Stagnant Christianity

In ten days I will be leaving for eighteen days in Fortaleza, Brazil. I will be working with a short term team from my church doing evangelism and various youth ministry. This will be coupled with some time I will spend working on a photo essay for the missionaries documenting their work.

In preparation for this I have been spending my quite times looking up and re-memorizing various verses related to the Gospel. It has been good, but sadly I was reminded of how easy it is to forget to preach the Gospel to ourselves every day. I was reminded of a little mission statement I wrote for myself back when I was 20 or 21. This is an excerpt from my journal the night I decided to not continue classes at The Master’s College and to finish my degree at a secular university. As a disclaimer I have the highest regard for the education at TMC and have been employed there as full time staff for almost 7 years now. But there is a limit as to how much time one can or should spend living in a Christian bubble.

"If circumstances cause me to live in a world where my faith grows dead and stagnant. If the continual flow of knowledge fills me to capacity, yet ends with me. If my life will consist of a moldy self absorbed heart dealing with nothing more than egocentric trivialities, cutting sarcasm and self absorbed pride. If a falling suffering world merrily treads its way to hell while my tactless knowledge abounds, than I want no part of it. Throw me in the fire so I may be burned. Mold me, strengthen me, and transform me to the man of God you want me to be. Wake me from my comfortable sleep, and let me confront reality. Make me shine with light to the lost, rage with anger toward sin, and bask in the glow of the love of Christ for giving salvation to one such as me."