Faith Based Support Groups - Wow!

I receive a weekly e-mail sent from the Pastor at a church we used to attend on vacation in Washington. Today he included the following...I thought I would share it with you.


Here's something to think about from a centuries-old spiritual classic
called The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis:

"Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who carry his
cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of
people he finds to share his banquet, few to share his fast. Everyone
desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are willing to suffer
anything for his sake. There are many that follow Jesus as far as the
breaking of bread, few as far as drinking the cup of suffering; many that
revere his miracles, few that follow him in the indignity of his cross."

Gary,
Your Pastor from awhile ago is exactly right. This makes you stop and take pause and even makes you review your own life. Am I doing all I can to follow Him and to spread the His Gospel, to become more like Him. Wow is right.

I would really like to share this even further, is there away for me to get this to my email address?

Thank you ever so much for sharing this with us.

Ags

This reminds me that sometimes, as Christians, we may go thru trials, but as the NT writers said, we are sharing in Christ's suffering (cup). We are also building our faith; and when we help and encourage someone else along, we also help build their faith, by pulling them from the fire (so-to-speak); and also help to build our faith up even more ...

This does help to give you a different perspective. JESUS told us that He didn't pray that we would be taken out of the world, but that when we had troubles and problems in this life, as we all will, that He would be here to help us through them; and that He would send His comforter, the HOLY SPIRIT, to help us overcome them too. And to all those who overcome (see Revelations), they will receive many good rewards ...