healing

Healing Our Hearts – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Posted on by chgruver

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

If you have gone to any of our Becoming God’s Man conferences or remember the six month radio show we had at one time you are know this is a verse we use a lot, and there is a reason for that. This is one of those verses that says many things in a compact little package. Think of it as one of those little pills that you can get at the dollar store that when put in a glass of water turns into a sponge dinosaur.

So what is so significant about this verse, well if you look at it there is a promise from God, the only thing is that the promise is conditional. While originally written in context regarding the ancient nation of Israel the principles of this verse are just as applicable to today’s Christians. The first thing we need to take notice is that this promise is for the believer, whether it was the Jew back in the days of Solomon when the promise was given or a Christian today, we are all those people called by God’s name.

So what must we do in regards to this promise? The first thing is that we need to humble ourselves. This means we need to realize we are not the most important thing and place our focus rather than on ourself or our situation but rather focus on God. Then once we focus on God we can in fact fulfill the other conditions. That is because we won’t truly be praying or seeking God’s face if we are self absorbed. We also aren’t able to turn from our wicked ways either, as we usually fall into those ways because we are focused on self and how to best please ourselves rather than how to please God. In essence it is once we humble ourselves that the other conditions we need to fulfill will just naturally start to fall into place.

So what is being promised? God’s part of this promise is that He will forgive our sins and heal our land. What all does this mean, well with the second part in the times of Solomon agriculture was the source of income for many and if crops couldn’t grow financially many were hurt; but this is not saying that God will make you rich in material means if we fulfill our part. What it does mean is that God will make sure our needs are met, with the most important need being that of our salvation. You see the land that we need healed is none other than our hearts.

Does your heart need healing? Have you surrendered your life to Christ? We all need both, so what is keeping you from humbling yourself and turning to God in order to bring healing to your heart?

Table Talk – Episode 47 – World vs The Spirit

Posted on by chgruver

May 20, 2016: This week we looked at James 1:20-27 and what it means to be “unstained by the world.”

Table Talk is a weekly gathering of men in the Pinellas Park area from different denominations and backgrounds. We meet every Friday morning from around 6:30-8:00 at the Egg Platter restaurant. It is located at 6767 US Highway 19 North in Pinellas Park. If you happen to be in the area feel free to come out and join us for a time of fellowship and Bible study.

Table Talk Episode 42 – Testimonies

Posted on by chgruver

April 15, 2016: This week Pastor Sam was out and we got to hear the testimony of a couple of the guys there.
Table Talk is filmed Friday mornings from 6:30-8:00 at the Egg Platter on US 19 in Pinellas Park, FL. If you happen to be in the area and interested in joining us please come; all men are welcome regardless of denomination.

Becoming God’s Man – God Will Do What?

Posted on by chgruver

So we have been looking at 2 Chronicles 7:14 and seen how as Christians we fall under the categorization of being God’s people and called by His name; then last time we saw how in this promise what we are required to do and how it is actually a progression from humility to repentance. Today we will look at what God promises to do. In the last part of 2 Chronicles 7:14 we see God stating, “then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” There are three things that God promises to do, and again we will see that it is a progression; He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Hear From Heaven

The first promise God makes is that He will hear from heaven. You see the main thing here is that God is always listening for us to come to Him; but He wants us to truly come to Him. I know I have been using a parent/child relationship a lot here, but think of it like this. You have a child and you hear them calling for you because they want something; you won’t answer them right away, even though you know what they want, you want them to come directly to you and ask. You see God is the same way, he know what we need and hears us but want us to truly come to Him, to seek Him out in order to present Him with our needs. It is then that He will answer us.

Forgive Our Sins

So after God hears us when we are truly seeking after Him and having turned away from our sins, He will then forgive our sins. This is the next step in God’s promise to us, and is a natural step. You see as we humble ourselves we realize our sinfulness and need for repentance. God is listening and will hear us, this includes the eventual ask for forgiveness when we realize our sinful state. It is when we are at this point of brokenness, where we realize our need for God, that He will then faithfully forgive our sins. The thing for us is unlike in the Old Testament where a sacrifice was required whenever one asked for forgiveness, Christ’s work on the cross served as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Heal Our Land

So after God forgives our sins, the next step is healing and restoration. While in the Old Testament where this was the original audience, healing of the land meant helping with their livelihood, the healing of our land is that of our hearts. With the help of the Holy Spirit, God not only forgives our sins but changes our hearts to where we long for godly things. As I mentioned last time we start to desire the things God desires, we start to want to do His will rather than follow our own selfish ways. The healing of our hearts also means we find a peace and joy that is unable to be explained, even when the trials are tough and everything seems to be against us, God is there holding us up and reassuring us that He is faithful and everything will work out for His glory; and this is what we finding ourselves longing for because as those called by His name, we realize it is not about us but about Him, and seek Him to be glorified above all else.

Table Talk Episode 32 – God’s Healing Power

Posted on by chgruver

Table talk is a weekly Bible Study and Prayer breakfast located at the Egg Platter in Pinellas Park, FL. We are a group of guys from different backgrounds that meet every Friday morning at 6:30.

This week we started off with one of the guys giving a testimony of how he had seen God’s healing power work in the life of his family. This then led to a discussion on how God can use this as a testimony to His power and open doors to share our faith with others.