Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Radical means...chapter 4

Jay gave me good advice, that I did not take. He said, "Do not read Radical right before you go to bed, because your mind will be going after you read it, and you won't be able to go to sleep."



He was right.



pg. 63, where the pastor was saying, "I told that church that if they didn't give financial support to this missionary, I was going to pray that God would send their kids to Japan to serve with that missionary." I went back & read it again, thinking that surely I had read it wrong. I thought, "You have got to be kidding me!" And then I remembered about a SS teacher of high school boys I heard about recently, who took his class to McDonald's during SS, because during class that day, a guest was going to be speaking to the young people about the possibility of giving a year of their lives to go to the mission field (the year between high school & college). That teacher said, "You boys don't need to hear any of that." Again, are you kidding me?



It is easy for me to be supportive of that idea right now. Katie & Mary Margaret are years away from the possibility of that choice. God help me if I discourage them from choosing that when their time comes to choose.



pg. 70, "The message of Biblical Christianity is not "God loves me, period."... it is "God loves me so that I might make Him - His ways, His salvation, His glory, and His greatness - known among all nations." I love this!



I was reminded in this chapter that God saved me for His glory, so that He might use me to make Him known. Not so that He could use me to make me known. He desires for me to be a reflection of Him, whether that is here in Jefferson City, or in Sierra Leone, West Africa.



7 + years ago, I felt like moving to the Midwest, 10 - 12 hours away from family & dear friends, was pretty radical. And I know it was to some of the people in our lives at the time. Now, 7 years later, it doesn't seem so radical anymore.



pg 72, "Indeed, Jesus Himself has not merely called up to go to all the nations, He has commanded us to go to all the nations. We have taken this command, though, and reduced it to a calling - something that only a few people receive." I also like that he pointed out that it doesn't have to be to the nations OR to the community around me - it can be BOTH.


Any thoughts?

3 comments:

  1. Great job Niki!! I love the quote about our salvation being about him and his glory and not all about me. This is the point in the book where I really had to step back and take a look at my own salvation and what I am called to do as a true follower of Christ. I can't wait to read more of your thoughts!

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  2. Niki, That part of the book (where the pastor threatened his people with prayer), is probably the part that affected Mark the most in this book. May we never be stumbling blocks in other's willingness to follow Christ. Oh have mercy on those that do! Thank you for sharing.

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  3. Thanks for sharing, Niki. I'm really trying to do the BOTH thing--the city around me and those in need across the world too.

    p.s. You should listen to your husband. ;)

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