HeartCry!

A Mission to Seek and Save

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:9-10

As with millions of other Christians, I am so very much aware of the wonderful saving hand of Christ upon my life, and how I was dead in my sins at one moment, and then saved for all eternity the next. I am constantly reminded of how the simplest victory would have been absolutely impossible without His sacrifice, and I am also aware of how fully and completely His sacrifice has redeemed my life.

Obviously I would never wish to be forgetful of these things, yet it has begun to dawn on me recently, and to my deepest shame, how I have been ignorant to something of equal importance, and that is the way in which Christ indwells believers by His Spirit, not purely for their own benefit, but that they may become vessels to continue His mission to seek and save the lost in this world. We are reminded of this in His Word quite clearly:

How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Romans 10:14

For far too long I have allowed myself to be insulated against the shame that accompanies the Gospel message. I can join the throng of professing believers in the West and say to myself that I do not face persecution because I live in a Christian nation, or I can be honest with myself, and say that the reason I do not face persecution for the namesake of Christ is because I fail to live as the witness He commands me to. Yes it’s true that on the ‘net, behind my own little PC monitor I may have quite a loud voice at times, and I thank the Lord each day for the way He has allowed me the privilege to be involved in such ministry. However truth be told, in my personal life, face to face with the hard and Godless of this world, I remain as a dumb and silent bystander, and this truth is splitting me in two!

It is my prayer that the Lord will take me as I am, and use me as a tool for His glory, living to boldly proclaim the Gospel message to all who will listen, and regardless of personal cost. I don’t know what that may mean in practical terms, but I do know deep down in my heart that these are desperate times, calling for desperate measures, and oh how I pray that I may enter the Kingdom of God on that Final Day, bruised and battle scarred, along with the true and faithful saints from through the ages.

Originally posted 2010-03-13 13:04:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

To live is Christ, and to die is gain!

Philippians 1:18-21
18  What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
19  For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20  according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21  For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

When I read these words of Paul, they make me long for the same attitude to be manifested in my own life too. I can talk the talk with the best of them, and maybe on the surface at least, it may appear that I walk the walk. But with hand on my heart, I could not confidently and boldly make the statement Paul makes above, and truly mean it from the heart.

I pray that the Holy Spirit does a work in my heart to make that type of belief I long for, to be that which is truly on display in my life. As much as I cherish my family and those dear to me, and the creature comforts that the Lord has graciously bestowed upon me, I long for sincerity of heart to consider those things as nothing before Him. Even my health, and every moment I live and breathe; how I long to truly let go of it for His glory alone.

Yet in all this longing, can I say that I am anywhere near my goal? Unfortunately not. However what I do have in my favour is the life surrendered by my Lord and Saviour, whose redeeming blood has purchased my own redemption before a Holy and Righteous God, who has sworn to judge the sin of this world in His Wrath. In Him my life is hidden, and His righteousness has been astoundingly credited to my own account.

So does this mean I should quit being concerned about my sincerity of heart concerning surrendering to my God? Shame on me if I ever stop doing so in this lifetime, for what else do I have to offer in thanksgiving for all that He has done for me, apart from the wretch that I am? Yet at the same time, I have no need to be anxious and worried about my lack, for the Lord has given me His own life as my own, and taken my sin upon Himself as if it were His own, nailing it to the Cross of Calvary and covering it with His own blood.

When I look at the life of the apostle Paul, from whose lips came the title of this article, and then I look at my own pathetic attempt to live a life holy unto the Lord, I am ashamed of myself. But by the faith that Christ has placed within me as a gift, and because of His magnificent grace and mercy, I am clothed with the same righteous clothing as the apostle Paul Himself, no more and no less. And out of an eternally grateful heart, I will endeavour to follow his example, and others like him, who were completely surrendered to the service of God, and to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and risen again.

