Hartman's Heart

New and Improved

2009-02-09T12:30:00.001-06:00

I am big into my gadgets. I like electronics. And there is always a new and improved version of what has already been made. You can never keep up with having new newest and greatest electronic product. The same goes for what people say. There always seems to be new ideas from inspiring people that may sound good, but we need to judge them by whether or not they are consistent with God's word. Some speak truth while directing people in God's direction. While others direct people towards themselves. It is possible to say the "right things" but still lead people in the wrong direction. But the wise person will carefully test the ideas they hear against the truth of God's word. A good reference in the Bible to all of this is Deuteronomy 12-15. When people claim to speak for God today, check them in these areas: Are they telling the truth? Is their focus on God? Is what they are saying lining up with what you already know is right? When you hear a new idea, examine it before getting too excited. And also from these verses... I got out of it to not let other people bring you down. That if there are people in your life that lead you away from God, you don't need them to have as much as an influence in your life. You don't need to completely cut them out of your life. But they need to not have all your time because they will drag you down.
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Back in the day...

2009-02-02T11:26:00.001-06:00

What do you miss about your past... What makes you say, "you remember when?" In the book of Numbers, (chap.11)the Israelites complained because they didn't see what God was doing for them. They were being set free from Egypt, making them a new nation, and giving them a new land. But all they could think about was the food they were missing out on in Egypt. Somehow they forgot about the price that had to be paid for that food... Slavery!
But before we judge the Israelites to bad, we need to think about what we keep on our minds. When we aren't satisfied, it is because our attention changes from what we do have, to what we don't have. Are you grateful for what God has given you, or are you always thinking about what you would like to have? Don't allow your desires that aren't happening make you forget God's gifts... Life, food, health, work, and friends and family.
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Look Out!

2009-01-28T14:16:00.001-06:00

Ya know how people ask "why?" a lot... It is because there is consequences for disobedience. Some people see God, especially in the Old Testament as harsh, because of all his rules back then and the punishment for disobedience to those rules. And today, people still ask why to things that God allows to happen... And our day to day experiences and hardships can sometimes seem to much to bear. God allows these events to happen to help us grow, not to curse us. We need to see that God's purposes are to help us live as he designed us to live and to bring about continual growth in us. And I have been taught that lately by God. Through my circumstances and what he has put me though also situations that happen with people in my life, I have learned a lot from it. So what are you struggling with? What stresses and problems are you going through? Endure hardship as God's teaching you... Ask God to teach you through everyday difficulty.
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You Got Skills...

2009-01-22T20:25:00.001-06:00

Everyone is blessed with different skills and abilities. And I believe that all the things that we are blessed to be able to do are given to us from God. And I also think that we should use those gifts from God for Him. No matter what it is. In Exodus, all of the people who were with Moses took all their skills and used them for Gods service and built the tabernacle. (Exodus 35-40). So how can we use the skills we have. If it is sports, give credit for your abilities to God. If it is being a social person, so his love to people. If you are hospitable, open your house, showing his love. If you are a kind person, be just that, show God's kindness... No matter what it is, you can figure out what your spiritual gift is and use it to show Jesus to people.
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Chosen!

2009-01-18T21:36:00.002-06:00

Have you ever come into contact with someone who was just filled with God? Someone that was just so excited about what God was doing in their life that their love for Him was just oozing out of them? There was a guy in the Bible, Paul... who was just that type of person.
And in Ephesians 1:3-14 is a great example of that, it is Paul talking to the people of Ephesus and it says: "3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world. to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure an will-6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. 12In order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.
How awesome are those verses?!? There are several things we can take from these veses... One we can see that God chose us, it says it right in verse 4. Something else we can see is that not only did God choose us He is our family, he adopted us as His child, it says it in verse 5. Now I am sure if you read those verses, you see all the talk about predestination, and you have probably had conversations with people about how can a loving God predestine someone to heaven and not another. Well God has predestined everyone, but not in the way that you have probably talked about before with someone. Look at verses 11-14 but keying in on verse 13... It says that "we were also included in Christ when we heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation" Which I believe means that God has chosen all of us to be his kids. Now, God has granted all of us free will to choose if we want to accept his gift to us. So with that free will, so your decision to accept or not to accept him is on each of us. But here is my question... how could someone not want to accept his gift of him coming into our hearts after reading just those verses?!? There is someone who loves you so much that he chose you. And not only did he choose you, but he adopted us, and can be your Abba Father (meaning daddy). How amazing is that?!? That despite our faults, God loves us right where we are in life, no matter how bad we think we are, or how much we think that God could never love us... He still wants to be our dad! I know I wouldn't want to go on with life without someone like that in my life... So my question to you is... what is keeping you from having someone like that in your life, if you don't have God as your Savior, as your Dad?

