"you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." ( 1 Peter 2:5 )
It's on my heart to share a story this morning: Yesterday the Farmer and I had the joy of attending a local church, Calvary Memorial where we heard the testimony of a surgeon who had been on the mission field with his wife and children for 37 years in a country that I won't name, even though he did. I'll just say it's known for being hostile to Americans and Christians.
The doctor was soft spoken, not flamboyant in any way. In fact what he said didn't even center on his life. He had us open our Bibles to 1 Peter. He read the text and taught us about all we are in Christ alone as children of God, how Jesus is the cornerstone and we are the stones surrounding him. Rather than talk about himself, he taught us about Jesus.
During his sermon, he shared only two stories about his medical mission work. One had to have been one of the most exceedingly painful in his life as it was about a child who died after an operation he had performed. He told how the family displayed mercy to him so that we may understand the mercy God has had on us in our sin in sending Jesus.
The second story punched me in the gut as well. He told of a nineteen year old woman who was in labor. I couldn't catch all of the details of her condition because I was in the back and his voice was low. But it was a critical situation with her blood pressure bottoming out; he had to make the decision to remove her uterus to save her and her child without her husband's knowledge. She also needed blood, and there was not a suitable donor. He said that God blessed him as a universal donor, so he gave his blood to save her.
Afterward, he knew he would have to tell the husband that he had a daughter but would never be able to produce a son. That wasn't a good thing in that culture. He told the husband that his wife had to have a serious operation, her blood pressure plummeted, and she died. He told the husband that he was able to bring her back to life by giving her his own blood.
He said that the husband just stared at him and said, "You gave your blood to save my wife?" The doctor explained that in this country, people usually didn't do things like that except for family. The doctor replied to the husband, "I gave some of my blood to save her life, but there is One who gave all of his blood to save all of our lives." The husband came to faith in Christ.
The point the doctor was making to us was that we can use everything in our lives to share the gospel with others, pointing the lost to Jesus. I thought to myself how Christ-like this man really is - he could have easily made himself the hero of this story. How many would have done that?
Afterward the Farmer was able to talk at some length with the doctor, and he was just as humble, kind, and helpful off the platform.
On the way home I told the Farmer that the doctor was a true example of the life of a Christian to me. He could have had a prestigious career here in America as a surgeon with plenty of wealth and safety for his family. But instead he counted the cost of following Christ, and it lead him to a foreign mission field in a country where the healthcare is substandard and very few people know the name of Jesus.
His sermon and his life were Christ-centered. I'm better today for having heard it. Am I like that? I want to be.
In our church culture here in America with all of the celebrity pastors and word of faith / prosperity gospel preachers with their me-centered theology always about how we can live a successful life, be healthy, be wealthy, get the job, get the breakthrough, get the house, get the favor, pay them the money so they can show you how to do it, how to operate in the supernatural, experience God, get him to work for you.
It's gets so old, doesn't it?
I'm finishing up the word of faith history blog, so I've probably been watching way too many prosperity "sermons" on Youtube. I'm not down on my country. I love America and Americans; that's why I want people to know the truth. Yesterday was an eye-opener and confirmation at the same time that I'm on the right track.
Friends, we already have everything we need in our Savior. And we don't have to necessarily go to a foreign mission field in following Christ. That's not what this is about. We follow Jesus everyday in the sacrifices we make to care for our families and serve those around us, becoming involved in their messes and pain with the love and grace of Jesus that we've been shown. In trusting our Father for every need. This is what pleases our Father. Not being a superhero, but serving right where we are with the gifts and talents and resources God has entrusted to us.
Happy Monday!
Carry on!
💜
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