Annoying ad time- Before I start, I want to give you an opportunity to help support Nai who is a Campus Outreach Thailand staff on the campus of Khon Kaen University and a dear brother in which I labored with for 2 months this summer. All you have to do is CLICK ON THE ADS that appear on this page. Just one click and you have supported Nai in his ministry among one of the most unreached people groups in the world, the Isan people in Northeast Thailand.
To learn more about the Isan people group Click here Thank you.
Throughout this summer, our team went through an in depth study of the book of Mark looking at the life of Christ. It was incredible. I have pages upon pages in my journal of what the Lord taught me though looking at the life of Christ. BUT, I would say the most impact-full passage of mark for me was Mark 8.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." -Mark 8:34-38
I have read this passage before, but never took it as the literal words of Jesus, as a command of Jesus. God opened my eyes and showed me that it's not some metaphorical saying that Jesus is exclaiming here, it is what it is. 'For whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it'. WOW! We, as Christians, are literally called to lose our own lives, to lose our own desires, passions, and selfish dreams for the sake of the gospel if we want to follow Jesus. Two years ago, I would have looked at this passage and laughed saying, 'this is my life and I will decide what dreams and passions to pursue in my short time here on earth'. Now, I can't tell you exactly what it looks like to lose my life for the sake of the gospel and will wrestle with that for the rest of my life, but I do know that this life is not my own. We have been bought with the blood of Christ. He has reconciled, redeemed, and justified me from an eternal separation from Him, forever. My life is God's life. I am the created, He is the creator. I was born a sinner and deserve His eternal wrath. But his love has saved me from that. O the Joy in salvation! Life has such purpose, love, and joy knowing that I am saved and now serve the King of the world and will fight every desire inside of me that tries to keep me from pursuing Him and however he wants to use me in this life to impact his kingdom so that more can know of this love. In this life, we will always have a better possession than what this world has to offer, and that is Jesus.
It has been a battle to continue in this pursuit of Jesus, his word, and losing my life for the sake of the gospel just in the 9 days that I've been home. However, Life is War and our King is worth fighting for.
I'd like to share with you a sermon by John Piper that the Lord used to help me catch a vision for life as Christian, a missionary, and an ambassador of the the King. It's called "Doing Missions when Dying is Gain". If you have a spare hour, I strongly recommend you listen as John Piper brings the heat.
I love you team and will continue to pour out what the Lord has taught me this summer. Please continue to pray for the CCP team and I as we settle back into American culture. Pray that we we will daily fight for the joy that is in the gospel, that we will not forget the vision/lessons the Lord has taught us this summer, and that we will not let off the gas pedal from learning his word and denying ourselves and losing our life for the glory of God. And, of course, PLEASE PRAY for the students in which we built such good relationships with this summer. That Nai and the rest of the 5-6 KKU COT staff members will find their strength in the Lord and have daily opportunities to share this beauty of the gospel!
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