Get ready to laugh and love it when you lose it!
The devil gets livid when God’s people lose it!!!
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
Satan only loses control over those who lose their life in Christ! – In Christ they are now “hid with Christ in God.”
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
Yes, they lose their lives into the hands of the LORD!
Notice in these glorious words below spoken to us just before He went to that cross to be crucified for our sins – to bring us to the Father and Himself (John 17). Jesus came to be crucified, buried, and raised again from the dead to glorify the Father and be glorified in us as the Father was glorified in Him. Check this out:
John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Jesus here speaks of His own death and burial and also, of that death to self He calls us to experience daily – and the reciprocal, the corresponding resurrection life which fills our lives.
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11
God only raises up those who choose to do things HIS way – which is unalterably the way of the cross.
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:” Isaiah 37:31
Jesus conquered death by dying, not by rising up. The Father raised Him from the dead only after the Son of God submitted to His own death (Hebrews 2:14).
Here, our LORD informs us to follow Him in the crucified life (v. 24), to let go of and “lose” our lives into His holy hands (v. 25), and to serve Him and follow Him (v. 26). The Father is honored in such!
Of this glorious passage, William MacDonald writes:
“John 12:21 No reason is given why they came to Philip. Perhaps his Greek name and the fact that he was from Bethsaida of Galilee made him attractive to those Gentile proselytes. Their request was a noble one indeed. ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ No one who has this sincere desire in his heart is ever turned away unrewarded.
12:23 Why did the Greeks want to see Jesus? If we read between the lines, we can surmise that the wisdom of Jesus appealed to them and that they wanted to exalt Him as their popular philosopher. They knew that He was on a collision course with the Jewish leaders and wanted Him to save His life, perhaps by going to Greece with them. Their philosophy was ‘Spare yourself,’ but Jesus told them that this philosophy was directly opposed to the law of harvest. He would be glorified in His sacrificial death and not by a comfortable life.
12:24 Seed never produces grain until first it falls into the ground and dies. The Lord Jesus here referred to Himself as a grain (or kernel) of wheat. If He did not die, He would abide alone. He would enjoy the glories of heaven by Himself; there would be no saved sinners there to share His glory. But if He died, He would provide a way of salvation by which many might be saved.
The same applies to us, as T. G. Ragland says:
‘If we refuse to be corns of wheat—falling into the ground, and dying; if we will neither sacrifice prospects, nor risk character, and property, and health; nor, when we are called, relinquish home, and break family ties, for Christ’s sake; then we shall abide alone. But if we wish to be fruitful, we must follow our Blessed Lord Himself, by becoming a corn of wheat, and dying, then we shall bring forth much fruit.’
12:25 Many people think that the important things in life are food, clothing, and pleasure. They live for these things. But in thus loving their lives, they fail to realize that the soul is more important than the body. By neglecting their soul’s welfare, they lose their lives. On the other hand, there are those who count all things loss for Christ. To serve Him, they forego things highly prized among men. These are the people who will keep their lives for eternal life. To hate one’s life means to love Christ more than one loves his own interests.
12:26 To serve Christ, one must follow Him. He would have His servants obey His teachings and resemble Him morally. They must apply the example of His death to themselves. All servants are promised the constant presence and protection of their Master, and this applies not only to the present life but to eternity as well. Service now will receive God’s approval in a coming day. Whatever one suffers of shame or reproach here will be small indeed compared to the glory of being publicly commended by God the Father in heaven!”
LOSE it for Jesus! Got to lose it to find it – to save it!
Matthew 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that LOSETH his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will LOSE his life for my sake shall find it.
Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his (own) life shall lose it; but whosoever shall LOSE his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
Luke 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will LOSE his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luke 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall LOSE his life shall preserve it.
Sister Debbie Lord notes:
“If I don’t unreservedly yield myself to the Lord TODAY, how can I say I’ve given Him my life?
I haven’t truly given the Lord my life if I haven’t completely died to myself and submitted wholeheartedly to His will and His Word TODAY!”
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Getting Lost!
Let’s read again and begin to memorize this one:
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
Declare these words above right now with your mouth, out loud, so that you hear the Word of the LORD.
The crucified life is the way into “the secret place of the most high.”
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms 91:1
There are no shortcuts.
Any preacher who is not telling you that Jesus non-negotiably calls you to lay down, to lose your life in this fleeting life, is preaching “another gospel,” is an enemy of the cross of Christ, and is making “merchandise of you” (Galatians 1:6-9; Philippians 3:18-19; 2 Peter 2:1-3). And, if you are sitting under that, you are supporting it, you are bidding Godspeed to it and will be judged with and as the enemy of Christ (2 John 10-11).
You have a Bible, so there’s no excuse before a holy God with whom we have to do. Now repent and obey Him.
We are not good, not one of us (Romans 3:10). If we don’t understand and own what the Bible states concerning the universal fall of all men in Adam, that there’s “no good thing” in us, we will not recognize the need for the daily cross – to be truly crucified with Christ.
The Galatians 2:20 effect! Getting up each morning and declaring this divine statement, the divine ordination of your conformity to the crucified image of Christ, is life-changing.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Also, here’s a triple threat package for your life with Christ, learning His cross and experience the power of His glorious resurrection in your personal, daily life!
PRAYER: Holy Father, teach me Thy way. Unite my heart to fear Your holy name and to learn the concept of the cross, of losing my life in You, just as You intended when You taught. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Cross Life | Support | STORE | Podcasts |
Abiding
Run that Ye May Obtain [podcast]
Don’t Walk. “Run.”
Saints we are finishing honest, holy, humble, repentant – crucified with Christ and confessing and never covering any sin (Proverbs 28:13).
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Sign up for free email devotional HERE... The Moments with My Master email sent out for the edification of the body of Christ.
Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | More on Assurance here | Because You Care Page | The Greatest of these is Charity | Be Ready in the Morning [podcast] | The Sure Mercies of David [podcast] | That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached [podcast] | At His Feet | Knowing God | The Cross Life | 100’s of Christ-centered Scripture-rich Podcasts | Christology = the Study of Christ




