The Anatomy of the Heart: The Physical Phenomenon of Spiritual Transformation

By JaNeen Dancy

It is with the heart that we believe. When we receive Jesus into our hearts, we are declared His own and are transformed into His likenessinto a new person in Christ. The sad reality is that while many Christians truly believe, they struggle to find a clear picture of how spiritual transformation is to take place in their life. Over and over, the Bible points to the heart as the agent of our transformation, but the scriptures do not refer to the physical heart beating in our chests. But could they? What if the physical heart could serve as a compelling model of spiritual development and transformation?

Drawing from examples in scripture as well as her own challenges with grasping the concept of spiritual transformation, in The Anatomy of The Heart, JaNeen Dancy challenges readers to take a closer look at the physical heart for insightful analysis of the spiritual heart. The hearts at the center of our physical life and spiritual life may be more similar than we know, and a greater understanding of one may lead to a deeper understanding, and ultimate victory, in the other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512734812

JaNeen Dancy

JaNeen Dancy, PharmD is self-employed as owner and president of Subject Matters, LLC, which provides clinical research and medical writing services to pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, institutions, and foundations. She is a self-proclaimed heart aficionado, a lover of the word of God, a believer in the gospel and ministry of Jesus Christ, and a follower of the Christian faith. JaNeen lives in Atlanta, GA.

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Copyright © 2016 JaNeen Dancy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3482-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3483-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3481-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016904413

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/05/2016

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Anatomy of the Heart

Chapter 2 The Breath of Life

Chapter 3 Everybody, Every Body

Chapter 4 A Tale of Two Hearts

Chapter 5 Brain versus Heart

Chapter 6 Lub-Dub

Chapter 7 Wonder-Working Power

Chapter 8 GWTG

Bibliography

To Pastors Michael T. and Connie M. Smith, the Pinnacle, all SOMET graduates, and the entire Church of Jacksonville family. I don't have enough words to express how much you have contributed to my life, to my family, and to this project. I will never be able to think about The Anatomy of the Heart without also thinking of you.

Preface

This book was not my idea. It was never my intention or desire to write it. But it was God's idea. It took me a while, years actually, to realize that fact, and then it took me a while longer to realize He actually meant for me to follow through with it. And finally, once I got started, I found out that it takes a pretty long while to write a book! So for these reasons, it feels like this book is really, really late, yet somehow I believe it has reached you right on time.

I came across this verse early in my Christian walk, and I'd been troubled by it for many years:

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

---2 Chronicles 16:9

I was not a Bible scholar when I first encountered that verse, nor am I one now, but in the context of the chapter, I knew this Scripture had something to do with relying on self more than relying on God. I couldn't be sure if my heart was indeed loyal to Him (and according to this verse, God was definitely going to find me out!), and therefore I feared I had placed myself at high risk of living out my life apart from God's protection and goodness. I have apparently spent the better part of my Christian life figuring out this heart thing.

I am bent toward math and science. I'm particularly fond of the life sciences, and God has blessed me with a career that offers an endless opportunity to study them. This becomes clear in my writing. I'm also a serious person (I attack my every endeavor very, very seriously) who at the same time doesn't take herself too seriously. This also becomes clear in my writing. For these two sides of my personality I'm not sure if I am offering apology or forewarning, but my hope is that neither distracts you from receiving what God intends for you to receive from what I've written. Not a fan of biology? Understood. Speed-read your way through the science-y parts. You might enjoy or completely ignore my attempts at levity---I'm just not that deep. The word of God within is no less true for my dichotomous nature. May you embrace God's message to you written in the pages of this book.

Acknowledgments

This book was written with the special help of a few people, to whom I am forever indebted: My covenant friend Shah-yee Mojica, who with one offhand but anointed remark indelibly clarified the scope of this project. She's been my encourager and prayer warrior; her vision and belief in me and this project preceded my own. My beloved friend LaWanda Stone, who is sheer light and love in a handbasket. Her gentle words and caring heart helped keep me focused on only that which really matters. Minister Lori Leslie, who many years ago preached a message titled Irrevocable Gifts, which remains in my DVD rotation to this day. The seed of the Word sown into my heart that morning still blooms, and the magnitude of her gift of service to others is one to which I can only aspire. And Mr. Carl McColman, who was kind enough to review and edit my manuscript. He did what he could to rein me in and draw me out, wherever needed. His expertise and instruction have been invaluable.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

I envy people who seem to me to have been born saved. You know people like this. They were churched. They grew up in the church, came from parents who knew God, and came to experience God personally at a young age. I used to think, and maybe I still do, that life is easier for them than it is for people like me---the unchurched.

By the time I received salvation, I was a mess.

Worn out from doing things in my own strength, sensitive and rubbed raw from the scourge of consequence, I hurt for things that could not be undone. I realized that it wasn't going to be me undoing them even if they could be undone, and I felt utterly defeated. I had come to what I later learned is called the end of myself. It was only then that I decided to give my life to God. I didn't make this decision sitting in the pews or standing at the altar of a church; it happened in my garage. I'd come home from I don't remember where and could not bring myself to get out of the car and go into the house. I knew that unless something changed, it simply would not be possible for me to do my life anymore. So there in my garage I sat weeping, until I finally told God yes. I didn't know what was about to happen next or how it would all go down, but inexplicably I no longer felt responsible for that, and I got out of the car.

If my life were a movie, the car scene might be the finale. I would slowly emerge from the car. Dramatically but triumphantly, I'd take the few steps through the garage and stand at the door. I'd open it, and bright rays of Sunkist-colored light would burst forth. The light would majestically shroud my figure as I entered in, and the screen would fade to black, leaving moviegoers to dab at their eyes and imagine my happily-ever-after Christian life. A life that would finally resemble the lives of all those lucky churched folks.

People share the story of their conversion experience in a number of ways and from varied perspectives. Some are told from the perspective of the garage to the door. In others the primary stage is set in the house, and the storyteller works backward to the door. As for me ... I've been stuck on the door. Whether my garage or your garage, my house or your house, we all have the same door. The true door that leads to the happily-ever-after Christian life is not a physical door at all. Rather, it is the heart.

Yeah, yeah, yeah ... you've heard it all before, right? About how Jesus gets ahold of that old heart of yours and makes it new. He will comfort and heal the pain of every heartache, if you'd only just give yours to Him. I have heard all that too and have been left feeling frustrated, asking this question: How? How does He make it new? And how, exactly, do