Losing My Life

    In a few short hours, 2014 will be over and gone. That means that this is my final post for my year-long devotional "series." As many of you know, I committed to writing a devotion each day of this last year. I am happy to say that I have succeeded in doing so! Instead of writing like I usually do today, I have decided to reflect on what I've learned through this experience.     The biggest challenge of writing was not staying committed to such a daunting task nor was it finding the time every day, but rather, coming up with the topics. It really challenged my faith. I had to rely on Jesus to lay a topic on my heart and have the faith to believe that He would continue to do it again and again. And on top of that, I had to be focused on Him enough to hear the Holy Spirit's whispering. It may not sound like it would be that difficult, but it proved to be really testing of my relationship with Jesus and in the end it exponentially strengthened it. Hebrews 11:1 N

    As we are ending another year and looking ahead to the next one, it is important to keep things in perspective. Although I've written about this topic many times before, I will repeat myself again to get the point across. Where are you in your commitment to Jesus Christ? You may like to think you are 100% for Jesus, but here's a good acid test: are you telling people about Him?     If you are in a place right now where church is just a kind of hobby and you go as a spectator and aren't spending your time telling new people about Jesus, you aren't as committed as you'd think. When our lives have truly been touched by God, we cannot help but tell everyone. We want the world to know of His goodness in our lives! Also, to tell others about Christ is to fulfill the great commission and the point of our life here on earth.     If you aren't out there actively searching for hearts to win for the King, then you may want to search your own heart to see where you

    Being born again doesn't just admit you into the family of God, but also into the army of the Lord. Being "all in" for Jesus is very comparable to enlisting in the armed forces. We are all joined together as one unit with a common purpose-- to bring the world into the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Once the whole world has heard His name, He will return to earth in His glory and finish off Satan once and for all.     That means that in the mean time we have an enemy who we fight daily. Satan and his followers are actively trying to bring down those who are truly living to make a difference for Jesus in the world. As a member of Christ's army, you have to be willing to lay down your life for His cause. We give everything we want up in order that His will can be accomplished. That may even include giving our lives.     It is my prayer that we all come to a place in our relationship with Jesus where martyrdom is not a thing to be feared. To be willing to follow Jesus

    When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with love and compassion for God's people just like Jesus was when He walked the earth. He saw people and was moved by the Holy Spirit to help them. So how do we know if we really are filled with the love of God as we should be? Love results in action. Love isn't just telling others how much you care-- it is actively being involved in people's lives and helping out where you see an opportunity. When you see a need in someone's life who you care about, you cannot help but get involved because of the love in your heart for them. That is the attitude we should always have with the community of Christ. When we are in step with the Holy Spirit He will not only fill us with love and compassion for people, but will prompt action to back that up. 1 John 3:16-18 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has mate

    In the world people are used to being judged by others. In fact, they even brace ourselves for that and prepare to judge others for judging them! People are so used to being judged and condemned they have this wall that they put up immediately in defense. I have found that this wall is especially high if someone knows that you are a Christian, because they are seen as the most judgmental group of all.      But what if it weren't that way? The model for Jesus' church isn't based in judgement. With Him He brought love and grace. Jesus even chose His disciples through the eyes of grace. If we could have the same mindset of Jesus when interacting with people on a daily basis, maybe the stigma of "judgmental Christians" could be abolished and more people would actually have an interest in knowing this "Jesus."      If you have been living your life in judgement of others, I have to tell you you're wrong. Jesus did not walk in judgment, but inst

   I know a lot of people who live in the past. Either they continue to reminisce on "better days" or they focus on how terrible their past was. In both circumstances you are forgetting to live in the present. How do we expect to be able to move forward in life when we are still focused on what's behind us? We cannot be fully devoted disciples of Jesus when we are so fixated on what's happened in the past. We must be a forward focused body of Christ. When we spend our time looking forward and upward, we are keeping in step with Jesus' will for our lives and His church in the present moment. I urge you to look forward and lock your eyes onto Jesus, allowing Him to dictate where you go-- not your past. Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in

