Compassionate Heart
January 21, 2014
Compassionate Heart
“Love your enemies! Do
good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward
from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the
Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be
compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke.6.35.nlt
good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward
from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the
Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be
compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke.6.35.nlt
What does the last sentence
mean? It is a command and raises the
proverbial bar for me. From the time I
was a little child, I knew the verse, God
is Love. I memorized it. But as the years go by, I am beginning to know
it with my heart even thought it is a difficult concept to learn.
mean? It is a command and raises the
proverbial bar for me. From the time I
was a little child, I knew the verse, God
is Love. I memorized it. But as the years go by, I am beginning to know
it with my heart even thought it is a difficult concept to learn.
The anti-compassionate heart
rears its ugly tentacles of competition, anger, greed, arrogance, power-hunger,
jealousy, revenge, all seeking to possess our hearts. There is a word hiding in the word,
compassionate, that motivates compassion.
The word is Passion. Our passion
is revealed by our actions and our words.
Do we have a passion for gaining possessions? Do we fuel dissatisfaction by our actions or
words? Is our passion to exhibit the
latest fads of the world in speech or owning the latest tech gadget for the
sake of gaining status?
rears its ugly tentacles of competition, anger, greed, arrogance, power-hunger,
jealousy, revenge, all seeking to possess our hearts. There is a word hiding in the word,
compassionate, that motivates compassion.
The word is Passion. Our passion
is revealed by our actions and our words.
Do we have a passion for gaining possessions? Do we fuel dissatisfaction by our actions or
words? Is our passion to exhibit the
latest fads of the world in speech or owning the latest tech gadget for the
sake of gaining status?
Unless we have a boundary of
faith, truth and compassion, we will know no peace. And this boundary is of the heart… Before
a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it
completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too
lofty for me to attain. Psalm
139:4-6
faith, truth and compassion, we will know no peace. And this boundary is of the heart… Before
a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it
completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too
lofty for me to attain. Psalm
139:4-6
Many times I watched Mom’s nimble fingers
carefully roll a hem and stitch it tightly.
It becomes a boundary that cannot unravel. This is what God does when we accept Jesus
Christ, His Only Begotten Son. He
stitches us into the safety of His hem, His boundary of safety. And with prayers of repentance and confession
to God our Father, we are snatched from evil, and returned to the safety of his
hem-boundary.
carefully roll a hem and stitch it tightly.
It becomes a boundary that cannot unravel. This is what God does when we accept Jesus
Christ, His Only Begotten Son. He
stitches us into the safety of His hem, His boundary of safety. And with prayers of repentance and confession
to God our Father, we are snatched from evil, and returned to the safety of his
hem-boundary.
If we knew how much God
loved us and was for us, we’d talk to Him all day long, is the quote I read
from Donald Miller. When I read this
quote – I think about how God commanded his chosen people, “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands
and wear them on your forehead as
reminders. Deuteronomy 11:18. This
becomes a boundary for our actions and our mind…God wants his words to be our
words and placed in our hearts.
loved us and was for us, we’d talk to Him all day long, is the quote I read
from Donald Miller. When I read this
quote – I think about how God commanded his chosen people, “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands
and wear them on your forehead as
reminders. Deuteronomy 11:18. This
becomes a boundary for our actions and our mind…God wants his words to be our
words and placed in our hearts.
Our
passion is that which is closest to our hearts and treasured. Every nuance of His Word is to be heeded –
from our spirit-out. I often wonder at the heart-passion my ancestors that
compelled them to search the world over for a place to freely worship
passion is that which is closest to our hearts and treasured. Every nuance of His Word is to be heeded –
from our spirit-out. I often wonder at the heart-passion my ancestors that
compelled them to search the world over for a place to freely worship
God. Boundaries of Space and Governments had no
hold over them. Their passion was being free to worship The Lord God and Him
Only..
hold over them. Their passion was being free to worship The Lord God and Him
Only..