What more can I say regarding this life here on earth, or how I should live it for His glory? One thing I do, is remember that I have a sure and confident hope in Christ, that gives me great and glorious promises of that which is to come. And though it is true that the thought of pain, suffering, and mortal death can at times strike me with fear, I have absolutely no doubt at all that when the chips are down, and I am called to take a final stand, even if similarly extreme to that taken by some of the early believers; the Holy Spirit within me will keep me standing until the bitter end, and once again it will have nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Him.

I know full well what it means when Scripture tells us such things as, “it is impossible to please God without faith” and “the righteous shall live by faith”, for it is all about what someone else has done, and has absolutely nothing at all to do with what I have done. For pity’s sake, I was unable to even choose of my own accord to follow Him in the first place! How on earth could I place any hope or expectation in being able to measure up to His righteous standards? Instead I will glory in all that Christ has accomplished on my behalf, patiently and eagerly awaiting the promise of Heaven that is sure to come.

Colossians 3:1-4
1  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Originally posted 2009-12-27 01:13:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Who is really being legalistic?

I’m sure that I’m not on my own in recognising this,  there seems to be a growing number who are quick to turn away from the truth declared in the Bible, and are even quicker to condemn those who choose to cling to that which the Bible declares as the truth, as being legalistic. Through the rank and file of the emergent church, this sentiment is always boldly on display. There is always an attitude of wanting to attempt to twist the Scriptures with human intelligence, in order to justify a love of sin within us, which is usually recognised by an unwillingness to condemn sin for what it is. As a result, we are left with a growing band of self professing Christians, who denying the right of God to be true and every man a liar, choose rather to use their own knowledge of good and evil, and their own ability to discern between the two elements, to trump that which God has chosen to reveal to us through His Word. My own concern is that this “emergent church” is not really confined to a denomination or movement in its own right, but seems to be a cancer that is riddled right the way throughout Christendom, from the most traditional to the most progressive of church fellowships.

Ironically what those who cling to this mentality seem to miss, is the very thing they seem to be searching for! In a well meant desire to tell everyone of the love and freedom to be found in God, they display their own ignorance of God and His ways, by attempting to find a more effective, relevant and convenient way to share the good news of salvation. In choosing to ignore the truth of God’s demand for holiness, and the sheer magnificence of His Righteousness, and the utter dreadedness and certainty of His Wrath one day being poured out upon the ungodly of this world; a warped gospel is presented to the lost, that in reality, is no gospel at all.

The true Gospel of Christ will have a magnificent and saving effect on those who hear and believe, for it will drive the proud to their knees before the Cross of Christ, causing them to experience the reality of their own sinfulness and wretchedness. At the same time, it will take those who are already broken and willingly casting themselves upon His mercy, and lift up their heads that they may cast their eyes upon the One who is their Deliverer. Through a legal application of God’s Law, and a liberal measure of the Grace and Mercy of God, all who will believe are brought to the place of justification through His blood. This will go on to a transformed life, being lived out for His glory alone, and will lead to an ongoing sanctification of the believer, as they are conformed day by day into the image of their Saviour. The truth is, this is the place of freedom, for it is the place, and the only place, where we experience death and rebirth in a real and tangible way. We are as far removed from the struggle of self justification under a harsh and unmerciful law, as a dead man is removed from his duties on this earth.

In contrast, the modern or emergent church, leads those who listen to its message, not into freedom and liberty of justification in Christ, but simply a place of ignorance. The place they are led to may well seem different, even refreshing, but it is not salvation in Christ. Rather it is a place where the Law of God is willingly ignored, and the ungodly mass together in defiance of God’s truth, but feeling strength in numbers they preach messages that scratch one anothers ears, and put their consciences back to sleep.

For those who profess Christ as Saviour I urge you to consider something. Whilst we live and breath the air of this world, we await a city to come, and whilst we do so, we share in the reproach of our Saviour until He returns and receives us eternally unto Himself. Although we share the blessedness of knowing Him, and though spiritually we are perfect in Him, in the flesh we are as evil and wretched as we always were. The instrument that connects our spiritual nature to that of our flesh is our mind, and that is now where the spiritual battle between good and evil rages. When we are in a position of understanding this truth, we will begin to take every thought captive to Christ and submit it to His Word. We will be so aware that our mind can be used for both the glory of Christ, and the wickedness of our own sinful flesh, we will eagerly and willingly surrender it back to the Lord at every point we can.

