Is Christ Central?

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." - Ephesians 1:7

‎"If the Lord Jesus Christ is not crucial, central, vital, and occupying the very center of our meditation and our living, thinking, and praying, we have no right to look for revival." - Martin Lloyd-Jones

Here is a question for us to ponder today: Is the Lord Jesus Christ really central in our lives?  It is amazing how many people you can talk to that profess to be Christians but yet you never hear them mention the name of Christ.

Is Christ crucial, vital, and central to your life?  Is Christ at the center of your meditation, living, praying, and worship?  I know that many times I fail to make Christ central in my life.  I might say that He is with my words, but I deny it with my actions.  Could it be that the reason we are not seeing revival in our churches and in our own personal lives is because Christ is not central?  When you and I make Christ central in our lives it will make a difference!

There is a great deal of so-called Christianity that is quite Christ-less.  We must remember that it is all about Jesus Christ, and Him alone!

Prayer For Today:

Heavenly Father, may I remember and never forget the centrality of Christ in all things!  Forgive me for denying Your centrality in all things by my actions.  May You occupy my every thought, meditation, and prayer.  Help me to see that You are crucial, vital, and central to my life.  In Jesus name, Amen!

Who Are You Living For?

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15



Most of us are very familiar with this chapter of 2 Corinthians, especially verse 17.  It is one those verses that most every Born Again Christian can quote, but have you paid much attention to the verses that precede it?  As I was reading one of my devotions this morning, there was something in these verses that stood out to me and really spoke to my heart.  Who am I living for?  Am I living my life for me or am I living my life for Christ?

The implications of these two verses could not be any clearer.  Since we all are spiritually dead and that Christ died for all, then we are no longer to live for us, but rather we are to live for Christ.  Sounds pretty simple, pretty cut and dry, right?  It may sound simple and easy, but it is a hard thing to do many times.  Our flesh still wants to have it's way and have it's lusts and desires fulfilled.  That is why we must daily deny ourselves and crucify our flesh that we might surrender all to Christ and live for Him.  I am so amazed at how many people will profess Christ as their Savior, but yet they still live for themselves.  Jesus Christ purchased our pardon on Calvary and freed us from the penalty of sin, so He has every right to demand that we live for Him and not for ourselves.

If you and I are living for Christ, then it doesn't matter what the church down the road is doing, it doesn't matter what another person says about us, the only thing that matters is that we are living for Jesus Christ and pleasing Him!  In the last couple of days I have seen this played out in our community, people so worried and concerned with others are saying and doing.  Quite frankly, I am not concerned with what others are doing, I have a hard enough time just trying to live my life for Christ.  In the end, it isn't going to matter what someone else did or some other church did, the only thing that is going to matter is whether or not you lived your life for Christ.

So the question is this child of God: are you living your life for you, or are you living your life for Jesus Christ, the One who died for you?  When I examine my life, unfortunately, I am forced to conclude that so many times I am living for me and not for Christ.  What about you?

Prayer For Today:

Heavenly Father, help me to examine my heart today and see whether I am truly living my life for You.  Help me to die daily, to crucify my flesh, surrender all to Christ, and live for Him with my whole heart.  In Jesus name, Amen!

Taking Up Your Cross

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." - Matthew 16:24


Several days ago, I shared some thoughts about denying yourself.  I would like to share a few thoughts about what comes next after denying yourself, taking up your cross.  Again, this is not something that we like to talk about because it does not sound as appealing as John 3:16 to our flesh.

Do you realize that "your cross" is God's will for you, regardless of the cost?  The sad reality is that this message of Christ has been lost in our modern day contemporary Christianity.  We try to tell people that they can follow Christ without having to first deny themselves and without them having to take up their cross.  Taking up your cross is not an option if you are going to truly follow Jesus Christ and be obedient to His Word.

I'm afraid there is also confusion today about what constitutes taking up our cross for Christ.  Modern American Christianity says that taking up your cross could involve having health problems, a rebellious child, financial pressures, or even the consequences you face as a result of your actions.  However, these things are not the cross that you and I have to bear.  The cross that we are to bear is the voluntary participation in Christ's sufferings.  Notice what Paul says in Philippians 1:29, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake."  Then in Philippians 3:10 Paul writes, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."

