Losing your life for Christ's sake to save it

Outside the city gate, four men looked at each other in despair. They were lepers, gaunt with hunger and with no food in sight. Things were even worse behind the city walls, where mothers were so desperate for food that they were actually eating their own children. The men reasoned among themselves, “If we stay here we will certainly die. If we surrender to the enemy they will probably kill us, but there is a slight chance that they will have mercy on us.” Realizing that they had nothing to lose, they began walking toward the enemy camp. What they found was beyond their wildest imaginations—thousands of abandoned tents filled with food and treasures! They enjoyed a feast and then ran back to share the good news with the rest of the city. (See II Kings 7:3–16.)This account illustrates the mind-set that we also must have. If we seek to protect our lives by reserving our time, talents, and resources only for those things that will benefit ourselves, we will completely miss out on the wealth of eternal treasures that God has in store for those who live their lives for Him.Our condition is like that of the helpless lepers. Only when we are willing to lose our lives will we find life.After giving the command to take up our cross, Jesus said: “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” (Luke 9:24–25).In this passage, the Greek word for life is psuche, which refers to the seat of our affections, intellect, and volition. It is in the soul that a major battle between God and Satan occurs. Satan wants to control the mind, will, and emotions for his purposes, but God wants to transform the mind, will, and emotions through His power. However, this cannot take place until we surrender our wills to God and choose to follow Him.Losing your life means surrendering your cherished ambitions and replacing them with the goals God has for His kingdom.

MY TESTIMONY

This verse resonates deeply within me. In June 2003, I was going through a very bad patch in my life. I had wandered away from the Lord and was caught up in the world. I had many problems in my work , caught in the grip of Mammon and on the verge of losing my job. Around that time, I had another Christian colleague, Steven who was also making plans to leave his secular job to go into full time ministry. By divine appointment, our paths crossed briefly outside the lobby outside our office. I told Steven about the problems I was going through and he spoke a word of encouragement to me , telling me that our work and life is not the end all and be all. Looking back now, through God's eyes, there were two souls that day outside the lobby. On the one hand, there was Steven who was losing his life for Christ's sake that he may find it and there was me, still desperately clinging on to my life. However, this is where God's grace intervened in my life. 4 years later, when I had completed the album "Agape" for my church, I went to see Steven at the church where he is now pastoring to pass him a copy. He had completed his degree in theology at Trinity Theological college by then. As we sat there in his office that afternoon, I shared with him about his words of encouragement meant so much to me then and how God later used various circumstances in my life to cause me to repent and turn my heart back to Him. I also shared about this verse with him and how looking back at my own life, I have experienced the depth and breath of God's redemptive grace . 4 years earlier, our lives could not have been more diametrically opposite but that afternoon, as we aligned our lives to God, we experienced the warmth of God's manifest presence in his office .

What does it mean to take up our cross and follow Him

In our day, the cross is very popular, even among non-Christians. It is worn on necklaces or in other ways as a charm or symbol of salvation. However, in the days of Jesus, the cross carried a more sombre symbol. It was the most dreadful and agonizing form of execution used by the Roman Empire. The phrase “take up your cross” referred to the Roman custom of requiring the condemned criminal to carry the cross on which he was to suffer and die.
“Taking up your cross” involves cheerful submission to the trials and afflictions that God allows in the course of following Him.There are great benefits for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus:Victory over temptation to sin: “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (I Peter 4:1).Intimate fellowship with Christ: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10).Fulfilling God’s purpose for your life: “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (I Peter 2:20–21).Cross-bearing flows out of love for Christ and involves doing whatever is necessary to accomplish God’s will.What does it mean to take up your cross daily? It means ceasing to make independent, selfish decisions and beginning to fully follow God’s will.It means going beyond short-term commitments to total surrender to God.It means not focusing on personal pleasures but instead living for God.It means patiently enduring ridicule because of a glorious goal to achieve.It means evaluating every word and deed based on how they show God’s love.It means forsaking the distraction of worldly things and activities.How will you recognize your cross? Usually it comes in the form of God-given responsibilities and includes whatever pain, sacrifice, and effort must be expended to carry out those responsibilities for the sake of Christ. Your cross may consist of the very things that you have been complaining about and asking God to remove. This was true in Paul’s case. After three petitions for deliverance from his thorn in the flesh, God revealed to Paul that this was his “cross to bear.” Thereafter Paul gloried in his infirmities, and the burden of them was transformed into a blessing and a channel of God’s power. (See II Corinthians 12:7–10.)Taking up your cross will require daily actions, but these should be a natural outgrowth of the unconditional surrender to God that you have already made. At any point Jesus could have dropped His cross and gone His own way. What a tragic loss that would have been for the world and for each of us.
Christ said :"Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).We can expect to encounter trials and tribulations as we take up our cross and follow Jesus, because the servant is not greater than his Lord (see Matthew 10:24). If envious religious leaders and the crowds reviled Jesus, they will also revile us. However, there is much to gain by going through public reproach for our faith. “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (I Peter 4:14).The Apostle Paul suffered greatly as he carried out the work God called him to. He was thrown into prison, threatened, flogged, and beaten, but still he wrote, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Paul goes on to explain that he is able to have this perspective because “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).Carrying our cross as we follow Christ should not be done grudgingly as a necessary evil, but we should rejoice in the fact that it is ultimately for our good and will bring glory to God. “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven …” (Luke 6:22–23).Suffering reproach for the sake of Christ fulfills the highest calling of man, which is to bring glory to God.Before Jesus died, the cross stood for a public curse; now it stands for a marvelous blessing. Before, it meant defeat; now it means victory. Before, it was a means of painful death; now it is the way to joyful life. Let’s follow in the steps of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, “… who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross …” (Hebrews 12:2).