Abiding
“I have Espoused you to one Husband” [podcast]
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28
After detailing the things that would be occuring in the earth before His return, Jesus then instructs us what to do: “look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
We’ve come way to far to turn back now.
Now that the LORD has found and saved you, you are now engaged to be married eternally to Christ, the Great Bridegroom.
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:2
The word “chaste” is defined this way:
ἁγνός
hagnos
hag-nos’
From the same as G40; properly clean, that is, (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect: – chaste, clean, pure.
One source notes:
“The phrase “I have espoused you to one husband” is from the Bible, specifically 2 Corinthians 11:2. It is spoken by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, where he uses a metaphor of a father ‘betrothing’ a daughter to a groom. In this context, he is the spiritual father who has led them to believe in Christ, and he has now given them to Christ, the one husband, as a pure virgin bride.
- Spiritual father: Paul compares himself to a father who has arranged a marriage for his daughter.
- The Church as the bride: The church is the ‘daughter’ being given in marriage.
- Christ as the husband: Christ is the one husband to whom the church is being betrothed.
- Purity and faithfulness: Paul’s ‘godly jealousy’ is his fear that the church will be led away from its pure and simple devotion to Christ, much like Eve was deceived. He wants to present them to Christ as a ‘chaste virgin.'”
What bride is Jesus returning for?
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27
How we know His bride:
The true bride of Christ that He is returning for is in the Word, being sanctified and cleansed by it “with the washing of water by the word.” Jesus is returning for His remnant body, bride who are known in that they are walking, living in the Word. They are obedient to read and obey Him, it. Read Psalm 1.
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:2-3
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. … 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22; 24:13
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10
PRAYER: Father in Jesus’ name, please make me holy. Anoint my life to the death and burial of self that You might raise me up daily in Your victory and fruitfulness. Unite my heart to fear Thy name dear LORD. Into Your hands I here and now submit my spirit and life. In Jesus’ name.
Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | Sabbath Keeping Hebrew Roots Judaizers Exposed | The Greatest of these is Charity | Be Ready in the Morning [podcast] | The Sure Mercies of David [podcast] | That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached [podcast] | At His Feet | Prepared to be Used of God | Great Commission | Christology = the Study of Christ



Abiding
“Your Redemption Draweth Nigh” [podcast]
“Great podcast!” Robin Figtree
“Amen! This verse is hope for the remnant believers! As we are not to be like the world and the lukewarm Christians whose hearts are failing them for fear. Luke 21:26. But we are to put our hope and faith in our blessed Saviour who will come like a thief in the night. We are to live with an eternal perspective. And not to live in despair, hopelessness, and fear.” Karen Cochran
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28
After detailing the things that would be occuring in the earth before His return, Jesus then instructs us what to do: “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
Hebrews 10:35-39
“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
Jesus told us to “look up, and lift up your heads” when we see the signs of the end which would indicate His soon return. Rather than being overly preoccupied with the signs and Satan’s agents that Christ told us would be most evident just before His return, we should be all the more seeking the face of the Lord. Jesus is coming which should hasten us to do the ministry commission He left us to do—edify, nourish, teach and send forth His people into ministry to make Him known to the lost (Matthew 28:18-20; John 21:15-17; Ephesians 4:11-15, etc.).
“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Are you nourishing your heart daily in God’s Word? Who will you build up in Christ today?
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
Prayer: LORD, please root me soundly in You this day. Produce the fruit and good works in this vessel that glorify You. Help me to nourish, edify, and equip others of Your beloved people. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | The Return of Christ | Stewardship | Apostate Modern Church Exposed | Beware of the BUZZ WORD Bandits [podcast] | Preach the Word | Wolves Exposed | Church Membership Exposed | 100’s of Christ-centered, Scripture-rich Podcasts | Knowing God | The Cross Life | Christology = the Study of Christ



-
America8 months agoThe Drugging of America: The Pharmakeia Sorcery Deception [podcast]
-
Articles2 years agoChildren being Rescued in Tunnels: Happening Now – UPDATE!
-
Articles8 years agoSelf-Examination in Preparation for the Lord’s Return
-
Apostasy2 years agoSHOCKING List of False Prophets Most Believe are True




