Wednesday, July 13, 2005

A Pledge to be Sold-Out to Jesus

Good afternoon from Omaha. It is warm and humid again here. In the most recent copy of The Voice of the Martyrs, there is the story of 1,508 students who graduated from Emmanuel Bible College in Kota, Rajasthan, India in 2003. They stood side-by-side and made the following pledge. Oh, if we American Christians were just as fervent in our walk with Jesus...
"I stand with the apostle Paul in stating that 'for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.'

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my hand to serve all mankind

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my feet to spread the gospel to all the ends of the earth no matter what the cost.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my lips by proclaiming the Good News to all who hear and by edifying the Body of Christ.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my mind as I meditate upon His Word and His promises to me.

I give all my earthly treasures and all that I possess to follow the way of the cross.

I commit to love my family, orphans, widows, lepers, the wealthy and the poor the way that Christ loved the church.

I will surrender my will to His will and life.

I commit to the service of the Lord by being a good steward of my time.

I surrender my body on earth to the perfect will of Jesus, and should my blood be spilled may it bring forth a mighty harvest of souls.

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb. I will seek to honor His command. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Lord Jesus, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I love my India and my fellow citizens, and I claim India for Christ"

The students knew that persecution laid ahead for them. They were motivated to stake a stand and make a pledge to do so partly because of a story about a man who had been a Christian for only four months. With joy, he shared about his new faith Jesus with people in his village. But the villagers tied old shoes around his neck and forced to walk through the village as they beat him. He was also forced to drink the urine of a cow. However, as this Christian was both bold for Jesus and persecuted for Jesus, 100 people in the village turned to Jesus for salvation (The Voice of the Martyrs, July 2005, pgs. 2-3).

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