    On Christmas day, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we remember also the significance of His birth. With His coming, Jesus beckoned in a new era for Christianity. Instead of the law-based, Jewish faith we now have the grace-based, gentile faith, so-to-speak. Because of Jesus' coming, Christianity was now available to everyone, regardless of heritage. Chances are good that most people reading this have no Jewish heritage. Without Jesus' coming, you couldn't have been a child of the One True God. And let's be honest, without grace we never would've made it either. Praise Him and thank Him today as we celebrate His first coming to earth to usher in a new era of love and grace. Luke 2:8-12 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you

   Exchanging gifts is usually a focal point of the Christmas season. Whether you like to get gifts, or give them, it is this season when we honor the biggest gift of all. We give gifts to one another to symbolize the great gift of Jesus Christ. God the Father sent His only son to earth to be tortured and killed for our sins and there is no greater love that that. Think about sending your own flesh and blood son to earth knowing He will be unappreciated, harassed, and eventually killed gruesomely. Because of God's love for you individually, He allowed His son to die on behalf of your sins. As far as gifts go, the gift of Jesus Christ is the most important one you can ever receive. If you don't know Him today, receive His free gift of salvation from the consequences of your sins. It is the best gift you could ever receive. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV) Roman

    As we celebrate the birth of Jesus in this season, it is important to put some things into perspective. Jesus was born by the virgin Mary and God the Father, making Him all man and all God. However, sometimes we forget what that really means. God loved us so much that He decided to become one of us and save us. To do so, He set aside all of His godly powers and become part of the human race He created. Philippians says He "made Himself nothing" and another version reads He "emptied Himself." Having done so, He not only saved our souls, but demonstrated the right way to live while on earth. He lived as a human and dealt with the same temptations we do, and He overcame, setting the perfect example. As you celebrate this year, don't forget the price He paid for you. Philippians 2:5-11   In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to h

    Why did Jesus come to the earth in the first place? Sadly, many people in this world still do not recognize the reason. The world was in total darkness before Jesus came to light the way. The Jewish people were His only followers and they couldn't keep the law of the old covenant, and they were suffering for it. God and man had a rough relationship. Then, Jesus came. As the meaning of His name indicated, He came to save.     Nowadays, many people think they aren't in need of saving. "I don't need God because I am a good person." That simply isn't true. If you aren't committed to Christ, you are going to suffer the same punishment of the one who poisoned our world in the first place-- eternity in the lake of fire. Hell was meant only for Satan and his followers, but when man sinned against God we became worthy of that same punishment. In order to escape that death, we needed to be rescued. We needed to be saved . So Jesus came to live the life we were

    When we become disciples of Jesus Christ it changes the make-up of our person. We become more like Christ and less like the world and it is a beautiful transformation. One characteristic stands out to me as an enormous indicator of the genuine transformation into Jesus' image: selflessness. When Jesus, the King of kings, came to earth He came not to force us into submission, but to save us from our sins. If that isn't selfless I don't know what is.     So what does that mean for us? I believe that you can test how developed your relationship with Christ is based on how selfless or selfish you are. The flesh thinks about how to gratify its own desires, but the Spirit thinks about how to love and serve others and bring glory to Jesus Christ. Where are you at on your journey today? Is your selfishness preventing you from having an effective ministry for God? 2 Corinthians 3:18   So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And

    In politics, we are always trying to solve the world's problems through laws and regulations and it never works. Likewise, all the violence that I have seen on the news lately is alarming. People are trying to fight violence with more violence and it makes no sense. I'm not taking any sides on the issues at hand, but one thing I am sure of: only Jesus can solve the world's problems. If we use laws and protests to fight, we are using worldly weapons. Not to say we shouldn't have laws, but that we should keep in mind that it doesn't solve the root of the issue.     If you want to be a world changer, you have to be different than the world. The Bible tells us to use Spiritual weapons to fight because we are, in fact, fighting a spiritual battle. We are up against Satan-- the ruler of darkness-- who is the cause of evil in the world. You can't win that battle with violence and other methods of darkness. Only light can drive out darkness. Dare to be different

