Take a Risk!

The Saddest Words in Scripture

by Rev. Dale M. Glading, President

The overall message of the Bible is decidedly positive. God loved - and still loves - mankind so much that, despite our sinful rebellion, He sent His only Son to bear our sins and die in our place. For those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, heaven awaits in all its indescribable glory.

However, Scripture also includes its fair share of verses that are anything but positive. Below, I have included a small sampling along with some bite-sized commentary on each. This is not an exhaustive list nor is it ranked in any particular order.

“So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.” Numbers 14:1 (NKJV)

God had just instructed Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan “which I am giving to the children of Israel.” In other words, this was the “Promised Land” and God never breaks a promise! And yet, 10 of the 12 spies returned from their mission with a negative report, scaring the people in the process. So much so, that - instead of taking God at His word - they cried throughout the night. So sad.. and so cowardly. The painful result of their lack of faith was 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and a death sentence for everyone 20 years old and above.

“And the Philistine said, ‘I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we might fight together.’ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” I Samuel 17:10-11 (NKJV)

Another tragic instance of timidity and faithlessness. This time, the culprits were trained soldiers, supposedly the “bravest of the brave.” And yet, they allowed a heathen to mock Israel - and Israel’s God
- twice a day for 40 consecutive days. Finally, a young shepherd boy named David summoned the necessary faith and courage to fight and
defeat Goliath... and defend God’s honor.

“But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’” Luke 13:27 (NKJV)

In this case, a man who thought he had a close relationship with the Master of the house found himself “on the outside, looking in.” As bad as that scenario is, it grows infi- nitely worse when you consider the true meaning behind the story. People, some of them professing Christians, will be told by Jesus on Judgment Day, “I never knew you.” How cataclysmic! (See Matthew 25 for a related passage and a similar response from the Master).

So, there you have it... my short and simple list of some of the saddest passages in the entire Bible. The first two deal with fear triumphing over faith, which is one of my “pet peeves” when it comes to modern-day Christianity. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I started Risk Takers for Christ eight years ago, because I have witnessed first- hand too many complacent believers who were afraid to step out in faith and assume their God-ordained destiny. Content with their “fire insurance,” they have led spiritually mediocre lives, avoiding risks and passing up on heavenly rewards.

The third passage is even sadder, because there is a sense of finality to it. Once the verdict is read aloud in heaven’s courtroom, there are no appeals. You are either admitted inside the pearly gates or you are cast into the lake of fire. No exceptions.

So, what will it be, my friend? Will you lead a spiritually adventurous life for the glory of God? Or will you shrink and shirk from opportunities to stretch your faith and make an eternal difference for Jesus Christ? Will you be counted with Joshua, Caleb, and David... or with the 10 cowardly spies and the all-too-easily intimidated Israelite soldiers?

Most importantly, are you welcome on the inside of God’s house or will you be turned away at the door?

I Can Laugh About It Now

by Rev. Dale M. Glading, President

It wasn’t funny at the time, but I have learned to laugh about it since...

To what am I referring? Our recent prison trip to Sumter Correctional Institution in Bushnell FL. The date was Saturday, July 27th, and our team was on the road by 5 a.m. I use the term “team” rather loosely, because only two other players - Matt Parris and my son, Chris - were in the van with me. Fortunately, two other players were planning to meet us at the prison.

Three hours later, we arrived at Sumter on time and were soon warming up in the sweltering gym. After taking his first jump shot, Patrick Kelley came over to me and said, “I don’t know if I can play.” Apparently, Pat had injured one of his calf muscles earlier in the week while jogging on a treadmill. He was afraid that he had torn a ligament, just like he had done two years before.

Since Pat is our center - and our only player above 6’1” tall - losing him would be catastrophic. But that’s exactly what happened two minutes into the game when Pat could no longer run up and down the court because of the pain. Left with only four players, we were forced to insert an inmate in Pat’s place. Unfortunately, he was only about 5’10”, which meant that I would have to play “down low” against men 30 years younger, six inches taller, and 80 pounds heavier than me.

Battling one of those behemoths for a rebound, I was lit- erally pushed off the court and into a cinder block wall. To make matters worse, as the man pushed me aside like a sack of potatoes, he stepped on my right heel. The force of his push - and the position of his foot - pulled my sneaker right off. And so, there I was, running back down the court holding a sneaker in my hand, demanding to know why none of the referees had called a foul.

Pretty comical, huh? Like I said, I wasn’t amused at the time, but I can laugh about it now. We wound up losing that first game by six points, which was a moral victory if nothing else. And our gospel program - with Michael Kelley sharing his testimony and Matt Parris preaching - was outstanding. About 30 men heard the gospel message and five responded by placing their faith in Jesus Christ.

As we left the institution for lunch, Michael said good- bye because he had to drive home for a family function. Pat also said his farewells as he headed back home to ice his injured leg. That left Chris, Matt and me - plus two inmate players - to battle a different team that afternoon.

Despite being short-handed and undersized, we jumped out to a 19-point halftime lead... or so we thought. After our gospel presentation, during which Matt testified and I preached, we were told by the scorekeeper that he had made a mistake. That quickly - and without the opportunity to contest his decision - five points were taken off our score.

The second half went as you might imagine. Our players were called for numerous “ticky-tack” fouls while the inmates were permitted to push and shove us all over the court with impunity. Perhaps the worst “non-call” was when I stepped in front of an inmate who was barreling toward the basket. Despite the fact that I was in position and completely stationary, the inmate literally ran me over. As I picked myself off the floor, I expected to hear a whistle followed by an offensive foul being called, but the silence was deafening. Unless, of course, you count my loud and very vocal complaint to the head referee, all to no avail.