Urban Reformation

Do you ever get the sense that you’re going through life in a routine, and although you’re a believer, the gradual routine of life, just doesn’t seem to be the same as what you read in the bible. There is something to be said no doubt for living a quiet and peaceful life, and doing good, working in the workplace and raising a family. I don’t want to detract from raising a family and children in this blog post whatsoever, for I believe this of the highest calling.

This morning I was reading a blog and I read a quote that sparked me, or ignited me rather, it was attributed to Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China who was one of the first and primary missionaries to the Chinese people bringing Christ to Asia in more modern times.

Hudson Taylor was an English missionary to China who founded China Inland Mission. During his 51 years of service in China, his China Inland Mission established 20 mission stations, brought 849 missionaries to the field (968 by 1911), trained some 700 Chinese workers, raised four million dollars by faith and developed a witnessing Chinese church of 125,000. It has been said at least 35,000 were his own converts and that he baptized some 50,000.

The Quote that was attributed to him was, “Unless there is the element of extreme risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith.”

We have moved to the inner-city, and although we have no such faith as Hudson but we believe that moving to the city was worth the risk. Yet so far we do not have the visible fruit comparatively, yet we hope in God. Several people have joined us in moving to the city and we are praying for both converts, and for more to consider moving into places that they would not choose to live in if their flesh were in control as it screams out ( please bring me worldly comforts ), but we must go to places where our flesh would cringe, but where God would be exalted and glorified by our lives.
The most typical argument is that God can be glorified anywhere, and I believe this, I don’t believe everyone should be moving to the city, yet at the same time I believe that we should be going the opposite direction of our flesh, “Right Where We Are!”

For some the comforts of this life have such a hold on them and the most pertinent and prudent thing to do would be to leave those comforts in faith and go seek out a new country, city, but others it may be take a risk in inviting a neibhor, a family member, a co-worker home for a meal so that they may know you and you may share Christ.

What have we done to forsake this life and embrace eternity now?  The kingdom is at hand, the Kingdom is now.

I have been reading a book by Richard Baxter, and it has ignited my heart along with another book by Horatiaus Bonar we’ve been reading on Saturday mornings men’s group. These books question the sincerity of the minister, and not only the minister but of the Christian who does not long for souls, and call in to question the believer’s salvation who can sit by while others in the world are perishing.

The heart of this post isn’t to urge/discourage people where they are at, I believe that God can be glorified no matter where anyone is however, I believe so often we take no risk, so few acts of “faith” are visible and we call what we do, living by faith when it is not.  I confess my own guilt of trusting in me and what I can see so much.

One of the things I believe so many Christians somehow allow themselves to rest in, is the fact that that they are justified and saved by Christ (AND WE ARE)therefore, ……..

that’s just it, therefore…. I live my life like Christ in much the same way I lived my life before only now with a Christian exterior?

In the ease of my justification (I’m safe in Christ) which is a true truth,we pervert it in a sense in the rest of our full assurance, with so much of our spiritual life only concerned with ME, or ourselves.  And we don’t see the lack in this….. ( I’m speaking not of something we would say outrightly, we would not say we rest in our justification, but we live as if we have not been given a mission by God after our salvation, as if we have already obtained the prize.)

To ease our conscience, we say to ourselves; I am no longer of the crowd that drinks or smokes ( in bars ) or out “in the world” yet, when we do a sharp comparison we see that Jesus himself, who is the exact image of the invisible God was with people, sinners.

And WE my friends, WE are called to go into the world and teach them to “observe” all that Christ commanded, and to make disciples?

And yet we rest in the fact that we have made it past the earthly finish line of salvation and have in our self-absorbed American Christianity forgot about the millions of souls who are being lost.
I have heard from men, well God will have to deal with that, I can only present the truth. But are you presenting a truth that you believe? Would there not be more of an attempt to tell people the truth if you were under conviction of the desperate state of the reality of their situation?
Some say we’ve moved beyond speak of Hell as a “fear tactic” in Christianity, but if we don’t tell men about hell how will they know of God’s love to keep them from hell? Yet God would use all means within His grasp to save men, and he uses warnings in scripture, Hell, and Love, mercy and GRACE and all of these things to bring men to the understanding that they are absolutely in need of GOD for their very next breath, they are unable, incapable of their own doing to come to Christ.

We have lost the effect of the crippling truths of God’s word, they have been relieved of their sting to appease the wicked desires of carnal and lost world, and to soften the blow. In effect when we remove these, we remove the truth effectively gutting the gospel and remove its effect.

We can no longer as the “young and reformed” look through the eyes of our post modern lens and take away the truth from people who are perishing, and have not heard about it. This is in effect hyper-Calvinism, not in doctrine but in practice. We believe in God’s sovereignty so much that our emotions, and the power in God’s word has been lessened.

Let me make one qualifying statement, I am not speaking of “harshness.”  But explicitly if we care about men, and we believe that there is a hell, and we believe that we are all eternal, how many people, friends do we let pass by without a word?

I fail in loving people as I should, both Christians, and non believers, I pray God teach me to love, as He loved on the cross for me.  I want to love this way to the world that they may know Him.

Consider taking an extreme risk this week, and ask a neighbor, an old friend, someone you care about, about their story, and when God brings the right time, ask them about their soul.  Tell them of Christ and this love.

Do this “Right Where You Are!”

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