    People who are living out a life with Jesus have many things the world does not. One trait that is particularly recognizable is joy. Happiness comes and goes, but joy remains no matter the circumstances when you truly know Jesus. In fact, it is that joy that helps us get through the tough times! The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. When you go out there into the world today, let your joy shine through your life for all the world to see! Nehemiah 8:10 And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (ESV) Galatians 5:17   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV) Proverbs 17:22   A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (ESV)

    In a world filled with evil, I have found that many people blame God for their problems. They question, "Why would you do this to me, God?," as if He were inflicting pain and hardship on them as punishment. This is not the case. Satan coexists with man on earth, and spends his time here trying to sabotage what God intended for good. Yes, there are consequences for our sins, but Satan is the ultimate author of despair and darkness. However, Jesus is responsible for everything good and perfect in the world. God is good all the time and all the blessings and joy in our lives come from Him. His goodness never fails even though we are undeserving. Focus not on evil, but on His Heavenly gifts, and always remain thankful for what you've been given. Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV) James 1:17   Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down fr

    We have this misconception that when we give to others, whatever we have given is lost forever. In this Christmas season, it is important to recognize the truth. What you give will come back to you. Like a farmer planting seeds, the seeds grow up to produce a great harvest. Jesus wired us to give and give abundantly. It is a true test of our hearts if we can give what He asks us to without hesitation. He often impresses on us to give to others, if we are tuned in enough to hear it. It is His wish that we listen to those things He puts on our heart to give, and to give them cheerfully. Give cheerfully whatever He has put on your heart this holiday season as we celebrate the ultimate gift of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 9:7   Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (ESV) Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with

    Following Christ is not an easy and glamorous lifestyle. Of course, are abundantly blessed for following Jesus, but to follow Him also means to pick up your cross daily and share in His sufferings. We live in a world that is run by Satan and his plot is always to come against anything that stands for good in this world. As Christians, that means that we will be targeted directly-- and it is only worse the more good we are doing. Yet when we are serious for Jesus, we wear it like a badge of honor to be persecuted for what is right. In fact, if you have never been persecuted, I daresay your faith is not very sincere. How do we handle persecution? By refusing to retaliate and instead praying for those who come against us and taking joy in the honor of suffering alongside Christ. 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (ESV) John 15:18 If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. (ESV) Matthew 5:10

    It's typical to tell others in the Christian community, "I'll pray for you." However, sometimes those words feel like a cop-out. I think we need a reminder of just how powerful prayer is. There is nothing about prayer that is lazy or ineffective-- just read scripture! When we give our circumstances over to God in prayer, trusting Him to take care of them, is is the most proactive thing we can do. Don't get me wrong-- Jesus does move on our hearts to take action. However, the first thing we should do is pray. We should be speaking to God constantly and always seeking His guidance. Do not wait to use prayer as your last resort, because no matter how big or small the circumstances, Jesus is always the right solution. John 15:7   If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (ESV) James 5:16  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (NIV) Philippians 4:6   Do not be anxious about anythin

    The beauty of being in the church of Jesus is that you are enveloped into a family of people who are there to help you on your journey of faith. The Lord has not left us alone. Besides giving us His son, He also gave us each other. We were designed to live in an environment where we are interconnected with his people. When we are down, they lift us up and vice versa. We not only gain a family to rely on, but we become a family member to rely on. When one is weak, others are strong. If you are not involved in a church, I urge you to find one as soon as possible. Without others to share in your journey, it makes it impossible to keep on the straight and narrow. We just weren't meant to do it alone. Let your brothers carry your burdens, as you carry theirs. Galatians 6:2   Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (NIV) Romans 15:1   We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (NIV) Gala

Ephesians 3:20-21   Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (NIV)     This passage in Ephesians jumped off the page at me today. It made me think.... Are we living every day in the reality that God can do anything? I think that often, in our humanity, we limit God. We place Him in a box and start to convince ourselves that He can only do things that we see and understand, when in fact that is the biggest lie of the century. When we see no way out of our circumstance, there should be hope because we know that God sees the whole picture and the way out. But when we place the limits of our human imagination on Jesus, everything seems impossible-- because it is! He is the only one who makes all things possible. Let that reality sink in today when you face circumstances that seem impossibly large. You fo

