Only God Can Change A Heart

[missmuffet]

This was once said by Billy Graham:

"We all have a basic, hardcore spirited problem that we can never solve on our own-

and that problem is sin. This is one reason why we need God, for only He can give us

a new heart, and replace our self-centeredness with His love Ezekiel 36:26.

Don't blindly go the way of a crowd but by faith turn to Christ and ask Him 

to take over your life. You will be glad you did". 

[Starise]

6 hours ago, Alive said:

Do you mean to refer to those already in Christ of the Father. Is this the context of the OP?

Both.

6 hours ago, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

Im quite surprised that you don’t share  all about the Lord to the outside world....I don’t see spreading the word of God a sales tactic, I would say, how can one not after being birthed into Christ, I wanted the whole world to know what I received, one to one, so maybe I was receptive in that area....could I stand up in a room full of people and share my testimony, probably not, because I don’t have that confidence yet, but I know I’m becoming more receptive at the thought of doing it, my confidence is growing in Christ.

It's odd the way the Lord uses me most of the time. For instance a few weeks back I was at my job on lunch break and I decided to take a walk, something I almost never do during my lunch. So there I was a few hundred yards down the road and I'm in a parking lot adjacent to a busier road and I look off to my right and see this muscular black man walking along that main road with a back pack on. From first glance he looked to be about mid 20's with head phones in his ears. I kept walking not paying him much mind. We were the only two persons walking along there as this is mostly car traffic. He was not close to me at this point.

After a few seconds I happen to glance over again and there he is coming my direction making gestures he wants to ask me something. I figure he needs directions  so I slow down and we are now pacing together.

He says to me, " So I am looking into self confidence and belief and I wondered what you believe and what you put your confidence in?" I told him I don't put any confidence in myself and all of my hope is in Jesus. I told him that one day he would be 85 years old if he lives that long and all confidence in himself would be gone.

After this he seemed to be taken slightly off guard at my response, gave me a nervous wave and continued on his way.

Another black man , not sure what it is about me and black men , this man doesn't know me and we don't work together but we often head up the hall to use the same lavatory. He somehow knows I'm a believer and calls me brother. We carry on small conversations about the day and the Lords blessings. Why did this man assume I was a believer? I never once told him.

I tell a story that happened to me years ago that also involved a black man. I stopped my car on a major interstate to look at my directions. I was on a long road trip and about 300 miles from home at that point. Out of nowhere a black man comes up the road and jumps in the passenger side of my car. He had been hitch hiking and thought I stopped to pick him up. I had noticed him in passing but didn't realize he was hitch hiking. While I was giving him a ride we talked about the things of God some. This man was running from the authorities and hopefully something I said helped him to get himself going in the right direction.

Hasn't always been black men ha ha, you just never know who God will put in your path to tell them about Him.

[Alive]

I was out for my morning walk early this morning and discovered a neighbor just around the corner is a believer and we had a nice 45 minute conversation. I met him last week on another walk and he was heading out with family on a long motorcycle ride of days.

Between these two meetings, the Lord had me praying for them. I had a sense he was a believer, but didn't know. This morning he related a close call on the bike and I just said, "praise the LOrd". That did the trick.

He is a white guy.  LOL

:-)

[missmuffet]

18 minutes ago, Starise said:

Both.

It's odd the way the Lord uses me most of the time. For instance a few weeks back I was at my job on lunch break and I decided to take a walk, something I almost never do during my lunch. So there I was a few hundred yards down the road and I'm in a parking lot adjacent to a busier road and I look off to my right and see this muscular black man walking along that main road with a back pack on. From first glance he looked to be about mid 20's with head phones in his ears. I kept walking not paying him much mind. We were the only two persons walking along there as this is mostly car traffic. He was not close to me at this point.

After a few seconds I happen to glance over again and there he is coming my direction making gestures he wants to ask me something. I figure he needs directions  so I slow down and we are now pacing together.

He says to me, " So I am looking into self confidence and belief and I wondered what you believe and what you put your confidence in?" I told him I don't put any confidence in myself and all of my hope is in Jesus. I told him that one day he would be 85 years old if he lives that long and all confidence in himself would be gone.

After this he seemed to be taken slightly off guard at my response, gave me a nervous wave and continued on his way.

Another black man , not sure what it is about me and black men , this man doesn't know me and we don't work together but we often head up the hall to use the same lavatory. He somehow knows I'm a believer and calls me brother. We carry on small conversations about the day and the Lords blessings. Why did this man assume I was a believer? I never once told him.

I tell a story that happened to me years ago that also involved a black man. I stopped my car on a major interstate to look at my directions. I was on a long road trip and about 300 miles from home at that point. Out of nowhere a black man comes up the road and jumps in the passenger side of my car. He had been hitch hiking and thought I stopped to pick him up. I had noticed him in passing but didn't realize he was hitch hiking. While I was giving him a ride we talked about the things of God some. This man was running from the authorities and hopefully something I said helped him to get himself going in the right direction.

