Please,... not too much of Jesus!

This global economic crisis is possibly serving as a very good litmus test gauging the depth and sincerity of countless Christian's living in America. In fact, it's ironic that our currency continues to proclaim, "In God We Trust" – Oh, really?

Last year our dear friends, Greg and Alba Perkins gave me a copy of the book "Good to Great in God's Eyes", by Chip Ingram. Great read! I highly recommend it. – I've been recently going through my second reading and was recaptured with his comments as he wrote, "The Dream Will Cost Your Life". As I re-read the section several times I thought this could be a tremendous encouragement to a wonderful bunch of people, (that would be you) that we love and care for deeply. - This crisis facing our nation can actually be one of the greatest opportunities for us, the church, to show ourselves strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. – Are you ready to receive a different dream? – Enjoy Chip's comments.

"The Dream Will Cost Your Life"

Imagine how futile and ridiculous the ministry of Jesus looked as he hung on the cross – a preacher who didn't exactly find success; a miracle worker who suddenly couldn't work a miracle; a loser of epic proportions. But Jesus had said that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single seed. If it dies, however, it brings forth much fruit (John 12:24). The dream, it seems, will cost us our life.

This is one reason that most of us don't want God's dream. The dream will cost us our life and appear to others as the height of folly just before God accomplishes the impossible through us. There will be a time in the process of God fulfilling his dream placed in your heart when he will take you all the way to the edge, and you must die. (Sound familiar?)

Every dream passes through the cross. Every dream takes you to where you let go of everything and everyone, every agenda and expectation, and then it is only as the Lord resurrects you and your dream that you can go on.

We spend much of our time and energy trying to avoid that place. We want just enough of Jesus to make us happy, just enough to give us peace, and just enough to make things go our way to fulfill our dreams and our agenda. Meanwhile, he wants to take us to the cross, where our own selfish dreams, egos, and plans for "great accomplishments" have to die. The cross brings you to a place of total and absolute surrender to all you have and all you are. You submit everything in obedience to the vision or dream God has given you for your life.

Scripture and history are replete with examples: Martin Luther and other early Reformers refused to recant their convictions even when their lives were at stake. In the early days of modern missions, missionaries packed their belongings in a coffin because the likelihood of returning to their homeland alive was very slim. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who stood for truth (and died for it) in Nazi Germany, said that "when God calls a man, he bids him come and die." Embracing God-given dreams means sacrificing the self-inspired dreams, and that's usually a painful exchange. But the benefits always outweigh the costs.

There can be no resurrection without death. It isn't fun, but it's necessary. If you don't die to yourself, then you'll operate out of your natural talents and gifts, and you'll gladly receive the praise for being smart, savvy, and hyperspiritual. That's not the goal. The goal is that God be glorified in your life by doing something impossible through someone improbable like you.