My Heart's Cry by Anne Graham Lotz
I love books by women for women. I was reminded of this book on my shelf this morning and turned to read it again.
Anne Graham Lotz is the daughter of Billy Graham and she has her own personal ministry AnGel Ministries based in USA. She not only speaks to large audiences but has written several books. This book was written in 2002 and I have read it several times over the years.
Amazing that in the first chapter she addresses the issue of being a woman speaking from a pulpit, an issue which if you have read local social media has raised its head in recent days yet again. Anne received a lot of criticism from church leaders who publicly expressed disapproval of her ministry. Women were not meant to be preachers.
She asks the question "has someone said to you 'God says if you had more faith you would be healed'." Wow! This is something that was said to me a year ago when I first had my cancer diagnosis. And this was from a Christian.
How can I know which voice speaks the truth and is therefore authentic today?
The bible tells me that God does speak to his children and that we will hear and know his voice even as sheep hear and know the voice of their shepherd.
I heard God's voice last year. He told me to trust in an experienced surgeon who was willing to operate and remove my cancer. I have known healing through the actions of that man. Now that may not be everyone's idea of healing but it's mine and God has blessed my life as a result of listening and obeying him. How? Well I have the opportunity here and now to tell you. God has given me life without worrying over a growth in my body and while I have breath I will continue to praise him for that.
Yesterday I prayed and asked God for something very specific and already I am seeing the answers slowly being revealed. I continue to trust that he will work things out as he purposes. Now do you have a similar faith?
Extracts and thoughts from her book:
One practical way to maintain your praise is, every time you pray, to begin your prayer with praise. First praise him for who he is. Then praise him for something he has done for you. Only when your prayer is properly focused on him through praise do you then bring before him your needs. And as your needs become overwhelming your prayer, like mine becomes
Please dear God, just give me MORE of your praise on my lips!
This book looks at John chapters 10 to 17. The last days of Jesus life here on earth. I am half way through reading this book and to say I am overwhelmed by it is an understatement. I have read it with loads of tears, it's just soo good.
A large part of her book deals with the difficulties she has faced in her life and how she has simply cried "give me more of Jesus."
As she takes you through each story, you can almost imagine actually being present, hearing Jesus speaking, imagining the emotions of his hearers and disciples, wondering why it had to end as it did. Have you ever thought what it was like for the blind man to suddenly be able to see and yet no-one was jumping for joy. Instead people were condemning Jesus and more focused on who he was, not on what he was able to do. Or imagine what Mary felt like when every head turned as she poured the oil on Jesus.
Anne brings the bible to life but applies it to the reader's life too. I cannot recommend this book more highly.
n the opening pages of this book by Anne Graham Lotz My hearts cry, she addresses the issue of her ministry as a woman.
Some church leaders publicly expressed disapproval of her ministry because she was willing to speak when there were men in the audience. Their stand was based on what they said God says.
She was once invited to speak at a large convention of pastors when as she got up to speak many turned their chairs around and put their backs to her.
In seeking God's will about this issue she read again the story of Mary Magdalene in John 20. Following the resurrection when she encountered the risen Christ he commanded her to "go ... to my brothers and tell them 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
Anne then goes in to quote Jeremiah where God told him not to be afraid before their faces or their backs. She was not accountable to the audience but to God.
Then finally she turned to 1 Timothy 2 verse 12 where Paul forbids "a woman to teach or to have authority over a man." God revealed to her that the emphasis was on the "authority over a man". So that closed the door for her ordination in ministry. She is under God's authority and that comes from the God she knows.
Some questioned why she never trained in an educational establishment but she believed it was not a requirement for service - if Mary had done this it would have meant a number of years before she could have told Jesus' words to his disciples. Remember the Sanhedrin in scripture took note that the disciples were "unschooled ordinary men."
Jesus says in his word that the Shepherd "calls his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." (John 10 verses 3 and 4)
"But there are times when a verse or passage is illuminated or seems to leap right off the page. It's as though that specific portion of Scripture has my name on it."
I am so glad that someone has said this as it has been my experience too many times over - has it been yours?
I love how this book My Heart's Cry by Anne Graham Lotz sets out in print certain points.
This one describes the attributes of God and follows the alphabet.
