Resurrection 13 You Gotta Have Heart

[HKHaugan]

Of the several concordances available the word ‘heart’ is significant in the number of times it appears in the Bible. One of them has 791 listings. That offers the potential for 791 sermons, lectures and discussions. The heart is that indefinable place within where who we are connects the dots of our thinking, emotions and spirit. It is the resting place of who we really are in attitude, character and behavior. Jeremiah tells us that it is deceitful above all things (17:9), it can be pierced (4:18), in agony (4:19), pound within (4:19) and faint within (8:18). It is such an important place in us that God searches it (17:10) and yearns for it from His heart (31:20).

In sheer fact its place in God’s recovery plan is so vital that His covenant will be placed in the heart, “This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They'll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I'll forget they ever sinned!" God's Decree (Jer.31:33 Message Bible).”

Jesus prioritizes the heart when He says that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart (Mt.22:37), that where our treasure is that’s where our heart will be (Mt.6:21), to understand that the heart is where sin promotes evil (Mk.7:21-23) and that what the mouth speaks comes out of the heart (Mt.15:18). Because of our condition we can ‘take heart,’ turn to Him and our sins will be forgiven (Mt.9:2). Paul in turn witnesses his dedication when he says that he serves the Lord with his whole heart (Rom.1:9). Further, he presents the heart as the place where we make the ultimate decision to act on the belief of the mind and accept Jesus’ resurrection (Rom.10:9) “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Rom.10:10).”

When the secular world deals with the heart, songs, books and expressions comes forth in volumes. That wonderful song from ‘Damn Yankees’ cries out every human’s pleading: “You gotta have heart, all you really need is heart. When the odds are saying ‘you’ll never win’ that’s when a grin should start” and the song ends “…all you really need is ‘heart.’“ That need can only be met in the Lord. Without the Lord man’s heart is always looking for ‘heart.’ So the Lord says through Ezekiel, “For here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed. I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You'll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You'll be my people! I'll be your God (34:24-28 Message Bible)!” That’s the new heart Jesus brings! More and more…stay tuned…..

[anne marie morrison]

Yes, Whitey, the Holy Spirit really spoke to me when I read, really read, Romans 10:10," For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness... (KJV). For it is with the heart that man must take that step of faith, that huge leap over that abyss of doubt and fear and self-righteousness and pride. It is with the heart that one is convicted of his sin and has true repentance. Then and only after that repentance, comes the confession.