September 19th, 2024
by Pastor Mark McAdow
by Pastor Mark McAdow
By Pastor Mark McAdow
Last evening at our Wednesday Fully Devoted Bible study, I shared an illustration I read last week from the book "All In" by Mark Batterson. His first chapter title is “Pack Your Coffin.” How’s that for an encouraging thought from your pastor? (I learned from our resident funeral director Brian Meyer last night it should be “casket,” not coffin. I defer to the professional!)
Anyway, it refers to the practice of missionaries in the last century to pack all their personal belongings into a coffin instead of a suitcase when they left for the mission field. Why? When they left their homes, families and everything they had ever known; they knew they were saying “good-bye” forever. A very sobering thought.
One such man was A.W. Milne. He went to the New Hebrides in the South Pacific knowing the natives there had killed every missionary before him. He wasn’t concerned because he lived by Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” His coffin was packed. Miraculously, he was received by the natives and served among them for 35 years before he died. He was buried in the middle of their village – a place of special recognition – and on his tombstone was written: “When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness.” A man who was fully devoted to Jesus Christ. That’s who I want to be, don’t you? It takes genuine commitment, not simply to a denomination or to a church but to Jesus Christ.
Are you “fully devoted?” None of us are yet, but several of us are growing on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. or Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. Following Christ always require a cost. Jesus is worth it. He’s all we really need. Jesus is enough!
Yours in Christ’slove,
Pastor Mark
Please keep The Global Methodist Church in your prayers as they meet for their first Convening Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, these next two weeks.
PS – Pastor Scott told me had 27 youth last night at Wednesday night Bible study. We’re growing again. Praise the Lord!
Last evening at our Wednesday Fully Devoted Bible study, I shared an illustration I read last week from the book "All In" by Mark Batterson. His first chapter title is “Pack Your Coffin.” How’s that for an encouraging thought from your pastor? (I learned from our resident funeral director Brian Meyer last night it should be “casket,” not coffin. I defer to the professional!)
Anyway, it refers to the practice of missionaries in the last century to pack all their personal belongings into a coffin instead of a suitcase when they left for the mission field. Why? When they left their homes, families and everything they had ever known; they knew they were saying “good-bye” forever. A very sobering thought.
One such man was A.W. Milne. He went to the New Hebrides in the South Pacific knowing the natives there had killed every missionary before him. He wasn’t concerned because he lived by Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” His coffin was packed. Miraculously, he was received by the natives and served among them for 35 years before he died. He was buried in the middle of their village – a place of special recognition – and on his tombstone was written: “When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness.” A man who was fully devoted to Jesus Christ. That’s who I want to be, don’t you? It takes genuine commitment, not simply to a denomination or to a church but to Jesus Christ.
Are you “fully devoted?” None of us are yet, but several of us are growing on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. or Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. Following Christ always require a cost. Jesus is worth it. He’s all we really need. Jesus is enough!
Yours in Christ’slove,
Pastor Mark
Please keep The Global Methodist Church in your prayers as they meet for their first Convening Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, these next two weeks.
PS – Pastor Scott told me had 27 youth last night at Wednesday night Bible study. We’re growing again. Praise the Lord!
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