Christians Must Suffer

"God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshipers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations. Therefore, let us bring our affections into line with His, and for the sake ...of His name, let us renounce the quest for wordly comforts and join His global purpose." -John Piper-

In light of my last post I thought it good to play and old, yet favorite clip from John Piper. What are willing to do and how much are we truly willing to risk for the glory of God? Is Christ worth all this heart ache and does He deserve my utmost passion and commitment? The answer is a resounding YES! Sadly, this is not the case for most who call themselves His disciples. It seems that somehow we have made Christ out to love us more than He would love His own glory. In doing this we strip away one of the greatest truths there is, that Christ loves His own glory more than anything else. More than you and more than me. If Christ did not love himself and desire His glory above all things then what would he be communicating to you and I. That there is something out there more glorious and more worthy of my love and usually this means us. Since we love to place man at the center of Christ's affection. The truth is Christ loves His own glory!

"Let us pray that we may be delivered from a cold, dead, speculative, un-sanctified head knowledge of Christianity. It is a rock on which thousands make shipwreck to all eternity. No heart becomes so hard as that on which the light shines, but finds no admission. To be an ignorant heathen, and bow down to idols and stones, is bad enough. But, to be called a Christian, and yet cleave to sin and the world with the heart, is to be a candidate for the worst and lowest place in hell. It is to be as like the devil as possible."  - J.C Ryle

As I look around at the landscape of modern day Christian confessors, I cannot help but feel that this quote is as true a statement today as much (if not more) than when it was written over 100 years ago.

The sad reality is that many of us today make much over our comfort, so much over our happiness and so much over our own ego driven lives ...... that many (even those who claim Christianity) seem not characterized by men and women who risk much, are consumed much and are passionate much for the ultimate glory of our Lord. I pray that God and His (today unread and un-preached) word would convict many over their dead, complacent, weak and heartless devotions for the fame of His name.

It never ceases to amaze me at what goes for true Christianity today. You hear many today speak of their relationship with God in terms such as; "I have prayed a prayer" or "I go to church" and "I believe that there is a God". However, as one goes deeper into questions one will find that many of these people seem to have prayed a prayer to, went to church for and believed in a God that has little to no resemblance to the Biblical/historical Jesus. Many people today simply have fashioned a Jesus in their own image. A God they are most comfortable with. A Jesus of low expectations and a desire to see them happy and with stuff above all else. As person after person would describe "their" Jesus, one would not be able to help but see a picture of Christ emerging that continually took the form of a genie in a bottle, a powerless pushover or a silent Santa of sorts. Constantly and time after time a Jesus continually in contradiction to the Christ taught us in scripture.

My prayer is that God would raise up men and women who are relentless in their pursuit to bring God the glory due His name. Individuals who are overcome by the grace and mercy that has been given them in the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ. People who are willing to sacrifice all earthly comforts, all worldly pleasures and all fleshly desires for the greater reward and greater treasure of being known by God and used of God for His own good pleasure and will. Believers who take their marching orders and views of God from His word and truth rather from cultural trends and man centered theology. May we all say as the missionary Jim Elliot has stated; 

"Lord make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road, make me a fork, that a man must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me."