Thursday, August 25, 2011

A Change of Heart

Ever since my senior year of highschool a passion to be a missionary to the unreached has burned within me. To be a missionary is what I'm aiming for and pursuing. It wasn't long ago though I very narrow-minded about it. Let me explain.
Before the whole idea of the possibility of moving down to Louisville, I was lost and in despair. With going to school or taking any classes, working, living at home, and hanging with friends, I was beginning to get restless. I have this passion and aim of being a missionary, but I felt like I was stuck., and I cried out to God, asking Him to lead & guide me. During that time whenever I would share my plight with friends they would say something like this: "Well Josh, God could very well be calling you to stay, and send others." I would kindly reject that idea by replying, "No, God has given me a passion to be a missionary, and besides I can't see myself doing anything else." Yea I completely understood that they were trying to be a help, and I did and still do appreciate it. Yet my heart stayed unmoved by the whole matter.
Matt, a good friend of mine one evening, as I was over at his place, he reminded me that God's mission to reach every nation (people group) will be accomplished! "God promises that in his Word", he said. Even John Piper is well of that.

"The mission to make disciples of all nations will succed"~ John Piper

The Scriptures, especially the Psalms, make it clear that His missions to make disciples of all nations will come to pass.

"All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all families of the nations shall worship before you"~ Psalm 22:27

"I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."~ Isaiah 49:6

"All the nations that you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name."~ Psalm 86:9

Of course there are a good handful more of verses that display the promise, or you can say guarantee that His mission will come to pass. So what does this have to do with me and my desire and aim of being a missionary?
Well during my trip to Flagstaff, AZ earlier this summer with 25 other, to host a vbs for the Navajo, He gave me a change of heart towards the whole matter of missions. He open my eyes to the need here in the U.S., of how there definitely is a great need here! I can here Him saying, "Josh, my mission of making disciples of all nations will come to pass, whether I send you out as a missionary, or I call you to stay here and send others."
Now the crazy thing is that day by day I can more easily see what I would be doing if He just so happens call me to stay here and send others. Not to say that He has, or that I'm not still pursuing on being sent out to a people in Asia or Northern Africa to reach them with the Gospel of Christ, but if He does call me to stay and be one who sends, then I wouldn't lose heart or despair. I have that desire to be used in His mission, and I know He will. I know that either way the life I live won't be wasted.
His mission cannot fail, indeed it will not! All nations will be before Him on that Day, in reverence and awe of the glory & radiance of His presence and worship Him forever!


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

May I Not Forget the Cross

Dear Father
May I not forget
What happened at Calvary
May I never lose sight
Of what took place
At the Cross
When Jesus
The spotless Lamb
The innocent One
The Son of the Most High
Took my place
Hanging there as my substitute
Bearing my sins
Recieving the punishment
That I justly deserve
Asorbing the wrath
That was reserved for me
Crushed and slain
The innocent for the guilty
The just for the unjust
The righteous for the unrighteous
So that I can be forgiven
And set free
From the bondage of sin
So that I can be redeemed
And reconciled to You
So that You can be recieve the glory
So that I can behold Your beauty
And enjoy You forever
So yes may I never forget
The Cross
May I be reminded of it daily
May I preach it to myself daily
May I be humbled by it
Ever so thankful
May it be my only boast
May it be my heart's song
May it be what compels me
To keep pressing on
Consuming my heart & mind
May it captivate & mesmerize me
Drawing me nearer to You
Causing me to savor & treasure You
Above all things
Causing me to fall deeper
In love with You, my God
Amen!