Not just for the sake of doing...

The DTS has been reading a book called Heavenly Man, which if you have never read I would put it on your list of must reads. Its a story about a man who is persecuted for his faith in China. He tells the story of what his life has been like serving the Lord.

Through out the whole book, you have the expectation that He is going to die in prision because of the beatings, because of the guards, all because He was a man that wanted to tell the world about Jesus. The Lord has so captivate His heart, that nothing was going to make him deny Jesus, not even the threat and actions of those who wanted to kill him.

I have sat with some students time after time of reading this book, and it has the feeling of my faith is to weak. Could I be tortured for the name of Christ? Could I really die for Christ?

But what if we have this wrong. Here is a man in China who is being persecuted He knew that becoming a follower meant for him to lay down his life in all capacities. He knew that. Yun knew that becoming a Christian in China meant that at some point He would be faced with the ultimate decisions. Jesus or death?

What Im boggled by is the fact that as I read this book, I get this fire in me that says I would do that...I think if I had to I would lay down my life for the name of Jesus.
Followed by my heart asking, Your willing to die a physical death For Jesus, but your not willing to give up the things that separate you from Jesus now?

What is our generation doing with speaking things out of our mouths what our hearts don't really believe.   I want to be in a place that I would die for the name of Christ. Yet I walk around everyday with things in  my heart that separate me from Christ, and He asks everyday for me to give those things to him, That won't cause physical death, Yet I say NO! I say no Im comfortable, No I want this. No I need this. No this is my dream, No No No NO!

How is God asking you to lay down your life?
Is He asking you to lay down your rights?
Is He asking to you to get rid your selfishness?
Is He asking you to lay down your dreams?
Is He asking you to submit to Him no matter the cost?
Is He asking you just to let go and let Him?


It looks different for each of us. But don't let our mouths say what our hearts don't believe, because then we become the hypocrites of our generations.