Category Archives: A Life of Adventure

Sticky notes

A friend wrote to me recently saying she’s had a sticky note on her computer for the last 3 1/2 years to remind her to pray each day for Marcia and me and for the Go Light Our World (GLOW) ministries across the world. Wow! What a faithful prayer warrior to intentionally carve out time each day to support us in a way that releases God’s power. And what a humbling thought that God invites you and me, broken vessels, to carry his blessings to others. My friend said about her brightly colored sticky note:

“Every once in a while it gets pretty tattered looking and I replace it. Right now, it’s starting to look tattered again and it’s reminding me that my faith has become a bit tattered lately…and I’m not facing a trial even remotely close to the trials of you and your loved ones. But, I’m also humbled and thankful that as easily as I can make a new sticky note reminder to pray for you, I can also, once again, take my tattered faith to our Lord Jesus. He can restore to me the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12), He can help my sometimes shaky belief (Mark 9:24) and He can encourage me in the most simple yet intricate ways through His people (Hebrews 10:24).”

She goes on to encourage us and remind us of this truth;

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

I love her comment: “I can also, once again, take my tattered faith to our Lord Jesus.” That is SO true! Our faith does at time seem tattered and torn. Troubles beset us and unanswered questions and prayers nag at us like a dripping faucet where refreshing water is intended to flow. Like the psalmist, we feel we are in a “dry and thirsty land.”

Sometimes my prayers seem so inadequate. Usually, when this happens, I struggle to remember verses that speak God’s truth an I pray those back to God. When you want wisdom, go to that place where true wisdom is found! Sometimes, I simply take my seemingly tattered faith and give it to God just as it is, yet reminding him “I don’t want to stay here.” I want to draw closer to him and to feel the warmth of his love and joy.

Have you ever found yourself in a tiff with someone you love and care about, usually over something that doesn’t matter, and often due to a misunderstanding. And then you realize, “I can keep going the miserable direction I’m going” or “I can go away and pout for a while,” OR I can choose to say: “I love you deeply. I’m sorry we’re having this temporary time of poorly expressing that love. I want it to get back to the love and joy we both know.”

That’s the way God designed our lives. When we run into dry and tattered spots in our faith and relationships, he calls us to come closer to him, to put up a fresh new sticky note reminding us in one way or another that “The only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love.” We need reminders to encourage one another, to stay focused on the goal, and to run the race with perseverance.

Just as we continue to ask for a healing miracle that would allow us more ministry time together, we also seek the miracle of God using our tattered faith to actually advance the gospel of Jesus.

I think the Lord is honored when we are honest about a dry faith. He is always faithful to bring the well of living water.

Going home

There was a time long ago, when we left our home in the USA, and set up our new home in Australia. I was offered a job to teach music grades 7-12 in a small town school located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. They didn’t tell me until I arrived that I was the 6th music teacher in 6 years at this school. But through much perseverance I made my mark, elevating compulsory music education from being hated to being tolerated. One learns to accept what progress one can make. When six brass instruments surprisingly arrived by train from headquarters I, a woodwind guy, started a brass band. However badly we performed we could count on getting a “standing ovation” when we played “God Save the Queen.” Decades later I learned that little school band had grown in proficiency and toured Europe!

We lived in “Sherwood Cottage” in Burradoo, 3 miles from town. During school vacations we packed our Holden station wagon and hammer to keep the gear shift lever in place and we set off on grand adventures. From the tropics of Queensland to the chilly and rugged island of Tasmania; from the beaches at Botany Bay to the outback town of Broken Hill where we nursed orphaned kangaroo joeys, we experienced the “dinkum di” Aussie life. We explored opal and gold mining towns and enjoyed the diverse landscape of “the bush.” Despite the challenging work situation, we made wonderful lifelong friends and came to call the wonderful land of Oz our “home away from home.”

But at the end of my teaching contract and with our own little Aussie “Joey” in tow, we returned to our home in America. We enjoyed vacations in the Badlands and the Rockies but as much fun as we had, there was always a point where it was “time to go home.” There’s no place like home, that place where your is where your heart longs to be. It’s a place filled with celebrated love and shared burdens. When we went on mission to Bolivia, we had this strange and pervasive feeling that we had come “home to the place we’d never been before.” It’s where we belonged and where we long to return because of the people we met and how God was moving among us.

