Arrival in Pakistan

After 2 days of grueling travel I have finally arrived in Lahore, Pakistan. My journey started at the airport in Orlando at 2:00pm on Sunday and when I finally made it here to Lahore it was 4:30am Tuesday. It has been really hard to sleep, the electricity keeps going out at the hotel, the city wide sirens go off 3 – 4 times a day reminding the Muslims to stop where ever they are and pray to Allah, there is the sound of sirens constantly going off, horns blowing, oh and did I mention it is extremely hot here.

Despite it all though my spirits are very high. I’m not trying to act like a spoiled westerner who needs to be pampered or little child who needs to be comforted by his parents. No I count my self to be extremely privileged. I have the high honor of speaking on behalf of the God I love and live for. And if I ever start to feel the least bit sorry for myself than I all I have to do is look at what the prophets and apostles of old had to go through in order to get their message out. They constantly had to deal with beatings, torture, rejection, famines, loneliness, imprisonment, they were lied about, defamed, and most were ultimately put to death. But despite it all, they never wavered, they refused to back down, they never quick even though the odds were heavily stacked against them, they didn’t retreat, they didn’t surrender, even if it meant walking into the midst of a raging red sea, running out to fight a giant when all you are armed with is 5 smooth stones and sling shot, walking into a fiery furnace, sleeping in a den of lions, or living in caves in the wilderness…Despite it all they didn’t complain, they never, ever compromised and they never quit! They simply had a love for God that was unfathomable. It was contagious! I look at their life compared to mine and it’s convicting. Their soul longed for the living God (PS.42, PS.63) they refused to be satisfied with anything else other than the God they loved and gave their lives to. As a result God satisfied their souls with His presence and power. We see Him constantly moving on their behalves and we read about the insurmountable odds they overcame because God was acting on their behalves. Ultimately, we see the unbelievable miracles that God performed through all those men and woman who devoted their lives to living solely for Him!

As I reflect on my own walk with God I often ask myself the question, how do I measure up with these past champions of the faith? Where am I on the scale of these amazing God followers? If I were able to ask them for a little advice what would they say to me? Truth is, I know I am not any where close to those amazing pioneers of the faith, those pioneers who blazed a trail for God and for all of us to follow. But I hope and pray that my life would echo the message that I preach and resemble the God I love.

The famous Leonard Ravenhill said, “We have only one life and it will soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last, and when I am dying how glad I shall be, if the lamp of my life has been burned out for thee!”