He is:
Able
Benevolent
Compassionate
Dependable
Eternal
Faithful
Good
Holy
Immortal
Just
Kind
Loving
Merciful
Near
Omniscient
Powerful
Quick
Right
Sufficient
Truthful
Unique
Victorious
Wise
XYZalted
Isn't it amazing that I have said this so many times through this account and here I find it in the book I am currently reading:
"In many ways, the Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle. It can seem to be bits and pieces of disconnected parts that have no meaning in themselves. The pieces just don't seen to make sense. That's why we need the Holy Spirit. Because the Spirit is the one who helps us understand the big picture of the bible, which is the revelation of God himself. Then he helps us turn over the pieces - the individual verses and chapter and books - one by one until the picture comes together and we see Jesus, who reveals God to us from Genesis through Revelation."
It is three years since I first read this book and I have thoroughly enjoyed it again over the past week. It is so full of the bible and its meaning, such clarity and very thought provoking. I am keeping this one on my bookshelf to read again!
Longing for More
Anne relates the story of
her late father’s illness in 2000 when she pleaded with God to give her more
time with her father.
“when you love someone
with all of your heart, you just can’t ever get enough.”
How often have we not said
the same of a loved one – I remember such a time in my own life when my mother
was going through treatment for cancer in 1995 but we only had 7 short months from
the diagnosis to her death. There are
memories of happier times and photographs that we can look back on, but I also
remember those times when I wish she had been around to ask questions … like
when my daughter was born or when my dad took ill himself and yes even when I
myself was diagnosed with cancer some 22 years later. I wish now I had asked her so much more and been
able to share so much of our lives, but God chose to call my mother home to
himself and she is now free from pain and suffering.
In my own personal
Christian life I have often wanted to know more about Jesus, my father and
Lord. I pray each day that my own faith has
deepened since I first came to know him 46 years ago but it does not diminish
my longing to find out more from God. As
I open his word each day, I pray asking him to reveal what he has to say to me
for this moment in my life. And every
day he never disappoints!
… More than Just Enough
In the opening introduction
Anne reminds us that the apostle John had witnessed so many of Jesus’ miracles
and had heard his teachings but now Jesus was preparing them for his
departure. In John’s gospel we read what
Jesus taught his disciples at the very end of his time with them and this is
what Anne writes about in this book.
Throughout her writings,
Anne reflects on her own life, and it is these real life examples that show you
the reality and personal nature of her faith.
In this opening chapter she tells how she came to faith in Christ as a
little girl, then committed her life for Christ alone in her teens, drifting from
Christ in the busyness of being a young mother and then returned through the
disciplined study of God’s word. When I
looked up the information on Anne I realised that she was married at 18 and had
her first child at 20 with 2 more following closely after this. At 27 she started teaching a Bible Class in
her own home town that grew in number to 500 people attending. Then she left the Bible Class teaching to
being an itinerant international ministry.
She has written 11 books to date.
Chapter 1 More of His
Voice in My Ear – John 10 verses 1 to 10
I have realised that it is important to read the scripture passages at the beginning of each chapter as they help in understanding what is being said – none more so than this opening chapter. What I did not realise was that these words (I am the good shepherd) were the words recorded by Jesus following the healing of a blind man and were probably said not only in the man’s presence but also in the Pharisees presence. This event occurred on the sabbath day and initially the blind man did not know who had healed him – Jesus had told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam and when you read the scripture you realise that he did not receive his sight until after he had washed. So he did not know Jesus when he found him a second time. The Pharisees had questioned this man at great lengths and even included his parents in the questioning. He was as a result sent out of the temple – not accepted by anyone even though a miracle had been performed.
Anne in her opening chapter asks the question – how can you and I know which voice speaks the truth and is therefore authentic? She goes on to say the bible tells us that God does speak to his children and that we will hear and know his voice even as sheep hear and know the voice of their shepherd.
She describes the eastern shepherd of Jesus’ day and how he looks after his sheep. The shepherd led his sheep – this is so different to our western concept where we herd sheep in front of us. The eastern shepherd knew each sheep by name and when he called them they recognised his voice and followed him. Their personal relationship was based on his voice which they knew and trusted.
The bible describes our relationship with Jesus as being similar to the relationship between the eastern shepherd and his sheep – a relationship based on his voice. Make no mistake – his voice is God’s word, the Holy Bible.
In the previous chapter (John 9) the Pharisees were those who professed to speak for God. Instead of falling at Jesus’ feet and worshipping him for the miracle of this blind man receiving his sight, it resulted in confrontation and the man being told to leave the temple.
