Tag Archives: eternity

gospel, Jesus, salvation

Are You All In?

Leave a comment

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 CSB

The gauntlet is laid down here: for those who are to follow Jesus, there is a great cost. Jesus even gives two examples: first, a building (or tower), and second, a king going off to war. In both examples, they would consider the cost first. The same is true for following Christ.

This is not “easy believism” by any means. To bear one’s cross means to sacrifice all, to die to self, to completely change one’s life for Jesus. This means to be willing to do extreme things in extreme days, all for the sake of the call. This means that once Jesus has been received, there’s no turning back.

You are called to a life that is not your own because of the life given to you by Christ alone. This means not having a posture to love both God and the world. In order to serve God completely, you have to be all in. Simply put, it means that you must reject the ways of the world and receive the way of Christ. There is no middle ground here, according to Jesus.

For those in Christ already, are you all in, or are you still keeping a foot in the ways of the world? It’s not too late to change your ways and begin again to live for Him.

For those of you who need to trust in Him, this is a relationship in a new, abundant life! This is because it is Jesus who lived a sinless life, died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead. People who receive Jesus receive forgiveness for their sins. This begins a new life in Him, a life that is never the same again.

Where are you at here? Are you all in? I pray that you are.

Fran

Devotional, discipleship, God's Goodness, intimacy, Jesus

A Reflection…

1 Comment

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. —2 Corinthians 3:18, CSB


A simple truth: Jesus changes people. And when a believer comes to Jesus, he begins a journey in becoming more and more like Jesus, being slowly sanctified through the Spirit. Of course, this journey is not easy or fast, because it is a daily process. And it’s not a matter of self help or self improvement, because this is a supernatural work in the believer. Even more, the goal is to be less and less like the former self and more and more like Jesus Christ, so that the believer does not merely look like a better reflection of himself in the mirror, but instead something much, much better and permanent: the believer becomes a God-shaped reflection of Christ.

The point is this: stop trying to do it alone. You can’t do it without the Spirit’s work within your soul. This means that instead of trying to be a better version of yourself, focus on the One who is perfect already. In other words, instead of trying to make the imperfect, perfect, let the Perfect One, the Sinless One, the Savior, God-man, Jesus, do His work in you.

Is that impossible? Yep. In natural terms, it is. But with God, all things are possible, and when we mess up and blow it and sin and sin again, we can have confidence to ask for forgiveness and press forward after that. God is like that, both disciplining and forgiving those He loves and pressing them to conforming to His image more and more. He is in the restoration business, a business we all need every day.

So let the Spirit speak and work in you. Be changed in Christ. Come to Jesus for your salvation and forgiveness for your sins. Grow by reading His Word, by worshipping with other believers, by praying to the One who created all things. And look forward to the future in Christ, the day when we will all see Him as He is, the day when the mirror is no longer cloudy and the full knowledge is no longer veiled.

May your journey go well and your focus remain on your Savior, Jesus.

Fran

God's Goodness, gospel, Jesus, salvation, SaturdayScripture

The Day Between the Days

Leave a comment

“Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body.”
Mark 15:43

It was a toiling day and a grueling night. The Savior had died, confirmed by the Roman centurion. Jesus’ followers, distraught and scattered, had no plan, no focus, no unity, and little hope.

congerdesign / 2682 images

Yet one unlikely man would be bold enough to lead out. Joseph of Arimathea, a man who Mark called “a prominent member of the Sanhedrin,” courageously asked for the body of Jesus for His burial. Pilate granted his request.

The place where Jesus was buried, a tomb cut in a rock, had never been used before. The clothing, linen freshly bought and carefully wrapped around Jesus, was His attire. Roman soldiers sealed the entrance and then guarded it against intruders. There was no doubt that Jesus was dead and there in the tomb He was buried.

This was the day between the days. It was a day of silence, a day of waiting between the first and the third days. For the disciples, it was likely the longest day of their lives as they waited and wondered about what was to come next in their lives. But God was still in control, His power ready to be miraculously displayed the next day. As we now know, the best was yet to come!

Daily Reading, Devotional, gospel, Jesus

How Dare He?

Leave a comment

“They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead. So he took her by the hand and called out, ‘Child, get up!’” Luke 8:53‭-‬54 CSB

This child was dead. They knew dead. They were well aware that the 12 year old girl in front of Jesus had passed away. So when Jesus proclaimed that she was only asleep, they laughed in mockery. How dare He say such a ridiculous thing?

Yet as they were chuckling and talking among themselves, Jesus focused on the girl. “Get up!” Jesus commanded. What came next was, well, miraculous: this girl, this dead girl in which all had been mourning over, this cold, ashen faced girl arose from the dead!

Luke, a doctor, knew full well that this type of work did not happen naturally. Dead is dead. Yet Jesus has the power over life and death, sickness and health, heaven and hell. He is God, and His power overcomes anything we see as an obstacle. We are not, and we need to trust Him for everything, from the seemingly impossible to the tiny things we think we can handle ourselves. It all belongs to Him!

How are you trusting Jesus with all things in your life? What do you hold back on?

Devotional, Family, Jesus

Family Reunions Are the Best

1 Comment

I got to see some of my family last night. Oh, we might not look the same. And, yes, we grew up in different households at different times, but we’re still related. It was great to see them.

My family has a deep and special bond. It’s a bond that only comes through the blood soaked nails of Christ. It’s a common unity in the suffering of the Savior. It’s a common participation in the sweet sacrifice of a God-Man, made 2,000 years ago. We love Him because He first loved us, and we love each other because of that relationship. We are family and His love compels us.

Family bonds should not be easily broken. We might move on, but that blood bond remains. We might forget or lose touch with some, but one day we’ll remember and be remembered again. We might be apart, but we are still united, some way, some how. We are family, after all, and He will give us a great reunion one day.

The love of Christ brings all ages, all ethnicities, all sinners together as one. Love, the love of Christ, lasts forever as we become a family in Him. And by the way, if you don’t know your family, you need to. It’s not that hard, you just have to be a little uncomfortable and put yourself out there. But I can tell you that it’s worth the risk. 🙂

Thank you, Lord, for a little family reunion, for the reminder, for the taste of heaven, for the glimpse of the Banquet of the Lamb. Thank you, Lord.

Pastor Fran

Devotional, Jesus, Judgment Day

5 Reasons why Jesus is Better Than the World 

Leave a comment

Just a few words on why Jesus is always going to be better than what the world offers:

  1. He created the world and all in it (Gen 1:1, John 1:1-4, Col 1:16-17) 
  2. He loves the world (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9)
  3. He died for the sins of the world (Rom 5:8, 1 John 2:2)
  4. He will return again (Isaiah 62:11, Matt 24:30, Rev 22:12 & 20) 
  5. His glory will be forever (1 Cor 15:57, 1 John 5:12-13, Rev 21:7)

    There’s no comparison to the empty, 
    temporary things of the world. Remember that as you go about your day. 

    Be blessed, 

    Fran Trascritti