We even just had our Pastors appreciation day this past Sunday and I was so glad that we got the opportunity to share with pastor how much we love and appreciate him.
I appreciate that the lord has places such an amazing man of God in my life. I am so amazed by his humbleness even it a time where he is receiving praise!
Today he truly gave an example of this humbleness in even in time of praise.
He has been sharing with us for a book call "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan. My wife has actually read this book already and she highly recommends it to anyone and everyone. (I will be reading is as soon as I finish the 4 other books I'm reading)
Well Pastor spoke a little about how thankful he was for the acts of kindness and gratitude that he received on Sunday. But he moved into the fact that even though all these things are nice and good to have in our lives. We must keep in mind who the praise truly belongs to.
He spoke about how blessed we are in the nation. We are a people that can be such a blessing to others and how we need to remember what others have to face in nations where they are persecuted b/c of there Christianity.
He explained this to us by reading a passage from "Crazy Love", where Frances Chan speaks about how 3 missionary's in turkey where martyred for the belief in Jesus Christ. But he explain that the passion they had for Jesus was not based on the things they would receive from knowing Jesus. But there passion and sacrifice for Jesus was reliant on the overwhelming love they had for Jesus and him alone. One of the quotes that Frances Chan mentions in a online video, that goes along with the book, goes something along the lines of,
"If you where able to go to heaven and have all the riches and blessing that went along with it, But Jesus was not there, would you still want to go!!!!!!"
......O man .... .I just had to stop and think about that for awhile.
I had to stop in my ,tracks and look at myself and ask my self this question.
I hope that we all will ask ourselves this question and evaluate our hearts.
B/C we know that those missionary could have been asked that question and they would have had the right answer. The reason why we know that is b/c our pastor looked a little deeper into the story of these missionary and found out that even after they had be brutally slaughtered by the Muslims that hated everything about these Christians, one of the martyred men's wife said to the press that she has forgiven then men that killed her husband and still wanted to stay in turkey and minister to the people there.
Now that is a Crazy Love!!!! A love that does not care about its own well being. A Love that loves those that don't love you. A love that is quick to forgive. A love that will risk there lives so that they could tell others about the one that is TRUE LOVE.
Is your love this big... is it this crazy....is it Jesus....is it him alone..
I just pray that I dwell on this everyday and put this in the forefront of my mind. Keeping in mind that know matter what happens in my life whether it be good or bad, that the one that I love is Worthy of ALLLLL the Praise. Give it all to the one who deserves it..
