Just Courage? Is justice enough?

Have just finished reading an interesting book called 'Just Courage' ... by Gary A Haugen, President and CEO of International Justice Mission (IJM). The back cover has a cry that must be that of many people ... "There must be more to the Christian life than this..." and of course there is.

I do have some fundamental questions that were left unanswered in the book ... mainly along the lines of whether justice is an end in itself. It must be truly wonderful to be involved in a group that sees the emancipation of people from horrendous abuse situations and slavery - but if it is only for this life is that what Jesus is about when it comes to transformation? I would of appreciated reading more of how these expressions of Christian work impact the world in real and practical ways and how they work together with others to see people entering into the true freedom that is only found in Christ ... I am sure there are some great stories out there.

What was great were the testimonies of people who had taken there faith in Christ in both hands and stepped out ... amazing what the Lord can do through faithful, obedient, bold people- and this should be an inspiration to all.

He quoted one man, Sean, who says that he recognised four things held him back from serving the Lord wholeheartedly ...

1/ Comfort - contented well-being

2/ Security - freedom from danger

3/ Control - having power over our circumstances

4/ Success - the appearance of wealth and success.

However, once he conquered those fears and stepped out, he found he exchanged them for

1/ Adventure

2/ Faith

3/ Miracles

4/ Deep knowledge of Jesus

Many who have stepped out would probably say the same thing ... and I guess few would desire to go back once they have tasted the fruit of obedience!

So to all you out there wanting this type of life, step out and do what the Lord is calling you His child to do - whatever that might be. It's worth it!

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Who are you? I have never been a great fan of labels when it comes to describing members of the body of Christ. eg. he is anglican, she is Baptist, they are Charismatic, etc. etc. I remember once causing a man to become increasingly hot under the collar when he asked me who I was? To which I replied I was a disciple (follower) of Jesus. He was meaning which Church did I attend (presumably so he could classify me and decide whether I was bona fide or not) and my answer did not bring him peace, but I refused to go any further. Why? Because, as I said, I am not a great fan of labels, but also because for me there is a very important distinction between primarily identifying myself with Jesus and identifying myself with Church. Of course, I recognise that by becoming a follower of Jesus I become part of the body of Christ, but that can be very distinct from being a member of a Church. To me this is the crucial difference between vibrant faith and dusty religion. ...

Homes I have lived in #3

This year I am celebrating my silver wedding anniversary ... Just for something to do I have begun to sketch all the houses we have lived in during that time. So here is house number #3 On our return to the UK we were faced with the question that faces all people in transition, what next? For us, we were encouraged by our friends to investigate further training and opted to spend a year with Kerygma ministries. We joined with a group of some 20 other people from various different cultures and backgrounds to join the ministry led by Dr Bob Gordon, based at Drayton Hall near Norwich. We spent one year here, between September 1993 and July 1994. Significant events that took place here included: Suffered reverse culture shock, as I grappled with the transition from life in a mudhut in Africa to life in the UK in a Manor House! (Struggled with the amount of money being spent on a sign that was being placed outside ...

Helpful read ...

Sacred Pathways: Discover your Soul's Path to God - Gary Thomas When you became a christian did you look around other people's lives and seek to model some of their spiritual disciplines? Did you find that somehow they didn't work for you in quite the same way as they seemed to work for them? Did this lead you to a place of discouragement? Did you think that, somehow, the things that bring such life to other people but don't bring life to you must mean that there is something wrong with you? Or that maybe God doesn't love you as much as He loved those people whom you sought to emulate? These are very real questions that all c hristians probably grapple with at some point. As we grow and mature in Christ we eventually reach a place of liberty where we realise that we are unique and therefore we shouldn't be surprised when our Father deals uniquely with us - and the way we most easily 'connect' to Him is also unique. Or perhaps we find over time th...

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