God loves me...

So this week in Radical we're discussing Chapter 4. And can I just say that the first 4 pages of this chapter infuriated me!!! In summary...David Platt was meeting with a preacher and some deacons from a church that supports him and in which he was about to preach in. He told of the missions he's been involved in both in the US and overseas. When he finished a deacon looked at him and said "David, I think it's great you are going to those places. But if you ask me, I would just as soon God annihilate all those people and send them to hell." WHAT??? Are you serious?? I slammed the book shut and had to do some deep breathing! I opened it back up expecting the preacher to set him straight and "God smack" him or something...but that didn't happen. "After a moment of silence, the rest of the room resumed conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened." Wait it gets worse...the next morning, after Platt preaches to the congration for him to preach about going to all the nations with the gospel the preacher gets up and says this..."Brother David, we are so excited about all that God is doing in New Orleans and in all nations, and we are excited that you are serving there...And, brother, we promise we will continue to send you a check so we don't have to go there ourselves."

At this point...I'm angry! I couldn't read anymore that day. I was so mad I didn't even tell anyone what I had just read. Well the next day I picked it back up and continued on...Platt said, "Could it be that this deacon and this preacher expressed what most professing Christians in America today believe but are not bold enough to say?" Then I realized...It's true! When I was raising money for Africa, I can't count the number of people who said "God hasn't called me to go, so I'll give you money so He won't." It's disappointing to know that there are so many "christians" in America so comfortable that they wouldn't dare get on a plane to go overseas...not for missions at least. They'll send their children on mission trips in the U.S. once each summer. They'll give money to Lottie Moon. But they won't even think of going themselves.

Calvary is getting a team of people together to go to China with some M's that we support. Bro. Grant announced that we would have a meeting soon for all who are intrested. 10 is the limit. Oh how I pray that there are WAY, WAY too many people willing to go! I pray we have 4 and 5 teams of people willing to go. Not just to China...but where ever He asks! What would have happened if Paul would have been sitting in prison and said "You know what God, I'm through...when I'm out, I'm not going any further." The gospel wouldn't have made it to Rome...Paul was able to take it there BECAUSE he was in prison! I have a feeling that if most of us were in his place...we would have seen being thrown in prision as "God closing a door"...not as God fulfilling a promise to His servant!

"If we lack a heart of compassion for all peoples of the world who seek to make God known among them, then we are missing the heart of God because that is where His is."

This life you have is NOT about YOU! "If you ask the average Christian sitting in a worship service on Sunday morning to summarize the message of Christianity, you would most likley hear something along the lines of "The message of Christianity is that God loves me." Or someone might say "The message is that God loved me enough to send his Son, Jesus, to die for me." But if God loves ME is the message of Christianity, then who is the object of Christianity?
God loves me.
Me.
Christianity's object is me.
Wrong!!! "The message of biblical Christianity is "God loves me so that I might make HIM-His ways, His salvation, His glory, and His greatness-known among all nations!...We are not the end of the gospel; God is."

Let that soak in...

It's not about you!

I suppose I'll stop there for today. If you haven't yet...I encourage you to grab you a copy of David Platt's Radical and prepare for your toes to start hurting!

In Christ,
Desiree' Roos