You are Worthy…

For God So Loved…

Worthy are You!

Read Me!

Which is worse? A Bibleless people or a peopleless Bible?

My Purpose is Not Mediocrity

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
II Timothy 1:7

“Fear. It’s part of human nature, but it’s not something we got from God…When I imagine God creating each one of us and planting a purpose deep in our hearts, I never imagine that purpose being mediocrity. While the Bible doesn’t tell every person on earth specifically what his or her life’s calling will be, it does include a lot of general direction:

‘You are to find me in the least of these.’ Yes.
‘You are to leave your earthly possessions and come follow me.’ Yes.
‘You are to love and serve the Lord God will all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.’ Yes.
‘You are to go and make disciples of all nations.’ Yes.
‘You are to entertain strangers and lepers and tax collectors.’ Yes.
‘You are to show mercy.’ Yes.
‘You are to live a life of mediocrity and abundance, holding on tight to your comfortable lifestyle, lest you lose it.’ No

…But what if, just beyond that risk, just beyond the fear is a life better than anything we have ever imagined: life to the fullest.”

-An excerpt from Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, a book worth even a skim to see what God can do with one life committed to his kingdom

Winter Running

Interested in Missions?

I have a friend who can be really into any cause, given the right circumstances. I once heard her say, “Yeah, I’m really passionate about stopping human trafficking.” Yet I never once saw her read about it, watch a documentary about it, volunteer at any events, raise any money, or really do anything other than once say she was passionate about the cause.

Many people say the same about missions. I’ve been talking about being passionate about Bible translation and God’s word being sent out to the entire world. But am I really doing my best? Is this all I can do? God is convicting me about what my “best efforts” really are, and I’m not looking too good.

Once again, Amy Carmichael’s biography A Chance to Die has me more than a little uncomfortable. She writes, “Missionary work is a grain of sand, the work untouched is a pyramid…Face it. Look and listen, alone with God. Then go, let go, help go. But never, never, never think that anything short of this is being ‘interested in missions.’ Never, until this point is reached and passed, delude yourself into believing that you care at all.” (emphasis mine)

Good grief, Amy! Let up on us a little bit. But to Amy, there could be no other call in life, no other work, than to see God’s word and the life of Christ brought to those in darkness. Never think that anything other than going and helping others go qualifies. But first, get alone with God and see where he takes you.

Another way I need to be transformed.

Valentine’s Hearts

For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21

Convicted by Amy Carmichael

I’ve started reading A Chance to Die, a biography of missionary Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot, and have been consistently inspired and convicted by her life. Before heading to India, the country she’s most known for ministering to, Amy was a missionary in Japan. While there, she often wrote letters home to those supporting her. However, she was sometimes discouraged by the lack of passion people in the United Kingdom had for the lost. She wanted everyone to recognize the souls at stake and pressed herself to use every waking hour to spread the gospel.

Her passion puts mine to shame, and I was so convicted by the following paragraph she wrote. It’s worth reading a couple times:

“You who can resist the half-articulate pleading of many and many a heart today, can you resist this? From millions of voiceless souls, it is rising now — does it not touch you at all? The missionary magazines try to echo the silent sob. You read them? Yes; and you skim them for good stories, nice pictures, bits of excitement — the more the better. Then they drop into the wastepaper basket, or swell some dusty pile in the corner. For perhaps “there isn’t much in them.” Very likely not; “there isn’t much” in the silence any more than in the darkness, as least not very much reducible to print; but to God there is something in it for all. Oh! you–you, I mean, who are weary of hearing the reiteration of the great unrepealed commission, you who think you care, but who certainly don’t, past costing point, is there nothing will touch you?”

I read and reread her words, my wrinkled copy of World Vision‘s quarterly magazine on the floor, and I felt the discomfort of my own American-born Christianity. Until my heart cries out for the lost and I’m willing to do something about it, do I really care? And what else can it possibly take to touch my heart? I’m praying for God to transform me so that I long to see the lost saved in greater ways this year.

His Love Endures Forever