Circumstances

2009-01-17T14:18:00.001-06:00

Have you ever felt like you were all alone... Even when you are asking for Gods help? Be able to handle rejection for our faith and trusting God when He seems to be ignoring our prayers are part of God's plan for us. And we need to realize, that when God is at work, suffering, setbacks, and hard times may still happen. We can be sure that the hard times have a purpose. I have been having to deal with some hard situations lately and I can tell you- the trials God puts you through happen so that God can teach, discipline, punish, or accomplish another work for God. But be encouraged with what James 1:2-4 says. In those verses we are encouraged to be joyful when difficulties come our way. Problems teach us to trust God to do what is best for us... Look for ways to honor God in our current circumstance... Remember that God will not abandon us... And to watch for God's plan for us. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Ouch!

2009-01-15T11:12:00.001-06:00

Bad things never happen at a good time. But circumstances are never so bad that they are beyond God's help. We need to never get ourselves down because we are God's kids and he loves us more than anything. And you never know what good He will bring out of a seemingly hopeless situation. In the last four chapter of Genesis, (46-50), God brought good from many bad circumstances in Josephs life... His brothers evil actions, Potifers wife's accusations, and the seven years of famine. But the experiences in Josephs life taught him that God brings good from evil for those who trust Him. I know for me personally, that I have had to go through quite a bit of trials over the last few months especially... But through building my relationship with God I have been able to see the good things coming from the trials. I see God teaching me things through the tough times. God can over take people's evil intentions to bring about his intended purpose for those actions. And I have learned that these words are as true for me as for everyone else... You are either just coming out of a "storm" in your life, heading into a "storm" in life... Or you are in that "storm" right now. What difficult situations are you enduring? Do you trust God enough to wait patiently for Him to bring good out of bad situations. Like I said earlier you can trust Him because He can use bad circumstances to bring out His intended result.
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So I was doing some reading...

2009-01-14T23:11:00.001-06:00

So I was doing some reading earlier and there was some verses that really hit me... It is Acts 2:21-28 and it says: "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Listen to this, Jesus was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by Gods set purpose and fore knowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: "I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence""

How awesome is that?!? That God died for you... He is right beside you. He won't abandon you. How can that not bring you joy? It is amazing to me, that the creator of the world loves me for who I am right where I am, no matter where that is on the road of life. God has become first in my life because he is magnificently first in everything. He is first because he is better than me at everything, anything I could ever try to do he can do better. He is first because he passionately loves me no matter how good I am or how far away from Him I fall. He loves me perfectly right now wherever I am. He is first in my life because I have figured out that he is passionately in love with me despite my faults and the things I "do right". He is crazy about me. How can someone who feels that way about me not be first in my life?!? He made me (and everyone else) first in His life when He went to the cross. He sacrificed himself for me! And with that kind of love it seems nothing else would make sense to be first in my life but Him! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Change

2009-01-13T23:50:00.001-06:00

Have you ever heard someone say about someone else... "They will never change"? Or have you thought that about someone? Have any of them turned out as expected? Sometimes it seems like someone will never change, but people can change dramatically, and the changes can catch us by surprise. The guy Joseph, in the Bible, wanted to see if his brothers attitudes had changed for the better, so he tested how they treated each other. When Judah was younger, he showed no concern for Joseph... He convinced his brothers to sell Joseph as a slave, then he joined his brothers in lying to their dad about what happened to him. But then Judah became a slave, the man who sold his little brother into slavery now took his place as a slave to save him. What can we take from this? I can think of people in my life that cause me to question if they will ever change, or if a situation with them will ever get better. And you in your situations, as well as I need to remember when we are ready to give up hope on someone, remember, that God can work a complete change even in the most selfish personality. I'm sure you can think of people in your life like that... Pray for them to understand and experience God's love and power. And also think about your own life, and ask for God to forgive and change you as well. God's the man! He can change lives!
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Refined

