;

I wait for it with patience! (Wait for it with patience)
I wait for it with patience! (Wait for it with patience)

(Martin Luther penned these words. Indelible Grace sings them. Thanks to my nephew John Franklin for reminding me of them today on Facebook!)

Heart Medicine for Today

"Life is a fabric, woven by God out of the threads of His choice for us. Some threads are sorrows and some are delights. If we pulled out all the threads we didn't like, the fabric would be quite shabby." --Author Unknown

What's Happening?

What's happening to you?



• Do you have financial trouble?


• Have you been cheated and lied to?


• Have you lost your home?


• Has your mate walked away - chosen someone else?


• Has someone you love very much died?


• Have you been an absolute fool and are now mortified by what you did?


• Are you losing your hearing or your sight?


• Are you fighting depression that has you and your life all out of kilter?


• Do you have a terminal, chronic or crippling disease?


• Are you standing on the threshold to death?

Here's the unimpeachable truth! Here's the assurance of the Gospel! All these and a host of other life circumstances may seem like the end BUT THEY ARE NOT! You may wish it were the end BUT IT IS NOT!

God alone determines the end and we're NOT there yet!
If you think your circumstance is the end then either ... or ...

• ... either - you are not listening to the still, small voice of God which means you are listening to lies rather than living in the light of the truth of the Gospel!


• ... or - you are listening to a lie generated in the pit of hell!

Your heart may be broken by any combination of these circumstances but remember: IT'S NOT THE END! The last chapter in your story is still being written! The last act of the play in which you have a starring role hasn't finished!

The One who pulls the curtain and cuts off the lights on the stage is God and God alone! He alone is the end of all things! God alone is the One who promises, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me and go and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart!" (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

So search for God with all your heart and THAT'S what is happening no matter what! He promises to listen, to give a future and hope and to be at the end of our search! It's not a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! God is at the end of the rainbow which is STILL the promise after the rain!