Well, another great Sunday has passed and the Word has once again proven to be riveting. Really, I sit at the edge of my seat just waiting to see what’s next. I’m not kidding. I have so enjoyed the dividing the Truth each Sunday. Today we were asked if we were willing to hazard our life for Christ. We used Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, and Acts 15.

“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29 I say, “ABSOLUTELY!”

Men like David Brainerd and Jim Elliott freely gave of themselves for the sake of the Gospel. Bruce Olson was 19 years old when he first made the decision to be a missionary to the primitive Motilone Indian tribe of South America. What made these men different from the average Christian we see in America today? These are “Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 15:26

Ask yourself the following questions. Then honestly answer and you’ll know if you are one of the few who are willing to hazard their lives for the sake of the Gospel. If not, what is more important in your life than a soul?

1. Do I see the value of Christ and His work on the cross more than my own life? Am I willing to share it with others even when it’s detrimental to my own comfort or well being?

2. Do I see the value of eternal souls more than my own life? Do we see “lost” or “saved” engraved on the foreheads of those we pass by? (Phil. 2:3-8)

3. Do we see the value of eternity more than this temporal home? (Rev. 22:1-6; Matt. 6:19-21)

Back when April was two years old, Mark and I decided to place our lives on the altar and were willing to “hazard our lives” for Christ. That was 24+ years ago! Yes, we’ve been through many hazards and met with more challenges than you can shake a stick at, but we’ve also enjoyed many a blessing that others will never know. Has it been worth it, you ask? Perhaps a better question would be, “Did you have any other choice?” The answer is, “No,” not if I wanted to be a friend of God’s like Abraham. I choose friend over comfort. After all, look at what He did for me. I am driven to hear the words, “Well done.”

We have lost so much by putting ourselves in harm’s way to be a soldier of Christ, but it will pale in comparison when we see the rewards in the end (or should I say, “beginning?”).

When we see Christ…

“It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One gliimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.”