As many of you know my close friend Mark Miller has been battling brain tumors for the last 3 years. It has become clear recently that he is now entering his final stages of the fight.

Mark has been a fighter. When he was told he would never walk again following surgery, He defiantly disagreed and walked. When he was given the statistics on the length of his life based on his diagnosis, he determined his mind to overcome the odds. When he was told his diagnosis would be fatal he was determined to live the impossible story and survive. Mark is a fighter.

One battle many people overlook is the spiritual battle. When your life takes an unreal turn and you find yourself confronting a deadly battle your conversations with God change. There are moments when you wonder why this is happening to you, moments where you are angry with God, moments when you pray without a lot of hope for answers, and moments where you question if God is real.

Although I am sure Mark went through many of these difficult moments, at the end of this battle he is living like Jesus is real. He is living like the promises of God are more than antidotes to life, but experiences to be anticipated. What Mark once saw as important in his life have taken a back seat to Jesus, family, and friends. On Mark’s facebook he writes,

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.”

This statement is central to living like Jesus is real today. In your life, is Jesus someone you use for selfish gain, someone you turn to after you have exhausted all other avenues, a religious icon? Or do you live day in and day out like the life of Jesus is relevant to today and a guide to your life? Do you live your life with the life of Jesus at the forefront of your mind? When you make choices and build relationships, does the life of Jesus have any influence on your decisions. Jesus never intended for us to store our faith away so that one day we could spill it all out at his feet in heaven. Jesus intended for your faith to produce his life in our present world. Some times it takes tragedy to unleash the tangible story of Jesus into our own lives - Mark’s life has unleashed this power.

As I have watched and listened to Mark, I have been challenged to live like Jesus is real in every area; to have a faith that responds to the person of Jesus here and now. What good is it to store up all this faith for a future moment - faith is for the here and now.

In honor of Mark, more so, in honor of Jesus - will you live like Jesus is real?

Commit with me today to live like Jesus is more than a story in a book or a world wide religious icon.  Allow the kingdom of God, the reality of Jesus’ life, to be seen TODAY through you.