Cross My Heart Ministry

“Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”  Acts 13:39

Speaking in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, Paul treated the listeners to a survey of Old Testament history. He began with bondage in Egypt and ended with freedom in Christ.  (Acts 13:16-41)

Scripture makes it clear:  keeping the rules gets us nowhere.  The law could not get the job done.  But the law does serve a purpose:  it points to our need for a Savior.

God, thank you for the mirror that the law provides.  As I gaze upon your holy standard of perfection, my imperfect and flawed image reveals my great need for a Savior.

Read the verse above again.  A few key words and phrases offer powerful revelation:

Through him – Jesus is the only way to freedom.

Everyone – The message of the gospel is for all.

Believe—To place your faith in Jesus, acknowledging Him as the Son of God, who died on the cross to atone for sin, was buried, and then rose on the third day.  To really believe is to turn the reigns of your life over to Him.

Justified from everything – Nothing is outside the realm of forgiveness.  Nothing is too great for God to forgive, for Jesus to atone for.

Justified is one of those “church” words that we use, but find difficult to define.  It carries two elements*:

1. Forgiveness of Sin
2. Gift of Righteousness

If my spiritual condition were viewed on a number line, my sin puts me in the negative.  Forgiveness brings me to zero, a place of neutrality.  And righteousness places me in the positive…for eternity!

Are you trying to earn your salvation by doing good things?  Impossible.

Are you trying to make yourself righteous with good needs?  Unnecessary.

You and I deserve nothing.  Our sin separates us from a holy God.  But because of His love He made a way for the penalty of sin to be paid.  Jesus stepped up and took our punishment.  It cost Him the cross.

Because of the cross, you and I are not only forgiven, we are also declared righteous.  Our sins are not just covered, they are gone!  We are free from the bondage and condemnation that sin brings.

The woman of God lives sent and lives free!

Jesus, thank you for dying for me.  How I praise you that living for you is not a matter of “have to,” but a delight of “want to.”

Live Sent Action Point: Share the life-changing truth with someone today:  Sin separates us from God. Through Him, everyone who believes receives forgiveness of sin and the gift of righteousness.

*Acts 13:39 footnote.  The NIV Study Bible, New Internatinal Version, published by Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Note from Laura:

Thank you for joining me for the journey to Live Sent in August! My plan was to blog all the way through this amazing book this month, but I was slowed down by the Spirit and trust that His plan was better than mine.  I will continue to make a post 2-3 times per week, Lord willing, and hope to make one of those a Live Sent topic each week.

Dear reader, know that today I am praying for you, asking Him to fill you and equip you, to give you the delight and determination to live sent by living in Him.  If I can pray for you, if you have a question, if you are not sure of your salvation, or if you just want to visit, please send me a message:  Cross.My.Heart@cox.net

Praying God continues to bless you and make you a blessing!

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
the Holy Spirit said,
‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which
I have called them.’”
Acts 13:2

Most of us love “the list” because of the sense of accomplishment that comes as we cross each item off.  (You know you really are a go-er and a do-er if you realize, “I did something not on the list!” and then quickly add it just for the pleasure of crossing it off!)

The need to “do” something often spills over into our Christian walk.  Huh?  Aren’t we supposed to go and do?  Even the Great Commission begins “Go” in Matthew 28:19.  Indeed it does.  But backing up just a few verses, we note that the disciples worshiped before receiving their assignment to go (Matthew 28:17).

This same worship-before-work principle is found in Acts 13:2.  It was while they were worshiping the Lord that Barnabas and Saul received their assignment to go.

A least two reasons for worshiping first come to mind:

1. It ensures we go in HIS strength and not our own – we are realigned to focus on Him and be filled with Him.
2. We receive confirmation of our assignment.  It may be a job that needs done, but does God want me to do?  Note in the verse above:  “…the work to which I have called them.”

The woman who lives sent worships before she works.

Lord, I begin today worshiping you as my Savior and also as the Lord of my life.  Fill me with your Spirit. I am your servant.  Use me and spend me wherever you wish.  Let your love flow through me to others.

Live Sent Action Point:  Read your Bible.  Worship God.  Ask Him what work He has for you today. Then complete your assignment with joy.  Worship before work!

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him…when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.”  Acts 12:5, 16

If you take time to read Acts 16 in its entirety, you can’t help but giggle at the picture it paints.  The people are earnestly praying for Peter’s release and God answers.  Peter runs to the home where they are meeting and stands at the door knocking repeatedly.  The little servant girl Rhoda is so overjoyed that she runs back without letting him in, and the people are astonished when they realize Peter is there!

“Oh, ye of little faith!” we might say to them.

“Oh, us of little faith!” we might say to ourselves!

Obviously, we can pray earnestly, but fail to pray expectantly. I believe we need to do both.

A woman who lives sent prays earnestly and expectantly – she prays in faith, trusting God to do the impossible.

Lord, forgive me for the times I have prayed without faith. Open the eyes of my heart to see that nothing is too great for you.

Live Sent Action Point:  Identity the unsaved person you have prayed for—perhaps for years—with no result.  Continue to press on in prayer, praying expectantly and in faith.  Do it today.

“The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help
for the brothers living in Judea.”
Acts 11:29

The new believers at Antioch proved themselves to be disciples of Christ by sending a gift to help their Christian brothers in Jerusalem.

A convert is a baby believer – one who has accepted Jesus, but not yet become a disciple of Jesus.  A disciple is committed to an active faith, a growing faith.

The Christians at Antioch proved their faith by living it out loud.  This act of love did not earn salvation for them, but it confirmed their salvation existed.  We can do good deeds all day long, but those deeds do not make us a Christian.  However, if we are a Christian, good deeds should flow from our lives.

My wise husband explains it this way, “You don’t bark to become a dog.  You bark because you are a dog!”

Where is God calling you and me to live sent by loving others, sharing what we have?

Two additional points about providing help to others:

1. The Scripture says that each gave “according to his ability.”  Ask God to reveal your ability to give.
2. Before they sent the help, it says they decided to provide. The battleground for any positive or negative choice is always our mind.  What are you and I deciding to do today?

Lord, I thank you that I can give according to my ability.  I want to be your disciple.  Use me as a vehicle of blessing today.

Live Sent Action Point:  Look around your house and find something to give away to someone in need.  Decide to do it.  And then do it.

“…a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”
Acts 11:21b

True repentance is more than academic belief – it requires a heart change.  And a genuine heart change will result in turning to the Lord.

Just as turning my body redirects my whole physical self (head, arms, feet, knees – my big toe doesn’t get to choose to stay behind), turning to Jesus redirects my whole spiritual self (heart and mind).

True repentance results in turning to the Lord.  We tend to focus on what we are turning away from.  Perhaps the legalist in us wants to make a list of what must be left behind.  But it’s really not so much a turning from as a turning to.

Our freedom in Christ releases us from the “have to” and enables us to embrace the “want to.”  Because of Jesus, it is not drudgery to turn from sin, but delight to turn to Him.

As we share the gospel, we need not worry about “fixing” people or telling them what needs removed from their life.  It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict – not ours.

A woman who lives sent walks in freedom from sin and shares this truth with others.

Lord, thank you for freedom from sin and for the joy of following hard after You!

Live Sent Action Point:  Pray for an unbelieving friend.  Ask the Holy Spirit to bring the conviction and for your friend to believe AND turn to Jesus.