Christ Daily

When we give our hearts and our lives to Christ, we allow Him to come into our lives and change them. When this happens, we also let Him guide us and take control of our lives, letting Him take the lead. And then there’s a next step: we let our actions and deeds follow His ways.

However, that last step is not as popular as the first two – but it should be! Not to be confused with sinning, but after choosing to follow God, how many times do we shun those who walk into soup kitchens, because they are truly poor and homeless? How many times to we choose to sit down and not stand up for the Bible or for what God wants, because we don’t want to “make waves” with other people?

³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love^[a] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

- 1 John 2:3-6

⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

- Colossians 2:2-7

Christians not acting like Christians is like a rock star being shy – it’s unnatural, right?

written by Josh

Dance like no one is looking, sing like no one can hear, love like you’ve never hurt before, live like there’s nothing to fear.

Those are some very inspiring, motivating song lyrics by Newsboys. And in all honesty, why shouldn’t we live like that? And when you’re a Christian, sometimes you can’t care about what others think of you. If you care about what others think of you all the time, won’t it eventually start conflicting with your lifestyle?

Small, but simple for today - what really matters? It doesn’t matter what your atheist, punk coworker thinks about you and your lifestyle, but rather what God thinks – because His opinion is what truly matters, and is the only one that does.

So dance like no one is looking and sing like no one can hear! Do God’s work and live your life according to Him – because it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

written by Amy

Your house is on the verge of foreclosure. Your employer told you today the company will start doing some layoffs starting next month, and unfortunately you’re one of them. Your car is still in the shop, and you have a strong feeling that the mechanic is doing more harm than good. You just now remembered you forgot to feed the dog before you left the house. And on top of all that, it’s raining outside.

Yeah.

I know we all go through times like this in life, and they can be really hard. How are you going to deal with all this stress?! What’s all out there? Who are you going to listen to? Some people might recommend eating more food – lots more. Others may suggest to try smoking. The guy down the street may tell you to throw your hands up and file bankruptcy. There are so many influences out there – who should we really be listening to?

None other than God, of course!

My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

- Exodus 33:14

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

- Psalm 9:9-10

Trust in the Lord and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.

- Psalm 37:3-5, 7a

It’s important to tune into God’s Word. In times of high stress and trouble, listen to Him, and only Him – be careful of negative influences out there, because there are many. Keep your eyes on God, and He won’t steer you wrong!

written by Josh \\ tags: control, Exodus, God, Jesus, life, Psalm, stress, trust

Look at the young men in the image to the left.  Two guys.  Standing in the snow.  Taking a picture.  At first glance, they look like they’d be the typical youth of anywhere in the world.  Probably finishing up High School or starting college.  Maybe they have a girlfriend, and maybe they’re saving up to buy a car.  They are 18 years old at the time of this picture.

These two (along with a third friend, same age – not pictured) young men live in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.  A year ago, they were arrested for the brutal, violent, bloody murders of over 21 individuals.  What did the victims do?  Absolutely nothing.  Each and every one of them were complete strangers to the boys.  They literally were killing for fun.  For entertainment.

Another thing about their killings: they filmed almost each one.  One even made it onto the internet.  I saw this video a while back, and I literally did not sleep that night.  It is such a sickening thing to see, hear, or witness.  Do not attempt to watch it. The worse thing throughout the video was the faces, reactions, and the things the boys were saying.  They were laughing.  Having fun.  Smiling.  Cracking jokes.  As they mangled a man with power tools, they were having fun.

They are currently behind bars, and are now 20 years old – no doubt ruined for life.

What’s the most amazing part of this story?  The fact that Jesus loves them.

Those three, awful, wretched, murderous, evil killers… are still loved by Jesus Christ as much as you or I.  ‘How,’ you may ask, ‘Could God do that!?  That’s insane!’ That’s what’s so incredible about the God we serve.

His Love for us is so deep, so profound, that he, Jesus, would give his LIFE to save those three Ukrainian killers.  Jesus loves people like Hitler so much he willingly went to be nailed and hung from an old beam of wood and suffer naked for hours.  Jesus loves people like Saddam Hussein so much he sacrificed his body, poured out his blood, and died an INNOCENT man.  THAT’S how much Jesus loves us.

But so often people don’t see it, and they abandon God, and in doing so, they abandon that sacrifice Jesus Christ made.  His love for us is so deep, he’d give his body to save every last one of us filthy, wretched sinners.  All we have to do is put our faith in him, and follow Jesus.  That’s it.  Such a glorious gift, at such an easy price.

Roman’s is one of my favorite books of the bible.  I leave you with this passage.

“There is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”  -Romans 8:1-2

written by Matt \\ tags: Murder, Romans, Sin, Ukraine Murders

When we truly have Jesus in our hearts and at the center of our lives, it only becomes natural for us to want to share Him with others. And He wants us to do just that – to spread the Word – and to do it however we can.

We each have individual talents that God has blessed us with. For some, it is writing. For others, editing video is their specialty. Some have been blessed with the ability to paint and draw beautiful works of art. Others are brilliant musicians.

The list in infinite, and ultimately here’s the point: use what God gave you to do his work. And naturally, if we do, in fact, have Jesus at the center of our lives, we can’t help but want to get the Word out and tell others about Him. And what better way to do that than what you do best?

written by Josh \\ tags: God, Jesus, witnessing