Many Christians also have the tendency to go from denying themselves to following Jesus, but they leave out taking up their cross.  We can never truly follow Jesus Christ until we have denied ourselves and then taken up our cross first.  Just as Jesus Christ had to suffer and die on the cross to bring salvation, you and I may have to endure suffering for God to bring salvation to those around us.  Something else very interesting is that Jesus did not talk with the disciples about the cross until they had come to know He was the Christ.  You will never be able to endure the suffering of your cross unless you are convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

I'm afraid that contemporary, modern, American Christianity has forgotten this message, but there can be no Christianity without the cross.  It does not sound appealing, desirable, or glamorous but God's will for you and I involves a cross.  If you and I are going to truly follow Jesus Christ, then we must deny ourselves and take up our cross.

Are you willing to bear your cross?

Prayer For Today:

Heavenly Father, give me the strength to not only deny myself, but give me the strength to take up my cross and follow Christ.  Lord, may You be glorified through my bearing of this cross and may it point others to the Savior.  In Jesus name, Amen!

Denying Yourself

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." - Matthew 16:24


Why is it that we are so quick to quote John 3:16 and talk about God's love for us but we don't like to talk about what Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 or Luke 9:23?  I believe that we like to skip over verses like Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23 because they don't sound very appealing.  The thought that God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for us and that if we believe in Him we will have eternal life is a wonderful thought! However, when we think about having to deny ourselves and having to take up our cross to follow Jesus, that sounds like a bit much.

If you have not already figured it out, you are going to spend your lifetime denying self.  When you trusted Christ as Savior, you went from being self-centered to being Christ-centered.  One of the greatest temptations that you and I will face is to affirm ourselves while we follow Christ.  I'm afraid too many Christians today want a Jesus that does not impede their personal desires and ambitions.  We say "Lord, I want to follow you, but I want to stay where I am."

Most Christians today want to keep their lives unruffled, undisturbed, safe, and secure.  However, Jesus tells us that if we are going to follow Him and be His disciple that we must first deny ourselves, then we are to take up our cross and follow Him.  The startling reality of Matthew 16:24 is that most of us today are not truly following Jesus, even though we may have trusted Him as Savior.

Are we truly denying ourselves?  Are we denying all of our dreams, our hopes, our ambitions, and our desires? Are we totally surrendered to Christ in every area of our lives?

I would like to share with you three things that we all need to start each day doing:

1. Deny myself
2. Surrender to Christ
3. Live in the power of the Holy Spirit

Prayer For Today:

Heavenly Father, today may I deny myself and totally surrender every part of my life to You.  Help me to not be self-centered and focused on the temporal, but help me to be Christ-centered and focused on eternal things.  Use my life in such a way that You would receive all the honor and glory.  In Jesus name, Amen!

Learning To Be Content

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." - Philippians 4:11


Are you content with things in your life?  We learn from the above verse that it is not natural for our flesh to be content.  Paul tells us that he had learned to be content in whatever state that he was in.  If you and I are to learn to be content, it is going to take prayer, denying ourselves, and surrendering to Christ.

Have you ever noticed that you do not have to teach your children to complain?  We are quick learners when it comes to the art of complaining, even without any education.  If you and I are to learn to be content, it is something that we must cultivate and grow in our lives.  You would not be able to plant a garden without plowing it, then sowing the seed, and cultivating that garden.  Contentment is not going to grow in you and I by nature, it is something that will only be produced by allowing Christ to grow it in us.  There is something else interesting about Paul's statement in this verse.  It cost Paul some pain and suffering to learn how to be content. If you and I are going to learn to be content, it is going to cost us something.

Here is what Spurgeon said about this verse:

"We might well be willing to endure Paul’s infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented with learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually."

How are you doing with learning to be content?

Prayer For Today:

Heavenly Father, help me to learn how to be content, no matter my circumstances.  Help me to surrender my complaining and allow You to cultivate a spirit of contentment in my life.  In Jesus name, Amen!