From
the Introduction of Norma Jost Voth’s book, Mennonite
Foods & Folkways from South Russia, comes this timeline of their
migration.
the Introduction of Norma Jost Voth’s book, Mennonite
Foods & Folkways from South Russia, comes this timeline of their
migration.
• 1786 – Empress Catherine II of Russia invited
Dutch Mennonites living in West Prussia (Poland) to settle in Ukraine, Russia.
Dutch Mennonites living in West Prussia (Poland) to settle in Ukraine, Russia.
• March 22, 1788 – 400 families left Danzig by
wagon train, 736 miles, to form a
settlement (Chortitza Colony) on a tributary of the Dnieper River.
wagon train, 736 miles, to form a
settlement (Chortitza Colony) on a tributary of the Dnieper River.
• 1803-1806 – 356 families left West Prussian
Elbihg-Marienburg districts and settled along the Molotchna River.
Elbihg-Marienburg districts and settled along the Molotchna River.
• 1835 some 1200 families made their home in
made their home in the Molotschna Colony.
made their home in the Molotschna Colony.
• 1870, there were 45,000 Mennonites in Russia,
most of them from Dutch extraction, in Ukraine by the way of West Prussia.
most of them from Dutch extraction, in Ukraine by the way of West Prussia.
• The first weary arrivals endured enormous
hardship and grinding poverty. By 1855,
seven a half million fruit and shade trees were growing in their villages. Now there were pastures with grazing herds of
cattle, sheep and horses. When the
freedom to worship and freedom from military service was withdrawn by the
Russian government, they again searched to find freedom. They found this freedom and began to emigrate
to North America across the Atlantic Ocean from 1874 to 1884, when 18,000
people made their new home in North America.
hardship and grinding poverty. By 1855,
seven a half million fruit and shade trees were growing in their villages. Now there were pastures with grazing herds of
cattle, sheep and horses. When the
freedom to worship and freedom from military service was withdrawn by the
Russian government, they again searched to find freedom. They found this freedom and began to emigrate
to North America across the Atlantic Ocean from 1874 to 1884, when 18,000
people made their new home in North America.
Their
passion and boundary against the evil in the world, was and continues to be,
the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ – and Him only. These Mennonites, a peaceful people, followed
the Word of God. They endured much and gained much. They were farmers. Their faith continues to endure through the
generations. They expressed their faith in music – always in harmony — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClsPnWX7ljA
passion and boundary against the evil in the world, was and continues to be,
the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ – and Him only. These Mennonites, a peaceful people, followed
the Word of God. They endured much and gained much. They were farmers. Their faith continues to endure through the
generations. They expressed their faith in music – always in harmony — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClsPnWX7ljA
What
fuels the compassionate heart? And we
are back to the beginning. Love. Whoever
does not love does not know God, because God is love. I John 4:8
fuels the compassionate heart? And we
are back to the beginning. Love. Whoever
does not love does not know God, because God is love. I John 4:8
How
can we measure a compassionate heart? A compassionate heart is happily serving
in Jesus’ name and has no time to measure.
The compassionate heart sees needs to care for and is in turn,
blessed. The compassionate heart is a
happy heart, for that heart is others-minded.
can we measure a compassionate heart? A compassionate heart is happily serving
in Jesus’ name and has no time to measure.
The compassionate heart sees needs to care for and is in turn,
blessed. The compassionate heart is a
happy heart, for that heart is others-minded.
Every
day, as the day begins, I ask, What is my passion? What or Who do I worship?
day, as the day begins, I ask, What is my passion? What or Who do I worship?
• It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are
defiled by
defiled by
the words that come out of your mouth.” Matthew 15:11
• But
because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made
because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made
us alive
with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it
is
with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it
is
by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 6:4
• Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed
the passions and
the passions and
desires of
their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them
there.
their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them
there.
Galatians 5:24
• But whoever loves God is known
by God. I Corinthians 8:3
by God. I Corinthians 8:3
• Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do
not be
afraid. John 14:27
not be
afraid. John 14:27
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