Empowered By The Holy Spirit!

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I've had a great amount of time to reflect on my bypass surgery while trying to recover. You do a lot of talking to God in the process. And one of the blessings from this difficult time is being able to experience God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible states that the Holy Spirit is one of the main ways we experience God today, and the fruit of the Spirit is what is manifested in and through me from the Holy Spirit's power. Galatians 5:22 tells us the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These attributes should be what you experience. 

So I realized early on through the surgery and recovery process, that I was relying on the Holy Spirit and there were numerous times that I felt an overwhelming sense of the various fruits of the Spirit being manifested in me. Right from the beginning when I was told I needed surgery and rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, then waiting two days in the hospital before the surgery, I experienced a peace beyond comprehension. I was not anxious or worried, but confident that I was receiving a blessing, to be able to fix my heart before I had a major stroke or heart attack that led to death. I remember telling someone that I had felt a lot more anxious about organizing a church event than bypass surgery. I don't think I could stay so calm without the Spirit's power.

During this process I also seemed to come alive. I had a lot of visitors and I felt energized and had a quicker wit and sense of humor than normal. I was experiencing the joy of the Spirit in a time when I should have been very sad.  

I also recognized a supernatural ability to be kind in a time where everything seemed magnified. Almost everything and everyone seemed to get on my nerves. I sized up every nurse and attendant and could easily identify their idiosyncrasies, many of which seemed to irritate me.  There was the overly talkative, extra perky nurse with the fake southern accent who proclaimed, "you're in good hands now" when introducing the new nurse. Followed by, "Isn't there a commercial or something about being in good hands on tv?" Yes, she was blond! Then there was the male nurse who couldn't seem to understand how any of the machines worked.

Through it all, Barbara can attest to this, I was kind and gentle to all of those who poked me every half hour. I sensed a self-control beyond my power to hold my tongue during some tormenting times. I was not going to be the grumpy patient! Even when my heart went into a-fribilation, feeling as if my heart was going to explode and the nurses couldn't get the EKG machine to work, I was able to stay calm when I wanted to exclaim, "what are you ignorant fools doing? I'm fixing to die!" God continued to give me patience, peace and self-control through two agonizing hours of a heart going crazy in my chest.

I pray that I remained faithful to God through the experience. I certainly felt God's love and the love and support of so many who were praying for me, visiting, bringing food and keeping up with how I was progressing by phone and on social media.  One of the most consistent and faithful who called me almost every day was a friend who had recently gone through a major battle with throat cancer. I think because of his experience, he could so easily identify with what I was going through, that he was aware of my needs.

So this experience has brought me closer to God and closer to my friends and those with whom I have a chance to minister to as a chaplain and coach. Until this time, I could not point to a very difficult period in my life. I think I'll have a lot more empathy for others who are going through a painful period. I pray that God's power through the Holy Spirit continues to be manifested in and through me.  Thank you, Jesus!

By the way, I recommend a couple of books I've had a chance to read during my recovery. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg and Cast of Characters by Max Lucado.  The Auschwitz Escape is a great historical fiction novel about the famous Nazi death prison. I read this while in the hospital and was reminded that I had it very good compared to those in the death camps. Cast of Characters is a good devotional book (chapter a day)  that could also be used in a small group discussion.

Also, here is a link to a great sermon about living by God's grace from Jeff Harris at Grace Point.  Watch it here. 

A Change of Heart

Technology is a wonderful thing these days. A machine can look into your heart and determine just what problems you might have that could end your life or severely disable you. As the cardiologist looked at my heart through the echo-cardio gram I could see my heart beating away. He said look right here.  Your chamber should be closing symmetrically, but instead it is wobbling. You've had some heart damage. You've had some sort of heart attack. We need to go in and see how much your arteries are blocked. Two days later I was having quadruple bypass surgery. 

 

I can't live without a functioning heart but I'm thankful that we have the technology to change and fix my heart. My wife, Barbara mentioned how similar our spiritual heart is to our physical heart.  The Bible often refers to our heart as the center of our character, emotions, and will.  It is the chief organ of our physical lives but also the center of our spiritual lives. And yet it says we all have a damaged heart spiritually and all of us are in need of a heart transformation. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Jeremiah 17:9 NIV.  Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Matthew 15:19 NIV

And the God who created the universe, the great physician, is the only one who can perform the operation to give us a new heart. 

For most all of us, our arteries are filled with pride and hatred choking out the true life blood of the spirit. Others may have a damaged heart because of the hurt and pain suffered over the years. And the Bible says we are all genetically predisposed to a damaged heart. So every person at some time in their life needs to come to the realization that their heart is not right spiritually. 

But like me, living physically without realizing I had a damaged heart, many go through life without being aware of the need for a new spiritual heart. I was lucky enough to have a warning, (heart burn) to have someone examine my heart and the ability to discern what was wrong. Sometimes it takes a catalyst spiritually also for you to come to the realization that something isn't right with your heart spiritually either. 

It could be a broken relationship or going through a especially difficult time that has given you the opportunity to examine your life.  Hopefully you have had someone speak truth to you and you have signed off on the spiritual heart operation. I'm thankful for the spiritual doctors and mentors who also opened my eyes to my need for a new heart spiritually.

 

Allow God to cut away, reroute, bypass the mess you've created in your heart.  It may be painful. But the rewards on earth and for eternity are worth it. No health insurance is needed, just an open heart to what God wants to do in and through you. 

Next: the benefits of a new heart!