HeartCry!

Excellent Gospel Presentation!

I have just finished reading an excellent Gospel presentation over at Defending Contending, and would like to recommend any regular visitors here to pay a quick visit.

Click here to view the article.

Repent and Believe the Gospel!

As I have already pointed out in my previous post, I have become acutely aware of a lack of evangelism in my own life, and this is something I have been praying fervently and repentantly about. It has become my greatest hope that by His grace and mercy, the Lord will enable me to truly spend my life totally for His glory, and His glory alone.

Whilst I can only speak for myself on such matters, I am fairly certain that I am not alone in feeling this way. In fact, I would dare to suggest that the majority of Christian believers, if honest enough to admit, would agree that the way they desire to share the Gospel message, is in fact drastically different than the way they actually do. Also, and without any apology at all, I would suggest this is not just the case with individuals, but with entire ministries and church congregations too.

Since spending the last couple of years or so involved with the Faith Defenders online ministry, it has become obvious that not all is well in the church. There has been such a huge shifting away from the truth of God’s Word that it is astonishing when one stops to take notice, so much so that the Gospel message itself has become so watered down and confused, even those who are actually leading church fellowships barely understand the truth or implications of the message they have been commanded to teach and preach!

This is not me just ranting without providing a positive alternative to the apostasy that surrounds us, but I would like to encourage an attitude amongst believers everywhere to embrace a spirit of repentance and belief in the simplicity of the Gospel message of Christ crucified. The willingness to clearly proclaim the reason our sins place us in eternal peril with a Holy and Righteous God who demands justice and judgement against sin. And the boldness to call others to a place of repentance and faith in Christ, regardless of personal cost.

I am not attempting to promote unity for unity’s sake, but unity in Christ for the sake of His Gospel. It is my hope that God will begin to draw His people together, all being willing to forsake anything and everything to follow His call, and empowered and enabled by the power of His Spirit, to call the Body of Christ to repentance, that we may make a straight path for the coming of our Lord once again.

If you would like to join with me and others in seeing this become a reality, please consider visiting the page I have set up on Facebook, and invite others to do so too. I am hoping that through personal testimony, examples set by some Christians already, evangelism resources being made available etc., we could begin to spur one another on to a deeper and more passionate walk with Christ, where His glory truly is at the top of our personal agenda, and the Great Commission that He gave us is at the core of our daily lives, just as it was the apostles and early church disciples.

I have set up a page through Facebook as I have already mentioned, but for the sake of ease, I have also set up a new domain that will take you directly to the page itself: repentandbelieve.info

Merry Christmas to one and all!

United in Jesus

Although United in Jesus has long been my main online ministry, and remains so even now, the actual posts and articles I write can now all be found on my blog here at HeartCry, on the Townhill Christian Fellowship website, and also over at Faith Defenders website and forum.

United in Jesus as a ministry remains extremely alive and active, but rather now as an online framework that many other websites sit upon. Some of these websites are openly linked to from this blog, and Faith Defenders, whilst others remain simply independant websites that United in Jesus have provided a free website service in order to assist their usual ministry.

All the previous posts and Bible studies have now been imported from the old United in Jesus website into the HeartCry blog, where you can find them all together in the category of that name.

Originally posted 2009-08-24 01:37:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Let Us Return to True Faith in Christ.

Although the United in Jesus website initially began life as a place where faith, sound doctrine, holiness and godliness were openly discussed and exhorted, I have begun to realise that for too long now it has been a place that has become barren in this area. In fact, it has become a place where even the remotest sense that a stance is being taken against the mainstream, such as the warning issued against the “fire tunnels” practice, it is met with some standing up and turning away out of protest. This has cut me to the core to be honest. Not the fact that some may turn and walk away, but that the message we preach should become so watered down, as to become acceptable to all and without offense.

Whilst it must be made clear that I have no personal desire to use this site as a platform to publicize my own personal thoughts and opinions, especially since the majority of those who meet with me in Townhill Park and locally in Southampton, are from a number of various churches. I can no longer deem it acceptable for this ministry to simply avoid its own responsiblity to stand and contend for the truth of God, as well as continuing in the good works that He has laid before us. So henceforth, I will from time to time include messages of exhortation from this site, many times in the format of the video from Paul Washer below, explaining more clearly the true and simple essence of what true faith in Christ is, and the message that needs to be conveyed through our lives.

It is my deepest and greatest pleasure to be involved with the likes of those whose fellowship I am a part of in Townhill Park, Southampton. I see in this simple fellowship of believers a sincere and earnest desire to live for Jesus Christ openly in our own community, in such a way that I have rarely experienced in the churches I have been a part of over the years. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that I am privilaged to be part of a true revival, maybe not in the sense of the way we often may look at such a thing, but in the truest sense of the word that God intends to convey to us. In that revival begins in the hearts of His people, longing to return to Him on His conditions, and regardless of personal cost to do so, rather than being simply about numbers.

I would ask anyone willing to take the time to watch and listen to the following video. If you are receiving this message via the email mailing list, it may be necessary to actually visit the site directly to view it, which is: http://unitedinjesus.org.uk .

My heart is not against the church, nor do I believe it is with anyone that I meet with. In fact, we are all faithful servants in one way or another in our own church fellowships, and have no intention of changing this. It is my simple desire to ensure that the output of this website, in all ways will promote a right attitude amongst the hearts of Gods people, to serve Him and walk with Him more fully from day to day.

God bless you,

John Dunning.

Originally posted 2009-03-17 13:30:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Fire Tunnels

There is a lot going on in the “emerging” church today, that borders on eastern mysticism. A whole range of stuff that is quite simply unbiblical, but widely accepted through the modern church, is leaving many believers alarmingly wide open to all sorts of spiritual influence. Just taking a quick look around the internet for a start, you will see many references to things such as ekstasis dance, yogic meditation, contemplative prayer, soaking etc., that encourages the believer to empty their mind and leave it open to anything that wants to take hold of it.

At the time of the Lakeland outpouring last year, I was rebuked by some for taking quite a strong stance against some of the practices that were going on there. However, in the light of what has happened since, I still very much stand by my reservations. This message is not to try and influence everyone to “my way of thinking”, but it is to address a practice that I know from someone involved, is going on right in the city of Southampton.

I urge you to take a look at the following video recordings from the popular “fire tunnel” practice that I am referring to, and ask that you should seriously consider if participating in this type of thing is not endangering yourself spiritually, to say the least. I am not going to go off on a long rant about this practice, for it is just one of many types that are popular at the moment. However if you have experienced these type of practices in your church locally, and feel slightly uncomfortable about the whole thing, please do not be duped into thinking you’re simply the odd one out. In fact you are in a growing number of Christians who are beginning to awaken to the possibility that many practices going on of this kind are often simply not of God at all.

If after watching the video you feel that you would like to look into these matters further, and at least arm yourself with scriptural reasoning either for or against these things, please feel free to email me at: john@heartcry.me.uk and I will give you the addresses of website ministries that devote much time and effort into studying these things in the light of Scripture, and find much reason for concern.

[This is a different video to the original posted with this article, as the original has been removed.]

Originally posted 2009-03-11 07:29:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter