God has been stirring my heart more and more. My heart is being stirred for broken people. I went back a couple of days ago and looked at my first journal entry ever. This was written sometime at the beginning of my Honor Academy internship (Aug. – Sep. of 2001). It was a letter to the the Lord. And when I read it the Lord began to show me that the way i felt in that journal entry was the way a lot of people in this broken generation feel. I wrote things in that letter just pouring out my heart how i felt as if i had been wronged in some way and how much i hurt in my heart. I wrote asking the Lord to bring healing, administer joy, and bring rest to this restless heart. I know it was the Lord who was drawing me to write such things.
I used to wonder what type of preacher the Lord would call me to be. I’ve always fancied the Charles Finney type preaching but probably had a lopsided conception of his preaching (or maybe not). Hellfire and brimstone is what i figured the tone of every one of my messages would be about. But the Lord has been showing me more and more (i believe) what will be effective in this generation. No doubt its going to be the Word. Nothing can take the place of the Word. But what good is a dry letter? After all, “the letter kills but the Spirit gives life”-II Cor. 3:6.
I believe that there must definitely be a balance of Truth and Mercy. God is Love but God is also a Consuming Fire. The judment of the world and all therein plus the infinite Love of the Father is displayed unmistakably at the Cross. This generation is brokenhearted. All broken up by sin. The addictions and destructive practices are only an outflow from the source of the pain, a result of sin. The increase of lawlessness is the inevitable result of the lack of Calvary Love. We must become those who by the grace of God display Calvary Love to others. We may be those who end up actually having the privilege of physically giving our lives for the sake of the gospel but if not ultimately then at least we can by God’s grace daily live lives that are utter unto the Lord.
Our daily walk in this world must be of the kind and quality that is continually at war with the wickedness of fallen man. The Lord came not to bring peace but a sword! Yet, when questioned our answers flow forth in such meekness, truth and love as to convict the sinner of rebellion and to break and draw him by the grace and love of our Awesome God. We must be willing to become marked men and women if we are expected to truly represent the King in this culture. The blatant perverseness is constantly challenging the life of God in us. It’s only fair that we openly and boldly challenge these things in the power of God’s Spirit! If the Lord were to have his way in us truly it would be no other way. Conflict in not an option if we will truly represent Christ. The Lord has one answer for the liberal media and here it is:
“Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.” -Ps. 2:6
Lord help us out of our cowering Christianity! Let the Spirit fall! Let Him possess you and you will be as a new man.
Below is a quote from Soren Kierkegaard, may God give us grace to be willing in all He leads us to.
“No doubt there is an infinite difference between a tyrant and a martyr; yet they have one thing in common: the power to constrain. The tyrant constrains by force; the martyr, unconditionally obedient to God, constrains by suffering. The tyrant dies, and his rule is over; the martyr dies, and his rule begins.” -Soren Kierkegaard