“Mario!
Quit being so Radical.”
I will not quit Radical ideas that
are Biblical norms!
I love you all, even if I don’t know
you, for I to love you through the Gospel. You cannot build a multi-ethnic
ministry while holding onto the American Dream for yourself or for your
ministry! Multi-ethnic ministry is not easy and must take a lifestyle that is
unlike your friends lives.
This will impact where your kids
play sports, where you practice your particular hobby, where you eat…etc. This
Biblical view of discipleship is to permeate all aspects of your life. “Radical
obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth,
and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all
these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And He is
more than enough for us… We are settling for a Christianity that revolves
around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is
actually about abandoning ourselves.”- David Platt.
The problem that most people have
with this view of daily devotion to one another is that they have never seen it
modeled! I was blessed to grow up in a multi-ethnic house. I honestly only
remember a couple of times when someone, other than our family, was not living in our house.
My parents modeled this communal discipleship better than anyone I know. I joke
and say that I have 30+ siblings. I call all the people that have lived in our
house and those that were there just as often, my siblings. If it was out in
the wood shop building, in the kitchen cooking or out in the community serving,
my parents brought someone along with them. Sometimes these people were there
to learn woodworking or Sign language, but my parents infused the Gospel
through their words and love. I don’t know how intentional it was on the part
of my parents, or if it was just the Spirit living out. Either way, it is how
to disciple. My wife and I now strive to reflect this model shown by my parents
in how we care for our friends, and those in need. We will drop a personal
desire if it means the chance to show the Gospel through an action.
How can this possibly be the right way? I beg of you to read
the book of Acts, Hebrews, Galatians or any other Epistle and tell me that the
people were taught outside of a matrix like the community? If you don’t
have a model of how to live discipleship like I have, use the Epistles as your
example! I guarantee that wherever you examine my parents’ lives you’ll see a
glimpse of the Gospel. C.H. Spurgeon reflecting upon the life of John Bunyan
said, “You can prick John Bunyan anywhere for all his blood is bibline.”
(bibline = blood is Bible)
Sadly, if I were to prick many believers
they would be American, Prideful, or Selfish not Bibline.
