Urbana...stick with me.

A few words from Urbana really stuck with me and challenged me.

A woman who had been to urbana in 1967 as a college student along with her husband (they were not married at the time). She said, though her husband had died in the mission field in the past few years.  He really died in 1967 when he told Jesus 'Yes' and gave all of his life to the Lord. 

In America, we seem to have so much.  We often do not see many costs of following Christ in America.  Our crosses are relatively light in comparison to the crosses others bear around the world.  Christians who face death, poverty, joblessness, illness, homelessness and family turning on them.  We only see a shadow of those things in the United States currently.  But I was struck with the idea of giving my life, my body, my blood totally to Jesus.  Now I have always known Jesus and have faithfully followed him and proclaimed him most zealously.  But there is something that struck me - because I have feared death.  With recent deaths of some in our community - it just brought to the forefront of my mind the idea of death.  What about all of my dreams?  What about reaching thousands of people for Jesus? What about my unbelieving family, friends and the multitudes of students that needs Jesus?  What about my wife and my beautiful daughter?  I cannot go yet.  However, we are not the ones who can determine the number of our days.  Our lives are in God's hands.  The number of our days, are in God's hands.  There is no fear in death, because Christ has overcame death.  There is no fear of judgement, because Christ took upon himself the judgement that we deserve.  Death is rest in Christ.  Our lives now is a dot, a mist in comparison of eternity with the Lord. 

The uncertaintly of what is ahead may bring fear and confusion, but if our hope is in Christ and we trust him - we can have that rest now with no fear.  When people suffer, when they are faced with hardship, death and the brokenness of the world - they long for Jesus and his Kingdom even more.  Let us serve Christ now and have peace and hope in his return.

Another speaker by the name of David Platt - said "Jesus doesn't need us to accept him.  We need him to accept us."  David was calling us to follow Christ whole heartedly even to the point of giving our lives for him.  We need Jesus! 

Let's pray together that the Lord will draw near to us, that we will rest in him and follow him always.  It will take endurance and focus, because Jesus is known to travel some rough roads.  But he is always there beside us.

What has Jesus been challenging you with lately?  Sit in silence for a few

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