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Take up your cross

Jessica Koulianos Fear Of Men and surrendered life

Jessica Koulianos: ‘Fear Of Men Will Keep You From Living A Surrendered Life’

by Kriza Jo Tanduyan February 21, 2024

written by Kriza Jo Tanduyan

Jessica Koulianos discussed the importance of laying down one’s life for Jesus. She emphasized that fear of others can hinder living a surrendered life.

Jessica Koulianos

One of the founders of Jesus Image Church, Jessica Koulianos, shared a profound understanding of living a surrendered life. She discussed Peter’s denial of Jesus, followed by his transformation into a bold preacher through the Holy Spirit.

Jessica highlighted that followers of God must disregard others’ opinions to remain faithful. She prayed for the congregation to overcome the fear of people, stating, “Fear of men will keep you from living a surrendered life.” She further explained that those who are spiritually dead are unconcerned about worldly judgments—an aspiration close to her heart.

Jesus Image.(Screenshot). (2023). Jesus ’23 | Friday Morning , Retrieved January 26, 2024 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgcb9bEeVUQ

Take up your Cross

Furthermore, she mentioned Matthew 10:38-39, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” In these verses, Jesus was asking His followers to lay down their lives and follow Him.

Moreover, she reminded everyone, “To have victory over the devil, you have to die. You have to completely yield everything to Jesus.” She then encouraged them to give their hearts to Jesus and love Him during both good and challenging seasons. Jesus was always there for them when they had nowhere else to turn.

After that, she read John 8:28, “So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he.'” She then explained that the cross revealed who Jesus was.

Watch the full sermon here.

Reference | Jesus Image

Header Image: Jesus Image.(Screenshot). (2023). Jesus ’23 | Friday Morning , Retrieved January 26, 2024 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgcb9bEeVUQ

February 21, 2024 0 comments

Faith

Being Sold Out To Jesus!

by Corine Channell February 13, 2022

written by Corine Channell

I have some daily struggles. Geez, that is an understatement! Really? Don’t we all, in some way, shape, or form? I keep hoping some of them particularly will just go away. The fighting against them is the daily struggle.

I DIE DAILY

Today I was reminded of three words from the Bible – words that bother me – “I die daily.” (l Corinthians 15:31) Talk about a struggle – the apostle Paul summed it as feeling like a death he faced every day. Yikes.

First of all, did Paul mean literal death? Paul also talked about the resurrection a lot so it seems dying and resurrection go hand in hand, which is kind of an oxymoron. Life and death together, hand in hand?

“If anyone would come after Me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). The same thought is right here from Jesus Himself, that if we follow Him we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. The CROSS was/is a symbol of death/ a torture tool used by the Romans, and has always represented death. Wait. So Jesus said to follow Him, I need to carry a cross? I need to die to follow Him? Help me Jesus. Then, is my life a daily death? Who or what am I dying to? What exactly is the cross I have to bear to follow Jesus? And can I do it? It sounds hard. Oh wait. It IS hard.

DYING TO SELF

Could Jesus have meant our struggles with life in general would require some self dying on our part? Like, our choices, things we have to give up, things we must walk away from, all the things. We would need to die to ourselves…to die to our rights…to die to our choices…to die to sin…to die to our desires. Ugh.

THIS is the struggle every day. But die I must.

I always just hoped the struggles would get easier, or I would find closure, or finally be strong enough to totally overcome. And maybe all that DOES come to pass, but first I must die, in order to live. Read that again – we must die, in order to live. Really, this daily death is simply me being sold out to Jesus and NOT giving in to all the things that pull me away from Him. So because this hurts, can feel like losses, will break my heart even, yes – it feels like a death.

LIFE FROM DEATH

THIS – (wow) -” “You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world” (Colossians 2:20) Choosing to carry our cross (whatever each of our crosses looks like…); choosing to follow Jesus (whatever each of our walks looks like…), we WILL find life and freedom as we pass from death to life every single day. Jesus was our example to follow – “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) We endure the cross for the JOY that comes after! BAM! NOW I get it.

Dying daily is a choice. And as we choose Jesus, we get the sweet reward – we get JESUS.

“On and on, on and on
You carry me
You are there, You are there
Even in my wandering
When I fall, when I fall
Oh, let it be at the cross.” (“I Am Undone” by Kim Walker)

________

Casual Christianity Will Not Get You Into Heaven

by John Mathai July 31, 2020

written by John Mathai

Casual Christianity

God addressed the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3. In addition, the same message can be applied to churches today. The message commended the churches but also had its reprimands. Lukewarmness attracts a reprimand from the Lord. Which begs the question, does this apply to our churches today? He said, “I wish you were cold or hot rather than lukewarm for which I will vomit you out of My mouth…” (Rev 3:15, 16) It makes Him sick to see a lukewarm church. This could apply to each one of us. Have we become casual and accommodated the world? Have we been more concerned about the crowds and fitting in with the world rather than being hot? How would God address the church of today?

The Cross

Jesus went to the Cross for a reason. He did not have to come to earth as a man to suffer and die. However, He gave up everything in heaven, denied Himself, took up His Cross, and died. How does this compare with our walk? His call is to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. Do we measure up to His call? Can we say we are hot for Him?

Total Commitment

Many like the message of the Cross but from a distance. We wear a cross to show we are a Christian. However, do we carry our cross when it comes to death to self? Christ’s call is clear. He said leave all and follow me. All in Greek means “all”. There is no room for less than 100%. Why does God demand such a commitment? I believe this is for our sake. The devil is out to get us. Only a total commitment can keep him out. As a soldier, we must be ready to die for Him. His promises are abundant yet we are satisfied with a little. We have to choose whom we will serve today. I choose to follow the Lord.

John Mathai

July 31, 2020 0 comments

Articles

Living In Surrender

by Mel Taylor November 20, 2018

written by Mel Taylor

It doesn’t matter what language you speak. Your geographical location. The color of your skin, hair, eyes. Nothing about your financial status changes it. If you’re in a battle, and you walk toward those on the other side, with your hands raised. Everyone knows. That means “I surrender”.

So…. Are you surrendered- TO GOD ? Completely?

Take Up Your Cross

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.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (Luke 9:23-25)

And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto Him, Lord, I will follow you where ever you go.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:57-62)

The Sacrifice of Isaac (Obedience is surrender expressed)

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:1-14)

We have all known and read through this story several times, no doubt. Does it not speak to us what a surrendered life Abraham really had before God? Does it not show us the epitome of living a life completely surrendered to God and His will? He had heard God give His promises to him. And as we read in the Word, he simply believed what God told him (See Romans 4). It’s a perfect example for us. We also have, from that very covenant, thousands of promises in God’s Word for us all. A lot of God’s promises come to us simply because God loves us. He does make it rain on the just and the unjust alike. However, most come from living life in obedience. Most of them come from being fully surrendered to God. Fully devoted to Him.

November 20, 2018 0 comments