Hasn't always been black men ha ha, you just never know who God will put in your path to tell them about Him.

It is not all about color it is about what is truly in your heart. God tries to get our attention. 

[Starise]

9 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

It is not all about color it is about what is truly in your heart. God tries to get our attention. 

I'm not sure why I brought color up. Maybe because it seemed like some sort of a trend there for awhile. Keep in mind I am from the deep south and people there are sometimes very closed minded about race. None of it ever rubbed off on me. I see cultural differences but that's it. I can't say why God worked the way He did. I will say I think I understand some of their culture maybe better than others because I was raised around it day in and day out. Nothing cultural ever came up in these discussions though.

I believe it can be helpful to have some awareness of where a person is coming from, what their background is or has been. After blacks, it seems the Lord has put plenty of Indians in my path. Not American Indians, Hindu Indians. I have no earthly idea why. I have studied their religions some, I know they like curry in their food ha ha. If there ever was a spiritual mine field that background would be it. So many gods and So generational. I would vote that culture to be most likely to grow up thinking it's all a bunch of bunk, HOWEVER and I must add, however. Something superior made those temples carved out of solid rock. Their 'gods' put on an impressive front. Christians see them as powerful demonic entities entrapping generations of families into these beliefs. Many Asians are Buddhist or at least have that background which is also generational. Knowing where a man is coming from can help us to have a more intelligent conversation with him or her.

Still....only God can change a heart.

[missmuffet]

11 minutes ago, Starise said:

I'm not sure why I brought color up. Maybe because it seemed like some sort of a trend there for awhile. Keep in mind I am from the deep south and people there are sometimes very closed minded about race. None of it ever rubbed off on me. I see cultural differences but that's it. I can't say why God worked the way He did. I will say I think I understand some of their culture maybe better than others because I was raised around it day in and day out. Nothing cultural ever came up in these discussions though.

I believe it can be helpful to have some awareness of where a person is coming from, what their background is or has been. After blacks, it seems the Lord has put plenty of Indians in my path. Not American Indians, Hindu Indians. I have no earthly idea why. I have studied their religions some, I know they like curry in their food ha ha. If there ever was a spiritual mine field that background would be it. So many gods and So generational. I would vote that culture to be most likely to grow up thinking it's all a bunch of bunk, HOWEVER and I must add, however. Something superior made those temples carved out of solid rock. Their 'gods' put on an impressive front. Christians see them as powerful demonic entities entrapping generations of families into these beliefs. Many Asians are Buddhist or at least have that background which is also generational. Knowing where a man is coming from can help us to have a more intelligent conversation with him or her.

Still....only God can change a heart.

I think that sometimes people try to get in the way of what God is doing in a person's life. 

[Starise]

2 hours ago, missmuffet said:

I think that sometimes people try to get in the way of what God is doing in a person's life. 

Did it seem as if I was getting in the way? I only say this because you quoted me.

How are some ways you see that happening?

Edited June 18, 2022 by Starise

[missmuffet]

35 minutes ago, Starise said:

Did it seem as if I was getting in the way? I only say this because you quoted me.

How are some ways you see that happening?

My post had nothing to do with you Starise  . It is like God is trying to change a person's heart and another person is giving them other advise. Does that make sense?

[Sower]

16 hours ago, Michael37 said:

Key Point: Without being called to repentance by Jesus none will repent and follow Him.

Just curious, how did Jesus call you to repentance, Michael?

What repented you (changed your thinking) to faith in Christ?

I was at a funeral where the pastor told those of us in attendance that "little Jimmy, with cerebral palsy who died, was now in heaven.He was born again. He wasn't in a wheel  chair any more. And all of you need to be born again also, to get to heaven"

I had never heard this before and I was in my early thirties. I heard the 'word'. Light. It changed my thinking. It caused me to look into my  old catholic bible. And I found it;  "Jesus said you must be born again". I read it. More light. Why didn't anyone tell me? This caused more interest and more of the word, more light, more understanding, and a child was born.

My belief is God calls whosoever will as His word says, so getting the word(GOD) to unbelievers/lost/never heard, is a priority.

My point is anyone (lost) can read or hear the word, and hearing the word will cause a change in their thinking. Or might not, if their mind has been blinded by the enemy, and the gospel is hid. God is the word is God. God is light. Read the word, read God. He wrote the program. Light overcomes darkness. Fact. It takes God to open the eyes, YES. How? The word. Faith comes by what...hearing.             

Hearing what?.........the Word!   I was called to repentance (changed my thinking) by hearing the word. (GOD!)

Anyway, that is what I believe, that is how I was changed. The word.

 

 

[Starise]

39 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

My post had nothing to do with you Starise  . It is like God is trying to change a person's heart and another person is giving them other advise. Does that make sense?

Yes I see what you mean. 

One example would be a person or group who dogmatically demands something the Bible never taught. A man made religious expectation. I can think of several of those examples.

Who is qualified to be a spokesperson for God?