As much as we all cling to our own home sweet home, there is another place, more wonderful and exciting beyond imagination, that’s called our true home. If we think climbing volcanoes and feeding baby kangaroos is exciting, we’ll be blown away at how marvelous is this home where we’d never been before.

It’s open to all who realize how desperately they personally need God’s gift of eternal salvation and the transformational power for living right now with peace and joy and real hope. Heaven is our true home, the place of great everlasting blessing. And there’s a piece of “Heaven on earth” when we come quietly and humbly before the Lord our God and receive his blessing of grace and power for living a victorious life that rises above our darkest circumstances.

None of us know the time we have left in this earthly home. May God guide the time that remains. . . until we finally go to our forever home.

Are you trying to find life balance?

I had a dream. It was one of those conspiracy theory plots we all laugh about – until we discover them to be actually true. As with many dreams, the details were a bit sketchy by the time daylight arrived. But I remember the phrase “masked intentions.” In this dream I was a “mole” in an organization that promoted itself as a developer of healing medications. But in reality, their goal was to pursue a human genome project that would result in a Nazi-envisioned “perfect race.” I woke up just as I was being interrogated by the company on suspicion of being “the mole,” and before finding out if I was able to get the truth out to the public.

Whew! It was a thriller nightmare that left me exhausted. But it also left me pondering the “masked intentions” of our own lives. I wonder if we say our chief goal is to pursue God and follow his perfect plan for our lives, when in reality we are pursuing our own personal agendas. We hotly pursue profit and fame. Career and passion for personal hobbies consume us to the point people actually identify us by those pursuits. In the meantime, instead of actively pursuing God we find ourselves pursuing our own comforts and ambitions. God, family, and friendships take a second place spot in our agenda. We say, “I wish I had more time for prayer, for family, and time to visit friends who are hurting, but I am so busy!”

It’s a common dilemma. What are we to do? Perhaps our first thought is to try to achieve some sort of balance that results in a little time for what is most important in our lives. But the pursuit of balance often is like juggling too many balls in the air. Inevitably they come crashing down and create more stress that pushes us back to what we do best – pursuing our own interests and agendas.

Rather than pursuing the “perfect life balance,” may I suggest an alternative approach? What seems to make more sense is to focus on life integration. Balance requires finding time to add more into your schedule. An integrative approach to living subjects everything to the one most important thing.  The one most important thing is that which you will be most satisfied achieving at the end of life  and which brings you most enjoyment also at the end of the day.

What is that one most important thing? For most people I visit with, it comes down to faith, family, and friends. Simply stated it’s all about relationships – the only thing we take to heaven with us. So whether we’re at work or play or recharging our batteries by coming quietly before the Lord, our focus is constantly being attuned to our relationships with God and others. It is as Jesus summed up:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

As we integrate this dual command into everything we do, we’re asking,”Is this thing I’m doing, saying, or thinking honoring God? Is it demonstrating my love for others? Is this moving me toward the one most important thing in my life?”

When we are thirsty, we don’t say, “I’ll have some juicy lemons and limes and then have a drink of water.” No, instead we infuse the citrus fruits into the water for a cool refreshing drink. All parts become blended, not balanced and it is this blending that most satisfies us.

If there’s actually a way to achieve life balance, I think you’ll find it in the simple process of integrating – blending – our chief values with your daily activities. It’s found in sediting the goodness of the Lord in all our  activities and thoughts. Don’t be deceived by masked intentions. Be fully satisfied. Enjoy the one integrated life you have to live!

Walking along a distant shore

 

In a dream, though neither fully asleep nor fully awake, I find my present age self walking along a distant shore. Colorful seashells littered the sand, some large and grand in appearance, others small and seemingly less significant. Holding each in my hand, I gaze upon empty shells that once were full of life. As I lift each one to my ear I hear the echoes of past memories, part of who I am now and yet also a distant past. Peering into their darkness I’m surprised to see a certain light, sometimes bright and clear and other times shadowy and less distinct – all bearing witness to a life gone by. There’s no going back.

