Radical.

Peaceful afternoon... curled up in the bed with my coffee, listening to Justin Bieber's Christmas cd and reading Radical by David Platt. almost finished! (Sidenote about Bieber: yes, I have bought into the fanaticism. I got it for a euro from the Africans at the market. Wouldn't have paid a penny more.)

Radical is SO good. 

Quotes from the book: 

"We can rest confident in the fact that nothing will happen to us in the world apart from the gracious will of a sovereign God. Nothing." 

"God knows every detail of our lives, and when we step out in our faith to follow him, he will show us that our greatest security is not found in the comforts we can manufacture in the world, but in the faithful provision of the only one who knows our needs and the only one who is able to meet our needs in every way." 

"Too long we have been waiting for [each other] to begin! The time for waiting is past! Before the whole world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby (I like this word.) Christian world, we will dare to trust in our God...and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only in our God that live trusting in man." -C.T. Studd

"The great reward of the gospel is GOD Himself! When we risk our lives to run after Christ, we discover the safety that is found only in his sovereignty, the security that is found only in his love, and the satisfaction that is found only in his presence. We would be foolish to settle for anything less." 

 

"Consider what happens when all of us begin to look at our professions and areas of expertise not merely as means to an income or to career paths in our own context but as platforms for proclaiming the gospel in contexts around the world."

At the end of the book, there are 5 things that David Platt challenges his readers to do for one year.

1. pray for the entire world (The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Pray for church.)

2. read through the entire Word (If we want to know the glory of God, if we want to experience the beauty of God, and if we want to be used by the hand of God, then we must live in the Word of God.)

3. sacrifice your money for a specific purpose (Sacrifice is giving away what it hurts to give. Sacrifice is not giving according to your ability; it's giving beyond your ability.)

4. spend your time in another context (If there are a billion people who have never heard the gospel, then we have an obligation to go to them. This is a command, not a calling. It is clearly the will of God to take the gospel to the nations.)

5. commit your life to a multiplying community (We will need to show one another how to give liberally, go urgently, and live dangerously. When we sacrifice our resources for the poor, then face unexpected and unforeseen needs in our own lives, we will need brothers and sisters to help us stand. In the process, we will learn to depend on one another according to God's design.)

I'm going to have to take a minute to think/pray/meditate/dwell on what this means for my life. 

I think the very last pages of the book have such a profound message:

"We will soon stand before God to give an account for our STEWARDSHIP of the time, the resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. (These things are not our own! So many times I buy into this lie, my time is my own, I earned all I have. God has given us these things to use to better this world! We have to use them wisely. Gosh this hits me. I have wasted so many of these precious blessings in my life to my own selfish desires, that have not helped anyone but myself, when there are so many people in the world with desperate need.) When that day comes, I am convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American dream. We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead, we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people and language will bow down around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship." 

That, my friends, is ALL that matters in this life. Not what we wear, look like, drive, live in, make, succeed in. It is JESUS. To Him be ALL glory. Let my whole life be a sacrifice to you. 

Tonight, our bible study is having a Christmas party and playing dirty santa! (I'm giving the Justin Bieber CD) It should be really fun because alot of Spanish people who go to English class are coming. Maggie and I are going to make Funfetti cake :) so excited. 

I hope these words will help tweak your way of thinking, if even just a little! I love you all and miss you so much.