“I Double-Dog Dare You”
“yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
(Romans 4: 20-21 NASB)
and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able to perform.”
Early this week, at dinner, my husband’s chosen table became one filled with family members, and across the table from us sat two little girls: Brielle & Dylan. As we enjoyed our chips and salsa, chatted with the others (the adults) sitting to our right, we waited for our meal.
We were not disappointed.
- The chatter of the two little girls was adorable.
- The facial expressions of these two elementary girls were fun to watch.
- The activity of their small bodies as they squirmed in their seats brought smiles to our faces.
Then our sizzling-hot chicken fajita arrived.
When it was placed on the table between us, five-year-old Dylan’s eyes became much brighter, and she spoke these words: “I dare you to eat from that (pointing to the sizzling-hot plate).
“I DOUBLE-DOG DARE YOU!”
Immediately, I smiled at her words, picked up my fork; the challenge was on, and who backs down from a challenge?!!!
Stabbing not just chicken but a green pepper too, I placed these into my mouth as little Dylan watched enthralled, maybe hoping I would spew the sizzling-hot food from my mouth so she could giggle as only five-year-olds can.
I gingerly chewed the chicken and pepper, not sure if little Dylan might be right, and the sizzling food might just be too hot for my mouth.
- Amazingly, I DID NOT SPEW OUT THE FOOD.
- Unfortunately, DYLAN DID NOT GET TO ROLL IN THE FLOOR WITH GIGGLES.
What did occur: I took in the food, I chewed, I tasted, I ate, I swallowed & I believed—Even when unsure and filled with questions, we can taste and see the TRUTH!
Every single day, we learn something new. Today did not disappoint. I learned early this morning a Greek letter in the alphabet. For a long time, it has been a struggle for me to see X-mas and be okay with that statement because it seemed sacrilegious. Until today. That’s right. Today, in fact, early this morning, even before I turned on the lamp light, even as I read from the screen light only, the LORD taught me something new!
The capital ‘X’ in the biblical Greek alphabet is actually the 1st Letter for the word CHRIST!
Can we collectively express the only sound possible: “Awe!!!!!!!”
“Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;
(John 12: 20-25 NASB)
these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’
Philip came and told Andrew;
Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.
And Jesus answered them, saying,
‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
He who loves his life loses it,
and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.’ ”
Now, Jesus continued to say much more about living as His servant and foretelling His upcoming death and resurrection; however, for the time today, let’s pause to see what Jesus said about dying to our selfish nature and living for God’s purposes.
Five-year-old Dylan has gone to church since the time God placed her inside her mother’s womb, and during her tenure as a child, she has discovered the TRUTH ABOUT GOD!
Just this past week, Dylan spoke to her parents about her desire to be baptized.
This week she spoke about wanting to go to heaven.
Her pliable child heart saw the TRUTH.
- She tasted—She chewed on the TRUTH of God—
- She swallowed the Word of God—
- She was filled with God’s Holy Presence—
- She was not disappointed—She saw JESUS!
A tiny five-year-old did!
- Dylan’s faith gives her what she can never earn even if she works for the next eighty years, doing all the good works she can do with her hands.
- Dylan does not need to do anything—BECAUSE JESUS ALREADY DID EVERYTHING ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY & IN THE TOMB!
“Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;
(Romans 4: 19-22 & a capital letter repeat of Genesis 15: 5-6 NASB)
yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
- God does have the power to save a lost man’s soul, truly!
- God did send His Only Son to die on the cross of mankind’s sins!
- God did raise up His Son Jesus to new life, three days later, after Jesus had shown the watching world that He truly was dead!
- Jesus did overcome death so that we don’t have to!
- Jesus is who He says He is—the Savior of the world!
God’s Mercy does not give to us what we truly deserve—DEATH!
God’s Amazing Grace gives to us what we can never earn—NEW LIFE IN HIM!
So, Merry ‘X’-Day to you this holiday season, not ‘X’ because I am too lazy to write out CHRIST, but ‘X’—the 1st Greek letter of the name CHRIST.
Merry CHRIST-Day to you this HOLY-day season.
May this season of celebration, this Holy-Day of JOY become a season, a day when we do not place our eyes upon the tree, the decorations, the family, the lights, or the presents.
Truly, may we not love what this world offers & may we die to our own selfish nature.
Today, let us begin anew, dying to our selfish nature and begin living for God’s eternal purposes.
- May we only see the babe in the manger.
- May we only see the young carpenter boy, the Son of God teaching in the temple.
- May we only see the Redeemer baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.
- May we only see the Messiah praying drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- May we only see the Savior hanging upon the cross of Calvary, dying for our sins.
- May we only see God roll away the stone & see the risen Savior of the world.
May we SEE JESUS!
If you are reading these words and have never believed in Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind, then I challenge you to taste, to chew, to swallow & to
- BELIEVE—
- Even when unsure & filled with questions, we can taste &
- We can see the TRUTH of GOD!
In the sweet worlds of an innocent five-year-old—“I dare you. I ‘DOUBLE-DOG’ DARE YOU!”