The cost to follow

This afternoon I was playing a great old Salvation Army tune that my parents actually recorded a few years back at Thanksgiving for fun. The song is called "If Crosses Come"
and as I was listening to it, tears welled up in my eyes...

If crosses come, if it should cost me dearly
To be the servant of my Servant Lord
If darkness falls along the path of duty
And men despise the Saviour I adore

I'll not turn back, whatever it may cost
I'm going to live to seek and save the lost
I'll not turn back, whatever it may cost
I'm going to live to seek and save the lost

If tears should fall, if I am called to suffer
If all I've loved man should deface
I'll not deny the One that I have followed
Or be ashamed to bear my Master's name

Wow...isn't that so amazing. I think that the Western church (generally) has lost its audacity, doesn't have the balls it used to (sorry if that's offensive, but that's the way I'd say it to anyone I was talking to).

I want to rise up as a warrior. A WARRIOR!!!

In Blue Like Jazz (one of my fav books) Donald miller says...

"... We sat around one night with pen and paper and offered sacrifices, each of us trying to outman the other with bigger and brighter lambs for the slaughter...we were manning up to Jesus, bumping Him chest to chest as it were, like Bible salesmen on steroids."

George Verwer said once "We are called to be fisher's of MEN, not keepers of the aquarium"

I want to be a warrior, someone who doesn't remain within the walls of my church everyday of the week. Not someone who tries to out-sacrifice, out-discipline, out-fast, or whatever it may be to proove me more worthy. Because we all know none of us are worthy. BUT we can fight. And we must fight - together.

I hope that this stirs your hearts. I had a conversation with a good friend of mine recently and we were talking about love, and the difference between fluffy love and real love is that real love can hurt at times, because it breaks throuhgh the numbness. So I don't care if I am a trouble maker in the church (as in the body) as long as I am following Christ, then - I'll not turn back.