Thank you, Bethany Dillon

I am so thankful for Bethany Dillon and Christian artists, authors, and brothers and sisters! It is through the encouragement of the faith of these believers that I can be reassured to continue to follow after Jesus. [Check out the CD "In Christ Alone - Modern Hymns Of Worship" by Bethany Dillon and Matt Hammitt]

This was the fuel for my empty tank of a heart this morning:

¹ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and byhis appearing and his kingdom: ²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, andexhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵As for you,always be sober-minded,endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

¹⁶At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed andall the Gentiles might hear it. So⁾ I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 4:1-5, 16-18

When I woke up this morning I really wanted to wallow and reflect on how tired I am, how I don't feel well, how I deserve a pity party, how I want people to do things for me, how I...me me me me, how do I fix MY life?

And then I read 2 Timothy 4. Right then, God just said: "STOP! This is not what your life is about--how you feel, your wants, your needs, your sorrows, YOUR life. No! I am the one who will judge the living and the dead. I am the one who came and saved you from the trappings of the devil and from your sins. I forgave you and gave you this charge to be my disciple. If you are to come after me, then you must lay aside your life and do the work of an evangelist."

Look at Paul, he faced persecution, imprisonment, death day after day as did and do countless followers of Christ. They do so because they hope in the kingdom of God that is to come not in this world. They do because they know that God will rescue them from whatever evil they may face and bring them safely to His kingdom!

So, brothers and sisters, STOP! whatever you are doing right now. Consider the cross, what Jesus did for us, and realize the calling for your lives. For your lives to be given wholly and completely to Jesus.

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33)

It is not enough to read this as a metaphor. It is not enough to say I will "give Jesus all of me" (in air quotes). No! This is a real demand and command of those who follow Christ. You have to give up everything. Yes, it is a hard thing. But it is necessary because only when we know that Jesus is of surpassing worth, when we know that he is worth it--worth giving up everything--are we able to follow Him in the whole hearted way that we must!