To Taste of Calvary

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These last five days Ive been talking to you about an old hymn that touched my life when I was young, and still does today. Here is verse 5, “So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred. To eyes made blind because they will not see. To spend, there will be blood. To spend and spare not. So send I you to taste of Calvary.”

You know when Jesus Christ sends us out to give the Good News of His son, in some ways, you are dying to yourself. In many ways, you are dying to the flesh, to the world, and to the devil. And sometimes, its hard. But you know, its worth it all. Even if you and I should have to shed our blood, God forbid, but if we had to, and we did it in His power, we would never regret it.

Jesus Christ died on a cross for us, whose hearts were hard, some of us were filled with hatred. Some of us were blind because we didnt want to see. But Jesus Christ nevertheless, died for us on the cross. And when we share the Good News, with a neighbor, with a friend at work, with somebody at school, whoever it may be- in a way we are identifying with Jesus Christs dying on the cross and we are hurting and suffering in a way for the person that we want to lead to faith in Jesus Christ.

So rejoice my friend. I hope this week has helped you. “As the father has sent me,” Jesus said, “So I send you.” There is no greater calling in the whole world. Fulfill it, and you will never regret it.

Labor of Love

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If youve been with me this week, Ive been quoting a verse from a hymn everyday. Verse 4 says, “So send I you, to leave your lifes ambition, to die to dear desire, self will resign. To labor long in love where men revile you. So send I you to lose your life in mine.” You know its Jesus Christ speaking through this hymn- and its very Biblical and very godly.

You know God sometimes calls people to give up their fondest ambitions, to leave behind the dreams that they had when they were young, to reach out to those who are going to a Christ-less eternity and who need to know eternal life, the forgiveness of sins and the love of God.

Sometimes some of us have done it gladly. And no one ever repented if they really loved Jesus Christ, for giving their very best for the sake of the lost. Yes, people may revile you, people may stay out of your path, people may mock you. But if you lose your life in the life of Jesus Christ, you will never regret it.

St. Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ, and yet I live. But its not I, its Christ living in me.”

When you give your life for the sake of those who are dying without Christ and are lost, the rewards will be tremendous. Not only in Heaven, but even here on earth. Ive found it so, and so will you.

Loneliness for a Greater Call

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We all want to reach our world, dont we? Well, sometimes it can be very lonely. Verse 3 of the hymn Ive been sharing with you this week says, “So send I you to loneliness and longing, with hearts a-hungering for those we love and know. Forsaking kin and kindred, friend and dear ones so send I you to know my love alone. ”

There are some people who are called to remain single- and some of them are called to remain single and go to a foreign country to give the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes there is loneliness, yes there is longing and hungering to be with those you love and know, yes you want to be with family, with friends, with dear ones, but you know, somebody has to get out there and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I have one wife, four sons, four daughters in-law and ten grand children. And for all of our lives, weve had to be separated from each other week after week, month after month, year after year. One day we calculated wed been separated for 15 years, to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But somebody has to do it, somebody did it to bring me the Gospel down in South America, and I love those missionaries who did it.

So yes, there is loneliness, and theres longing and hungering for those we know, but in the end, the result of people going to Heaven, and knowing Jesus Christ is worth all the sacrifice and all the effort – on behalf of the one who died on the cross all by Himself.