Jordan Hippler

You owe someone money. Lots of it. In fact, it’s so much money that they’re out to kill you because you’re unable to pay them back. The last few seconds before they pull the trigger with the gun up against your skull. You’re sweating profusely and your heart is pounding, questioning how you managed to sink this far into a pit of hopelessness.

God, WHERE ARE YOU? You question in your mind, as you hear the click of the hammer to prepare for the shot. The only shot needed to take you off this earth.

“Any final words?” He asks demonically with a smirk across his face.

“No, take me instead.”

The words of a perfect stranger ring into your ears yet don’t escape passed the cranium and into your brain.

Congratulations.

You’ve escaped death. How will you live your life from now on? A perfect stranger paid the price that you couldn’t pay, yet you still choose to live as though nothing ever happened.

He took YOUR place.

Because YOU were unable.

That, my bloggers, is salvation.

I’ve never been in any situation like what I described above, but I know that if my life came that close to ending, it’d be a wake-up call.

Wake-up America. Wake-up world.

You were once dead, but now you can live. How does that fail to bring you joy and peace? Christ has set you free, yet you choose to live in the bondage that so entangles you. Never again let anyone put the yoke of oppression upon you, because Jesus has taken that bullet.

You know what that’s like? That’s like a released prisoner choosing to walk around society in handcuffs. You’ve been enslaved long enough by your sins, Christ has set you FREE. Let him take the cuffs off.

He took more than a bullet.

And He didn’t owe anybody anything.

Now that I’ve got you thinking, how will you let it affect you?

He took your place so that you might have life and have it more abundantly. To the fullest. I think people confuse “abundantly” and “to the fullest” with earthly treasures and meaningless pursuits of joy. Joy is found only in Christ. Everything else in meaningless when compared to knowing Christ.

For those of you who have already “grasped all of this,”

why aren’t you telling people?

Jesus tells us to. A lot. Go and make disciples.

God called Jonah to Nineveh to proclaim the good news. What’s he calling you to do?

Be a servant.

Be willing.

Be humble.

Love others.

I’m preaching this same message to myself, don’t worry.

I’m so excited about serving the Lord both now and the days to come. I’m ready to up and go NOW.

But God has said not yet.

Greater things are still to be done here.

-Jordan