The stones on the beach likewise caught my eye. Some were jagged and rough bearing the scars of stormy waters. But so many of them, so very many, were worn soft and smooth by the continual and gentle washing of the sea of God’s love. As I pick them up, one by one, each bears its own testimony. Piled together they make an altar of remembrance of a life lived sometimes carelessly without serious intent and thankfully, other times lived ever so passionately and vibrantly. The smooth stones and the rough all laid together in a common pile.

A small boat, sufficient for only one passenger at a time, is docked nearby. Approaching it, I place one foot on the boat but keep the other on the dock. At once, I recall how many times I have been in this very same stance, as if paralyzed, wanting on the one hand the security of the shore and on the other the thrill of adventure. But the adventure always, always, begins only when I set both feet, my whole self, into the boat and allow it to be carried by the current of God’s immense and providence mercy.

And so it is is now, my whole self in the boat. And at once the boat is adrift and the shore a distant sight. No “captain of my own destiny,” I am surrendered to the course ahead, set by God himself, who knows and commands the seas. Alone in the boat, I realize why it affords passage for only one, because only one can go at a time to the next distant shore. Already I am overwhelmed by its magnificence. Sights so familiar to the best I visited before, but at the same time so much more colorful and springing with life and beauty. How is it that I am allowed to enter such a land? Only by the grace of God, only by his grace!

I could scarcely take it in when suddenly I found myself on the beach again. But not the distant beach of the future shore, nor the far away shore of the distant past. But now, how could this be, here I am again at the shoreline of my present life! Boulders of troubles remain in my sight,  but also springtime meadows and great, magnificent mountains begging to be climbed.

And people. . . so many people to welcome me and join in their festivities and share also each others woes. People who are alive now, not just memories of who we once knew. People shaped by the currents that have uniquely tumbled them here, along with me. People, God’s gift to us, each a piece of each other’s puzzle, like fragments of great seashells carefully crafted together by the master’s hand.

And so the journey continues, not in a dream, but fully awake – eyes wide open. But this is a journey of intention, not whimsical fancy or mindless distraction. It’s a path of purpose and passion guided by God’s own Spirit, and leading only to him, only to him. Ultimately, the path narrows to single file, where we can only pass one at a time. But for now, however long or short that time may be, we remain together for a common purpose to encourage many more, so many more, to follow in the steps of the ones who leads us, Jesus.

Only Jesus.

 

Aspiring to be more than we could imagine

 

I think most of us aspire to be like someone we admire. It could be a teacher, friend, public figure, close relative, or that rare politician who looks to God for their wisdom. We look at the way they handle things and contemplate their wisdom, devotion, excellent skills, their way with words, their sense of calm and peace in the face of adversity, their compassion and living faith.  We might think, “I’d like to be more like them.” On the one hand, God created us to be us, unique in our own way. At the same time he calls us to aspire to such goodness, encouraged by others and stretched to let his transforming power change us into his likeness.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 5:1-2

 

These days I’m reading through the book of Revelation. In the opening chapters, John tells of how he was commanded by the Spirit of God to write to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And then in a vision he saw seven golden lamp stands and also someone in their midst. The words he uses describes only Jesus. (the son of man, the one who conquered death and now lives, the first and the last, who holds the keys to death and Hades. The lampstands were the churches who would carry the light of Jesus.

 

It’s common today for some folk to think of “the church” as a building with a particular brand name on it. In reality, the bible clearly says that we believers are the church, an active and living entity. Consider the words God gave to John to describe these seven churches. Which one would best describe your life and which would you most aspire to be?

The church at Ephesus: hardworking and persevering, but having forgotten their first love (for Jesus).

The church at Smyrna: “rich” in afflictions and poverty, and urged to continue on in their faith.

The church at Pergamum: Faithful, yet also holding to idols. Believers are promised a white stone with their new name written on it . . . IF they live as overcomers, not dissuaded by things that distract them from God.

The church at Thyatira: Known for love, faith and perseverance; repaid according to their deeds.

The church at Sardis: They had a reputation of being alive but in reality, actually are dead. (Like a facade of being religious but living life without God; lacking integrity.)

The church at Philadelphia: Faithful. Lacking strength yet keeping God’s Word.

