Save me from Myself!
An overwhelming realization of my selfishness and good fortune has been overtaking me for about a week. I thought since this was a forum to share I would share my reasons with you.
It all started when my son loaned me a copy of 'Radical' by David Platt. David is the pastor of The Church at Brookhills in Burmingham, Alabama. The church has 4,000 members, and Platt has been called the youngest megachurch pastor in history. When one thinks of that position, an expectation of a diferent kind of book emerges. I expected it to be a 'how to' book on something to do with successfully motivating service projects or other issues in the 'mega church'. Wrong. The first two chapters of the book have brought me to my knees in thanksgiving and shame for the blessings given to me.
Platt tells us about other Christians in the world. Christians who do not have the privilege of freedom of worship that we do. Christians who risk everything to worship Christ, and yet do it with a passion I have never seen or experienced. I would like to share one portion of his book:
"Imagine all the blinds closed on the windows of a dimly lit room. Twenty leaders from different churches in the area sat in a circle on the floor with their Bibles open. Some of them had sweat on their foreheads after walking for miles to get there. Others were dirty from the dust in the villages from which they had set out on bikes early that mornng. They had gathered in secret. They had intentionally come to this place at different times throughout the morning so as not to draw
attention to the meeting that was occuring. They lived in a country in Asia where it is illegal for them to gather like this. If caught, they could lose their land, their jobs, their families, or their lives."
The story goes on to tell of different situations where church members were kidnapped by cults, their tongues cut out, being confronted by government officials who told them they would lose everything they had if they continued folllowing Christ, and even having families threatened with death. It also tells of the puddles of tears seen on the floor after this group of leaders prayed passionately for over an hour for their suffering parishoners. It told how they sat on a hard floor day after day for 8 to 12 hours with nothing but a Bible in their laps, listening to Rev. Platt teach them the word. They would beg for more each day.
He also attended a worship service in this community. He was taken to a typical three hour service held in the late evening. He was instructed to put on dark clothing and a hooded jacket. He was put in the back of a car and told to keep the hood on and his face down.Crawling out of the car, keeping his face toward the ground, he follows a man down a winding path with only the light of a flashlight. They finally come to a small roon with 60 believers crammed into it. They are all ages, sitting on the floor or on small stools, lined shoulder to shoulder with their Bibles on their laps. There is one light bulb hanging from the ceiling. No cushioned chairs. No sound system. No band. No entertainment. No heated or air-conditioned building. Just God's Word. And that's enough.
Wow. I wonder what my pathetic faith looks like to God when he sees these people? My decisions not to go to church because I have other things I'd rather do. My closed Bible on days I'd rather sleep in. My whining if the church building is too hot or too cold. My need to be 'entertained'.
My 'worship of worship' so to speak, where the worship service becomes more important than the God I am there to meet with.
Oh God. Give me a love for You and your Word that is even a part of what these people feel.
Make me passionate for You. Help me to at least appreciate the position you gave me by birth. Save me from myself.
It all started when my son loaned me a copy of 'Radical' by David Platt. David is the pastor of The Church at Brookhills in Burmingham, Alabama. The church has 4,000 members, and Platt has been called the youngest megachurch pastor in history. When one thinks of that position, an expectation of a diferent kind of book emerges. I expected it to be a 'how to' book on something to do with successfully motivating service projects or other issues in the 'mega church'. Wrong. The first two chapters of the book have brought me to my knees in thanksgiving and shame for the blessings given to me.
Platt tells us about other Christians in the world. Christians who do not have the privilege of freedom of worship that we do. Christians who risk everything to worship Christ, and yet do it with a passion I have never seen or experienced. I would like to share one portion of his book:
"Imagine all the blinds closed on the windows of a dimly lit room. Twenty leaders from different churches in the area sat in a circle on the floor with their Bibles open. Some of them had sweat on their foreheads after walking for miles to get there. Others were dirty from the dust in the villages from which they had set out on bikes early that mornng. They had gathered in secret. They had intentionally come to this place at different times throughout the morning so as not to draw
attention to the meeting that was occuring. They lived in a country in Asia where it is illegal for them to gather like this. If caught, they could lose their land, their jobs, their families, or their lives."
The story goes on to tell of different situations where church members were kidnapped by cults, their tongues cut out, being confronted by government officials who told them they would lose everything they had if they continued folllowing Christ, and even having families threatened with death. It also tells of the puddles of tears seen on the floor after this group of leaders prayed passionately for over an hour for their suffering parishoners. It told how they sat on a hard floor day after day for 8 to 12 hours with nothing but a Bible in their laps, listening to Rev. Platt teach them the word. They would beg for more each day.
He also attended a worship service in this community. He was taken to a typical three hour service held in the late evening. He was instructed to put on dark clothing and a hooded jacket. He was put in the back of a car and told to keep the hood on and his face down.Crawling out of the car, keeping his face toward the ground, he follows a man down a winding path with only the light of a flashlight. They finally come to a small roon with 60 believers crammed into it. They are all ages, sitting on the floor or on small stools, lined shoulder to shoulder with their Bibles on their laps. There is one light bulb hanging from the ceiling. No cushioned chairs. No sound system. No band. No entertainment. No heated or air-conditioned building. Just God's Word. And that's enough.
Wow. I wonder what my pathetic faith looks like to God when he sees these people? My decisions not to go to church because I have other things I'd rather do. My closed Bible on days I'd rather sleep in. My whining if the church building is too hot or too cold. My need to be 'entertained'.
My 'worship of worship' so to speak, where the worship service becomes more important than the God I am there to meet with.
Oh God. Give me a love for You and your Word that is even a part of what these people feel.
Make me passionate for You. Help me to at least appreciate the position you gave me by birth. Save me from myself.
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