All In

For many the term "All In" is associated with poker.  Perhaps you have played a few hands of Texas hold em on the computer and went "all in" with the fake chips you had.  But it is easy to go "all in" when you are dealing with fake chips and pretend money.  Had it been real you would have never gone in with such a lousy hand.  
Jesus calls to a life of going "All In".  There is no half way in following Jesus.  In fact, some in the gospels stop following Jesus because it seems too hard or he is asking too much of them.  Remember the rich young ruler?  Giving his possession to the poor was too much of a risk for him.  He walked away instead of going "all in".  Or how about the man who was worried about his family and who would be around to help settle the estate.  Jesus again called him to leave it all behind and go "All In"
Recently we were watching a new movie called "Ring the Bell".  The story of a baseball player who gives up his dreams of the majors to run an orphanage after his parents are killed in a plane crash.  In that movie when asked about the dream of playing in Yankee Stadium he replies "This is my Yankee Stadium".  He was "All In".  So much so that God could give him a new dream which would surpass the old one.
So are you "All In"?  Willing to do whatever God asks you to do?  Follow Jesus to the ends of the earth or across the street?  Time we stop playing games with our faith and go  "All In" for our Savior who went "All In" for us.
Time to push all we have into the middle and go "All In".
Pastor Ed

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