September 11, 2017
Philippians 3:8 ”Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” 

Something I’ve heard a countless number of times while being here has been “die to self.” We die to self in order that Christ may manifest Himself in us. When I came to a relationship with Christ, I didn’t know how much I would have to lay down. Old friends, old habits, and desires were things I specifically had to lay down. However, I think the hardest thing for me was laying down my desires and plans for my life. My plan for my life was to finish university with an elementary education degree and then allow the Lord to use me wherever He pleased. I had a hard time laying that plan down because I didn’t think my life would be good unless I had my education. Had I not decided to lay those things down before the Lord, in order that I may know Him, I would be stuck in the ways of the world. So I count all my plans and desires as rubbish, because that is what they are apart from Christ. I have found that there is peace in a life surrendered to Jesus. It is my prayer to one day live a life fully surrendered as Paul did.



September 12, 2017
Philippians 3:9 ”And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”

When we give our lives to Jesus, we are no longer under the law but under grace. Just as Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” We are to present our bodies as instruments of righteousness to God. The only way we can have communion with the Father and be seen as righteous is through Jesus. Growing up, I went to a church that was more on the legalistic and works based Christianity side. Self-righteousness, religious traditions, and good works are all produced by the flesh and cannot save you from sin. We obtain righteousness in Christ through our continual confession of faith in Jesus, that is total dependence and trust in Jesus. We are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ. (Romans 3:24) I no longer live in fear and in condemnation that my works aren’t sufficient. The cross is sufficient and has the final word.  There is so much peace knowing that all we’re called to do is love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and everything else will follow. My identity and righteousness is found in Jesus.


September 13, 2017
Philippians 3:10 ”that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

This week the Lord has been teaching me about what it means to be in true relationship with Him. We have been reading books on missionaries and the missionary I got was Sundar Singh. Sundar Singh was a believer fully devoted to Jesus. His ministry was primarily hiking up the Himalayan Mountains to reach the people of Tibet. Hiking this every time meant risking his life because of the intense weather and dangers along the way. However, Sundar realized the urgency of people coming to Christ and knew that he would have to put to death his flesh and be conformed to the death of Jesus. I was challenged greatly in this regard because I realized I still hold on to me life so dearly. I find it hard to lay down my desires and comforts in order to proclaim the gospel of truth. Being I true relationship with God means laying down our lives in order that we may know and serve Him more. Although I can sometimes be discouraged because I don’t think I’m where I’m supposed to be in my walk with the Lord, yet He continues to call me deeper.


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