Day 31: Your Last Today

TICK. TICK. TICK.

Today is the LAST day

of

CHRISTMAS IN JULY.

But is there ever

a

LAST DAY OF JESUS?

Hmm.

Think about it.

Was the CROSS HIS LAST DAY

when HE said,

"IT IS FINISHED?"

Was the TOMB HIS LAST stop

when the stone was rolled into place?

It certainly looked like the end.

But what appeared

to be

HIS LAST DAY

became our

FIRST DAY.

Because

HE ROSE.

The tomb was empty.

Death was defeated.

And JESUS was ALIVE.

So where is JESUS today?

HE IS HERE.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

 may be coming to an end,

but

JESUS ISN'T.

For

JESUS IS

born in our moments

with

THE HOPE

 that never dies,

with

THE PEACE

 that can not be shaken,

with

THE JOY

that is not based on circumstances.

Because

JESUS IS JESUS

everyday.

As time keeps ticking,

time can't contain

JESUS

because

"JESUS CHRIST IS [ETERNALLY CHANGELESS, ALWAYS]

THE SAME YESTERDAY & TODAY & FOREVER"

(Hebrews 13:8)

And if

JESUS IS HERE,

then maybe the question is

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH JESUS TODAY?

Because TODAY is your LAST TODAY.

You will never have this exact TODAY again.

TICK. TICK. TICK.

So...

WHAT IF you TRUSTED like you have never TRUSTED before~

to the point that your

TRUST became OBEDIENCE?

WHAT IF when GOD says,

"Do not be anxious about anything..."(Philippians 4:6)

you actually

BELIEVED HIM and brought everything to HIM in prayer?

And then you experienced the PEACE

that surpasses all understanding.

WHAT IF when GOD says,

"Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,

 for the LORD your GOD will be with you

wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9),

you actually

OBEYED and stepped forward with COURAGE because you

 BELIEVED

GOD really is with you wherever you go?

WHAT IF when JESUS says,

"Come to ME, all you who are weary and burdened..." (Matthew 11:28),

you actually CAME?

And you stopped carrying what HE never asked you to carry

and received the REST you have been craving.

WHAT IF

 when JESUS says,

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in GOD; believe also in ME" 

(John 14:1),

you actually BELIEVED?

BELIEVING is what makes OBEDIENCE possible.

Because when you really

 BELIEVE WHO GOD IS,

you begin to TRUST what HE says.

And when you

TRUST what HE says,

you want to OBEY.

GOD doesn't waste HIS life-changing WORDS.

HE means what HE says.

And everything HE commands

flows from WHO HE IS

And that is LOVE.

For JESUS said

,"If you keep My commands, you will remain in MY love,

just as I have kept MY FATHER'S commands and r

emain in HISS love" (John 15:10).

Oh,

OBEDIENCE

is

the sweet spot of LOVE.

It isn't abut OBEYING so GOD will LOVE you.

But OBEYING BECAUSE GOD already does.

So when GOD speaks and you OBEY,

you aren't trying to earn HIS LOVE.

You are learning to LIVE in it.

And that brings us to what comes

AFTER CHRISTMAS IN JULY.

For an entire month,

we have remembered

that

JESUS CAME.

HE came to LOVE.

HE came to SAVE.

HE came to SET FREE.

HE came to give us HIMSELF.

But now comes the question:

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO BECAUSE HE CAME?

Maybe it begins by getting the ME in us out of the way.

My plans.

My control.

My fears.

My wants.

My way.

My WHAT IFS.

So that JESUS can take HIS rightful place.

Because

"IT'S NOT ABOUT ME".*

Because

It's about JESUS. 

So tomorrow,

as we turn the calendar to a new month,

we begin

a NEW 31 DAY DEVOTIONAL JOURNEY~

*"IT'S NOT ABOUT ME".

For the next 31 days,

we are going to LIVE our seconds as though they matter.

Because they do.

TICK. TICK. TICK.

We are going to BELIEVE what GOD says.

And then we are going to put that BELIEF into action.

No more living in the

should haves,

would haves,

and

could haves,

when you can LIVE IN JESUS

who is

THE LAST~

 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and THE LAST,

the Beginning and the End"

(Revelation 22:13-15).

Because

"WHAT IF"

(listen to the song "WHAT IF" below)

https://youtu.be/Tt7dpZU6rUY