I can't tell you how many people, Christian, "Christians," and/or non-believers have said that to be. "You're crazy." Or "wow that's crazy what you're doing, I don't know if I could do that." Or they just give me weird looks as they nod their head and smile, saying "Good for you." Maybe I am crazy, actually I probably am a tad crazy, but isn't that what God is looking for? People that are crazy. People that are willing to surrender all for the will of God? Didn't Jesus teach that and look for those kinds of followers? Now I am not saying of this to puff myself up, I am an idiot a lot of the time. I am a sinner saved by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ. But what I am saying is, Is taking Jesus at his Word, falling in love with him, and trusting him enough to say 'Heck yeah I'll follow you wherever you leads me even if that means losing everything,' is that really crazy? Maybe by the world's standard, but doesn't seem logical based on all God has done for us? Graciously lavishing on us his love and grace(1 John 3, Ephesians 1). Sending his Son to absorb his wrath on the cross for my sin, your sin, Peter's sin, James' and John's sin. Everyone's sin. It seems like it makes sense. I was recently reading a book, Radical, by David Platt and in Chapter 6: How Much Is Enough?-American Wealth and a World Full of Poverty and there is a story of this man who has a lot of stuff and him and his wife decide to sell their house and give possessions away. He's talking to the author about this and he says to David,
"I wonder at some points if I'm being irresponsible or unwise. But then I realize there is never going to come a day when I stand before God and he looks at me and says, 'I wish you would have kept more for yourself.' I'm confident the Lord will take care of me."
As I sat reading this chapter, I felt so convicted to give money to the church, ministries, etc but even more then that I realized something like this man. That I'm never going to stand before God and hear 'I wish you would have lived more of your life for yourself. I wish you would have saved more time for yourself. I wish you would have kept more for yourself.' I was blown away. That my life was given to live for Him and for others in His Name. My time here on earth isn't for myself. It was given to give for His Glory amongst all people. My possessions, gifts, talents weren't given for me, they were given for His Glory and to bless others into a relationship with him.
And so I say to myself, am I crazy? Am I radical? Or this the normal type of response to God's love, grace, mercy, cross, Jesus' call to follow, and his son. Is this the normal response to the Son of God? Think about that. Is it crazy to follow the SON OF GOD, if you believe he is who he says he is? Or is it freaking awesome, a PRIVILEGE, after all he has done for us. I say, absolutely I will follow Jesus wherever he takes me, because HE IS LORD. And he is Lord of my life. He "bought my life with a price," and he owns it and I surrender.
My questions to you, if you are unwilling to surrender to God, to follow Jesus the way he commands us to, or to live for God's glory are these: Do you know who God is? Do you know what you're saved from? And are you in love with Jesus? Because that's Christianity. Being absolutely in love with a God who delights in you, a God who left heaven to ransom your soul, so as to surrender everything to him in order that his glory may be made known to everyone on this earth. Again none of this is to pat myself on the back. I am a sinner. A wretched one, falling short of God's glory daily. But God has done a miracle both in my heart and in my life and my challenge to you is: Are you willing to respond as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:8, "Here am I. Send me." I don't know where you would have me Lord, but I am willing. Your will be done.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Do Not Worry
Whether you know or not, I have recently come back from Tijuana. My time at Mexico Caravan Ministries has come to an end and I am back in the states getting ready for school at New Tribes Bible Institute. This blog comes from devotional on Monday. I woke up and opened my Bible to Luke 12 (I'm currently reading through the Gospels) and the title is Warnings and Encouragement. Jesus goes on to warn against worrying about the future, about storing up treasures on earth, and about not living like the Lord is coming back again. The Lord spoke to me specifically by warning me of these very things as I come back to America and the culture and even Christian culture that goes against what Christ stood for.
And so as I'm reading this, I think about school. I don't have a lot of money for school, basically enough to get me there and pay for a few months and I'm reading Jesus' words in verses 22-26, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" I hear God saying this very question to me, "Josh why do you worry about the rest?" The Lord reminded me that I can't add a single hour to my life, I can't support myself thru school, I can't do anything without him. He also reminded me that I am more valuable than anything in this world, and he will provide for me. But I must trust. A brother the other day told me quote, "Being anxious says that we know what's best for us, we don't." I don't know what's best for me, therefore what right do I have to be anxious? "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7. These words from Jesus were an incredible reminder to trust in the Lord. To keep my eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of my faith, because he's got me, and he will provide. A friend once told me that if you trust the Lord with your life, he'll never let you down.
The second thing that spoke to me was to not store up for myself treasures on earth. I just saw a t.v. commercial today that was for life insurance to protect your dreams and ambitions because you need to pursue them. And I'm sitting there thinking, what would Jesus be thinking right now. I feel like this is the type of stuff that he cleared the temples from, this way of thinking that stores up treasures on earth. Jesus in Luke 12 talks about this rich man who had a harvest. He didn't have barns big enough for all the harvest so he says to himself, "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.'" This is the crap American society feeds us, that this attitude is okay, to store up a bunch of stuff for ourselves and take it easy into retirement. God's response? "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" People who store up things on earth are called fools by God. This was a reminder to me to guard my heart and mind from the world, because what the world's philosophy pumps into our heads is poison.
Prayer Requests:
1. Finances for school and also a job while I'm there to pay for my monthly payments.
2. Faithfulness to the Lord in my time, being wholly devoted to him
3. Meeting on August 11th with my missions pastor, that it would be a fruitful meeting
And so as I'm reading this, I think about school. I don't have a lot of money for school, basically enough to get me there and pay for a few months and I'm reading Jesus' words in verses 22-26, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" I hear God saying this very question to me, "Josh why do you worry about the rest?" The Lord reminded me that I can't add a single hour to my life, I can't support myself thru school, I can't do anything without him. He also reminded me that I am more valuable than anything in this world, and he will provide for me. But I must trust. A brother the other day told me quote, "Being anxious says that we know what's best for us, we don't." I don't know what's best for me, therefore what right do I have to be anxious? "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7. These words from Jesus were an incredible reminder to trust in the Lord. To keep my eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of my faith, because he's got me, and he will provide. A friend once told me that if you trust the Lord with your life, he'll never let you down.
The second thing that spoke to me was to not store up for myself treasures on earth. I just saw a t.v. commercial today that was for life insurance to protect your dreams and ambitions because you need to pursue them. And I'm sitting there thinking, what would Jesus be thinking right now. I feel like this is the type of stuff that he cleared the temples from, this way of thinking that stores up treasures on earth. Jesus in Luke 12 talks about this rich man who had a harvest. He didn't have barns big enough for all the harvest so he says to himself, "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.'" This is the crap American society feeds us, that this attitude is okay, to store up a bunch of stuff for ourselves and take it easy into retirement. God's response? "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" People who store up things on earth are called fools by God. This was a reminder to me to guard my heart and mind from the world, because what the world's philosophy pumps into our heads is poison.
Prayer Requests:
1. Finances for school and also a job while I'm there to pay for my monthly payments.
2. Faithfulness to the Lord in my time, being wholly devoted to him
3. Meeting on August 11th with my missions pastor, that it would be a fruitful meeting
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