Losing My Life

    When we decide to follow Jesus, we are basically enlisted into the Lord's army. An army is a very good metaphor for the Kingdom of God. If we thought of it that way, Christianity would take on an entirely different meaning. That would mean that we would actually have to be dedicated followers of Christ willing to risk it all.     When you are in the army, all the troops move with one purpose in mind. Some are assigned to lead, while others follow-- but all are honored for their service. All soldiers will suffer in the line of duty and some will even lose their lives for the cause. While civilians live day-to-day just hoping for change, the troops are the ones who are actually out there making a difference.     It is our duty to work together as Jesus' army to accomplish His purposes on earth. An army that is busy fighting amongst itself is not a successful one. We have to be united to make a difference in this world. Some are called into leadership,...

    It is easy to look at our lives and see everything that is going wrong. We focus in on how things aren't looking the way we believe they should be and we get upset about it. In other words, we put our energy into all the things we can't change. Whether our analysis is Biblically correct or not, we have to let those things go.     If we are carrying around the frustrations of the things we cannot change we will have a very hard time being successful in what Jesus wants us to do. We cannot hear what Jesus is saying because we are tuned into the wrong station. Instead of worrying about the things in life that we have no control of, give it to Jesus. Don't waste your energy trying to do a job that was never meant for you. Pray about it and give over the situation to His hands.     This can be very difficult, especially when the things you want to change are having a direct affect on your personal life. But Jesus always sorts things out on our behalf and...

    There are difficult seasons that come in life when we begin to doubt God. Is everything He said true or not? It can be a great challenge to lean on His promises without seeing any hard evidence that He will come through. That is why it is called faith-- trusting and knowing without seeing. The Lord strengthens our faith in Him through difficult circumstances where we absolutely have to rely on His promises to get our blessings.      When those times come, remember that Jesus Christ is a God you can trust. He is always true to His word and physically cannot lie. Remind yourself of all the times He came through for those in the Bible, for people in your life, and even for you. He is always on time to deliver His promises even though in our minds we may perceive Him to be late.      Human beings are flawed and ignorant in the grand scheme of things. We should always trust His word and His timing above our own. I encourage you today to wait...

    We all know that one guy (or girl) who thinks they know it all and have it all together. The ones who see themselves as above everyone else and look condescendingly down on others. We may hate that guy, but at some point or another we are all that guy. We all think of ourselves more highly than we ought from time to time. Maybe it's in a specific area where you feel particularly gifted. But what does Jesus say about all of this?     Jesus tells us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled. In other words, if we act as if we are a big deal, it will be proven that we are not. But if we live a life humbled by the grace of Christ, we will be exalted. We need to remember that it is by His strength and blessings alone that we are where we are. If we lose sight of that an begin to think that somehow it is our doing, we will be humbled.      Keep in mind that spiritual principles oppose earthly principles. In the world, we need to prove how g...

    Life is filled with more than meets the eye. For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, we know that faith itself is the assurance of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). But are we aware that there are more than just angels of light out there in the unseen? Satan is just as present as Jesus. He is defeated, yes, but waiting for his eternal imprisonment on earth and wreaking havoc in the meantime.     Remember, you have an enemy who wants to bring you down with him. We have to recognize that there are more than just good spirits out there so that we don't accept anything claiming to be spiritual. Those evil spirits will pose as pure ones. They are deceiving just like their father, Satan-- who himself is the father of lies. Don't take things at face value because evil spirits are sly. They often mix truth with lies to confuse you and gain your confidence.     Be careful not to be sucked into the lies of the enemy. It is a dangerous web that leads us away ...

    Why do we insist on going through life acting so helpless? Do we not recognize what we have available to us through Jesus? Jesus has already provided everything we need to live victoriously when He died on that cross. Along with our souls He purchased much, much more. All we have to do is to receive those gifts, just as easily as we received the gift of Jesus and His salvation.     We are told that if we believe, we will receive what we ask for in prayer when using the name of Jesus. So all we have to do when we need something is to pray for said gift to operate in our lives using the name of Jesus, and receive it because it has already been provided. That is one reason why it is so important to read your Bible-- to know what He has promised you.     Remember that you were meant to live a victorious life through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you act helpless, you will become helpless. God helps those who help themselves. All you have to do is bel...

    Sadly, it is a common misconception that Christians cannot have fun. That Christians aren't allowed to do anything that might be considered "fun" and that our faith is one full of restrictions. Well, I make it a goal in my own life to prove that idea wrong. I believe that Christians should be having more fun than those who do not know Jesus!     You see, it isn't about what we give up, but what we gain. When we follow Jesus, our desires begin to change naturally as we seek Him. As a result, we start to seek out things to do for fun that do not have negative consequences. You may have enjoyed going out and getting smashed on a Friday night, but there are always consequences that go with those types of decisions. The beauty of a life with Jesus is that you don't desire to do those things anymore. You may find you still drink, but have lost the desire to overindulge.     That is just one small example, but the point is that following Jesus does not tak...