The church at Laodicea: Not hot nor cold, but lukewarm toward God. Not actively rejecting God or living passionately for him, but wishy washy in their faith. “A little bit of Jesus will do.”

 

In your prayers, thoughts and actions today, aspire to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Hold him as the whole reason you live, not just a part of your life. Be imitators of God and let him transform your life into something more than you could imagine. Live the adventure to which we are called.

 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20

 

 

 

How to be filled with the Holy Spirit

This talk of “how to be filled with the Holy Spirit” may sound formulaic. But it’s not the same as how to build a deck or make a fancy dish. Actually, I believe God intends us to be filled with the Holy Spirit when we first accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. It is both a one-time event and also a life-long process. But far too often, as in my own rebellious walk, being filled with the Holy Spirit came later. I asked Jesus into my life but did not quickly or totally surrender all to his authority over me. How thankful I am that God doesn’t apply my personal level of patience with me!

 
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not an academic process. We aren’t filled by knowledge. Rather it is a matter of readiness and desire. That said, AW Tozer poses a number of preliminary questions for us to consider while examining our readiness and desire:

1. Am I ready to be filled?
Can I accept that Jesus accomplished everything at the cross and my good works don’t add to my salvation? Have I been accustomed to “considering the interests others before my own?” Am I ready to replace “my will” with “your will, Oh God?” The Spirit calls you to himself through prayer, meditation and scripture reading, and sometimes through the inspiration of others lives.

 

2. Do I want to be filled?

“Are you sure you want to be possessed by a spirit other than your own? That Spirit, if he ever possesses you, will be lord of your life!” Do I want to hand over the keys to my house, job, relationships, finances, personality, and even my motives and desires to the Holy Spirit and say, “I come and go as you tell me?” Am I convinced that I need to be filled? Have you come to the end of self and found it a futile way to live?

 

How to receive the Holy Spirit: (Reference AW Tozer)

1. You must present your whole self to his authority.
Just as we present ourselves to God to become clean before his eyes, so we must present all our body to the Spirit’s leading. (Romans 12:1-2) This may seem simple, but your response determines your readiness to let the Spirit have control over your whole life: your mind, your ambitions, and even your personality to his authority.

2. You must ask:
The Holy Spirit will not force himself on us but rather he only acts on our invitation.

3. You must obey.
It is senseless to submit ourselves to an authority unless we plan to willingly obey. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God. (Acts 5:31). Our obediance affirms what we believe. It seems simple to say this involves living by what the scriptures tell us but in today’s reality it is quite revolutionary.

4. You must have faith.
We receive and submit to the Holy Spirit by faith just as we submit to Jesus for our salvation – by faith. It is like building a house without knowing the whole purpose of its design, becoming a habitat of God. It’s like going on an adventurous journey without knowing all the details of the trip, letting him guide us, shape us, and lead us as only the Spirit of God can do. It’s considering yourself a vessel whose purpose is to be filled with God’s truth and grace and poured out on others for his redemptive plans.

 

Will you ask and believe him for the perfect plan he offers?

 

“We ask you, almighty God, let our souls enjoy this their desire, to be enkindled by your Spirit, that being filled as lamps by your divine gift, we may shine like burning lights before the presence of your Son Christ at his coming; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
– The Gelasian Sacramentary

 

What’s NOT on the altar?

 

One of the things that gets in the way of trusting God in all situations is that we hold onto things we need to surrender. We cling to the evils we’ve lived with for so long – the negative thoughts, the false guilt, the lies that we have out-sinned God’s capacity to forgive. We’ve kept these at our side and played the tapes over and over in our mind for so long it seems impossible to let them go, even though God promises to replace them with his goodness, peace, assurance, and love.we cling to the evil we know rather than embrace the freedom of God’s goodness.

 

We also cling to good things that we treasure more than anything else including, if we’re honest, our relationship with God. Our actions say, “I will trust God as long as…” As long as he provides me with a good job, with the house I want, with good health and happiness, with close family and friends. The list goes on. What would you add?

 

We read in Genesis 22 the account of Abraham willing to sacrifice his only son on the altar. He was faced with a crisis of whether to trust and obey God    or to trust his emotions and self reasoning. Of course we know that he trusted God and God intervened by providing an alternate sacrifice. Abraham’s faith was rewarded. Faith means believing whatever we place on the altar will be blessed by God.

