Risk Taker

"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:12).

Taking a risk. A step out in Faith. What's the first thing that comes to mind. Fear. Why are Christians so afraid to take a risk for the cause of God? Why are we so timid, so fearful. We proclaim on Sundays that we are saved and that we live for Jesus, but the minute we walk out of that door we become a different person. Stop being a lukewarm Christan, you're blaspheming the name of Jesus Christ. I'm sorry but you are not saved. If you are not fully living for Christ. wholly devoted to His will, you are not saved. It takes more than a sinner's prayer to be saved.

Risks. Something we Christians are not willing to take because of the fear that we have inside of us, because of the sin that we still cling to. We can't let go. We just stand at the the edge of the cliff and say "Yep, God this is good, this is as far as I'm gonna go, but I can still get to heaven because I believe." Wrong. Believing is one thing, but Living is another. You believe, ask yourself this: if tomorrow someone pulled a gun on you and told you to renounce you faith, to spit on the name of Jesus Christ, to deny everything that Christ has done what would you do? You're probably saying you wouldn't, shaking your head that you would never deny Christ and the cross. But truly deep down you know if that situation were to happen you would cry out for your life to be spared.

The Lord Jesus died upon the cross not just to get you out of hell and into heaven. he died upon that cross to get out of heaven and into you! So he could actually call the shots. actually controlling what you do with your hands. actually controlling where you go with your feet. actually controlling what you say with your lips. actually controlling what you think with you mind. actually controlling the decisions that you make. All of this is the measure by which you are saved. But really how much do you let God control these things. "Okay God you can control my hand and feet today, but I've got everything else." No that's not how it works. God must have complete control over every aspect of our lives, to the point that everything we do and everything we say it is Jesus Christ.

Look at the Risk takers of the Bible:
- To Joab, who took up arms for the cause of God, and said, "May the Lord do what seems good to him!" (2 Samuel 10:12).
- To Esther, who risked her life for the Jewish people in exile, and said, "If I perish, I perish!" (Esther 4:16).
- To Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who stood unflinching before the fiery furnace and said, "Even if God does not deliver us, be it known to you, O king, we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image" (Daniel 3:18).
- To Paul, whose life seemed to be round-the-clock risk, but who said, "I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

They gave themselves over wholly to the Lord and everything that He willed. There lives were in His hand, became His. They stood at the edge of that cliff and jumped, they took that leap and let their lives fall into God's hand completely. Yet, we see these examples and we are still afraid. Jesus took the ultimate leap into His Father's hands, he died on a CROSS! HE DIED. Why can we not leap, why do we stand at the edge? Because we can't let go of this world. What is so special about this world? What is so worthy that we must live in it and worship it and drown in it? I can't see anything, there is NOTHING. So what are we waiting for?

Stop gauging how far the drop is. Who cares, God is there, He will catch you. He will take your life and make it a new creation. It is work, but Eternal life with God is worth everything. You cannot change the world by standing on the edge the whole time. A risk-taker will jump, feel the wind pulsing through his ears, hear God's voice in his head, feel God's love in his heart. A true believer, a true Christian will jump when the rest of the world stands on the edge staring down below.

Jump and Never look back. From this day forward you will no longer be ashamed of the name of our Father or of His Gospel. You will follow His voice wherever He leads you, unafraid, for you know He will be with you. If you should stumble, if you should fall, if you should deny His name, if you should feel guilty that you did not pray or did not do something He asked you to do, You will not QUIT. You will not wallow in guilt. You will turn back to God, confess your sin, and do what He has called you to do, because that is why He dies for you. You WILL STAND with GOD and your brothers and sisters around the world because no matter what happens, no matter what you face or hot it looks, in the end, WE will be VICTORIOUS- WE will INHERIT ETERNITY and HEAVEN with God. We can do nothing else, because we live and die for JESUS CHRIST.

"He gave everything for us, will we give everything for him?"

Jump.




Just think about it.



His and yours


Cami

"I Will Go Straight to God"

I've been reading a book about Martyrs. People who died for their faith and for Jesus Christ. They are truly inspiring and I have to say to be Martyred would be the best way to die.
This is a story I came across...

The bandit told the missionary, "I'm going to kill you. Aren't you afraid?"
Jack Vinson replied simply, "Kill me, if you wish. I will go straight to God."

Jack Vinson's courage inspired his friend E.H. Hamilton to write this poems:

Afraid? Of What?
To feel the spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid- of that?
Afraid? Of What?
Afraid to see the Savior's face
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
Afraid- of that
Afraid? Of What?
A flash, a crash, a pierced heart;
Darkness, light, O Heaven's art!
A wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid- of that?
Afraid? Of What?
To do by death what life could not-
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid- of that?


Paul the Apostle Martyred in Rome, 65 AD said this in 2nd Corinthians 4:13-15 (Message Bible)

"We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!"


May we never be silent about our Father in Heaven!


Just think about it



His and yours,


Cami

an elderly lady, a doughnut, and Jesus...

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8.

Yesterday I was coming back from school from a long and exhausting spring break. It wasn't the spring break I was hoping for and I was worn down and tired. There is so much stuff going on that once again I got caught up in this world and the chaos of it all instead of focusing on what God was whispering to me.

Anyway, my mom was driving me back to school and she had to stop for gas, I hadn't ate that morning so my mom handed me a couple bucks to get a doughnut. I walked into the gas station and there was an elderly woman standing in front of the doughnut window. She looked up at me and smiled and said "I think I know, I've seen you before." I was confused and didn't know if she was talking to me so I replied "Really?" and she answered "Really, what doughnut would you like." So I pointed out the glazed one and she told me how those were her husbands favorites and then reached for her wallet, pulling out a dollar bill and handing it to the lady at the register she said "I'll get this for you, don't worry about it." I was so caught off guard, yeah it was just a doughnut, a 79 cent casey's doughnut, but it wasn't the doughnut or the money she willingly handed me, it was the smile she wore and the love in her eyes for someone she hardly knew. Me.

I saw Jesus in that elderly ladies eyes yesterday, and His whisper became a yell in my ears. I couldn't believe how selfish and naive I was being, to take for granted the little blessings that God so amazingly poured out upon me. He is preparing me for great things and though I am so nervous I can't wait to get going to where He is leading me to. Each man's life is but a breath (Psalm 39:5) and who are we to waste away the little things that God has given us. We are consumed by this world so easily that sin is just something we do now, it doesn't take thought, it's just a repeated action. And that is the scariest thing.

It's so easy for us to say we are Christian's with our mouths, but we hardly ever live it out through our lives and through our actions. We are human, we will sin, but if we repent God will forgive us. Let go of the gossip, the lying, the jealously, the obsession with sex, drugs, money, love, relationships. And just focus on the most important thing, the one and only thing that can give us true love, true happiness, true life. And that is God.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" -Psalm 73:26.

Let God be your strength, don't take the little blessings for granted. Because they are big.


Seek God and He will give you the desires of your heart.


Just think about it



His and yours


Cami