On to other things... I have had quite a few people ask me why in the world I would want to go to Africa with the Ebola stuff going on? Am I scared? Why would I want to put myself in danger? While these are all very good questions, there is one simple answer. I am being called to go. How can I say no to God when he has put this on my heart for years? Sure, it is a little nerve wracking to go to a country on the other side of the world, where a disease seems to be taking over, but I know that I have someone AWESOME looking out for me. A book I have been reading puts it perfectly... "The Jesus of the Bible is a radical man with a radical message, changing people's lives in a radical way. In the Scriptures Jesus isn't safe." (Jefferson Bethke) Jesus isn't safe. He never let a situation or disease stop him from changing people's lives, so why should I? Another great point from this author... "We've lost the real Jesus--or at least exchanged him for a newer, safer, sanitized, ineffectual one. We've created a Christian subculture that comes with its own set of customs, rules, rituals, paradigms, and products that are nowhere near the rugged, revolutionary faith of biblical Christianity." (Jefferson Bethke) I'm going to Africa because I don't want a safe, sanitized, ineffectual Jesus! I want a Jesus who gets in there with the people and gets dirty. Are we not called to be like Him?
I'm not kidding! This book has already been eye-opening and I'm only two chapters in!! The book is called Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke. Jefferson is a 20 something guy who is passionate about his relationship with Jesus and got started by his spoken word poems on Youtube. The poem that was the inspiration for this book is "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." CHECK IT OUT BELOW!!
