Don't Stop! You Might End Up Dead!

Don't Stop! You Might End Up Dead! By: Stan Carlock

Have you ever been to the place where you feel like stopping what you're doing, throwing in the towel and just giving up? Join the crowd. We've all been there at some point in our lives. It's what you do when you get to that point that is so important. Even critical to your survival. I'm talking to Christians here. If you don't know Christ - you're already dead and just don't know it. You need to read my other blog, "Are you thirsty?", then come back later and read this one. Now, back to all the believers. I want to share a few thoughts with you about complacency and self-pity. Conditions that all Christians have to deal with at some point in their lives. I was reading my Bible today and found some interesting scriptures that you may have to "read between the lines" in order to get my point. First, Act 7:2 And he said, Men and brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran. Here we see that while still in Ur, a city in Mesopotamia, that God called Abraham. He told him to go to the promised land. He was with his father Terah and his wife Sarah and other relatives at this time. We see in Gen 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. Here begins the problem. They stopped short of the goal. God told them to go to Canaan, the promised land. But, when they came to a town called Haran they became weary and decided to stop for a while, but according to the scripture, they ended up dwelling there. Let's read on: Gen 11:32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. Poor Terah. He never made it to the promised land. He stopped in Haran, got comfortable there and ended up dying before completing what God called him and his family to do. We as Christians need to wake up, get up out of our complacent, lazy and uncaring lifestyle and get back to doing what God expects of us! We too, can end up dead. Maybe not in a physical sense, but spirutually speaking. Sometimes our "Haran" might be a habit or sin that keeps us down. We need to follow the command of scripture: Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. If there was anyone in scripture that had a right to quit, it was Paul. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, ridiculed, hated, imprisoned and killed. But , he never stopped. He kept on: Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. If anybody deserved to feel sorry for themselves and wallow in self pity, it would have been Paul. But, Paul never gave up. He completed what God called him to do, and he is enjoying his reward! We too have a promised land that God has told us to go to. We too have a responsibility to do all that God has asked of us. We all get wounded in the battles of life, but we can't give up. We can't just lay down and lick our wounds and torture ourselves with sorrow and regret. Let's see what the writer of Hebrews has to say: Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled He's saying , We all get tired and we all get hurt along the way, but get over it! Let the Spirit of God bring healing to you. If you don't let God heal you, the wounds you have received can fester and become like spiritual gangarene. If you don't get rid of it, it will kill you. When bitterness begins to infect you, it won't be long before you give up completely and like Terah, if you dwell there, you'll end up dying there and never reaching the promise. I want to pray for you. I too have felt the sting of rejection and have been hurt by so-called Christian brothers and sisters. I too have become weary and "burned out" in the work God has called me to, but I've not given up. And you're not either. If you have read this in it's entirety, it shows me that you are willing to get up and get back on track for Jesus. Lets pray:
Father, I come before you now on behalf of my brother or my sister who's come to the place where they no longer want to sit back and let life pass them by. They have been hurt. They have been wounded. They have worked until they have become weary. But God, today is a new day for them and I claim healing to their wounded souls. I speak peace to them and declare by Your Word, that they are free indeed. Now Father I ask you to fill them with Your Spirit, wrap Your arms of love around them, pick them up and restore joy unto them. Lord Jesus, if there are areas of sin in their lives that need to be addressed, I pray you speak to them now and help them to let go and lay anything down that is holding them back. God, we ask all of this in order that You may receive glory for all that's done. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Until next time.....................Stan