Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life.
Ten years ago these youngsters from my church were building sandcastles by the Nile. About a dozen sandcastles were built. As the pastor I had the job of judging which one was the best!
Within a few hours all of the sandcastles were destroyed by the river Nile’s water. Today you would not find a single trace of the youngster’s hard work.
Don’t make the same mistake in your own life!
In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus spoke about the right and the wrong ways of listening to his teachings.
If our listening does not lead to us living out the words of Jesus, his own teaching says we are foolish.
It is just as if we have worked to build a house, but the foundation we have laid is useless. The house will soon fall down when the heavy rains come. Our lives will not cope with life’s challenging situations.
On the other hand, if we listen regularly to Jesus’ teachings, and we apply them faithfully to our own lives – in our home life, in our work life, in our church life, in fact in every part of our lives – Jesus promises that we can withstand all of the circumstances life will throw against us.
Jesus’ teachings are a solid foundation for everyday life in Sudan in the 21st century.
Looking ahead towards the next two years, Sudan is facing very big challenges. All sorts of groups will be putting pressure on individuals, churches, tribes and other communities. They will be saying things like: “Follow me” or “Come with us”. We may fear we have no choice. But we do!
We must remember to test everything we are asked to do. Don’t make a mistake! How does it compare to the teachings of our Lord Jesus?
As Christians we have already said that we will follow Jesus. The next few months will give us many chances to show that we mean what we say.
Living Jesus’ way we will be strong, even if we have to follow him to death. Our strength comes from a crucified Saviour who will be with us right up to the end.
Jesus never once made a mistake. Now he calls on us to follow him.
February 2010.
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