Finishing the race strongly

In his book "The Journey", Billy Graham , the great evangelist of the 20th century, said that it is not enough to just start the race well but it is more important to finish the race strongly.

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus... who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

One inspiring story which comes to mind about endurance relates to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania was the last runner to come in on a 26 mile marathon. In the course of the marathon, he fell badly and was all bloodied and bandaged but he did not give up. Instead, he persevered and hobbled through his final lap before collapsing. When he entered the stadium, all eyes were trained on him. A reported subsequently asked Akhwari why he did not quit the race. He replied "My country did not send me seven thousand miles to start the race. They sent me seven thousand miles to finish it."

The Christian journey is a marathon not a sprint. To finish well, we need to train ourselves in the same way athletes train for marathons. The apostle Paul makes the same point in 1 Corinthians 9 when he states :

"Do you not know that in a race the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

Therefore, keep running and do not quit. Persevere for the crown of life which awaits us at the end to all who endure and to all who overcome.

how far will you go for a lost soul?

Getting UncomfortableHow far will you go to reach a lost soul?by Greg Laurie
Why on earth does God choose to use people to reach people? If I were God, I wouldn't use people. I would just do the job myself.
If I were God, I would roll the heavens away, poke my face through and say, "Hello, humanity. I am God. Believe in me now, or I will kill you." Aren't you glad that I am not God? At the very least, if I were God, I would raise up an army of mighty angels to preach the Gospel. Wouldn't that be powerful? I would never use people; they are flawed. They make mistakes. They fall short. They are inconsistent. Sometimes they contradict what they say by the way they live.
But God, in His great wisdom, has chosen to use people to reach people. Jesus has given us our marching orders. He said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV). This is not optional. It is the Great Commission, not the great suggestion.
In order to be effective in sharing our faith, we need a burden for those who do not know the Lord. Jesus showed us that we are to go outside of our comfort zone and reach people of all backgrounds. He went to the woman at the well in Samaria. In Jesus' day, not only would a rabbi not talk to a woman, but a Jew would never talk to a Samaritan. If you add the fact that the woman was immoral, she had three strikes against her.
But Jesus spoke to this immoral Samaritan woman. He engaged her in conversation and reached out to her in love. He was showing us that we need to go to all people, whatever they look like, whatever their race, whatever their background, whatever their socio-economic status. All of the messages on evangelism and all of the training classes you can go to will mean nothing if you lack this simple prerequisite: A burden.
Do you really care about lost people? We have to care and reach out to these people, even if it means going out of our comfort zone. Even if it means getting extreme.
Some time ago, we were in Hawaii holding a crusade. A father and his son were at Waikiki Beach handing out fliers for the event The little boy wanted to go up to a burly, beefy biker dude. The dad looked at the guy and said, "I don't know if that's a good idea." The son was insistent and walked right up to this big guy and gave him an invitation to the crusade. The guy took what that little boy gave him, crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. That night at the crusade the father told us that when the invitation was given, the first man on the field was that biker dude—he came after all.
We all know someone who needs Christ. For you, it might be some cranky old neighbor. It might be your mom or your dad. It might be a person you can't envision ever being a Christian. She is so hard. He is so against God. You have written him or her off. Even thinking about witnessing to that person seems extreme to you.
Think again. Remember, no one is beyond God's reach. That person can come to Jesus. Pray for him; pray for her. Allow God to put a burden on your heart, and be willing to reach out as God leads you. Are you willing to be extreme for Christ? He wants to use you today.
Greg Laurie is senior pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship (independent/nondenominational), in Riverside, Calif., as well as an evangelist with Harvest crusades. He has written more than 10 books, including The Upside Down Church. He and his wife, Catherine, are parents of two children and live in southern California.

Importance of meditating on God's Word

The Navigators has evolved a good approach to the study of scriptures. The 5 point method involves hearing, reading, studying, memorising and meditation.

In this segment, I shall share on the importance of meditating on God's word. This creates an interaction with God so that instead of merely reading the words, we "taste and see that the Lord is good" ( Psalm 34:8). Its not enough to just know about God. We each need to know and experience God. Scripture meditation help to cultivate the heart and enables us to become more and more inclined to look at life as Jesus did.

Joshua 1:8 declares : Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

As God begins to speak to us through his Word, we come to love God more which helps us see the true goodness of obedience.

lesson one : importance of discipleship

One of my favourite books is the "Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
In his book, he explains that discipleship means adherence to christ and because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship.

" Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ."

The question arises : " can I truly be saved and yet refuse to be a disciple?" . Is there any room for a non-discipled Christian?

The Bible tells us that we are saved by grace through faith." But what is the faith that saves? The answer is found in the book of James. Faith translates to active obedience to God's Word evidenced by the good Works which He had prepared in advance for us to do. The problem is that many think that faith is only intellectual agreement to a set of doctrinal facts.
A definition of faith which discounts active obedience to God's Word ignores the vital element of regeneration and sanctification which is evident in one who is truly saved.
Sanctification is the working out of our salvation as God works in us and hence, any profession of faith which does not embrace discipleship is dead.