Grace, peace, and mercy from God our Father and our Lord Savior Jesus Christ!
I returned home early this morning from my small journey. And what an awesome journey it was. I had been driving so long that I pulled over in a rest stop to take a nap because I could feel my eyelids drooping. I thank God that He had His hand on my travels, protecting me from all harm.
I left Clifton Heights, PA on Friday morning and drove to Roseland, NJ, where I visited a dear friend, who is a leader in Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) at University of New Haven. She is a wonderful servant of God and she is lovingly called my "assistant," because she is so willing to help me with the ministry. I spent time with her and her family. We had a great time, especially sharing the goals and visions we have for Campus Crusade for Christ this school year. She and I even made a trip to a local Christian bookstore, where we found some more inspiration for CCC.
I left Roseland, NJ and traveled to Kearny, NJ to visit a friend and former co-worker. We ate dinner together, catching up and sharing old stories. He then took me for an aimless drive, using the ride time as more time to talk and share. We drove further from Kearny and closer to Newark, NJ. The neighborhoods grew increasingly dangerous and economically poor. And as my friend was driving, I could sense the emptiness in these neighborhoods. My heart began to ache. "Do the churches do outreach events to the community?" I asked my friend. "Not really," he replied. My heart broke more. Christians know the peace and eternal security that Jesus came to offer. He came that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). How it grieves the very heart of God that this life is not shared with others. You are not your own, you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So why hold this life hostage and not let your light shine (read The Silence is Deafening below)?
I had a quiet drive home with my God. God has readied my heart for whatever it is that lies before me. We often pray for God to change our hearts, to conform them to His heart. And if we draw closer to the Lord, we can almost physically feel the change begin to occur. The Word describes the process as dying to ourselves and becoming alive to Christ. (This happens at the point of salvation - we become alive to Christ. However, dying to self continues and is a part of sanctification, the process by which God makes us more and more holy.) I pray that you, my brothers and sisters, are alive to Christ and dead to yourselves. I pray that this process would be a continuous one in your lives and mine.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment