[pic]The King of Hearts –
What is the world, O soldiers?
It is I:
I, this incessant snow,
This northern sky;
Soldiers, this solitude
Through which we go
Is I. – W. De La Mare, Napoleon

The point of reference for a lost world is ‘I’. When the forbidden fruit was eaten ‘I’ was born, and ‘I’ characterises the world we live in today. In attempt to deify himself, man defaced himself and has been seeking his lost image ever since. When we gaze into still waters we see the reflection of our face, yet when we gaze into our hearts we see the reflection of our soul and in a haste we look away for its condition is too deplorable to bear. The malignant state of our hearts requires serious surgery, surgery which can only be carried out by the One who is called the kardiognostes, the Knower of hearts, and the One who has paid the price to rule man from within, the King of hearts.

The point of reference for a repentant heart is God. At the cross is ‘I’ crossed out. At the cross selflessness replaces selfishness, and love is demonstrated in its fullness from a loving God to a lost world. Faceless man again finds his image ‘For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ’(1). Gazing into our hearts once more we see the face of Christ, the perfection of the law that is love, and instead of turning away in haste we ‘Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross’(2). We no longer walk away from the mirror and quickly forget our reflection, but we instead stare intently into the perfect law, that is Christ, and in obedience learn to become both hearers and doers of His word(3).

God wants nothing more from us than that which He has given us and when all else is removed, all we really possess in this life is our heart. When the Prodigal Son returned to his father, he came back empty handed, and broken hearted, repentant and desiring to be a servant in a household in which he was once highly esteemed(4). In the same way we are to return to the King of hearts, with a broken and contrite heart – which the Lord will not despise(5) – humbly longing to serve Him wholeheartedly. In doing so we discover that the One who we long to serve has not called us His servant, but has instead called us His friend.

Someone has said that each heart contains a cross and throne. If you put yourself on the throne, then Christ will remain on the cross; in order for Christ to sit on the throne you must put yourself on the cross. ‘I’ must die, the bitter cup we are to drink of requires us to die to self. We must say with Paul “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me”(6). The King of hearts, is the name rightfully given to the One who gave his life up for you and me. He now waits at the door of our hearts and knocks not only with His hand, but with His voice, and once the decision is made to open up our hearts to Him, He has said “If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”(7)

Grace and Peace
______________

(1)2 Corinthians 4:6
(2)Hebrews 12:1,2
(3)James 1:19-25
(4)Luke 15:11-32
(5)Psalm 51:17
(6)Galatians 2:20
(7)Revelation 3:20

Kingdom Seekers Youth Ministry will be presenting a drama production entitled 'The King of Hearts' this Friday, the 17th of April at 6:30pm. The address of the venue is:

CLIWOM Sanctuary of Praise,
709 Old Kent Rd (Old British Gas Depot),
London SE15 1JZ
Contact: 07957631207

Come along and discover the King of Hearts, our Hero, and our Friend.