Heart Transplant

by Tim Howard

If you’ve ever been driving your automobile in heavy traffic and a red dash light comes on you know something’s up. When you suddenly hear a loud sound and see a cloud of dark smoke billowing from your exhaust pipe, you know trouble is brewing. When your engine conks out and the motorists behind you start honking their horns because they apparently feel your pain and really care, you know things aren’t looking good. By the way, when anyone honks at you when you’re in trouble, it helps tremendously! If only honking could fix the problem.

After having the vehicle towed to a mechanic for his or her appraisal, they tell you the engine is blown. It’s beyond repair and can’t be fixed.  It needs to be replaced. You were hoping for a simple fix - something like a smoke problem but the smoke wasn’t the problem - the problem was the engine.

In Matthew chapters 5-7, Jesus is constantly getting to the root of our problems. He knows the problem isn’t merely our deeds but it’s the motivating factors in the heart that fuels those deeds. He says things like this: 

Matt. 5:21-22  “You have heard it said long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”

Matt. 5:27-28 “You have heard it said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Pretty radical huh? But then again, radical means to get to the root of something and bring about transforming change. We murder people physically because we harbor anger in our hearts. We can murder people in our hearts and with our tongues long before it happens physically. We cheat on our mates sexually and practice a sexually active lifestyle outside marriage because we carry around something called ‘lust’ in our hearts. Lust is self-centered, and is often translated ‘evil desires’ in the Bible. We look for satisfaction in pleasure rather than finding God’s purpose for us and when it doesn’t fill the void, we sing the song by the Rolling Stones: "I Can't Get No Satisfaction".

A lot of us know things aren’t right inside our lives because we see ugly stuff coming out. We erupt in anger like a volcano and spew devastating pain to those around us. We criticize and complain to such a degree that a cloud of negativism is created. Our attitudes often stink and we become an odor to avoid rather than a fragrance to enjoy. We emit enough black smoke from our lives to choke those who trail behind us.

God says our hearts are too darkened and hardened by sin to ever quit polluting life as we know it. Just like a blown engine, it needs to be replaced rather than repaired.

I’m glad for heart transplants. It’s God’s specialty! Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit in you."

Our only hope for this life - and for eternal life - is a new heart. We can't perform heart surgery on ourselves! Only the divine surgeon can do that!  Why not visit one of the many Church families in Kings County this weekend. If you are ready, they can introduce you to the Doctor who can give you a new heart.

Change From the Inside - Out

by Tim Howard

When I was born on February 13, 1951 I weighed approximately 8 lbs. 2 oz. My hands were only an inch or so long, my hair didn’t exist and my skin was all shriveled up like a little old man.  Even though my parents used the term ‘cute’ to describe me, I’m not sure that was absolutely true.

If you were to compare some of my old baby pictures with some current photographs, you would immediately notice some major changes. I’ve grown to 5’8” tall, my hands are much larger, I’ve managed to put on 160 lbs, and I don’t want to talk about the hair thing because it seems like I’m regressing back to my infancy in that area…

I’m very thankful for is the possibility of change! I know God loves us too much to let us remain the same but His interest in changing us is not only connected to the external realm.

Back in the day Jesus confronted the Religious leaders about their emphasis on external change without any focus on what was happening internally. He states it very bluntly and forcibly in Matt chapter 23.

 "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something… You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds.” (The Message)

God desires a heart change and not mere behavioral modification. Even though one can change a specific behavior for a period of time, when the heart is not connected to the change, it is only temporary. The ultimate result is hypocrisy.

People in general and religious people specifically can look good externally but be very corrupt on the inside. Isaiah the Prophet puts it this way: “ They draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” In other words: Some proclaim they are Christians but don’t practice what they proclaim. They seem to be religious but don’t have a personal, ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. They conform externally but aren’t changed internally.

God wants to change us from the inside out. Yes, He is concerned with your behavior, Yes, He is concerned with your beliefs but He is ultimately concerned with your heart and attitudes because all your actions flow from your heart. Maybe that’s why Solomon said: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Changing from the inside out will require God. You can’t do it yourself! You need a heart transplant. The old heart is deceitful, disingenuous and untrustworthy. That’s where God comes in. Ezekiel 36:26 says God will give us a new heart if we ask. Christianity is not about conforming to certain spiritual laws but being transformed into God’s likeness by the power of Jesus Christ. Just like a skilled doctor who is able to do heart transplants for those in physical need, Jesus can give you a new heart.

Some people try to change by searching for some key hidden in their past. Some seek to change their lives by working harder, praying longer or attending church more often. Various approaches to change may be helpful but only Jesus can change you from the inside - out.