A Bible, A Bicycle, and A One-way Ticket

At the 2003 graduation ceremony from Emmanuel Theological Seminary and Bible College in Kota, Rajasthan, India, the graduating students stood together and made the following pledge:

I stand with the apostle Paul in stating that “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my hands to serve all mankind.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my feet to spread the gospel to all the ends of the earth no matter what the cost.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my lips by proclaiming the Good News to all who hear and by edifying the Body of Christ.

I take a stand to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with my mind as I meditate upon His Word and His promises to me.

I give my earthly treasures and all that I possess to follow the way of the cross.

I commit to love my family, orphans, widows, lepers, the wealthy and the poor the way that Christ loved the church.

I surrender my will and life to His will and life.

I commit to the services of the Lord by being a good steward of my time.

I surrender this body on earth to the perfect will of Jesus, and should my blood be spilled may it bring forth a mighty harvest of souls.

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb, I will seek to honor His command. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Lord Jesus, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I love my India and my fellow citizens, and I claim India for Christ.

At each graduation ceremony, each new graduate is given a Bible, a bicycle, and a one-way ticket to the destination they believe the Lord is calling them.

Notice nothing in their pledge is made concerning their personal comfort, or 401(k) plans, or air-conditioned sanctuaries, as they follow the example of Jesus: “Foxes have holes, and birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

How can this be? This is due only to their single-minded commitment to serve the One who can provide comfort and security. This commitment may lead to persecution by an angry mob, perhaps being doused in gasoline, one match-strike away from being absent from the body, only to be with the Lord.

People will come from all over just to see a man or woman of God burn (figuratively or literally). What’s the destination for your one-way ticket?