The Challenge

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="129a11c3.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to the Heart4God Website!"><U><B><IMG SRC="4b55a500.png" border=0 width="90" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin"><U><B>Writings by Date</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin Organized "><U><B>Writings by Topic</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm"><U><B>Audio Files</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id690.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Videos"><U><B>Videos</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id323.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings of Others"><U><B>Other Authors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id324.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id339.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions and Answers"><U><B>Q&A</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id328.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart4God Email List"><U><B>Heart4God E-mail List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com"><U><B>Parables Blog</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="File Downloads"><U><B><IMG SRC="2b264140.png" border=0 width="100" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <B>The Challenge</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="c2827160.png" border=0 width="807" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Joseph Herrin (revised 6-9-2000)</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>challenge</B>:n.  an invitation to a contest, a summons to a fight.</div> <bR> <div> This is a word about challenge. It is an invitation for you to enter a contest. It is a notification of a summons to a fight. If you are a Christian, a son of God, then the Father has made the arrangements for you. He has personally picked your adversary. He has chosen the obstacles you will face. He has set the rules of engagement. He asks, nay, He demands your participation.</div> <bR> <div> The stakes are high. You must risk all. You can hold nothing back and expect to win. This is why you are told to count the cost before venturing forth. Can you complete what you begin? Will you start forward and then look back, disqualifying yourself, or will you press on toward the goal?</div> <bR> <div> The prize is nothing less than spectacular. It is beyond price. If ever there was anything worth venturing all on, this is it. It is the pearl of great price. Having once glimpsed it, you will with haste rush to sell all else in order to possess it. It is the ultimate object to be desired, but it will require ultimate commitment to attain it.</div> <bR> <div> These are not just grandiose words. God’s stakes are high. He did not withhold His very own Son, His beloved Son. It is not unfair that He asks much of us in return.</div> <bR> <div> Abraham met the challenge. He was asked to give that which was most precious to him, even his son Isaac. Abraham did not waver or flinch. We are called his sons, if we walk in the same faith.</div> <bR> <div> Satan would like to delude you. He would like you to think that God requires nothing of you. Confess salvation, be baptized, and wait until you die to go to heaven. Nothing further is required. Go to sleep. Relax. Live your own life.</div> <bR> <div> Skip the challenge, but forfeit the prize.</div> <bR> <div> God’s challenge is real. You are being summoned to a fight. A roaring is sounding in the kingdom of God. Champions are being called forth. Many are being raised up “for such a time as this.” </div> <bR> <div> Perhaps you don’t look or feel much like a champion. Why would God choose you to do His exploits? You may have spent more time with the sheep than the soldiers. God wouldn’t send a young shepherd boy against a giant, would He?</div> <bR> <div> The gauntlet has been thrown down. Will you respond?</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>