Skip to main content

To Die is Gain

    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 whatever the cost is a faith that comes with great reward. I pray that His army is full of soldiers willing to give Him all they've got.


Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (NIV) [Paul]

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV)

 Joshua 5:13-15 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (ESV)

 Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (NIV)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Listen Up

    Is Jesus talking to you? I hear many people wonder how to hear God's voice and what to listen for. I want to offer a bit of wisdom on the topic. If you are wondering if God is talking to you, the answer is yes. We were designed to have a relationship with our creator and He is always there trying to get ahold of you if you'll only pay a little attention.     How does God communicate with us? The first way is through His word. Those are direct words from God Himself, written through His people. The Bible is our instruction manual to life. Whatever difficulty we may be facing, there is always an answer in scripture. God, having known every need before we ever needed it, has already provided an answer. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (ESV)     The second way God communicates with us is by talking directly to us. Just like Adam and Eve spok...
Post a Comment
Read more

Taking the Lead

    When you are in a position of leadership your entire life becomes public. You have people looking up to you and down on you simultaneously. Your life is judged more harshly not only by those who you are leading, but by God. It's not something one should ask God for flippantly. That in mind, how do you view your own leaders? I would bet that the majority of us have complaints about them. So how do we deal with that Biblically?     First, we need to recognize that leadership in a church is God-appointed. God chooses who will lead the church for a specified season. Do you not think that He could take anyone out of a leadership position at any time if He so chose? The point is, we need to recognize Jesus' anointing and honor our leaders. We also need to judge less harshly those who are in those positions. What would the church see if your life was under the microscope? Have grace and compassion for those whose lives are constantly on display. One of the most import...
Post a Comment
Read more

On Duty

    Many people think of the responsibility of leading others to Jesus as a job. But I believe it is much more than that-- it's a lifestyle. We think that evangelism is something we can turn on and turn off. But if evangelism were considered a job, we would always be "on duty." Some are called and gifted specifically in the area of evangelism, but what about the rest of us? If that is not our calling are we off the hook? Absolutely not! Jesus told His disciples (and us) to go into all the world and spread the word about Jesus. Not only to get them saved, but to make disciples of them. Once we have been discipled, it is our job to keep the process going. Ephesians 4:11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers (NIV) Mark 16:15 And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." (NLT) Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the...
Post a Comment
Read more