The Life of Christ Today

I listened this morning to a biographical audio by John Piper about George Muller.  Derek and I have listened to a few of these free podcasts about different "heroes of the faith" lately, and I've just been so blessed by the testimonies to God's working in people's lives.  If only every person could write a biography and publish it for God's glory to point to the ways that God has been faithful.  It builds my faith so much to hear about God's handiwork in a person's life.  This, I think, is a chief way that God reveals Himself to us today.  

Jesus Christ is not with us in the flesh anymore, but He lives in each of His children and speaks through them (if they are willing) in order to demonstrate the gospel in all of life.  Perhaps this is part of why Jesus said that it is better for us that He return to the Father so that the Holy Spirit might be sent.  While Jesus was in the flesh He was one man, one life, to impact the world of humanity, but now He lives in the form of a mother, a father, a doctor, a teacher, an architect, a banker,...  the list goes on.  I don't think that we are all called to be Jewish rabbis as Jesus was, and so while we are called to be like Him, our calling is also unique and specific.  Perhaps my life is meant to show the world what Jesus' ministry would look like today if He chose to come as a children's ministry director and as a wife.  Or maybe I should phrase that differently... Maybe Jesus DID choose to come today as a wife and children's ministry director.  He chose that when He chose me - just as He also chose to live out His life before the world in an altogether different way when He chose you.  What an incredibly high calling we have!  Not only are we image bearers of the Diety, but we are vessels of His very Spirit.

I think that in my life, I have experienced the growing of my faith most often and most significantly through Jesus Christ's ministry in the life of other people - often through biographies like those of George Muller, Hudson Taylor, Corrie Ten Boom, and Joni Earickson Tada, but also through people who God has placed in my life to live the gospel before me day in and day out.  My father and mother, a couple of professors I had in college, a roommate, a student in my 5th grade class - regular everyday people who were willing to be real before me about their struggles and victories as a believer in Christ.  Through sharing their stories they share with me the gospel as God is weaving it into their life, and I am once again convinced that He IS sovereign and He DOES have a plan and above all HE IS WORTHY!

So there's my sermon for the day...   share your life with someone.  Share your story.  You may never know this side of heaven how God uses it to touch a life.  But I know that without a doubt, He will.  After all, He is the author of our lives, is He not?  And what author desires to keep their work only to themselves?

Here is a quote from John Piper's audio about George Muller in which he quotes Muller.  I found it especially profound:

“He [George Muller] was about to lose a piece of land that he really thought he needed for the next orphan house and said, ‘If the lord were to take this piece of land from me it would be only for the purpose of giving me a still better one.  For our Heavenly Father never takes any earthly thing from His children except He means to give them something better instead.’ That’s not the gift of faith, that’s believing what the Bible says.  ‘No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly [Psalm 84:11]’”  - John Piper

Oh that we would take Him at His word.