Blessing

Megan and I were blessed to spend the last week with my mom and Kathy (Megan's mom) was able to come up and visit this weekend as well. It was so good to spend some time with them, talking about life, praying for people and discussing the greatness of God and what He has done in our lives. Many of you know that there is nothing harder for me about leaving the states to serve God overseas than to leave my mother here. This week just affirmed that. Jesus said, "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." Matt 19:29. That is the promise I cling to. I want eternal life and I want others to have it as well. I have been wrestling with the fact that the apostle Paul was willing to give up even his own salvation from his sins so that the Israelites could inherit it. It wasn't possible because it is only by faith in Christ that we are saved from our sin. It absolutely blows me away that a guy that understands the worth of Christ so much more than I do, was willing to give up his salvation even though he loved God more than his own life. The only thing I could come up with is that Paul is a lot more like Jesus than I am. Jesus was willing to lay it all down for sinners. Thank you Jesus! I have committed so many horrible sins against you and others in this life. For you to be so perfect and love such an awful man like me makes it all worth it. I love you mom....so much....yet Jesus is worth it. Somebody dies every couple seconds and the stats aren't good for them.
People that read this blog and love Christ, pray for the nations...earnestly pray. Don't give up on your neighbors, co-workers, family members, Iraq, Osama Bin Ladin, Israel, the grocer, banker, pastors, your doctor and the other thousands that you come in contact with. Paul said, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." That is what it looks like to not give up. Oh may our hearts break for the lost the way Christs did when he came into Jerusalem. More than that, may we be willing to do something about it.