M1:D4

Month 1, Day 4.  This is tough.  On September 22nd when this month is over, you will find me at a Mexican joint eating chips and salsa and queso and the most saucy enchilada you've ever seen.  And while I'm dreaming I'd like to add a fish bowl 'rita to the mix, but I know that's not going to happen.  I am already so tired of chicken, eggs, beans, fruits and veggies.  Well, not really the eggs, because I already ate them every morning before this month.  But I'm more than sick of the rest.

As I was reading my Bible yesterday I came across Matthew 10:9-10 where Jesus is sending out his disciples "Don't take any money in your belts-no gold, silver or even copper coins  Don't carry a traveler's bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick."  The study notes on this passage states that the principle was that they were to go out ready for duty and travel, unencumbered by excess material goods. 

Then today, I was ready Billy Graham's Decision publication for September and there is interview with Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, one of the world's foremost organizations for reaching out to the persecuted.  In it, he was asked:

Q:  How can we be more like them (persecuted Christians)?
A:  With the persecuted, there's no fear left.  The world has lost its grip on them.  Here in the West, we're too in love with this world.  We live in a moral cesspool and need to hate it rather than embrace it.  We make do with just a little bit of God.  We love position, standing, wealth, and things like our home and our 401k.  The effect of persecution is it cuts all these bonds.  When you're persecuted, you don't have position, you're a loser, you're one of the outcasts, your wealth is usually destroyed and your children can be taken from you.  You either fold and walk away from Christianity or you fold on the world and go all-in with Christ. God has an upside-down economy.  He's not interested in the size of your house or the size of your bank account.  He's interested in the size of your heart for Him.  Once we give up on the world and have Christ as our true treasure, then the Holy Spirit can do an amazing work with us.  Then we're crucified with Christ and we can truly live for Him.

This is what 7 is about.  Letting go of this world and becoming more like Christ.