2009-01-12T23:59:00.001-06:00

Do you have any responsibilities that you wouldn't miss if you never had to do them again? I know I do. There was a guy in the Bible, Joseph, and he had dreams of being ruler over all but was sold into slavery and put in prison. He did his best with each small task given to him. And his good work and attitude was noticed by the warden. And then, he interprets the pharoah's dreams and rose to power in Egypt. (Found in Gen:39-41) We see that, as Joseph learned, that God rules over every circumstance, even the ones that don't seem important. And what can we get out of this now? That no matter what your situation, no matter how undesirable, you can consider it part of your training for serving God. This is a challenge for me... Take my work for example. I feel that sometimes I have to take on more responsibilities than what I should because our stand in GM doesn't know anything about what he is doing. And ill admit sometimes I don't have the best attitude towards him because I feel like I am not only having to do my job, but his also. And I pray for God to give me a better attitude about it. And I know that God sees my efforts. And I know that in His timing He can change my working situation to a better job when He is through with Him wanting me to be there. So let me ask you... What things in your life do you not like having to do? And how can you get something positive out of it?
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Moments

2009-01-11T21:31:00.001-06:00

Have you ever made a decision and later realized how much of a mistake it was? Sudden circumstances test our convictions. A person may feel so much pressure in an area of life that nothing else seems to matter and the person could lose his or her perspective. There was a guy in the Bible, Esau, and he felt pressure. Esau was a very skilled hunter, and he came home one day from hunting and was tired and hungry from his day of hunting. Well his brother, Jacob was cooking food, and Esau asked for some. And Jacob said "All right, but trade me for your birthright" Esau said, "look I am dying of starvation, what good is my birthright to me now?" So Esau then swore his birthright over to his younger brother. (Birthright is the blessing given to the first born male of the family). And Esau then received the food that he wanted. Now can you imagine how Esau felt after he thought about what he did? How can we learn from this? Well we can avoid Esaus mistake by comparing an actions short term satisfaction with the long term consequences before we act. Because getting through short, pressure filled moments is really difficult at times, and is the most important part of overcoming a temptation. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Choices

2009-01-08T12:39:00.001-06:00

Obeying God can be a struggle because it means we have to give up our own will and what we want for our lives. To give up what we want for ourselves is not easy, and it doesn't come naturally. But God molds us into what He wants us to become through difficult circumstances. Through these tests, we can complain or trust that God is going to teach us something through the circumstance. A great example of someone that trusted God through a tough trial was Abraham. In Gen 22:1-22 it tells about God telling Abraham that he wanted him to sacrifice his son to God as an offering. And so the next day Abraham took Isaac (his only son) on a journey to be given up to God. And when Abraham had the altar ready and his son bound to sacrifice as an offering, an angel of the Lord called to him from heaven saying "Do not do anything to him, now I know you fear God, because you have not withheld your only son". And from there, there was a ram trapped in a bush that the Lord provided to use as a sacrifice. I think that this is a great example of Gods plan for us also. He puts us through trials in life to draw us closer to Him, and for us to learn through the trials. And what is great about trials is, is that God always provides what we need. I have had my trials over the last few years, and especially the last few months, and let me tell you... Even though some of the times have been really rough, I have been so blessed, and my relationship with God has grown so much closer through it all. You always here people ask, "why do bad things happen to good people?" Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, it could be because God wants to bring you closer to Him through it....? Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Plans

2009-01-04T17:35:00.001-06:00

I have a view on plans that we make for ourselves. I think that having a plan for our lives does not make us smart. But knowing that God will show us what He wants us to do with our lives if we allow Him, does make us smart. And I also believe that if we don't follow what Gods plan is for our lives then He will get our attention somehow and let us know that what we are doing with our days is not what He wants. Take Gen 9:1-11... After God sent the flood, the descendants of Noah forgot what God had done for them, and became impressed with themselves, and decided to build an altar. But God is greater than what we are, at the time everyone spoke the same language and was able to build the altar together. But in His power he decided to make different languages to where there would be no way for them to be able to complete the altar. And I think now, as much as then, God has the power to do what He wants to teach us, and mold us into what He wants us to be. Now He may not do things like change our language to cause confusion, but he definitely does things to get our attention to show us our errors (that we have by human nature). So I think that we need to be in constant communication with God, figuring out what it is that He wants for our lives. And yes we all fall off that track... But I have always said the best part off falling away from God, is the trip back. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Rocky Cliff

2008-11-25T21:34:00.001-06:00

I believe that God really puts people in your life at right times in life to get you through those times, good and bad. Its like when you go rock climbing... through parts of it, you don't really feel like you need anyone to get you to the top, but those people are still there holding your belee line. Which is much like when you are going through life with friends and you don't realize how good it is to still have them there. But then at times, you are so close to the rock that you can't see where to go next, That is when it is best to have those people in your life that aren't up against the rock to help you find the next ledge that you can't see from where you are. And in those times in life, that is when it is so good, and such a blessing to have those true friends. The ones that may not know what you are going through but can help you find the way you need to go even if you can't see it. And true friends are a blessing from God. And I have seen lately that in some peoples lives, friends are Gods gift to them to help them through their roughest of times.
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Journey

