Regarding Eternity: July 2011

Thursday, July 21, 2011

He Must Do What?

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it. -Mark 8:34-35

I think I've figured out what Jesus is saying in this verse.

I think He's saying that if we want to be His disciples, we have to deny ourselves and follow Him.

We have to stop acting spoiled, stop insisting on comfort, stop demanding our rights, and stop being consume with *temporal* concerns.

We have to deny ourselves. It flies in the face of our culture and our hard-wiring.

But - as the text says - IF we're to follow Him, we MUST.

Rwandan Man's Story

In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”