The challenge!

Calling all believers, calling all non-believers!  I, Michael (Rao) Lertchitvikul, a servant, slave, child, and worshiper of the one true God, have been inspired to issue a challenge to every man, woman, and child - believer and non - who may come across this blog.

How it started

The most unprofound profound thing happened this evening.  I shared the gospel with my friend.  He didn't accept Christ as his lord and savior.  We enjoyed each others' company, I prayed for him and then went our separate ways.  As I was driving home, I was overwhelmed by this unreasonable, inexplicable joy that had me praying out loud and praising God like crazy. And then the challenge hit me.

The Challenge

The challenge to believers is a simple one.  Share the gospel with someone you know.  Ask someone to be willing to challenge what they believe and consider the possibility that Jesus came down to die on their behalf so that they could have a relationship with him.  Do it tomorrow.  When you're done, pass the challenge on.  Do it more than once.

Throughout all of it, be in prayer.  Remind yourself that this isn't about you, that this isn't about Mike Rao, Christine Lam, Greg Mah, Jessica Chao, Debra Chang or Emily Yang, but rather this is about going and being reckless and bold for the God who sent down his one and only son to be reckless and bold for you.

As I was writing this blog, I started talking to Tanya about the challenge, and she asked me how we could be sure that people would be receptive, and I responded, "Who cares??  Let's just be bold and be blessed by whatever He does...  Whether it results in crazy rejection or someone falling to their knees in repentance, let's move in faith that God will do something crazy with what we're willing to offer him, because regardless of the outcome, we'll be blessed by it.  Let's go to be rejected and hated on, praised and blessed, mocked and ignored, loved and accepted - let's go to honor God with our love for him, and our love for his people.

It's so simple and unprofound, but I'm absolutely certain that if we can be faithful and really pour out in love, God will do some awesome things. We're not going to be doing anything that God can't do - it's not as if God needs our help - but let's just go out there and honor him with our lives.  Let's honor him with our love for him and our love for mankind.  Let's go and be blessed by being bold and crazy and loving like he wants us to - like he taught us to.

The Challenge to nonbelievers is a simple one:  Be willing to doubt.  Be willing to question what you believe to be true.  If you don't care to question because you don't care whether or not you're going to heaven or hell, be willing to question for the sake of the people you love.  If you're not willing to question for yourself, be willing to question for your sisters and brothers, your mother and father, for your friends, for your spouse, for your cousins, be willing to question for the sake of the people you love.  The challenge isn't to fear you into blindly believing.  The challenge is to simply to start asking questions and digging for answers.

Ultimately...

I trust that if only one person is prompted into action, if only one person blessed, if only one person hears the gospel, then this message was not in vain.  That said, I pray that this could be the simple start of something big, something huge, something absolutely profound for the kingdom of God.  I pray that throughout whatever this may be, I could stay humble and divert all glory, all praise, and all honor to the God that reigns from heaven above.