 

Maybe it’s time to put something on the altar. Job, income, kids, finding a spouse, happiness, friends, dreams… whatever stands between us trusting God partially and trusting him fully, with complete confidence that he will work good in our lives according to his purpose.

 

I remember praying for the kids. I’d say something like, “whatever it takes Lord, just draw my children to you. Just don’t make it too painful or too embarrassing,” I’d pray the same thing for myself, “Lord, create in me a pure heart. Rid me of this pervasive sin that I fight daily; just don’t cause me public ridicule or pain.”  Finally, I had to pray, “Whatever it takes, Lord.”

 

We’re conditioned to think that victory is of highest value. But there are some things that need to be surrendered before we can achieve real victory in life. Surrender is a matter of the will. It decides who has control of my life, me or God? Can I really trust God to direct my life or do I think I do a better job managing my own challenges? Surrender means asking “Am I going to go on letting my feelings and emotions lead me or am I going to really live by faith? Which engine is going to pull my train?

 

In my search, I’ve asked God, “What stands in the way between me and you?” Do I only trust you if things go according to my plan? Romans 14:8 tells me I can trust God whether I live or die. But what about that in between place where I am not fully living and thriving and yet not dead? Can I trust God for that too? I was recently talking with one of the overnight staff who commented about trusting God even though her dreams are not being realized. “And still I will praise you, my God” was her faith-filled response.”

 

Is is there something in your life that needs to be put on the altar and surrendered completely to God? Perhaps you’ll pray along with me:

Search me, God, and know my heart:
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

– Psalm 139:23-24

 

Do you believe God works good in ALL things?

 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

 

We read it and quote it. But do we believe it? Really? What about when God answers your prayer with a no instead of a yes? When you find yourself absorbed by worry, taken prisoner by insecurity and fear? When you feel like you’re stuck and there’s no way out? What about when it feels like someone tossed a grenade in your dream box?

Here’s the truth I’m learning:
ALL things includes great times of joy AND dark times of sorrow and despair. When God says ALL, he means ALL, every bit of it, to the last drop of his Son’s blood that paid for it ALL.

 

Finally, my thick skull is understanding that if I’m going to follow Jesus I have to act as if I really believe his Word. I have to willfully trade fear for assurance, reluctance for obedience, anxiety for peace, my will for his, comfort and ease for whatever his plan is for my journey. Yes, the reality of pain and disappointment demand our attention. But you and I have a choice to surrender these to God’s promises and not let our emotions lead us.

 

So even though we received news that the cancer may still remain and even though a serious mold infection causes great pain, and even though God again takes our Bolivia move off the table (for now or forever) we’re going to be okay with that.

 

Here’s why:
God could answer my prayers just as I ask; but typically he has something better in mind. If I’m going to get upset when my prayers are answered differently than I wanted then I’ll have to take out my scissors and remove Romans 8:28 from the bible. I’ll have to remove Philippians 4:19 that says he meets all my needs. I’ll have to remove everything that speaks to his great promises. I’ll need to take the scissors to most all the Old Testament that speaks to his enduring faithfulness. If I think my life is supposed to be one of leisure and comfort, I’ll need to remove most the New Testament that speaks to suffering with Christ. All I’ll be left with is “God is love” and a handful of other comfortable verses.

 

BUT if I really believe God’s way is best and I really do want to follow him, then I just have to believe he really will work ALL things for good in ALL situations, for ALL those who love him and follow him…even those situations that challenge us most. Trust needs to be backed up by the bravery of action.

 

Maybe the bravest Christian in recent history was the SECOND Oregon student who said, “Yes, I’m Christian” after watching the first one be shot in the head. A few weeks ago CMA Pastor Edward Awabdeh was martyred for his faith by ISIS. He intentionally took the risk by staying in his village to care for and encourage the people in his village. He is now in heaven but only after living out the practicality of Romans 8:28.

 

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “God knows that soldiers can only be made in times of battle and are not developed in times of peace. So dear Christian, could this account for your situation? Is he developing in you the qualities of a soldier by shoving you into the heat of the battle? Do you understand that God may take away your comforts and privileges in order to make you a stronger Christian?

