Heart Tracks - Outlaws

"Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:27..."The life of discipleship is not about comfortable pews and golden crosses; it is about a clash of kingdoms." Chris Tiegreen...."Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world." John Wesley

Mark Batterson said that following Christ will mean that He leads us out to the place(s) where Light and darkness clash. As Tiegreen says, a "kingdom clash." A clash between His Kingdom of Light and Life, and the devil's of death and darkness. Neutrality in the collision is not possible, though I think the majority who call themselves His attempt to live that way. Those who do are deceived into believing they are, but the reality is that they've been made casualties of the war. They've been made prisoners of a war that they sought to avoid.

Our hearts always seem to resonate with stories of rebels against tyranny and oppression. We love to hear tales of freedom fighters who battle against injustice and unholy dictatorships. We tend to see Jesus Christ in a lot of different ways. Do we ever view Him as the ultimate Rebel, Freedom Fighter, and Insurrectionist?

Think on this; Satan led a rebellion against God in heaven. He was defeated, expelled, yet laid claim to this fallen world and all within it. We are born into the yoke of his captivity. Into all of this came Jesus Christ, the Lord of Light and Life. When He began His earthly ministry, He immediately clashed with all the forces of this world; religious and political. He led a "rebellion" to throw off the yoke of slavery to sin that all are born into and offered a pathway to His Life and freedom. Satan recognized Him immediately and unleashed all the power of his kingdom with the purpose of stopping Christ's establishment of His. He unleashed hell. God unleashed His Son, the Author of Life. His unleashing led to a cross, which led to death, which in turn led to resurrection. At Calvary, the ultimate clash of kingdoms took place. It seemed at first that the enemy had won. That impression was shortlived, for the cross led to the tomb, and then to His resurrection, which sealed His victory. Christ the Rebel, the Freedom Fighter, had overthrown the kingdom of darkness by way of His cross and resurrection. He led the way in the rebellion which while it secured the victory, still plays out today, and will until His return. I've a friend who doesn't agree with the popular conception that the devil knows he is defeated. He thinks satan doesn't believe that at all, even though its true. So he fights on. Tyrannizing, oppressing, destroying. We who are His are called to live out the victory that is ours. Rebelling against his lie with the proclamation and living out of His Truth and Life. We too are rebels and freedom fighters. Neutrality isn't an option. We enter into the clash of kingdoms, and we already know the victory is ours. And all the while, we carry His cross into the battle. And that cross is the symbol and guarantee of our victory.

Are you involved in the clash of kingdoms today? Or, are you seeking neutrality? If you are, know that you're living in the enemy's prisoner of war camp. You may not see the fence and barbed wire he uses to keep you in, but it is all around you. Take up your cross. Step out in faith. Run to the battle. Join the rebellion. Will you be a Kingdom freedom fighter, or just keep looking for your comfortable pew each week, gazing at a golden cross on a wall, but never seeing the rugged cross He calls you to carry...and die upon? To truly be a Christian is to be an outlaw to this world. Jesus went to His cross as such. Will you and I?

Blessings,
Pastor O