Anne takes us on a journey – imagine what must have it been like to have been born blind, what it would mean every day to be taken to a place to beg for your living. Then when this miracle of sight was given what was it like for this same man to be told he was not welcomed in his community. No-one congratulated him or shook his hand or slapped him on his back. Not one approval from anyone. Then the blind man heard a familiar voice … it was the voice of the one who had performed his healing.
Jesus draws near to those who are afflicted and persecuted and criticised and ostracised. He draws near to those who are suffering – especially when we are suffering for his sake.
Notice Jesus approached the man himself and not the Pharisees who had stood in judgment over him. Verse 38 of John chapter 9 tells us the man declared to Jesus “Lord I believe”. Not only could he now see physically but also spiritually. The Pharisees however remained blind because they rejected the truth of who Jesus is.
The Pharisees had heard this second conversation between Jesus and the blind man. Jesus used the opportunity to make his point that we should all hear today – Jesus warned his followers that not all religious leaders or “shepherds” were authentic.
How we need to hear this message today! “He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice …”
Anne describes what is actually meant by the sheepfold – a place of safety at night. It had high stone walls, no roof and one strong wooden door. Several shepherds would use the same fold and one was elected to stay at the door with the sheep all night. The following morning the rest of the shepherds would come to the door and identify themselves. Only then would the watchman open the door and each sheep would respond to their owners voice and be led out.
We can determine the authenticity of the shepherds by their approach to us. They should always approach through the door of God’s word, which the Holy Spirit opens to us.
“To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.
The authentic word is personal. God’s word speaks through it to everyone who has the ears to hear. But there are times when a verse or passage is illuminated or seems to leap right off the page. It’s as though that specific portion of Scripture has my name on it.
One evidence that you and I are not only being led by an authentic Shepherd but also that we are genuine sheep is this – “a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers”. One of the primary reasons we need to be in a disciplined study of the scriptures is so we can saturate ourselves in the truth. When we know the truth and we are presented with that which is false, we will instinctively recognise it.
The authentic voice is powerful. The Pharisees “understood not what things they were which he (Jesus) spake unto them.” The disciples also must have been straining to grasp the truth of what was being said. They surely knew from experience that these words would be worth remembering and understanding.
Jesus went on to describe the summer sheepfold to explain the shepherd’s life saving role. These sheepfolds were simple walls of rock within the pasture. They had one gap in the wall which served as a means for the sheep to go in and out. The gap had no gate or door. The shepherd would lie down in the gap at night.
Jesus said “I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.”
Jesus was nailing the religious leaders of his day to their sanctimonious wall, likening them to thieves who robbed the people by substituting a heavy burden of religion for a genuine relationship with God. Thieves then and now say there are other ways to God besides Jesus, that one religion is good as another as long as the seeker is sincere, that you can work your way into God’s favour by keeping all the rituals and traditions of your religion.
Just as there was one door that led into God’s presence in Eden and one door that led into the safety of the ark and one door that led into the inner sanctuary of the temple, a personal relationship with God is only accessed through one Door Who is Jesus Himself.
How do we know if the voice is authentic? We know because
It will be biblical –
straight from God’s word
It will be personal – in the
language of our own lives
It will be powerful – lives will be saved, and lives will be changed
For 2000 years the Jews had clung to their faith in the one true God as he had revealed himself to them through the Law and the prophets. Then Jesus of Nazareth came along, saying he was the fulfilment of the Law as well as the Messiah the prophets had foretold. The religious leaders were so outraged He was put to death. But He is Who He claimed to be, and on the third day He rose from the dead!
Following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ his disciples fanned out all over the known world, telling people they could now be forgiven of their sin and be reconciled with God through faith in Jesus Christ. How were the religious faithful to know if this was true? How could they discern the true Shepherd’s voice?
Anne concludes with an
example of how we can know God’s voice speaking to us. Paul went to preach in a synagogue in the
little town of Berea. He shared the
wonderful news that the Messiah had come as the Lamb of God who had taken upon
himself the sin of the world. This time
when Paul preached “they received the message with great eagerness and examined
the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” We would do well to listen more critically to
those who stand in the pulpits of our churches as well as in front of our
seminary and bible school classrooms. We
will recognise our Shepherd’s voice when we listen with our eyes on the pages
of our bibles as our hearts whisper the prayer, Dear God just give me MORE
of your voice in my ear.
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