“Had A Rough Day? Emmanuel Nurtures; Expect Deliverance! (H.A.R.D.E.N.E.D)”   

By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Saturday, March 14, 2009

SCRIPTURE:
“They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” (Mark 6:51-52, NIV)

Observation:
I asked myself what we learn about the disciples?
When they saw Jesus walking on the water and coming on the boat making the wind stop, three things occurred:

Observation/Interpretation:
I asked myself what is significant of what I learned about the disciples?
The disciples were completely amazed with Jesus because of what transpired minutes ago and also what had happened during the feeding of the 5000+ but did not understand about it. Because they did not understand about it, their hearts were hardened. It is significant because there was no reason for them not to understand about the loaves because Jesus was right there with them and they could have asked Jesus. Instead, they kept to themselves and in the process their own hearts were hardened. It did not have to come to that.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. When there are things I do not understand that the Lord does, I need to take it to the Lord in prayer. I need to talk to the Lord about it. There are situations that have occurred in my life that would have been easy for my heart to be hardened even after seeing the miracles of Jesus in other people’s lives and my own life at other times.

Why could have my heart been hardened?

It is because that is what happens when we lean on to our own understanding. I can be so preoccupied with what I want to understand that I miss the bigger picture. The disciples had Jesus with them and rather than focusing on Jesus, their hearts were hardened because they did not understand about the loaves. Jesus was there to give them an answer but they were not depending on Jesus to give them the answer.

Whatever is happening in life, I need to rejoice and be amazed at the miracles Jesus does and at the same time depend on Him for the answers to life so I do not let my heart be hardened by the enemy, for the enemy will do that.

I ask you now dear friend, how have you hardened your heart?

Dear friend, if so, what has caused your heart to be hardened?

Is it a situation that you could not get out of?

Is it an academic, career, or relational situation that has become a thorn in the flesh?

Friend, whatever it is just as Jesus reached out to the disciples and was there for them, Jesus wants to be there for you. Yes, He does friend! When you look to the circumstances of life and do not understand what is going on, it is not worth dwelling too much on the situation that you forget who is in control and in charge. Jesus is in control my friend and His miracles are proof of that. There will be times friend, when what we have hoped for, dreamed of, or even believed so strongly that it was from the Lord and was going to happen will not happen.

In those times, a heart to be hardened from a human point of view can be easy, for Satan roams like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Satan will not come when things are going well in your life. No, friend that is not how Satan works. Satan will bring obstacles into your life and then he will come with lies and deception. That is the way Satan works so it is not hard for a person’s heart to be hardened when they lose focus away from the Lord and dwell too much in a situation that has happened or did not happen. Take it from me friend for I speak from experience.

Years ago after giving years of my time in ministry, things happened that I was not only hurt but confused and angry. Satan used those times to get me down and if I did not understand from God’s point of view why things happened the way they did, my heart would have still been hardened. Thanks be to the Lord, He did not let that happen!

Jesus knew what I was going through and knew my pain. One night he gave me a dream. In the dream, I saw whatever was built in ministry was so high like a tower. Next, thing I know everything that was built and worked on in years of ministry came tumbling down. It just crumbled and I was helpless. There was nothing I could do and I just looked to heaven and implored Jesus’ help. Then, I I saw the hands of Jesus reaching out to me and building the years of ministry and the work put in it which did not go to waste. I saw the tower representing ministry being built back up.

This dream more than what anyone was saying to me affected me in such a positive way and softened my heart. Thank you Jesus! When we lose something or someone, we may or may not get back how things were but whatever Jesus does, He will make it better. I know years of ministry did not go to waste because aspects of the ministry are still being used in me by the Lord today.

I thank the Lord, even though I lost one aspect of ministry, He has blessed me with other aspects of ministry and have seen things happen that I did not see in all my years of the other ministry. If the Lord wants me to go back to the other ministry, He will prepare the way for me too! Praise the Lord! Amen!

If I had hardened my heart and gone my own way saying to myself, ‘forget this’, I would have hurt the Lord and most of all hurt myself. I thank Jesus for rescuing me and helping me. I thank you Jesus!

So friend, wait on the Lord and do not let your hearts be hardened. Jesus loves you so much and wants to be there for you. Yes, He does friend! Come to Him with your life and let Him be your Guiding Light. He will friend no matter what the past has been, the present will show, or the future will be.

The Lord Jesus has blessed me with a wonderful community of believers who are my family especially the bond I have with Living Acts and Potters Clay cell group members and how the bond is slowly growing with Adoye members and Abundant Life members. These cell groups are where we study God's Word together, worship together, pray together which is a form of worship too, outreach together, and have community time together with snacks, games, etc. They all belong to Oakland International Fellowship which is part of Pittsburgh Chinese Church - Oakland.

How well the Lord knows what is best for us at all times. Things that happened last evening on Friday the 13th could have hardened my heart because of my own mistakes, but the Lord Jesus in His grace only sent encouragement and comfort through members of Living Acts and Adoye. Thank you Jesus.

More than anything many times people have hardened their hearts towards the Lord Jesus by not believing in Him. Jesus died for you and me. Jesus loves you so much that He wanted to become your atonement so you can be right with God and not have to suffer the eternal fires of Hell.  So, Jesus paid the price to set you free.

You need to accept the freedom in Christ you have been offered. Satan will spread lies to let you know that coming to Christ is no freedom at all because it will limit you but those are lies. When you continually listen to the lies of Satan, you will harden your hearts to what Jesus wants to offer you.

