*Hi Saints it's good to be back in publication!*
Sold Out or Sell-Out?A Devotional
© 2001 Steve Lattier and Men's Help MinistriesSounds the same doesn't it? Its not. A very wise man said one time that if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything. No truer words were ever spoken. Your Christianity is a battle and you will be called every day of your life to make a judgment on your own actions as to whether you stand for or against Christ and all that he represents. Notice I referred to Christ in the present tense. I did so in spite of the fact that he walked the earth 2000 years ago. Even so, he is very much alive today, not just in our hearts or even our imaginations but real and alive just as you and I are. If we do not live a life that is sold out for Christ and remembering that it was he that did the buying and the dying, then we are not being obedient. I heard a story a couple of years ago that went like this:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There was a large group of people. On one side of the group stood Jesus. On the other side of the group stood Satan. Separating them, running through the group, was a fence. With the scene set, both Jesus and Satan invited the people in the group to join them and, one by one - each having made up his or her own mind - each chose to either stand with Jesus or Satan.
After a while, Jesus had gathered around Him a group of people from the larger crowd, as did satan. But one man joined neither group. He climbed the fence that was there and sat on it. Then Jesus and His people left and disappeared. So, too, did Satan and his people. And the man on the fence sat alone.
As this man sat, Satan came back, searching for something which he appeared to have lost. The man asked, "Have you lost something?" Satan looked straight at him and replied, "No, there you are. Come with me!" "But", said the man, "I sat on the fence. I chose neither you nor Jesus." "That's okay," said Satan. "It's my fence."</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It really is an all or nothing proposition. Jesus summed it up quite nicely when he said this, to his disciples.
The Word: Luke 11:23 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.Plain as day, Jesus made it known to the world that there is no ambiguity, no middle ground when it comes to his service. You either are a disciple or you are not. Now don't make the common mistake and think that you have to be a super-evangelist to be saved. But on the flip-side don't make the other common mistake and think that you can just be a good person and get into Heaven. Every day you make choices some are simple like what to have for breakfast, or more complicated like where to live. With all those myriad decisions that you make, each day you must make another, harder, more impacting one. Are you for Jesus or are you against him? Joshua had to point it out to the whole nation of Israel!
The Word:Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Well there it is in plain speech, “Choose… this day” and every day when you get up. It isn't just a one time thing, you can't tell God that you are all His then go off and live a life of sin and expect a reward when you die. You know the deepest recesses of your heart and so does God, but can anyone else tell what choice you have made? Can anyone pop in and see by looking at the way you talk, the way you live, the way you treat those around you, what your daily choice is?
The Word:Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save his life* will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. [26] What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?To be called by Jesus as his own then an outsider should not see a life that serves only the flesh. Your life should be focused on servitude of others not service of self. Words to be careful of is how often you use I, me, my, mine. UNLESS you are saying “what's mine is yours,” “How may I help you?” and that sort of thing. A Christian should rarely think of themselves and their wants first. Remember God's order for your family? God-Family-You. If you serve God first then your family second, your needs and wants will be covered.
The Word:1Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. [25] Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. [26] Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. [27] No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.The choice we make to be “Sold Out” requires sacrifice on our part, we cannot live a life of indulgence in every whim and fantasy that comes our way, but like Paul we must gain control of our fleshly desires and wants. Because if we are not “Sold Out” to Christ then we become a “Sell-Out” to the world and the enemy!
Pray with me: Father I am not up to the level of service that you would have me at. I need you to teach me how to sacrifice in a manner that is pleasing to you, Lord. I struggle balancing wanting things and serving my wants. Show me the areas that I need to change, help me to lose my life so that I might find it. Let my life show that I choose you every day, help me to put you first in my life every day. I ask that you do this in Jesus name. Amen!If you are not saved and would like more information please email me, see me, or visit us at
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