Bids me come and die

I had the fortunate pleasure of sharing my testimony to a youth fellowship last night at an Indonesian church.


Whenever I talked about how God worked in my life, it is almost as if I am testifying to myself.  I am once reminded of the journey God took me. 


At one point in my testimony, I shared how the 'unfortunate' circumstances of losing my teeth in a bike accident in fact became a pinnacle point in strengthening my faith.  


I shared with them about the contract I signed with God in Dec 25, 2007 that I would seek Him first in everything I do.  It was a self reminder of the cost that I counted and the cost I am willing to bear in following Christ.


Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in writing The Cost of the Discipleship, said:

...when Jesus calls a man, He invites him to come and die...

I shared with the youths that sometimes it feels like we will miss out if we follow Christ.  In fact, it is the opposite. It is when I start to give up parts of my life and choose to follow Him that I find an unexplainable joy.  To seek His Spirit and His Kingdom.  To see Him at work is wonderful.  It is a divine reality.  


Tonight, I listened to the Wonderful Cross by Matt Redman.....what a beautiful way to express what I experienced....

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of Glory died

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride

See from His head, His hands, His feet

Sorrow and love flow mingled down

Did ever such love and sorrow meet

Or thorns compose so rich a crown

Oh the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross

Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross

All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine

That were and offering far too small

Love so amazing, so divine

Demands my soul, my life, my all

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
 28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'


 31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.


 34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. 
      "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 14:25-35

...

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Phillipians 3:7-11