Day 14: No Turning Back

Today I was sitting in church and God spoke to me. I don't mean I heard His voice but I knew that was the pastor was talking about was speaking to me. He shared a story that made so much sense. It opened my eyes and I realized for the first time in my life that there is no turning back. I have made a decision and I can't go back. I have to follow this thing through.

The story is as follows:
About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales, England. As a result of this, many missionaries came from England and Germany to North-East India to spread the Gospel. At the time, north-east India was not divided into many states as it is today. The region was known as Assam and comprised hundreds of tribes. The tribal communities were quite primitive and aggressive by nature. The tribals were also called head-hunters because of a social custom which required the male members of the community to collect as many heads as possible. A man’s strength and ability to protect his wife was assessed by the number of heads he had collected. Therefore, a youth of marriageable age would try and collect as many heads as possible and hang them on the walls of his house. The more heads a man had, the more eligible he was considered. Into this hostile and aggressive community, came a group of Welsh missionaries spreading the message of love, peace and hope of Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One Welsh missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity. Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man instantly composed a song which became famous down the years. He sang:

I have decided to follow Jesus. (3 times)
No turning back, no turning back.

Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.”

But the man sang these words in reply:

Though no one joins me, still I will follow. (3 times)
No turning back, no turning back.

The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.”

In the face of death the man sang the final memorable lines:

The cross before me, the world behind me. (3 times)
No turning back, no turning back.

He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, “Why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some supernatural power behind the family, and I too want that supernatural power.”

In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.

So for day 14, I accomplished the following:

No Drinking
No Smoking
P90X Diet
No Lying
No Dates


Changes:

This is my week. I have been losing so much weight. My goal for this week is to continue that weight loss by getting my weight under 200 lbs.

My heart is aching for so many reasons tonight. I want to have God take the lead in my life. I am having a hard time knowing how to live in this world without being of this world. I wish everyone could believe in God. This experience is showing me how bad sin looks. It's true colors are beginning to shine and I am so turned off by the pleasures of this world. I think that is why my heart hurts. I think about my friends, this girl, my co-workers and I wonder how they are going to find God if I don't show them? I heard a saying, "be careful how you live, you may be the only Bible someone will ever read."

I am glad Pastor shared that story today because today it has so much relevance in my life. Tonight, I have decided to follow Jesus, with the cross before and the world behind me, though no one joins me still will follow, no turning back. No turning back.

So, in closing, I want to share a prayer I wrote many years ago. This is my prayer tonight.

The prayer I pray tonight will keep,
My burdened eyes from losing sleep,
And start tomorrow a better way,
With no remorse from yesterday.

God keep my wondering mind on You,
And give me strength through and through,
To do the work you've given me,
And show this world eternity.