My thoughts for yesterday were expressed in reply to Andrew Bales blog on Beyond the Brook but I am continuing with Dallas Willard and Rennovation of the Heart.
This passage stuck out for me today.

"Much of what is called Christian profession today involves little remorse of sorrow over what we have been or even for what we have done. There is little awareness of having been lost or of a radical evil in our hearts, bodies and souls, which we must get away from and from which only God can deliver us. To manifest such awareness today would be regarded as being psychologically sick. It is common today to hear Christians talk of their "brokenness". But when you listen closely it is clear they are talking about their wounds, the things they have suffered, not the evil that is in them. Few today have discovered that they have been disasterously wrong and that they cannot change or escape the consequences of it on their own.
There is little of Isaiah's sense of unworthiness before God: Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips." (Is 6:1)

Yet without this realization of our utter ruin and without the genuine redirecting of our lives which that better realization gives rise to, no clear path of inner transformation can be found."

I think he is right

God bless

Carol

Tired of the gap

The need to face up to some realities about my own heart condition was confirmed and encouraged yesterday through a trip to a Christian bookshop to spend the vouchers I had for my birthday. Having found The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard inspiring I decided before I went that I wanted to get something by him, although I had no idea what else he had written. Imagine my delight when the only book by him on the shop was "Renovation of the heart."

Isn't it good how God leads you down a pathway and then provides the resources to travel with?

Anyway the foundation verse for the book is "Above all else, guard you heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Prov 4:23

The blurb on the back says:
I'm not okay and you're not okay. We're in serious trouble. And yet the life that we are promised in Christ should be one of spiritual maturity and increasing holiness. We should be brimful of the fruit of Spirit. So why the yawning chasm between what we are and what we should be?...................... We live from the heart, the spiritual place within us from which outlook, choiceds and actions ahve been formed by a world away form God. Now it must be transformed."

I say amen to that. I am so tired of the gap in the church, in the army, in me between what is and what should be but as John Gowans writes:

I believe in transformation
God can change the hearts of men
And refine the evil nature
Till it glows with grace again


God bless

Carol

Heart matters


A few weeks ago whilst leading an Alpha Holy Spirit day I was teaching about God putting his law into our hearts and of course quoted Jermiah 31:33 "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts ." Later that week during a night of prayer at the Resource Centre the Lord spoke to me again about his desire to write his will on our hearts.

This is what I sensed he said,

I will write my truth upon your heart, not in erasable pen but I will engrave it deeply into you. Your sins, because of the blood of my son can be washed away like chalk and lost forever but my word in your heart can last forever. I can write more as you allow me to enlarge your heart.

The engraving of the Spirit of truth is very beautiful and it contrast with the ugly graffitti of the values of the world. However because your heart is not stone the engraving may at first seem painful but I am gentle and skilled and I will never harm you. You will learn to welcome my touch and the word being seared into you.

I then found the following verse in the songbook

And what if strength should fail
And heart more deeply bleed?
Or what if dark and lonely days
Draw forth the cry of need?
That cry will bring thee down
My needy soul to fill
And thou wilt teach my yearning heart
To know and do thy will.

And that is what God has been doing. I wrote the other day that the book Be a hero impacted me. Through it God showed me that there was a lot of assumptions in my life about the levels of my compassion. They have been a lot shallower than is Christlike. This was very humbling but I know I have to accept his verdict. I have had to allow him to cut more compassion and love into my heart.

I borrowed a book on the life on Sarah Lankford Palmer, (the sister of Phoebe Palmer)from Andrew Bale earlier this week and it was nothing specific but reading about this lady's life I felt very much I am not at the place of total surrender that she was.

So anyway as a result I've been down the prayer room tonight, my prayer being that God would show me the true state of my heart. As I sang O for a heart that is whiter than snow to him, I believe God's done a bit more surgery and although I know there is more he wants to do I have his peace.

God bless


Carol

The Youngs are back in town

We've had a great holiday at Le Pas Opton which is a campsite in France run by Spring Harvest. We received a lot from it

a real rest
brilliant weather
lovely accommodation,
croissants for breakfast
gorgeous beach and big waves
winners T shirts ( Our team won the Quiz)
great fellowship with Christians from all over the UK
inspiring Bible study
time to read the library of books we took with us
great trip to Nantes Cathedral
a power cut whilst France were playing somebody in the World Cup!

O and a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Amongst the books I took was Be a Hero. Maybe it was all the more powerful because I was enjoying such luxury I don't know but whilst the holiday has physically and mentally recharged me, God has used the book to deeply challenge me.

Now we are back it is time to turn challenge into change.

God bless

Carol