A Christian is a person who has made a choice. We make that choice initially when we commit our lives to Christ, but we also make that choice day by day, moment by moment in our actions, relationships, marriages, and lives. The Christian life needs to be a consistent daily surrender to Jesus. We seriously have to go to our knees daily saying, “Lord, I surrender…. Please take charge of everything in my life today…I want you to be my center…my source….my life….my God….YOU must increase and I must decrease.” If you don’t make the choice to surrender daily, then the Lord can’t have His way in you, and you will never live up to your potential. You also will never receive the total peace that God really desires to give to you!
We surrender daily, and we are transformed daily by the work of the Holy Spirit. The moment you choose Jesus, the Spirit of God comes to live in your heart. Change should begin to take place in our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, goals, relationships, and marriages. Our change should become visible! People around us should see the change. They should see us as different. If they don’t, then did we really surrender to Jesus? If we are hiding our change, then have we really surrendered? And do we really want to hide our changes from everyone? Remember…Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 that if you deny Him before men, He will deny you before his Father!” Ugh…I wouldn’t want to do that!
I’m reminded of an old friend of mine named Jim. People at his work knew he was different. While he didn’t PUSH Jesus on anyone, he certainly didn’t hide Jesus or deny he was a disciple. When people asked the source of his joy, he let them know it was because of his deep relationship with Jesus Christ. The joy in Jim spilled out everywhere. Jim’s influence caused the secular company he worked for to change from just a handful of Christians to over 90 percent born again disciples of Christ is just a few short years. All of this because Jim openly loved on people….prayed with people…and showed Jesus to people ! Jim, the best salesperson in his company also changed people in the companies that he sold to! What a great testimony that is for us!
A Christian is a person who has accepted a call to deny self… our own selfish ambitions… and take up our cross. The Christian life is not easy. Jesus never promised us it would be easy. In fact, He said the opposite. In John 16:33 Jesus told us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” When we make the choice to accept the challenge of walking the walk, we will be blessed with great joy. This is when we will find fulfillment. I am confident God is going to bless Church In The Acres so that we can be a blessing. My prayer is that everyone in our church will pick up their cross this year. Be a worker in the Kingdom! See me if you want to get started, or get more involved. God bless. It is good to be your pastor!
In the Lord’s service till the last fish is caught, <><
Pastor Chris
