How's that for a title to a blog? I don't know how else to explain these 4 quotes you are about to take part in (if you have the heart and the guts to digest them) other than that. I am actually going to be praying through these in order to ask the Great God to make ME this kind of Christ Follower...it will NOT be easy...at all...even frightening...
Disclaimer: do NOT read these 4 quotes UNLESS you are WILLING to let the Holy Spirit PENETRATE your soul and cut into the marrows of your bone. If you are NOT ready for SURGERY, do not read these. If you are ready to be "cut" on, go ahead my friend and let the Great Surgeon "prep" you...you got about 2 hours of surgery ahead of you... Time to scrub in...
*Context for the quotes: these are about Evangelizing people to Jesus while doing "Compassionate Ministry"...in other words...going to people no one else wants to go to...saying what no one else wants to say..."for the Name of Jesus"...
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First Quote:
Does the surging sea look dark and dangerous? Unquestionably it is so. There is no doubt that the leap for YOU, as for everyone who takes it means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For YOU it may mean more than this. It may mean death. He who beckons YOU from the sea, however, knows what it will mean - and knowing, He still calls to YOU and bids YOU come.
YOU MUST DO IT! YOU cannot hold back. YOU have enjoyed YOURSELF in Christianity LONG ENOUGH. YOU have had PLEASANT feelings, PLEASANT songs, PLEASANT meetings, PLEASANT prospects. There has been much of human HAPPINESS, much CLAPPING of hands and SHOUTING of praises - very much of HEAVEN and EARTH.
Now then, GO to God and TELL HIM YOU are prepared as much as necessary to turn YOUR back upon it all, and that YOU are willing to spend the rest of YOUR days STRUGGLING in the midst of these PERISHING multitudes, WHATEVER IT MAY COST YOU.
YOU MUST DO IT. With the light that has now broken in upon YOUR mind, and the CALL that is now sounding in YOUR ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before YOUR eyes, YOU HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE. To go DOWN among the PERISHING CROWDS is YOUR DUTY. YOUR HAPPINESS from now on will consist in sharing in their MISERY, YOUR EASE in sharing their PAIN, YOUR CROWN in helping them to BEAR the CROSS, and YOUR HEAVEN in going into the very JAWS of HELL to RESCUE them.
NOW, WHAT WILL YOU DO? Quote paraphrased (William Booth)
emphasis is mine
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SECOND QUOTE
DOWN, DOWN, says Christ; YOU will find ME in the POOR; YOU are RISING too high if YOU do NOT look for ME there. Quote (Martin Luther)
emphasis mine
May Christ deal with you and me through His Holy Spirit. May Glory be given to the Father!
The next 2 quotes, or 2 hours of surgery will come tomorrow. We can't stay sedated forever...
1 comment:
Jeff! PX for how He lead The Holy Spirit to give you these quotes, I love your intensity and Passion for Christ, your identity with The Boldness of Christ to go wherever, whenever...I also love your reference to Surgery, cool stuff...man, I am so inspired, it is cool that you wrote this today because I am doing my 4th part of a 4 part series on "Following The Ultimate Example: Jesus Christ" and I want to utilize ideas from your "4 The Name" blog in order to take my writing to the next level!
Thanks for allowing The Holy Ghost to use you in order to teach me how to take my Following of Christ to a 'whole notha level' and to do 'Whatever It Takes!!!
PX! Glory To God! Amen!
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