 

We’re trusting God that this continued battle with Leukemia and blood infections is covered under “all things.” What are you struggling with that needs to be surrendered to the God who works good in all things for those who love him? Decide today to trade your struggles for belief that lives out God’s promises.

 

Disappointment or His appointment?

 

Disappointment? Or HIS appointment?

 

Today we learned that the second round of chemo did NOT get rid of the cancer blasts. I came in with 80+% blasts, got down to 7.8% blasts after round one, but still have 5% after round two.

 

It is a certain disappointment as we were sure we would get it all with this treatment. But as with all Disappointments, you change one letter and look at His appointments: the appointment that our sovereign and loving God has for us. If we aren’t to believe this we would have to take scissors to our bible and cut out all the promises of God that sometimes “seem” empty if we only look at the present circumstance.

 

God’s banner over us has been one of mercy and love throughout this difficult journey that has softened us, and made us more moldable to his will. It has brought my dear bride and I ever so much closer and given us such a greater appreciation of the attributes God has given each of us. I would never ever want to go through this without her. She has been my main medicine and a tremendous source of peace to me. She is strong but needs your prayers for this is a tough battle for her too.

 

What’s next: (as far we know)
My doctor is closely coordinating with my transplant doctor in Iowa City. I have been preapproved for a stem cell transplant evaluation and also the transplant itself. That is a huge relief because both would be unbearable if it were out of network. ($1/4 million) I have a wonderful dedicated Humana insurance nurse, Reagan, who is a believer and helps me negotiate all my insurance needs, and with prayer. (Thank you, dear God.)

 

I may or may not need more chemo which is a prayer concern because the cumulative effect of all this chemo on my body is very hard. To facilitate a quicker trip to the U of I, I might be released from Mercy before my immune system recovers. I will need to learn to give myself IV antibiotics at home for a number of weeks to make sure we triumph over this rare and dangerous blood infection. It’s possible I might return to Mercy for more treatment between my U of I consultation and the actual transplant.

 

Specific prayer concerns:
That the tremendous loss of liquid in my stools (5-6 liters per day) would stop, especially the loss of blood.
That the antibiotics succeed in vanquishing the blood infection because I have zero immune system.
That I continue to gain strength and fighter cells. I have none currently. I am so very weak and sick. For healing as we long to see more of the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. But we trust God for whatever he chooses.
That Marcia and I bring honor to God in this fight.
That Marcia will find continued peace and restorative strength throughout the ordeal.

 

Thank you for the much needed prayers. They release God’s power to cover our disappointment and look toward His appointment for our lives.

 

Losing your life… And saving it

 

Luke 9 tells the story of Jesus commissioning the disciples to advance his gospel and fulfill God’s calling on their lives. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” (Luke 9:3-6) He continued, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (V 23-25)

 

It’s tempting to think that was a single event in the history of God’s plan; that it’s different today. But is it? Aren’t we still called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him? What does it mean to you to lose your life for Christ? I don’t know if it means we should all give up everything, but I think it means to consider it all as loss, even our lives and our ambitions. Otherwise, how can we follow in two directions (ours and God’s) at the same time? Following Jesus involves at least holding our possessions loosely, living more simply so our valuable resources can be used for the main event, the telling of His Story, the ongoing passion of his love.

 

When you attend a funeral of a respected friend, are you wowed by the mention of their awards and commendations, their great achievements, or their sizable accumulation of assets? Maybe. Maybe not. More likely, your thoughts turn to their character and the passion of their life that was invested in others.

 

Maybe today you’ll pause to consider everything you’re striving to gain in life, everything you’re pouring yourself into and piling up. It’s an opportunity to consider what’s really worth saving…and what’s going to get tossed aside one day anyway.

 

Jesus called his disciples to live a legacy life. It’s the call he still makes on our lives today if we call ourselves his followers. It’s not to live in comfort in the blissful pursuit of every pleasure. It’s living a powerful life freed by the forgiveness of God for the purpose of following in his steps to shine his light into the world.

 

God’s commission was not just for twelve men in Galilee. His call is for each of us today. Let’s live the call together!