2008-11-20T20:54:00.001-06:00

There has been a lot that God has been teaching me over the last few months, but especially now. There has been many things going on in life that has been a burden on me both spiritually, and in time it took its physical toll. But through it all God always is teaching me. It continues to be an awesome journey with Him. And what He has shown me lately is that the ways things happen in life are truly in His timing. From relationships that are no longer around to the things that I'm going through now. And with what I'm going through now, I have been shown that's why the relationship I talking about isn't there. Its because with life situations now, God wanted me to solely lean on Him to get me through every situation, not anyone else. And with that happening it has only made me stronger in Him. And with that, it has allowed me to have a continually renewed relationship with my Savior, and it has been awesome. And my encouragement to all who read this, is that no matter what happens in life, good or bad, it is all part of Gods plan. And that even though you may be going through things right now that you may not understand, He has a plan for all of it. And in His timing if you seek Him as your source of strength, He will reveal to you His ultimate plan for your life. And in that, you can find joy in life through your struggles.
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Busy

2008-11-10T13:25:00.002-06:00

I have been so busy lately. It seems like all I ever do is work now. And it has made me think about things. How often do we all get too busy with everything going on in our lives that we get to busy for the things that are really important in our lives? I know I have been guilty of it. But, my priorities lately have changed and it has made such a change in how I view things. I have always wanted to have a close personal relationship with God, but without the pursuit of Him daily how can that happen? Being busy with life happens, but can we really use that as an excuse? I have had an awesome trip with God lately, I have been learning things about Him that I have heard before, but now have a new understanding of Him. It has been an amazing time with Him. I never really thought about really getting into the Old Testament before, but I have been going through the minor prophets lately, there is a lot of awesome things in that part of the Bible. So many things that are as true then as for us now. And I just say this to encourage anyone who reads this, that even though times get busy, you should find time to spend just sitting and listening to God and what He has for you. And if you truly seek Him, you will truly be blessed even in your busiest of times.

Megaphone

2008-10-23T22:16:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard the guys that stand on the street corners that use the megaphones and yell at you to accept God or hell fire and Brimstone is coming your way? He has the booklets about everything that he is talking about. And how no one really listens because all he is talking about is hell and to repent, then you hear the word Jesus come out of his mouth. Then he goes on to quote verses about the anger and wrath of God and if I don't repent, how I will spend an eternity in hell. And how I might die tonight, and this might be my only chance. And that if I die I will have a life of misery and spend an eternity in hell. And no one is stopping to listen. Well this is me, talking to "the megaphone guy", I don't think its working. All the yelling and condemnation isn't working, I think its making it worse. And I don't think it is what Jesus had in mind. And ya know, it is confusing to me, you preaching all this condemnation, that isn't what Jesus was about. And you and I end up being compared as the same people as a Christian. Didn't Jesus say that He came to save, not to condemn? Think about it, when the chief priest brought that woman that was caught in adultery, and the people had already condemned her to death, He said "I don't condemn you." That's why God is so awesome, because He tells us over and over again, how much He loves us, no matter where we are in our life, He loves us just where and as we are. It comforts me to know that with all the mistakes that I have made that He still loves me. Mega phone guy, you might be trying to tell the good news, but with the way you are presenting it, does it come across that way? What's important? To love God with everything that we have, and all that we are. And to love those around us just the same. So the defining thing as a Christian, is love. This guy in the Bible, John, said that to love Jesus, is to love others. Which in a way, is saying that if you don't love people, you don't love God. That is why the megaphone guy is disturbing to me, like he is just trying to convert people, just to see how many he can get. Anything that is done to condemn and not to show love, is not anything of God or what He is a part of. God loves the world, and everyone is valuable to Him, so Christians views of people should be the same. Now that doesn't mean that we can't have an opinion, it just means that we need to speak our minds, and tell what we believe, but we need to do it out of love and respect. And when we show that love, something powerful will happen, something that cannot be denied. Love always wins, people can tell when we are real. God loves everyone, it doesn't matter your background, doesn't matter what life you live, or what you have done, God loves you. He even loves those that don't even think that he exists. The writer James says: "God shows no favorites." So that is what this place is for, not a place to be condemned, but a place to find someone to listen, not to preach to you, not to convert you, but to listen to your pain, a place for you to tell your story.