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Glad Tidings Newsletter |
August 27, 2006 |
Volume 3, Number 1 |
· “To Gather, To Strengthen and To make as One”
Contact Us www.gtiminorg.moonfruitcom 401-225-3030 |
God Bids us to Die!
These are the words of the late Dietretch Bonhoeffer who was martyr at the hands of German Nazi’s years ago during world war II.
Dietretch wrote in his captivating book “Cost of Dicipleship”, the following statement: ““When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die”
Die! Ahh, a word that sends shudders down the spine of many people, both believers and non-believers alike. No one wants to die, for dying denotes finality. It means an end to life, as we once have known it. Dying means that all that we hold dear will be forever left behind. I know that I do not like to die but I also know that unless I embrace death, as Christ teaches us, then I can never glory n His resurrection life.
Jesus said “Truly I say to you, If a seed of grain does not go into the earth and come to an end, it is still a seed and no more; but through its death it gives much fruit.”
Dietretch Bonhoeffer was a modern day Martyr. The word ‘die’ is even in his name! The word “Martyr” and “Witness” are often translated the same. A Martyr gives up his or her life as a witness to the worthiness of Christ and His death on the cross, with the expectation of resurrection in the life to come. Jesus said in Acts 1 that we would Go and be Martyrs (Witnesses) for Him both at home and in the far places of the earth. It takes a dying to self to be a witness for Christ. You have to die in order to go forth into your local community and into the prison houses to make Christ known, for there is opposition and rejection. You have to be a Martyr to be a Witness of Christ in foreign lands because you must first leave all things behind that are familiar and comfortable to you. I know that every time God has called my family and I to leave our home country, I feel the onset of death. Everything familiar and comfortable to my flesh is being torn away from us. All the things we have begun to re-accumulate are now to be discarded and we are to start over again. To me, this is a small death; however, don’t cry for us, for we rejoice in our sufferings! We count it a privilege to be counted worthy to suffer such small things for His name. We embrace our relatively small sacrifices and look forward with great anticipation to the reward of souls that await us. Even though we have done nothing to deserve all this blessing.
I remember there was a time in my life when I would hesitate when reciting part of this following verse:
“ that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;
Yes, I wanted to Know Him. I wanted to share in His glory & resurrection power, but I did not necessarily want to join in the Fellowship of His Sufferings! Now I want to die for Him and for His cause. When I say “die” it doesn’t always mean we’ll experience physical death for Christ’s cause, but most often it means living life on earth as if you were already dead to the things of the world. It means being Dead to self and dead to my selfish ambitions. Dead to comfort and security. Dead to my will. Dead to the praises of men, etc.
As we embrace our crosses, we must embrace it armed with the knowledge that we don’t have to carry it alone. Christ promised to always be with us, even until the end of the world. Jesus gives us true joy in the midst of pain, hardship and uncertainty.
Martin Luther King, Jr. preached a stirring message on day in Memphis, Tennessee at a rally for Memphis city sanitation workers who were rallying against discriminated. Many in Memphis were afraid to step up and help the workers because they knew that it might mean retaliation from the white establishment. Dr. King jolted them out of their self-preservation and self-serving ways by saying to them this; “Don’t say to yourselves what will happen to me if I go and help those sanitation workers. What we should ask ourselves is what will happen to them if we do Not go help them” [paraphrase].
I am not certain what is going to happen to my life as we go back to Africa. My question to myself is not what will happen to me or mine, but what will happen to all those souls if I fail to respond to the call of duty set forth by my Master. All I know is that God has been faithful always. I expect nothing different from Him this time. But If I try to save my life, then I will loose it.
Brethren, please pray for us!
Pastor Brian and family
Upcoming Events:
Glad Tidings Conference on Missions and EvangelismSeptember 21-24 2006 Charlotte, NC Leave for South AfricaNovember 2006Contact Us 401-225-3030 |
