Living Life for Christ Alone

I had something else I was working on writing (which hopefully I will finish next week), but in lieu of my birthday, I thought I would write a little something to honor the One who created me, pursued me, and won my heart and life over to Himself.  I was singing "All I have is Christ" this morning and it got me thinking about my personal story and the many ways God has stepped in to turn the course of my life forever towards Him.  // "I once was lost in darkest night, yet thought I knew the way," the song begins.    // From the outside, you wouldn't have thought me to be very lost. I was a very good child. I was pretty good about learning from other's mistakes and making better choices than they did.  I knew how to obey the rules, too. And growing up in a Christian family and in church, one would have thought me a good Christian.  But I was quiet. No one knew my thoughts, because I didn't voice them.  People only knew some  of the good desires I h...

I think it's time I gave you a bigger peak into the many things God did while on my mission trip last month... I'll just write a little bit at a time as time permits. Fear I got ready for this mission trip wrestling fear unlike ever before. Little did I know that this was preparation for the very kind of enemy we would be facing in El Salvador. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." -1 John 4:4 If you ever have a huge battle with an enemy you rarely face right before ministry, realize God is preparing you to help others stand against the very same kind of enemy in your ministry! By the time I got to El Salvador, it seemed as though God had strengthened me in His battle against the spirit of fear, and now I was ready to reach out to those lost in fear with a hope I was hanging onto tighter than ever before.

Does surrender save you? I realize that question might have startled you, because it's rather upfront and to the point. Recently I had the privilege of spending time with someone who was struggling with this question.  She had prayed to receive Christ rather recently. In the time since she'd done that, she had heard the phrase, "surrender your life to Christ" in reference to salvation.  "I don't know if I'm going to heaven," she said to me with a look of fear on her face, "because I don't know that I've given Jesus everything."