The proud, lofty and self righteous will always attempt to take the moral high ground in order to impose their proud and legalistic thoughts upon others, even to the extent of trying to impose them upon God Himself if that were possible. Whereas those who have looked upon the perfect Law of God full in the face, and felt the stab of pain as their wretchedness is exposed for what it is, the reality of God’s grace and mercy toward them is beyond measure. As a result, instead of attempting to take any high ground at all, instead you will find their lives laid down at the feet of their Saviour in total and utter submission to all that He is, and all that He has said and done on their behalf. This is the true place of freedom in Christ, and where the fullness of His love is expressed, for it is a place of complete death to oneself, and being made alive in Him as a new creature. What’s more, it is a place that will never be found when one follows the path of the false gospel preached by those who deny the truth of His Word in even the smallest part.

Originally posted 2009-11-13 21:17:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Warts and all!

I love Johnny Cash’s music without a doubt, but I really found this video a touching message. I find it really refreshing when someone is open and honest about the true state of themselves, rather than pretending to be someone they’re not. What comes across to me, especially from some of the last songs Johnny wrote, and also some of the interviews and videos I’ve seen, is that this guy really understood how utterly lost he was without Christ as his Saviour.

Originally posted 2009-11-29 04:08:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Woe to those who call evil good!

I’ve just been following some of the posts on Twitter amongst the aptly named “Outlaw Preachers”. As I read through some of the sentiments expressed, I was reminded of the following Scripture:

Isaiah 5:18-24
(18)  Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope;
(19)  That say, “Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it.”
(20)  Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
(21)  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
(22)  Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
(23)  Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!
(24)  Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Originally posted 2009-08-11 18:15:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

STOP PRESS: Church is irrelevant to the world!

When are we going to get it into our thick skulls that the called out of Christ, or the “ekklesia”, or the Church and their message of Christ crucified and risen again, are irrelevant to the majority of the world? Why on earth would we continuously seek to tailor our message in order to make it more appealing to those who are lost? Or why would we seek to tailor our congregational worship in order to make it more comfortable for the ungodly to join in with us in self deluded pretense? Could it possibly be that there is so much of the world already in the Church, that it is simply the reality of the world recognising its own?

After the things I have heard, read and witnessed recently, I am convinced now more than ever, that the Word of God needs to be preached boldly in a way that drives the Sword of the Spirit into the hearts and souls of those listening, and to heck with the consequences! The response of those listening is quite literally out of our hands, and always has been. But the determination to be faithful in our preaching is a ball that is very much in our court.

John 15:19-21
19  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21  But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

Matthew 5:11-13
11  “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

1 Corinthians 1:21-24
21  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22  For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23  but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24  but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Let’s face it, the message we are commanded to preach is never going to be a popular one. It will either be received with eagerness by those chosen by God to believe, or will be rejected as foolishness by those who are not chosen. It’s not up to us to figure out who is who, for the wheat and tares grow together, both inside and outside what we know as the Church. It is only upon the return of Christ that those who are truly His own shall be revealed in glory, for which the whole of creation groans and waits.

Let us stop our pretense, bite the bullet, and proclaim His Word from the rooftops. “REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!” Those who have been chosen will believe and be saved for all eternity, those who don’t will be condemned to face the eternal wrath of God, but both those things are not in our hands. All that is in our hands is to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and if that is so, then a sincere belief in our heart will cause us to stand for the Truth revealed by His Word alone, and stand on it regardless of the consequences. We will face ridicule, persecution and slander with joy, for we will be in no doubt that we are about our Father’s business.

Originally posted 2009-10-13 18:20:23. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Romans 7:12-25

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.

But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:12-25

Originally posted 2009-07-15 01:34:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter