In the Kingdom, your success is measured by your response. Jesus told multiple parables to demonstrate this. One was about a sower who threw seed onto all types of ground. Some ground responded and produced greatly. Other ground rejected the seed and nothing grew at all.
In another parable, a master gave his servants a sum of money to steward for him. The man who took risks in order to increase the money was not only successful, but he was given more. The man who was afraid and buried the money ended up with only what he was given... and 'that' was taken away (and given to the man who had much).
Mat 13:12 MKJV
(12) For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whoever does not have, from him shall be taken away even that which he has.
This is not a popular view in our present society. The oval office believes that he who has much should have much taken away and given to those who do not have much. If you want to walk in a level of success beyond what that office would dictate, ignore that viewpoint. When you walk in the Kingdom and operate - truly operate - within its laws, then it matters not what sort of legislation comes against you through worldly systems.
In the Kingdom, risk is rewarded. No risk not only gets you nothing... it gets you stripped naked of what you do have. You only get to keep what you give away. He who clings to his own life in order to save it - will lose it. What is your response?
Showing posts with label Risk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Risk. Show all posts
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, July 12, 2010
Playing It Safe
1 Samuel 22:5 MKJV
(5) And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth.
When David was on the run from Saul, he left the cave of Adullam and went to Moab, seeking shelter from the king. God sent His prophet, Gad, to tell David to move on.
There are safe places for us to stay - thankfully - where we can rest spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In the embrace of our church family is such a stronghold. However, it's very easy to live within the confines of the church walls and never stray outside. We get complacent. Our Christian walk is only on sanctuary carpet. If this has been your walk, God says it's time to move on. Yes, there are risks outside, but with no risk there is no reward. God's plan for us rarely involves us being stagnant. His kingdom is constantly moving forward. Are we moving forward with it?
(5) And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth.
When David was on the run from Saul, he left the cave of Adullam and went to Moab, seeking shelter from the king. God sent His prophet, Gad, to tell David to move on.
There are safe places for us to stay - thankfully - where we can rest spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In the embrace of our church family is such a stronghold. However, it's very easy to live within the confines of the church walls and never stray outside. We get complacent. Our Christian walk is only on sanctuary carpet. If this has been your walk, God says it's time to move on. Yes, there are risks outside, but with no risk there is no reward. God's plan for us rarely involves us being stagnant. His kingdom is constantly moving forward. Are we moving forward with it?
Monday, April 05, 2010
Give It Away
Luk 17:33 LITV
(33) Whoever seeks to save his life, he will lose it. And whoever will lose it, he will preserve it.
Pastor says that you only get to keep what you are willing to give away. It's yet another irony in a bible full of ironies. We must die to live. There is fullness in denying the flesh. That which seems right only leads to death... ironies. So if I love my life, I will lose it? John said it like this:
Joh 12:25 LITV
(25) The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to everlasting life.
What exactly does this mean, then? Because I had a great time at the lake yesterday.
It means that if we are living for anything other than God's purpose in our lives, we are in danger of taking nothing permanent - or of value - out of this world. We will lose it - whatever 'it' is. Some people speak of legacy. What kind of legacy are we leaving? Is it a statue in a museum that tells 100 visitors per day how many yards I ran in my career? Or maybe it's simply my child, who is on fire for the Living God and tells everyone at school about Jesus. That - has - value!
I've heard the argument made that God gave Jesus for us, yet He didn't really lose Him, because He knew He could raise Him from the dead. What a horrible thought to think (I'm guilty). Yet God received Jesus again to Himself only because He was first willing to give Him. This is why Isaac came back down the mountain with Abraham. This is why the one servant was called 'evil' when he buried the money entrusted to him. Here is what the master said:
Mat 25:27-28 LITV
(27) Then you ought to have put my silver to the bankers, and coming I would have received my own with interest.
(28) Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
There is no reward for no risk. We have what we have so that we can give it away.
(33) Whoever seeks to save his life, he will lose it. And whoever will lose it, he will preserve it.
Pastor says that you only get to keep what you are willing to give away. It's yet another irony in a bible full of ironies. We must die to live. There is fullness in denying the flesh. That which seems right only leads to death... ironies. So if I love my life, I will lose it? John said it like this:
Joh 12:25 LITV
(25) The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to everlasting life.
What exactly does this mean, then? Because I had a great time at the lake yesterday.
