Raw Risk

Excerpt from Mark Batterson’s book

In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day

“Now think of spiritual maturity as a continuum. On one side is God-consciousness and on the other side is self-consciousness. To become like Christ is to become less self-conscious and more God-conscious. The end result is the crucifixion of ungodly inhibitions that keep us from chasing lions. [A lion is: a big problem, a failure, or your greatest fear) I like the way priest and author Ron Rolheiser say it: ‘Isn’t it the task of the Holy Spirit to introduce some madness and intoxication into the world? Why this propensity for balance and safety? Don’t we all long for one moment of raw risk, one moment of divine madness?’ As I look back on my life, it is the moments of ‘raw risk’ when I came alive.”

All the world will know… by Haley Jalinski

All the world will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. Isaiah 49:26

God in the Old Testament fought to keep His name and power among the nations. He kept reminding people of Himself and what he could do. He honored those who honored Him. He gave mercy and forgiveness openly. And proclaimed what He was feeling outwardly through His prophets. Then there was 400 years of silence before Jesus, the Messiah, came. Then Jesus cam and fought to keep the glory of God close to man’s hearts so that they could choose Him after He made it possible for God and man to be together in relationship again. From Jesus to us has there been silence? Or a great declaring, an outrageous proclaiming of who He is? He works through us now, not on His own, because we aren’t separated anymore! He has brought us into the story. A story that involves conflict, a fight, between two kingdoms. Good and evil.

I would just like to ask how many more years of silence will there be?
       Or will your passion stand for it?
             Stand for keeping the glory of God hidden?

Some think God’s glory is locked away in the Ark of the Covenant somewhere, lost. But No! It is in the hearts of men. We reveal what’s in our hearts. God doesn’t force anything out of us.

The question is when will we allow what’s been saving us to save others?

Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior?  Isaiah 49:24

What is our plunder?
     What are our fruits?
            Do you know them or can you see them at all?

Our culture is all about comfort and pleasure but our lives are suppose to look meaningless to the world. Like Paul it looked like he had nothing at the end of his life. But his riches were in spirit and his eternal hope. Are you ready for persecution? Because it will come when we boldly declare, “Here am I, send me!”

      Or

         “Be it done unto me, LORD!”

What are we going to let the world know?

Written by: Haley Jalinski

September 5, 2009

Trust Leads to Hope

Trust means I am confident that another person will care for me and my situation as well or better than I would do it myself. It allows me to let my guard down and frees me to lean upon the other person….It’s sharing my burden. Remember the old “Nestea Plunge” ads? The thirsty man or woman would confidently fall back knowing it would be a soft and refreshing landing. Sadly, very few people can say that if you fell back your friend would be able to catch you no ands, ifs or buts about it.  Sadder still is the fact that many Christians can’t say that about their relationship with God. Ask God to bring you this kind of friend…and more importantly, commit to BE a trustworthy friend!

·         Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct (make straight or smooth) your paths

·         Psalm 37:3: Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Do you trust Him? You can. Trust is essential for enjoying our living hope. In fact hope and trust come from the same root word in the Greek. They are intertwined, inseparable, inextricably bound forever. One is absolutely dependent upon the other. Hope is born where trust has taken root. The promises of God don’t carry much weight if we can’t trust Him.

God wants you to trust Him. He has gone to great lengths to prove His love. If you’re tempted to doubt that He has your best interest at heart look to the cross. He longs to give you above and beyond what you can imagine

·         John 10:10: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

·         Ephesians 3:20: Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
"Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone." Psalm 33:22

Building Friendships at a Women's Conference 

Sudan Women's Ministry