So, So True

"A pastor friend of mine said, "Our problem is that we no longer have martyrs. We only have celebrities." Most of the time, when I see Christian superstars like Jerry Falwell or Al Sharpton, I feel like I'm watching professional wrestling. There's a lot of shouting and sweating, but the people seem too superhuman, and I'm not convinced all the moves are real. And as with any sports event, there are tons of spectators, desperately in need of exercise, who sit back and watch a handful of people who could really use a little break, or maybe a massage." - Shane Claiborne

LOL. He kills me.

But seriously, this begs the question of whether or not we want our faith to be represented by a few "superstars." Is their message one we are satisfied with backing? Are we content to let them speak for us all? Or do we want our own voices heard? It seems most are willing to sit back and take the path of least resistance. As for me, I want my voice to be heard, and for it to share the true message of saving grace.

“…She did not live the life of a frail person. On the contrary, for the sake of the Gospel, she was a pioneer in a land whose climate has broken the health of many who went out stronger than she.” - Noel Piper on Lilias Trotter ("Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God")

“…Whoever wants to be a leader among you must first be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:26-28

“It’s not that people don’t believe in God; it’s that they don’t think He believes in them” - paraphrased from Louie Giglio

Do you use quotation marks around a paraphrase? How come I was never taught about this???

“Only Jesus would be crazy enough to suggest that if you want to become the greatest, you should become the least. Only Jesus would declare God's blessing on the po0r rather than on the rich and would insist that it's not enough to just love your friends. I just began to wonder if anybody still believed Jesus meant those things he said." — Shane Claiborne

“We learned why God has given us His name as I AM (Exodus 3:14). His grace always proved itself sufficient in the moment of need, but never before the necessary time…As I anticipated suffering in my imagination and thought of what these cruel soldiers would do next, I quivered with fear…But when the moment came for action…He filled me with a peace and an assurance about what to do that amazed me and often defeated the immediate tactics of the enemy.” -Helen Roseveare

I was blessed to be able to read this book after I borrowed it from a fellow missionary. I HIGHLY recommend it- these women were vessels for God's glory.

“I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all of my past life had been but a preparation for this life and this trial” - Winston Churchill

It is amazing to me how God uses everything, even the seemingly insignificant things, to prepare us for something in the future. This is the very definition of efficient!