“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so through fire.”

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

As people are preparing for the launch of 2010, many New Year’s resolutions are being made. However, few people actually keep the promises or accomplish the tasks they set out to achieve.
Maybe you have examined areas of your life that you want to change with the start of a new year and decade. I know that I have, but I don’t want to make just any New Year’s resolution. I want, by God’s grace, most of all, to be changed more into His image; the image of His perfect Son, Jesus Christ. How often I fail, yet His grace still amazes me.
The more I learn, the more I come to realized that God requires so much from our lives. “He gives all; He asks all,” Elisabeth Elliot once said. He has the right to ask everything of our lives simply because He is God. He is our Creator. He made us for Him. That alone is more than enough of a reason for our complete surrendering to His will. But that is not all. “He gives all.” How can I understand this incomprehensible truth? I deserved death, but “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved.)” (Eph. 4, 5)
I want to send out a challenge to you, and to myself, for this New Year. Dare to live a life of total abandonment to Jesus Christ. Dare to be different from the world. Dare to give your all for the sake of His Kingdom. Dare to reach out to that loved one or friend or colleague or stranger with the power of the Gospel. Dare to pray with the knowledge that God is almighty, omniscient, and sovereign.

If we do, I don’t have to dare you to see the results.

We’ll never be the same again.

If you were to die tomorrow, would the life you had lived be found to be worthy of what Christ accomplished for you on the cross? Would your witness and testimony be of one who surrendered all and breathed his or her last breath for the cause of the Kingdom?
I want to share with you a powerful song written and performed by Keith Green. After 21 years of life, God saved Keith and branded upon his soul the desire to give all of his being for Jesus Christ. He once wrote, “I’m not called to be a prophet. I’m called to be a CHRISTIAN – a servant of the living God! That is the HIGHEST calling that anyone can realize. And the most beautiful thing has happened in my heart – the only thing that I want to achieve is to have the Lord tell me when I stand before Him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant!’ Not, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful prophet, or pastor, or writer, or singer, or anything else.’ To be a Christian – to live up to that wonderful word – that is my ONLY goal.”
God gave Keith a wonderful ministry that has touched countless people for generations. At age 28, only 7 years after his conversion, Keith was killed in a plane accident. God gave him seven years, and Keith, though he never knew how short the time he had, never waited to begin living his life for God, a life that poured forth the brilliance of Jesus Christ, without reservation and without shame.

Please listen to the song below and take some time to ponder the lyrics. I confess that the first time I saw this video I was quick to judge the outward appearance. Maybe the clothing and hairstyle may seem out of date or the music style may not be your type, but please see this man for his passion. His love for Jesus and his boldness to speak the truth cuts quite deep. May God forgive us for our apathy and grant us the strength to serve Him with our all.

“He gives all; He asks all.”




Asleep In The Light by Keith Green

Do you see, do you see, all the people sinking down,
Don't you care, don't you care, are you gonna let them drown,
How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done.

Oh Bless me Lord, bless me Lord, you know it's all I ever hear,
No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear,
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs,
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in, oh, can't you see it's such sin?
Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away, as you smile and say,
God bless you, be at peace, and all Heaven just weeps,
Cause Jesus came to your door, you've left Him out on the streets.

Open up, open up, and give yourself away,
You've seen the need, you hear the cry, so how can you delay,
God's calling and you're the one, but like Jonah you run,
He's told you to speak, but you keep holding it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such sin?

The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church can't fight, cause it's asleep in the light,
How can you be so dead, when you've been so well fed,
Jesus rose from the grave, and you, you can't even get out of bed,
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of your bed.

How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
Don't close your eyes, don't pretend the job's done.

Come away, come away, come away with Me, My love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, My love.