If you feel your heart has been hardened towards the Lord, you should ask Jesus to cover over you with His precious cleansing blood. When that happens the hardened heart will start to dissolve and a heart of stone will become a heart of love not because of anything you can do but because Jesus Christ will come into your heart, reside in you, and soften your heart filling your life with His Holy Spirit.

It is the Spirit of the Living God that will free you. Not everyone whose heart has been hardened will come to the Lord. Don't be part of that statistic and be a Pharoah. Come as you are and call on the Name of Jesus Christ no matter how angry or hardened your heart is because of circumstances in your life.

I have done that and the freedom I experienced in Christ cannot be explained compared to the prisoner I was, the prisoner to the sin of un-forgiveness, sin of resentment, sin of hatred, sin of anger, sin of pride, etc because of a hardened heart when things did not go well after years of ministry.

Yesterday, in our Manuscript Bible Study in the Book of Philippians I learned about Christ-Centered Living, Fruitful Living, Sacrificial Living, and Courageous Living from Ling as we studied part of the letter to the Philippians. Paul did not harden his heart but rejoiced in the Lord because He expected the Lord to act and everything will turn out for his good, even the bad that was happening to him. His mind and focus was on the advancement of the Gospel instead of self pity. Paul was JOY based: Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. He put himself last.

When we focus our lives on Christ, it is hard for our hearts to get hardened. It is without Christ that it is easy for hearts to be hardened or without a focus on Christ. We all need Jesus to be justified and sanctified so one day we can be with Him in Heaven.

It starts now though. Come as you are to Jesus now without leaning on to your own understanding and let Him lead you and guide you 

 May you rest in the Lord remembering Proverbs 3:4-6:

“If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Proverbs 3:4-6, TLB)

I want to share with you a poem I had written years ago called LIFE. May it minister to you with the devotional the Lord has helped me share with you!

LIFE
By Ramesh Reddy

Where is this generation headed,
can we say we know ?
Are we doing what is right,
doing what God wants us to do ?

What happened to the beaver ?
Shame to seem him gone,
gone with the wind,
having all his morals and values
dried up like sun-baked clay.

Now are we battered, bruised, and burned
seeing shows depicting immorality causing restlessness
like pain in the back ?

Are we going to a shrink ?
What good will that do ?
It will only shrink our pockets
as our minds get shrunk
like delicate fabric
in improper washing.

What happens to our sanity
as our anxiety rages
like thundering sea waves ?
We want to know answers,
answers to the questions of life.

Do we end up in our self-world
dreading in despair,
despair that brings us to the edge
like an uncontrolled automobile
about to fall off the edge of a cliff.

We have our own hopeless life to live,
life that seems to end in misery.
Where does our hope come from,
hope that can lead us to a blessed life,
life that brings us perfect peace ?

We can only have true contentment,
contentment in our hearts,
only if we find peace,
peace that will end strife
when we come to know the
PRINCE OF PEACE

Who is this Prince of Peace ??

J esus, the Savior of the world.

E verlasting peace comes from knowing him.

S urely goodness and mercy will follow

U nconditionally all the days of our lives

S trengthening us to do what God wants us to do.

Amen!

May you know even if you had a rough day, Emmanuel nurtures; expect deliverance!

“Had A Rough Day? Emmanuel Nurtures; Expect Deliverance!” (H.A.R.D.E.N.E.D)/”How have you H.A.R.D.E.N.E.D your heart?”

Listen to the background song, "Don't let your heart be hardened?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much and dying for our sin. Thank you for coming back to life to save us. Thank you for the miracles you have done in front of the disciples. Yet, Lord they did not understand about the loaves and later their hearts were hardened. Even so, thank you Jesus for working in their hearts! Please Jesus work in our hearts and when we do not understand something please help us to always take it to you. Thank you for reaching us where we are. I pray right now for the one whose heart is hardened. They are so confused about life and the decisions that need to be made. Please Jesus come and intervene in their life and become their Prince of Peace. They need to hear from you Oh Lord. Yes, they do! I need to hear from you. I know a place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned can come and find rest. It is at the Cross we come and lay our requests before you. Come Lord Jesus and change us. Transform us. Help us to depend on you and you alone and help us not to lean on to our own understanding. Thank you Jesus that you hear and answer! Thank you for your help! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

May you be uplifted knowing Deliverer openly understands bringing total Salvation! Amen!

If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray this prayer, meaning it in your heart and finding your new identity in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I am a sinner Lord. I am so sorry for my sins. I confess my sins to you. I confess the wrong things I have done and the times I messed up my own life. I need you Lord right now and in the years to come. I have gone my own way and have not found what only you can give me. You alone have the words of Eternal Life. You alone love me unconditionally for who I am. I thank you Jesus. Thank you for going to the cross for me, for dying for my sins, shedding your precious blood for me, so I can me made whole. I am covered by your blood Lord! I come as I am and  accept you Jesus into my heart. Please come into my heart Jesus. Please make my heart your home. Please live in me Jesus. Thanks Jesus for coming into my heart and living in me. Thank you for forgiving me of all my sins. Thank you for giving me a new identity in you. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior as I believe in my heart that you died and came back to life to save me now and forever. I give myself to you and ask you to be in control of my life. Thank you Jesus through the  days, we can do things together. Thanks for being my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thanks Jesus for changing me and helping me through life's storms and winds. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!