Christian Extremist

Jesus challenges believers with some incredible statements of discipleship. He says you “must” love me more than anyone else, you must take up your own cross and be willing to give up all your possessions and be ready to count the cost before you say you’ll accept it and become a follower/disciple of Jesus. Jesus is calling us to an extreme lifestyle of turning over everything in our lives to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul tells us that our bodies do not belong to us if we have given ourselves to God. It is strict and very urgent to do what Jesus has called us to be – disciples of Jesus. In 2008, in Orissa, India, Hindu extremist attacked hundreds of churches and the disciples in those churches. One particular pastor and his wife were targeted and attacked. The pastor was doing some amazing things by the power of God. AS the persecution started of course it was first of all aimed at the pastors. Right in front of the wife, the extremists beat her husband to death. While all this was going on, she was holding their new baby girl trying to keep her safe, but to no avail. The extremist took the baby from her mother and killed her also. Then they turned on the wife/mother and began beating her. Finally, they covered her body with kerosene and set her on fire. They left her in their home to burn, but miraculously the fire went out and she survived. As she shared her story with another pastor, she told him this statement: “Here’s what I would like to tell Christians all across the world: if I can stay faithful to Jesus after such a horrific event, why can’t you!” Now that my friends, is extreme faithfulness. God has called us to an extreme life, it’s time for us to take up our cross and follow the extreme life of Jesus.