    These days, a lot of ministries are focusing on the love of Jesus, which is absolutely wonderful! However, I think there is another attribute of God that we often leave out because it requires so much accountability-- the freedom that the Lord gives us to operate in. Without it, the true love we get from Him and give back to Him could not be possible. There is no love if there is no choice. He has given us the freedom to choose Him and to love Him.     That means that every day we get the choice to follow Him or not to follow Him. It isn't a one-time decision, but a decision we have to make over and over until our time on the earth is over. We can just as easily choose sin at any moment, so it means that we constantly have to be responsible and aware of our actions and have others in our life to hold us accountable as well. The body of Christ is designed so that we can lift each other up and keep on the narrow path.      I encourage you to stay vigilant. Following Jesus

    In Jesus' vineyard, we are the vines and He is "gardener," so to speak. He takes our lives like vines and He prunes us so that we will produce fruit. That means that He cuts off the branches in our life that are not going to produce what's beneficial for us, out of His great love for us. After that, the branches that are producing good fruit begin to produce even more without being held back by the branches that were not. We have to trust in this process. Though it can be painful for Jesus to cut back those bad branches in our life, it is actually producing more life and more fruit for us in the long run. Allow Him to be the gardener of your life and watch it blossom. John 15:1-4 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remai

    As sons and daughters of the living God we are granted many privileges. One of those is that we are given authority over Satan and his followers when we use the name of Jesus. Therefore, knowing that we serve an all-powerful God who has already defeated the enemy and that we have authority over the darkness, we should not live our lives in fear.     The word of God makes it very clear that we shouldn't be in fear. In fact, I hear the phrase, "do not fear" is written 365 times in the Bible (although I haven't counted myself). I think the Lord got his point across. We were never meant to live this life in fear of an enemy who has already been defeated. Start walking with confidence and don't let Satan intimidate you for a moment. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (ESV) Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold

    When someone tells us they love us, it may give us the warm fuzzies, but if the phrase had no other implications it'd be meaningless, right? Why, then, do we choose to live our lives that way? We talk a bunch of talk, but we don't follow through. We say we love God, but then we fail to live our lives in a way that shows it. What does that say about our faith? It says that we are not committed to Jesus Christ. It says we are adulterers with the world. We say we love Him, yet we give ourselves over to darkness instead. Commitment has become a bad word in society today and I challenge you to change that. Honestly evaluate your life-- are you walking out the lifestyle that you say you believe in? Do you really love Jesus Christ enough to completely commit yourself to Him, as a bride does a groom? Luke 10:27   And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as you

    In the busy seasons of life, we have to force ourselves to stop and be still. Even when it feels like we have no time, we have to make time for Jesus. If He is the one who takes us through our storms to the other side, why would we not make time for Him in all the madness? Is He not bigger and more important than everything? Today I want to remind you to be still. Allow time to spend with your Lord. Whether you pour your whole heart out to Him or simply sit in the peace of His presence, setting this time aside will change your entire day. Don't let the concerns of the world stop you from spending precious moments with your savior. Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV) Psalm 46:10   He says, “Be still, and know that I am God" (NIV)

    The first and most important commandment is one that we often brush aside. It seems so simple and we've heard it a million times, but are we actually following through? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." I think we can all agree that's a pretty intense love.     Many churches put emphasis on loving others, which is all perfectly fine, but it is interesting to note that "loving your neighbor as yourself" is second to loving God. Our focus should always be on Him above all else. I challenge you today to fall in love with Jesus the way you have fallen for a romantic love interest. Treat Jesus with that same sort of focus and interest. Look for the things that you admire and adore in Him (and I promise you, they're endless) and give Him your heart today. Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you

