Are You Ready?
"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." 1 Peter 3:15
Sometime back, the media made a great deal about a pastor in Florida who planned to burn the Quran in opposition to its beliefs—which are in stark contrast to the Christian faith. I doubt this pastor ever thought his decision would receive the type of international publicity it garnered.
But, what about you? And, what about me? Are we ready to stand and face a jeering, fault-finding world for our faith? Or, are we content to sit back on the sofa and mock with the rest of the world?
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah had torn down the Asherah poles and killed all of the prophets of Baal. Jezebel, the evil queen, was after him. He was scared, and ran into the wilderness asking God to take his life. He ended up traveling forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai where he hid in a cave. There was a cost involved in Elijah's obedience. There is a cost associated with our obedience, too.
This brings us back to the original question: Will you be standing in the crowd yelling "crucify Him" with the rest of the world? Or, will you be willing to face rejection, hatred, and even death to be the only one in the crowd following Christ?
In Luke 14:28, Jesus says of the Christian walk, “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?"
Have you counted the cost of a life committed to following Christ? The cost may be high, but the investment has eternal rewards, with interest rates no bank could ever match.
May you always be ready to explain your Christian hope to others, and may you be the one to do what is right when no one else will.
But, what about you? And, what about me? Are we ready to stand and face a jeering, fault-finding world for our faith? Or, are we content to sit back on the sofa and mock with the rest of the world?
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah had torn down the Asherah poles and killed all of the prophets of Baal. Jezebel, the evil queen, was after him. He was scared, and ran into the wilderness asking God to take his life. He ended up traveling forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai where he hid in a cave. There was a cost involved in Elijah's obedience. There is a cost associated with our obedience, too.
This brings us back to the original question: Will you be standing in the crowd yelling "crucify Him" with the rest of the world? Or, will you be willing to face rejection, hatred, and even death to be the only one in the crowd following Christ?
In Luke 14:28, Jesus says of the Christian walk, “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?"
Have you counted the cost of a life committed to following Christ? The cost may be high, but the investment has eternal rewards, with interest rates no bank could ever match.
May you always be ready to explain your Christian hope to others, and may you be the one to do what is right when no one else will.
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