The Message

Yesterday I wastalking with a believer in our church who like all of us want to tell others about Jesus.  This past week while they were at work they  overheard a couple of employees talking about some religious matters,  but instead of having the tone of love and acceptance these two fellow employees were in a debate over a couple of topics that had the other customers near by wondering if everything was ok. At that point it was very important for the person from Cornerstone to have wisdom as to what to say or not say, should they become part of the debate or should they continue to simply show the love of Jesus and proclaim the fact that God loves people and wants everyone to know Him. God spoke to her heart and encouraged her not to get into the fray but to convey His love as a peace maker and a lover of Jesus not as a debater of religious details. We have not been called to be promoters of religion or winners of religious debate, but to be ambassadors of Christ.  When you look at the life of Jesus, He never missed an opportunity to tell people the truth of God's love, but He never allowed the truth to come down to mere debating. That is why that our walking with Jesus requires us to make a choice to follow the Lord and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to love people enough to give them the truth of Jesus. It comes down to that question what and who do I live for? And what and who do I really love?

At this moment about 8am, I am sitting in a class with my youngest son Matthew at Valley Forge Christian College. The class is a great one on the book of Romans; the professor is speaking from chapter 9 which is really a great passage where the Apostle Paul states that He is willing to do anything in order for the nation of Israel to come back to God.  Look what Paul says in just the first few verses;

1 With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it.
2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief
3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed-cut off from Christ!-if that would save them. NLT

Paul makes if very clear not only in these verses but all those that follow that he has a mission and to him it is clear.  He must do whatever it takes to bring the Jewish people back to relationship with God.  If we are to be ambassadors for Jesus and we are the one who He is making His appeal through, what should be our heart towards those who are away from Jesus? Paul loved so much that he was willing to die if it would allow the Jewish people to come to Jesus.  Look what He says My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief, Paul grieves over those who don't know Jesus, He hurts over those who are lost.  We like our Lord should compelling people to come and be restored, come and be healed, come and find the reason that you were created, be reconciled to God, become a friend of God. Will you do something with me?  Would you pause this week and ask the Lord to break our hearts for people who are away from God?  Lord give me a new love for people and a passion to see them know the Lord that loves us.  I am convinced that one of the greatest needs for us as individuals and as a church family is simply to allow God to break our heart for lost people. Remember that God is making His appeal through us, and tells us to compel them to be reconciled to God to come to relationship with God.  God change our hearts, God break our hearts for the lost, God move our hearts with compassion so that people will know you.