"…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
Drakenstein Mountains,
Because Chuck isn’t typical spy material the show is loaded with humor - and an element of sacrifice. Chuck can’t tell anyone he is a spy – not his best friend, not his sister, not his brother-in-law – and his super-hot girlfriend isn’t really a girlfriend, she is his CIA handler. Because of the Intel in Chuck’s head he is forced to say goodbye to “normal life” and hello to “adventurous superspy life.” Which, as cool as that may sound, comes loaded with personal sacrifice.
Sacrifice – what does it mean to you?
When you accept Christ as your savior 2 Corinthians says that the old is gone and the new has come. The old way of living, thinking, acting is gone and God’s way is now in place.
The kicker is, we have free-will and can choose God’s path or our own…even after we surrender our lives to him. We can choose to surrender our time, money, possessions, dreams, family, friends, plans and have God place new ones in our lives or we can continue to pursue what we think is best.
As I was thinking about this I remembered my 10th grade World History class (thank you Mr. France) and the part on feudal Europe. There were lords and there were serfs. There were those that owned the land and those who worked it. There were those who possessed the castles and those who served in them.
In God’s kingdom, what kind of servant are you? Are you doing what you were told without question? Do you agree to a task and then not do it? Do you boldly tell God “NO” when uninterested in a job – or don’t want to do it? Or are you the one doing your own thing and not even checking in with the Lord at all?
Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He died. He gave up his life – and so much more. Jesus was human and I think he had longings like any other man on earth. He forfeited so much; he let go having a prominent ministry on earth, a wife and family, dreams of significance and success, being understood, respected and accepted. He sacrificed it all for you.
I think that we forget what was paid for us. I think we forget the cost. I think we get wrapped up in our lives, our pain, our pressures that we fail to recall the life, pain, and pressure Jesus lived. If you have asked Jesus into your heart he has saved you – but have you honored his sacrifice by making him Lord?
What new dreams has God granted you? What tasks has he entrusted you with? What purpose are you to fulfill while here are on earth? What is God asking you to do…and what are you telling him in response?
Updates:
Living – Seattle had record breaking rains in May – the wettest in the last 100 years. What does that me for me? The building is still not painted, forestalling the railing installation, making the structure “unsafe” and the bank unwilling to grant a loan. They buyer was gracious enough (again) to extended closing until June 30th. If the construction isn’t completed by the end of the month the buyer is unable to purchase and I loose the sale. Pray for sun, pray for dryer temperatures, pray that the bank will process the loan, pray that God does a miracle in the next three weeks and the property will close.
Travel – I arrived in San Francisco last Wednesday feeling a bit woozy after 34 hours of travel and no sleep…thank you George Hsia for picking me up from the airport (I hope I made some form of intelligent conversation on the way to the house!). My luggage all arrived and I had an empty seat next to me all the way home…and a bulkhead row – gotta love leg room!
Work – I am slowly getting back into the swing of things, going through receipts (love to you Annie), travel vouchers, email, and piles and piles of paper. I will start in earnest editing Brett’s new books next week that will be US released in September.
Requests:
Living – see above…I need a miracle!
Work – For the team currently in Chennai, India serving businesses there, also for Brett in Nigeria who is working with government, church and banking officials. And that I can get Brett’s new books up on Kindle, Nook and eBook – as well as in hard copy – by summers end.
Travel – for the Chennai team as they (gulp) navigate Indian traffic, for Brett’s safety in Nigeria, and for everyone’s return trip to the US.
Fundraising – if this blog or any of the past entries have touched your heart please donate toward my venture fundraising account. To contribute, please click here.
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