    Following Jesus is a day-to-day thing. Every single day we start off fresh with Him. Our yesterdays of mistakes, fears, doubts and even triumphs are over. When we wake up we have a choice-- to follow and trust Him... or not. Choosing Him means that we cannot make our own plans of security in case He isn't the real deal, but that we decide to follow where He leads. We trust Him each day to provide for our needs, or our "daily bread." We decide to deny our own ways of living to follow His and take up our crosses. You have the choice today and every day. I pray you choose Jesus. Lamentations 3:22-23   Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (NIV) Matthew 6:11   Give us this day our daily bread (ESV) Luke 9:23-24   Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to sa

    The verse Psalm 37:4 is quoted often-- "He will give you your heart's desires." Unfortunately, I think it is a bit misunderstood. Our heart's desires referred to in this verse are the desires placed there by God, not by the flesh. We may desire what is sinful and not healthy for us, but the Lord replaces those desires with righteous ones when are pursuing a relationship with Him. The desires of our heart should be from Jesus and of course He will satisfy those when we are seeking Him. If you were thinking that you could use Jesus as a means to receive any sinful desires that could be in your heart, you are wrong. The point is this: when we are seeking Him, we are doing just what we were designed to do. That is why a life lived with Jesus is so altogether fulfilling. Establish a relationship with Jesus where He is number one in your life, then allow Him to transform your desires and ultimately fulfill them. Psalm 37:3-4   Trust in the Lord and do what is good;dwe

    When hard times fall on us it is hard to think of anything but, "when will this be over?" We might recognize that we have to endure trials, but it doesn't stop us for wishing them to be over as soon as possible. I believe this is the wrong perspective to have. We should be getting comfortable in those times of trial instead of being impatient for them to end. We have to recognize the significance of those times in our lives. Those are the times when we are growing our faith and they should be celebrated! Without the times that test us, we would be walking out a stagnant and lifeless faith with less Jesus and more of ourselves. If you're facing a trial right now, I encourage you to buckle up, settle in and enjoy the process of growing your relationship with Jesus. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10   But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s po

    How many of us have missed opportunities because in the moment we couldn't bring ourselves to say or do the thing our heart wanted to? This happens all the time in our Christian walk. I find myself concentrating too much of the possible negative consequences of my actions instead of the possible positive ones.  I think things like, "if I offer to pray for him he might get freaked out..." And by the time I've come to my senses the moment is gone.     I just want to encourage you today to be confident in your walk with the Lord. Quit missing opportunities to advance the gospel because you fear the consequences. Think of all the great things that could come of you stepping out of your comfort zone to introduce someone to the real Jesus. What if they think you're weird? What if they say no? But what if they say yes ?     We are called into a life of boldness. If it is on your heart to act, then act. Chances are that Jesus put that desire there for you to act o

    Do you struggle with the feeling that you aren't good enough? We've all had the thought at least once. We look at others and see how much better they are at any particular thing and how we don't measure up. We beat ourselves up because we can't cook like her or sing like him. The root of insecurity is comparing yourself to other people.     When we are comparing ourselves to others we are comparing between flawed individuals. We see in others the things that we aren't good at ourselves and feel terrible when we don't measure up. The truth of the matter is that we all have our strengths and weaknesses and they are different for everyone (thank God). We are designed so that we work well as a body of Christ, filling in where another lacks. When we spend so much time focusing on our weaknesses versus another's strengths, we miss the whole point of what Jesus created us for.     Rest assured that the Lord has given you your own strengths and gifts. Instea

    As today marks the first day in December, I am reminded of one of my favorite family traditions of the season-- the Advent calendar. From December 1 until December 25 we open a small gift each day. If you've grown up in the church, you may recognize the tradition of Advent. Different churches and denominations celebrate differently, but the idea is the same. So what does this season of Advent really mean?     Advent literally means "coming" or "arrival." It is in this season that we celebrate the first coming of Jesus to earth, and likewise anticipate the second coming prophesied in the Bible. The second coming is mentioned on multiple occasions in the Bible, and while there are many questions concerning this topic, a few things are clear. Firstly, that we will not know when the end will be. While many people have tried to guess based on the signs that are presented through scripture, the Bible clearly states that no man will know the day or hour. More imp