It means that if we are living for anything other than God's purpose in our lives, we are in danger of taking nothing permanent - or of value - out of this world. We will lose it - whatever 'it' is. Some people speak of legacy. What kind of legacy are we leaving? Is it a statue in a museum that tells 100 visitors per day how many yards I ran in my career? Or maybe it's simply my child, who is on fire for the Living God and tells everyone at school about Jesus. That - has - value!
I've heard the argument made that God gave Jesus for us, yet He didn't really lose Him, because He knew He could raise Him from the dead. What a horrible thought to think (I'm guilty). Yet God received Jesus again to Himself only because He was first willing to give Him. This is why Isaac came back down the mountain with Abraham. This is why the one servant was called 'evil' when he buried the money entrusted to him. Here is what the master said:
Mat 25:27-28 LITV
(27) Then you ought to have put my silver to the bankers, and coming I would have received my own with interest.
(28) Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
There is no reward for no risk. We have what we have so that we can give it away.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
New Frontiers
For those of you who occasionally like to watch a good animal documentary (I know there are many of you who do...) you have probably seen one that depicts dangerous encounters. The one that comes to mind for me is the problem polar bear in some remote Canadian town. You've seen it - the authorities are shooting firecrackers and shotguns in the air to frighten the creature out of town.
The problem typically occurs when an animal becomes so hungry that its hunger surpasses its fear.
As followers of Jesus, we have to reach this point. Walking like Jesus is not easy. It's not easy to take a stand, or to be different, or to deny the flesh. But the Holy Spirit creates such a hunger in us that eventually - hopefully - the hunger trumps everything else. Then we can step into the frontier of risk.
It is difficult to separate flesh from spirit. In the scriptures, the flesh was the skin and hide, and spirit was the fat. There is a way to separate it, but it takes FIRE. It's the fire within - the hunger within - that drives us into our destiny. If we don't have that, we should be praying for it.
The problem typically occurs when an animal becomes so hungry that its hunger surpasses its fear.
As followers of Jesus, we have to reach this point. Walking like Jesus is not easy. It's not easy to take a stand, or to be different, or to deny the flesh. But the Holy Spirit creates such a hunger in us that eventually - hopefully - the hunger trumps everything else. Then we can step into the frontier of risk.
It is difficult to separate flesh from spirit. In the scriptures, the flesh was the skin and hide, and spirit was the fat. There is a way to separate it, but it takes FIRE. It's the fire within - the hunger within - that drives us into our destiny. If we don't have that, we should be praying for it.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Ice
It's freezing outside. Everything is icing up. They say the potential is for power loss, and for several days at that - in some areas. That makes one think about preparedness. We get used to the luxury of having everything at our fingertips, but God only has to send an ice storm to make us question our security. There would have been a day that I would have cared less - heat or no heat.
Now I have responsibilities - two little ones. That makes me think a bit more, and thinking hurts me.
John Hagee shared a nifty story today. It was about a lady who was on the Titanic the day it went down. As she was about to board the life boat, she told the officer in charge of lowering the boat that she had forgotten something in her stateroom and that she desperately needed to go get it. He told her she had 3 minutes.
She took off running across a deck that was already listing perilously to one side. She sprinted down a flight of stairs and through a casino where she waded through veritible millions scattered on the floor. When she burst into her room, she threw aside her furs and jewelrybox where she kept a lifetime worth of diamonds and gold, and she seized 3 oranges.
His point was this: when death creeps up, our priorities change. When danger is near, we find out what is really the most-dear to us.
This world is the Titanic. Jesus declared that heaven and earth would pass away, but His word would never pass away. What are we sprinting for? What is worth the risk?
Now I have responsibilities - two little ones. That makes me think a bit more, and thinking hurts me.
John Hagee shared a nifty story today. It was about a lady who was on the Titanic the day it went down. As she was about to board the life boat, she told the officer in charge of lowering the boat that she had forgotten something in her stateroom and that she desperately needed to go get it. He told her she had 3 minutes.
She took off running across a deck that was already listing perilously to one side. She sprinted down a flight of stairs and through a casino where she waded through veritible millions scattered on the floor. When she burst into her room, she threw aside her furs and jewelrybox where she kept a lifetime worth of diamonds and gold, and she seized 3 oranges.
His point was this: when death creeps up, our priorities change. When danger is near, we find out what is really the most-dear to us.
This world is the Titanic. Jesus declared that heaven and earth would pass away, but His word would never pass away. What are we sprinting for? What is worth the risk?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)