Mission Statement

In classical sacrifices, the people get the good bits, and the gods get the refuse, the bits that would get thrown out otherwise.

Not our God. Leviticus (particularly Leviticus 3) describes the sacrifices that our LORD demanded from His people of Israel. God gets the kidneys, the tail, and all the fat. He gets the prime steak, He gets the best.

Today we do not literally give sacrifices of animals. For us the ultimate sacrifice has been made through our Lord, Christ Jesus. But should always be our ambition to do the same thing - to offer God the best of what we have, to offer Him the fat, and not the smoke and bones.

Saturday, 20 August 2011

Converted in their 20’s

I’m kind of prone to feeling sorry for myself. Which I know is really silly, because I have a LOT to be thankful for. I don’t need to worry about going hungry, about having clean water or about being able to see a doctor. I’m reasonably well educated, and I have a job I mostly enjoy that pays more than I need to live on. And what’s more, God has redeemed me. So I have really no right to be sorry for myself. And what’s even dumber, is that I feel sorry for myself over the dumbest things.

One of the things I’ve been feeling sorry for myself a lot recently is my “late” conversion. I was saved a little over 5 years ago, shortly before my 22nd birthday. That means that I have had nearly 22 years of serious sinful behaviours, habits and thoughts to overcome. There are a lot of things that Christian kids know that they should not do, which I not only was allowed to do, but which I was actively encouraged by my parents and other people who were responsible for me, to do. I am envious at times of those who were saved younger, before they had a chance to do many of the things that I have done. And occasionally I use this in my mind as an excuse as to why I can’t do as much for God. After all, there are a whole lot of other, less sullied people around who God could use.

But recently in my reading I’ve noticed quite a few people who were saved at around the same age as me – the twenties, when you’ve had plenty of time to make mistakes but usually haven’t settled down with a life partner or really seriously started your life’s work. And these people did some serious work in God’s kingdom. People like…
- John Calvin (born again age 22/23)
- John Newton (born again aged 21/22)
- William Wilberforce (born again aged 26)

There have been many saints who have done great things for God’s kingdom, who were saved in their 20s. They served God as they were able where they were, and in doing so, transformed the world. They were saved at just the right moment, so that they could do the work that God had in mind for them.

Just as I was.
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