Cross SpringstoneYesterday was a great day at Lifepark.  Eighteen people from our three services were baptized!  We have been preaching through Joshua and a couple from our church had a cross commissioned to be sculptured as a stone of remembrance based upon Joshua chapter 4.  The cross is Springstone with a high iron content and a fine texture.  There are only a few mines, primarily in Zimbabwe, where this stone is found.  It is a beautiful dark stone that polishes to a high shine because of it’s density.

I had the privilege of preaching from Joshua’s farewell address to the Israelites:

Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.  (Joshua 24:14-15)

We looked necessity of the Lord having preeminence in our lives if we to make wise choices for Him.  I read a prayer that was written by a young African pastor in Zimbabwe.  This prayer was found among his papers after he was martyred:
I’m a part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
The die has been cast.
I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I’m a disciple of His and I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed.
My present makes sense.
My future is secure.
I’m done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning,
smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions,
mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, or rewarded.
I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.
My face is set.
My gait is fast.
My goal is heaven.
My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.
I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary.
I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus.
I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.
And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me.
My colors will be clear!
The video clip that portrayed the importance of the seemingly small choices you make that have significant consequences can be found here.  If you’re wondering, 792,000 Thai Baht equals $25,495.27 at the current exchange rate.
The three chairs that I alluded to during our response time was from a message I heard Bruce Wilkinson deliver at Columbia International University several years ago.  You can watch his sermon on the three chairs here. 

 

RickRick Higgins

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University