NEVER GIVE UP!?

College football fans and all of the Hokie Nation interested in Virginia Tech have a great example to look to in the Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska football game last Saturday.  With little hope left for a team’s offense that had struggled against a tough Nebraska defense all day, the Hokies were faced with no time outs and only 1:44 left to play.  They were stuck on their own 12 yard line and had to drive the length of the field for a touchdown in order to regain the lead.  Amazingly, the VT quarterback found an open receiver down the right sideline on an 81 yard strike that looked to even be a potential touchdown.  The receiver had been pushed just out of bounds right before the goal line; but now, they only have 3 yards to go for the score.  The drive stalls with an 8 yard loss on a sack and then the ball thrown away with nobody open.  With only 33 seconds left and a third and goal, 12 seconds tick off as the scrambling quarterback escapes the grasp of a star defensive tackle and finds a receiver in the end zone! Virginia Tech ends up winning 16 to 15 in one of the most improbable comeback wins ever.  NEVER GIVE UP!  That fitting slogan certainly applies here, yet is there more to learn?

It was only 8 months ago today when yet another tragedy happened on the Virginia Tech campus.  Personally, I sensed in my spirit then that something was going to happen that very day that would be impacting my own tragic situation.  I stayed home from church that night to pray and right at that very time of the evening a beheading murder took place on the campus.  Two days later, due to this event and the change in the Virginia law after 04-16-07, and due to my writings on this website and interacting with others not agreeing with me, I was involuntarily committed for the third time.  Despite the emotional insecurity (often still present) in the VT community, I was quickly released after being sent again to a State Mental Hospital facility.  Further tragedy followed, which I will not detail here.  I was reminded then and again this past Saturday of the power that prayer calls upon to move in the events of history.  The extent to which the LORD answered my specific prayers for a special “miraculous” type of win and finish in Saturday’s football game, only heaven will reveal.  I am praying about a lot more than a football game and working toward the end that I want to see when many more will learn the most important lessons in life.  If these lessons are not learned, then future tragedy will continue.

The Tenth Lesson I am focusing on (tabbed above) is “Hope in Faith.”  I may write more about that in a future Blog as I am in the upcoming book.  One aspect of that lesson is to not give up when the problems and tragedies of life happen.  We are meant to overcome the difficulties of life and not give up or give in to them or simply complain about our problems.  Our Creator, Jesus Christ, even came to earth to die in our place so that we can be right with GOD.  Ultimate victory in life is only possible when a person trusts in this One Who not only died as the substitute for his or her sin, but Who was also victorious over that worst and final enemy—death!   Because He gave up His life for us, we must give Up our life for Him.  Much good will come when you learn to yield to your Creator and follow that slogan that I last told my children before my life completely took an unexpected direction:   “Trust GOD and His Word, no matter what!”

Friend, did you know that GOD loves you dearly and wants you to follow the Truth, yet if you continue to fight against this, that even HE will give you up?  Be challenged by the Apostle Paul’s Spirit inspired comments directed to the Church in the corrupted society of Rome.  In Romans 1, he warns that people should follow the GOD they can learn about from the Creation, rather than worship and idolize the things and creatures in the Creation:  Verse 24—“God gave them up to uncleanness”; Verse 26—“God gave them up to vile passions”; Verse 28—“God gave them over to a debased mind.”

NEVER GIVE UP in life unless you have given up on GOD or HE has given you up to your own sinful choices.  Repent (change your mind and heart) from your sin and give up your life for HIM!