Thursday, January 27, 2011
Issues of Life #6
It’s a Good Death by Andy Taylor
Some time back I was spending some quality time with one of our young and aspiring preachers. He was about to be sent out of our church to begin a ministry in a neighboring town. I was aggressive in the advice that I gave him; “When you step out into the ministry that you believe God called you into, He has one thing in mind…..He has to kill you!” It’s His top priority…job 1! But wait a minute! You thought that God loved you with this, so called, unconditional love. You thought that He wanted to give you the ‘highest’ quality of life in Him. So, I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m talking about. Well, God really does have to kill you. But, be in peace, it’s not a literal death. And although it is dreadfully painful you’ll probably live through it. He has to kill the flesh in you if you are to be very effective for Him in His kingdom. He doesn’t need our good ideas. He’s not overly impressed with our resume. So He’s out to kill those things in us that stand in our path on our way to greatness…. Greatness that is….. from His perspective. In fact He may be more interested, at least at first, in doing something in you than through you. It’s all about the people that you’re called to. He wants you to minister in purity, wisdom and power…His power and not yours. This killing process may last for years, possibly a lifetime. But as something in you dies, something beautiful comes to life. It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He is being ‘formed’ in you and this is the way it happens. So, be sure, He IS going to kill you and He’s a ‘killin’ machine. And as the man in the Arizona desert said when the temperature peaked at 120 degrees, “It’s a dry heat.” This, my friend, is a ‘good’ death!
It’s a Good Death by Andy Taylor
Some time back I was spending some quality time with one of our young and aspiring preachers. He was about to be sent out of our church to begin a ministry in a neighboring town. I was aggressive in the advice that I gave him; “When you step out into the ministry that you believe God called you into, He has one thing in mind…..He has to kill you!” It’s His top priority…job 1! But wait a minute! You thought that God loved you with this, so called, unconditional love. You thought that He wanted to give you the ‘highest’ quality of life in Him. So, I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m talking about. Well, God really does have to kill you. But, be in peace, it’s not a literal death. And although it is dreadfully painful you’ll probably live through it. He has to kill the flesh in you if you are to be very effective for Him in His kingdom. He doesn’t need our good ideas. He’s not overly impressed with our resume. So He’s out to kill those things in us that stand in our path on our way to greatness…. Greatness that is….. from His perspective. In fact He may be more interested, at least at first, in doing something in you than through you. It’s all about the people that you’re called to. He wants you to minister in purity, wisdom and power…His power and not yours. This killing process may last for years, possibly a lifetime. But as something in you dies, something beautiful comes to life. It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He is being ‘formed’ in you and this is the way it happens. So, be sure, He IS going to kill you and He’s a ‘killin’ machine. And as the man in the Arizona desert said when the temperature peaked at 120 degrees, “It’s a dry heat.” This, my friend, is a ‘good’ death!
Labels: Death, Flesh, Greatness, Purity
posted by Todd # 9:01 PM 
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