Monday Morning Munch No. 9 - A New Name

Growing up there were a number of titles I wanted to be known by at some point in my lifetime:

Olympic gold medalist
Wife
Mom
All American
Magazine designer/editor
Kroger cashier (...I had big dreams)
Sports journalist

But now that Christ has invaded my life and I bear His name I only want to have one title:

A beggar.

Not just any beggar, but a beggar of souls.

I am no longer content to sit idly by while the people I love (and the ones I haven't met yet) speed through their one life, wasting it on the failing promises of this temporary world.

John Piper proposed this to Don't Waste Your LIfe's readers:

Of course, we do not use the word cool to describe true greatness. It is a small word. That’s the point. It’s cheap. And it’s what millions of young people live for. Who confronts them with urgency and tears? Who pleads with them not to waste their lives? Who takes them by the collar, so to speak, and loves them enough to show them a life so radical and so real and so costly and Christ-saturated that they feel the emptiness and triviality of their CD collection and their pointless conversations about passing celebrities? Who will waken what lies latent in their souls, untapped—a longing not to waste their lives?

This is what God has called me to do for not just the middle and high school girls at my church, or my classmates at school but everyone I encounter.

I want to not just be the friendly girl who is known by her "bubbly" and "sweet" personality. I want people to know me as the one who loves them enough to tell them the truth. I want to be known as a beggar of souls.

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." — C.T. Studd

Brothers and sisters, we are ambassadors for Christ. We have been given a new name, a new life, a new heart and a new part in this world. We are to proclaim the Gospel with our lives and our lips and love deeply, give freely and forgive in the same manner that Christ Himself has loved, given and forgiven us.

I pray we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and exercise zeal with wisdom, boldly sharing the Good News of the Gospel with everyone around us - it is the power unto salvation for those who believe.

But how will they believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ... Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:14-15, 17)

Be a Beggar

""'Not called!' did you say?'Not heard the call,' I think you should say.Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world." — William Booth, 

Do we really grasp the gravity of the gift we've been given? We have been given life. Life. We were dead and now we live. Why do we not share that verbally with others who are dying?

My encouragement for you (and me) is to prayerfully watch for opportunities to speak life to others around you. Whether it be your spouse, kids, neighbor, fellow church-goer, classmate or complete stranger, speak life to them. Be obedient and leave the results up to God.

He will use it. He will use you.

Go. Speak. Share. Love. Give. Send. Serve. Obey.

May the Lamb of God receive the reward of His suffering,

 

Heart Beats: Matt Papa

I don't know how frequently "Heart Beats" will be updated, but there are a few songs and artists that have jumped in my heart from the very first beat of the drums or strum of the guitar and I really want to share them with you.

Isn't if funny how joy has to be shared? If we love something we will share it.

Anyway, below is an artist that I especially dig.

Also, I've never said 'dig' in that context before. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

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Heart Beats: Matt Papa

Matt Papa led worship at the Campus Outreach National Conference this year and it was so awesome. [If you want to read more, I talk about Matt Papa and what God taught me through the conference here.]

Why I love Matt Papa: 

He is 100% biblically sound.
He doesn't compromise lyrical content to sell records.
His colorful world map jacket.
His songs take you to the throne.
The tunes are just plain awesome and are easy to pick up.
He loves missions.
His daughters' names are Paisley and Stella.
He still has a myspace and uses it.

Every Monday on his blog is Martyr Monday and you can read of a fellow believer who gave it all for the One who gave it all.
He follows Christ and his music leads us to Him.

I have two of his albums [This Changes Everything and Your Kingdom Come] and I love them.

If you want a snippet of how he doesn't compromise his lyrics to sell records, try this on for size:

"You won't ever hear this song on Christian radio
Cause the Jesus that I serve is not safe
He'll say take Your cross and die
So if you want a comfy life
Stay away from Jesus" 

-Matt Papa, Stay Away From Jesus from the album This Changes Everything

If that still isn't enough, here is another bite of the less-publicized portion of Scripture he isn't afraid to preach or sing:

"Religious people
You white-washed tombs
Beautiful on the outside
But you’re full of bones 

You look very religious
You follow all your little rules
But you don’t follow Jesus
You just talk like you should" 

-Matt Papa, Woe to You from the album Your Kingdom Come

Top-3 Favorite Matt Papa Songs:

It is Finished (number one favorite song)

Here Am I, Send Me

Open Hands

Bonus Song:

The Reward of His Suffering

Please watch the following video or go to the website and watch it and donate. 

From the website:

"EVERY PENNY FROM THIS SONG, FOR THE LIFE OF THE SONG, IS DEDICATED TO GLOBAL MISSIONS."

Watch. Click. Donate. Be lifted up and encouraged to share the Gospel and go and make disciples.