Dave’s Monday Blast – July 13, 2020
When you give your heart to Christ, Christ gives His heart to you (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ezekiel 36:26). And you become a part of the tribe of the transplanted. That new heart gives you a new appreciation for life. You humbly acknowledge your responsibility to honor the donor. And the cellular memories that come with that transplanted heart give you whole new sensory responses, cravings, and habits. You literally feel different. Why? Because you feel what Christ feels. And chief among those sanctified emotions is compassion. Your heart begins to break for the things that break the heart of God. And that is the heart of what it means to love God with all your heart (Matthew 23:37).
It is a sad commentary and sadder irony that Christians are often viewed as heartless. Pastor Mark Batterson comments: “I believe that Scripture is the inspired Word of God, right down to the jot and tittle. That means that even word sequence is significant. And when Jesus reveals the four primal elements of love, the heart comes first. I’m afraid that the Western church has tried to engage our culture mind-first instead of heart-first. But minds often remain closed to truth until hearts have been opened by compassion. There is certainly a place for logical, left-brained explanations of faith. BUT COMPASSION IS THE ULTIMATE APOLOGETIC. THERE IS NO DEFENSE AGAINST IT.”
Batterson continues: “The problem is not Christianity at large. The problem is you and me. The problem is that we’re not as compassionate as we could be or should be. That’s the bad news. But here’s the good news: Although you may be part of the problem, you can become part of the solution. You can change the face of Christianity, but it will require more than a face-lift. It starts with a change of heart.” That’s good isn’t it!
Have you given your heart to Christ? All of it? If not, why not do it right here, right now? Stop reading and start praying. How? From your heart. God doesn’t just hear your words. He hears your heart. He isn’t impressed with words, but He is moved by a heartfelt prayer. Men of INTENTION know that when we give our heart to Him, He’ll give us His heart. And when He does, you’ll become part of the Tribe of the Transplanted; those that humbly and compassionately share the Good News of Jesus Christ (John 3:16) because they have a new heart.
