"After giving them a thorough whipping, they warned them not to speak in Jesus' name and sent them off. The Apostles went out of the High Council overjoyed because they had been given the honor of being dishonored on account of the Name." Acts 4:40-41

Imagine that, taking joy in being dishonored for your passionate belief in Jesus and teaching his salvation. Can you do that? Can you face your school principal, your boss, a judge and jury and defend your belief in and sharing of Jesus Christ? Be humiliated and punished, then leave overjoyed because you have suffered for the Lord?

Do you share this type of passion for your Saviour?

Too many days I fear I am ill-prepared to defend my belief in Christ, let alone take joy in ridicule and punishment for that belief. This is a challenge I am working on and seek prayer for. This level of faith, this passion for the Lord is what drove BJ onward and so many others onward for the cause of Christ. This is why Brent and Deanna have moved to Tulsa to work with Awe Star Ministries and their incredible staff of missionaries, long before some see it as appropriate to make such a decision after losing their son.

The older we get the less risk we usually like to take. For someone like me who has always been pretty allergic to risk it can take an explosion to move me forward. When we are young we are often less resistant to risk and more willing to step out of our comfort zones - or less prone to letting life responsibilities to get in the way (we usually have fewer for one thing). Parents, this is one reason that you must be willing to let your young ones step up and go when the opportunity presents itself to serve the Father and they feel led to do so, whether it is across the street or around the world.

Whose care can you trust them to more than that of our Heavenly Father? When He gave his life for ours, what sacrifice can be too great to serve and share the Living God? Oh that we could have the passion of a radical Muslim, not to take another's life because they don't believe the way we do but to be willing to give up our own to let them see that He is the most important thing in our lives and the only hope for theirs. Am I there yet? I want to say yes but can I put feet to it? I don't know.

If you or your young person has the opportunity to serve Christ through short-term missions prayerfully consider it and realize that the more we hold them back now the more dangerous our world becomes to those who do or will know and serve Him.

Standing challenged,

Brad

P.S. Please join in praying for the family of a long-time friend of our family, Maurice Andrea who passed away from cancer this past Saturday. May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with them and may they feel His loving arms holding them through difficult times.