May 16

Written by: Dan Cartwright
5/16/2007 4:10 AM 

"God's redemptive opportunities never come disguised. Jesus Christ doesn't coerce men to follow Him by pandering to the tastes of the natural man. He doesn't sugar-coat His opportunities and then dangle them in front of us to lure us on. All opportunities on His list have a fixed price - sacrifice. They are available to those who repudiate self's claims." R. Arthur Matthews  Born for Battle

Born For Battle, the book from which the above quote was extracted, was first published in 1978 by  Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF, formerly China Inland Mission). The chapters in the book were first writtten as editorials for East Asia Millions, a magazine also published by OMF.

The book sounds a battle cry and calls, "not for retreat, or for going underground at Satan-inspired opposition, but for confrontation".

When we, like the Apostle Paul, are not ashamed of the Gospel, we WILL face opposition and confront the enemy. The 'redemptive opportunities' God places before us might mean sharing the Gospel with loved ones, family members, friends, or co-workers.  It might even be a stranger, sitting alone on a park bench. The possibilities are endless.

Will we pay the price?

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." Romans 1:16