All or Nothing!

Mark Batterson said

Whether you are a sinner, backslider, lukewarm in your Christian experience, or caught in an unfortunate place in life... I want you to know one thing - you are only one decision away from a totally different life! However, the first step is always the longest and the hardest to make. And, you can’t just take a step a step forward into the future. You also have to eliminate the possibility of moving backward into the past.

Philippians 3:13 (KJV)
¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

One night I was flipping channels on TV and I came across a poker final. It was down to the final three players and one of them was placing ALL his chips in the center of the table. The announcer exclaimed “he’s going all in!” This guy didn’t hedge his bet and keep a little back for reserve, this was it. It was all or nothing. He knew he could lose but one thing for sure – he was not going back! Spiritually speaking, I couldn’t help but think of us as Christians needing to go ALL in and not keep a back door option open if things don’t work out as we had thought or planned. When you go all in there can be no going back.

Recently I was listening to a minister speak on the following Scriptures and he exposed something I had never thought of.

1 Kings 18:30-35 (KJV)
³⁰ And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
³² And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
³³ And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
³⁴ And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
³⁵ And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

Israel was in a three and a half year famine produced by a severe drought. The most precious commodity in a drought is water. Elijah decided to “Go all in” and give of the most precious thing, even if it meant no more water was left. He knew if you go all in with God that you have just set the stage for the Lord to do something amazing in your life. At the end of this chapter, there comes and abundance of rain, the very thing that was consecrated to God was now overflowing in their lives.

You may be thinking “that’s just an isolated instance” but you can see it all through Scripture. Every time a people would go all in, the Lord would do something astounding. Consider the following:

• when Joshua and the people of Israel consecrated themselves – the walls of Jericho fell.
• When Elisha destroyed his plowing tools – he became the successor to one of the greatest prophets of all time.
• When Aaron let go of the staff – God performed an amazing feat before the eyes of Pharaoh.
• Peter was not a swimmer, yet he went all in by leaving the safety of the boat – became the second man to walk on water!

Of course the list is endless but what about you? Are you missing out on God doing something amazing in your life? The answer is – go ALL in – be totally committed! Eliminate all options to retreat.

Have you ever wondered why God said in Malachi 3:10 to prove/test him by giving of tithes and offerings? God wants to prove and demonstrate his faithfulness. His greatest pain is to not be believed, his greatest pleasure is to be believed!

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Go ALL in you wont be disappointed! He promises.

Romans 5:5 (KJV)
⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed (disappoint); because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.