Does God really ask us to sacrifice—and to sacrifice everything?
Do things always work out for those who are obedient?
Is God at work in the hard places? And does He expect us to join Him in those hard places?
Isn't it possible to love God and to pretty much keep living the life I already have?

These are some of the exact questions Nik Ripken* asked himself as God began to radically change his life and ministry. He writes about his remarkable journey in his book called "The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected". (*He writes under a pseudonym in order to protect himself and those who's stories he shares throughout the book.)

The basic point of me sharing about this book on my blog is because I want you to read it! Do whatever it takes to get your hands on a copy, and then pass it along to someone else and let's get it circulating! Why? It is life-changing, faith-rocking, thought-provoking, soul-challenging stuff. And every believer needs to wrestle with trying to understand the heart of God and how knowing and experiencing God's heart will revolutionize his or her life and ministry.

What I loved when reading about Nik's defining moment in his faith and call to ministry is how the simplicity of the Gospel impacted and challenged him... and yet it is something so many of us miss. "I saw no separation or distinction between accepting Christ and surrendering my whole life to Him to do what He wanted me to do. All I really knew was that the Bible was God's book and that if I really believe that, then I needed to do what it said. The more I looked at [the Great Commission in Matthew 28], the clearer it seemed to me that Jesus gave that command to every one of His followers. It wasn't a separate call or a special call for some of His disciples. Rather, it was the last lesson Jesus wanted to get across to every one of His followers. Go ye into all the world..."

Nik's journey serving the Lord took him to the Horn of Africa during an indescribably difficult and combustible time. The stories he shared while trying to "do some good" there are hard for us to even try to wrap our minds around. The realities of this world--outside our comfortable bubbles--are such a dreadful contrast to most of our lives. And yet, they are indeed the realities for billions of men, women, and children throughout the globe. Reading Nik's accounts of his time in Somaliland will challenge you whether you are serving the Lord in your hometown or trying to "do some good" on a foreign mission field. And as Nik reminds us, "God may have to give instructions about the location—the where. But there is nothing to negotiate the command to go—God has already made our primary task perfectly clear." Meaning, every believer should realize the calling placed on his or her life that once you become a Christian, you are given the responsibility to tell the world about your Lord and Savior!

Returning to the States from Africa, Nik and his wife sensed God was not finished with their ministry overseas. After serving in such a difficult area, they began to wonder what it was like for other believers in similar persecuted areas throughout the globe. This question took them on a journey they never imagined—and into the hearts of some of the most inspiring believers I believe have ever walked this earth!

You will have to read the book for yourself to learn about these stories of faith, obedience, and the miracles that God is still performing today! These stories will challenge your own walk with the Lord and it is my prayer that we will ask the hard questions necessary to make sure that our faith and actions are on track—and if they are not, that we will be obedient to make the necessary changes that God wants us to make. 

I was challenged by believers in these persecuted areas who have memorized entire books of the Bible so that they can recite them to others while they are imprisoned. I was challenged by the house church movement in China, where believers do not have climate-controlled sanctuaries and comfy seats and the freedom to walk in and out of the doors without the fear of being arrested for singing hymns to the Lord and meeting together with other Christians. I was challenged by a group of 100+ Chinese pastors who risked their lives to meet together for a conference. Only seven of the leaders there had their own copy of the Bible and so they went around tearing out books of their Bibles and handing them out to other pastors so that each one could have at least one book to go back and teach to their communities. Can you imagine?! How many copies do we have in our homes that just sit and collect dust?! And these pastors were tearing out pages so that another could have just a piece of the precious Word of God! I was challenged by the believer in Eastern Europe who told Nik, "I took great joy that I was suffering in my country, so that you could be free to witness in your country. Don't ever give up in freedom what we would never have given up in persecution!" There are brothers and sisters in Christ who have been and who are still being tortured and murdered because of their faith in Christ and their refusal to be silent about Him. If for no other reason, we should relentlessly share the gospel in honor of those men and women who would expect no less! Not to mention that it is what Jesus (who bled and died for us) expects and commands of us!

What I appreciated about Nik's journey is that while he had set out to learn how he could help the persecuted church in other parts of the world, he ended up learning so much more!... "about how to follow Jesus, how to love Jesus, and how to walk with Him day by day."

Church, it is time to wake up! We have no excuse anymore. We have the ability to know what is going on in the world around us and often we choose to ignore it. We live in our bubbles, we pursue the American dream, and we conveniently forget that believing in Christ is not simply a golden ticket to Heaven—it's a call to live (and die!) for Him.

Let me close with a few paragraphs from the book. And then please go read it for yourself and let me know what you think!

"It's not enough to feel grateful for the blessed circumstance in which we live. It's not even enough to do a better job remembering and praying for the suffering believers around the world. It's not even enough to identify with the other parts of Christ's Body around the world.

"Ultimately, the problem is one of emphasis and focus. Instead of recognizing, thinking about, remembering, praying about, identifying with and focusing on the suffering of fellow believers around the world, we would do well to shift our focus. Quite simply, we would do well to ask ourselves whether or not we are being obedient to Jesus. He is asking us—He is expecting us—He is commanding us to share Him wherever we go. He is commanding us to do that wherever we are today.

"It is a simple matter of obedience. If He is our Lord, then we will obey Him. If we do not obey Him, then He is not our Lord.

"Perhaps the question should not be: 'Why are others persecuted?' Perhaps the better question is: 'Why are we not?'"