"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." (Mark 8:35)
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty, and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'WOW,...What a ride!'" My first reaction to this when I read it was just laughter. I thought of my first parish. When I arrived to serve there, three of the four churches were only having 2 services per month, and only the main church had a Bible study. I thought, "This is not right;" so, I started 4 services on Sunday and two Bible studies per week, all while taking a full load at the university and our first child on the way. I thought of some of the early "renewal" years when I was averaging five meetings per week. I thought of the years smuggling Bibles into Eastern Europe and later Iran. I thought of landing in Israel in September, 2000, the very day the latest Intifada began. I thought of getting on the plane in Pittsburgh, heading for Israel just five days after September 11, 2001 with one other guy on the plane. I thought of North Korea, and I thought---------------------- "WOW,... What a ride!"
It is only natural for a man to, "desire[] to save his life," to survive at least, to avoid anything which would make life less comfortable at most. But the Follower of Jesus Christ does not live a "natural" life. Rather, he lives, "deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me," i.e., throw off the selfish and safe life style for, "deny.., take up.., and follow...." I know I quote the following passage a lot, but the Follower of Jesus does, "not look at the things which are seen (the natural world), but the things which are not seen (the impossible, the challenging, the "I-can-only-live-this-way-in-the-Power-of-The-Holy Spirit)." It is quite natural to desire a safe, cautious, and protected ride. The Disciple of Jesus Christ, however, would "rather...skid in broadside thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'WOW,...What a ride!'"
Father, in Jesus' Name, I want to arrive in Glory with a, "WOW,...What a ride!" Amen.
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty, and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'WOW,...What a ride!'" My first reaction to this when I read it was just laughter. I thought of my first parish. When I arrived to serve there, three of the four churches were only having 2 services per month, and only the main church had a Bible study. I thought, "This is not right;" so, I started 4 services on Sunday and two Bible studies per week, all while taking a full load at the university and our first child on the way. I thought of some of the early "renewal" years when I was averaging five meetings per week. I thought of the years smuggling Bibles into Eastern Europe and later Iran. I thought of landing in Israel in September, 2000, the very day the latest Intifada began. I thought of getting on the plane in Pittsburgh, heading for Israel just five days after September 11, 2001 with one other guy on the plane. I thought of North Korea, and I thought---------------------- "WOW,... What a ride!"
It is only natural for a man to, "desire[] to save his life," to survive at least, to avoid anything which would make life less comfortable at most. But the Follower of Jesus Christ does not live a "natural" life. Rather, he lives, "deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me," i.e., throw off the selfish and safe life style for, "deny.., take up.., and follow...." I know I quote the following passage a lot, but the Follower of Jesus does, "not look at the things which are seen (the natural world), but the things which are not seen (the impossible, the challenging, the "I-can-only-live-this-way-in-the-Power-of-The-Holy Spirit)." It is quite natural to desire a safe, cautious, and protected ride. The Disciple of Jesus Christ, however, would "rather...skid in broadside thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'WOW,...What a ride!'"
Father, in Jesus' Name, I want to arrive in Glory with a, "WOW,...What a ride!" Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
