A Dangerous Invitation

This post, with minor editing for posting here, was sent to me by a dear Brother in Christ who shares life in New Jersey and beyond with a group of believers who are passionate for God and being transformed by Him in a powerful way.

I am sure that many of you will be blessed as you read this. Thanks, Brother. "Convergence!" :-)


Two thousand years ago Jesus asked and required His first 12 followers to live a Christian life that would not be accepted in todays Christian thinking. Today's refined and civilized version of Jesus's call goes something like this: Jesus died and rose from the dead so that you can live a life of endless comfort, security, take care of yourself, build your earthly wealth and no risk taking for God's Kingdom.

The call that Jesus Christ gave us was one of risk taking and enduring hardship for the Salvation Message that Jesus lived and died on the Cross for. It is a call to live in this world as citizens of an entirely different Kingdom. In its primitive state, the good news could never be separated from the invitation of Jesus to "come, follow Me."

He never lied about the danger or cost associated with becoming His follower. He told them up front, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Jesus made clear to those who were choosing to be His disciples what kind of leader He was and what kind of followers would be required to serve Him and share the Good News with the lost. Jesus said that "if anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

Jesus had only one invitation for His followers 2,000 years ago, only one course set for them, only one path for them to choose if they were to journey with Christ. Jesus never watered down the cost of following Him in hopes that they would choose to follow. If they wanted to live a life of love and allegiance to Jesus Christ, it would cost them much, and for many that cost was their lives. We also today are called by Jesus to a path filled with uncertainty, mystery, sacrifice, hardship, and risk.

The tough part of this call by Christ is that it is not fair or equitable. When we hear the call, when we follow the call, we must recognize that it is a life-and-death proposition. When we truly understand what Jesus means when He says that we must follow Him, we finally realize that this is not a cattle call. He is not calling us to the same life that everyone else will live. He is not calling us to the same path that every follower of Christ will walk. Our lives are unique before God, and our paths are our and ours alone. Where God will choose to lead us and how God chooses to use our lives is His choice alone, and not ours.

But if we will answer the Call that Jesus has over our lives, we will live an adventure that will be a testimony for all of eternity. Yes, it is a dangerous invitation that Jesus is laying before us. The risks will be great, but so will the Eternal Rewards that Jesus Christ will have waiting for us in Eternity. The choice is ours.