Nothing Without Him

"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."

1 Corinthians 12:3

     I don't even know what to say. How can I? All I can do right now is point to Jesus. Look at Him! He is so worthy, and I am so wretched. I don't deserve any of His attention, any of His love... much less Him actually coming and LIVING in me. 

     And yet.... He gives me His attention, He loves me, and He lives in me. And all of that is because of Him. Because of my sweet, awesome, merciful, loving, all-powerful Jesus Christ. Nothing of "me" wants His ruler-ship. Every bit of regard and love and acknowledgement of who He is comes from Him. Isn't that just amazing? I can't even acknowledge and accept that He is the King of Glory and Creator of Heaven and earth without Him working it in me. I can't even love Him naturally, and yet, He wants me. It isn't fair. But that's the way He has it. I couldn't be more thankful and humbled. 

     Here are a few more verses that the above led me to find. Please, take the time to allow His Holy Word to work in your heart. Allow the "two-edged sword" of God to separate the flesh from the Spirit. 

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

Matthew 16:15-17

"But when the Comforter is cone, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."

John 15:26

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God."

2 Corinthians 3:5

     Here are more verses to look up if you wish. 

     One final thought: every work of salvation if of Christ, and Christ alone. He is the one that makes us conscience of Him. :) So, so amazing!

Mark 9:39

1 John 4:2,3

Ephesians 2:8

1 Corinthians 2:10

Galatians 1:16

1 John 15:26

1 Corinthians 15:10

Philippians 2:13

Being Poured Out for the Weak: Part Two

“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

God truly does work in mysterious ways. When I wrote the previous post yesterday, I simply planned on writing an encouragement and an exhortation to live a life spent for Jesus, and share in how He is growing me in this. However, God seemed to have something bigger in mind. As you read this, please know that I am saying this to myself as much as to you.

God calls us to be spent. Once we are saved, brought into the blood of Christ, and taught to watch over our souls, He teaches us how to turn outward. If we spend our lives focused on me, me, me, we don’t have Christianity, we have “ME-ianity.”  CHRISTianity is supposed to be focused on Jesus; looking at what He is looking at, doing what He is doing, thinking what He is thinking, and caring for what He cares about.

As an outflow of this we turn outward. Our eyes see those in need that we simply passed over before. Our hearts ache for the sin in this world and the pain that so many people endure. Our hands are compelled to help and give. All of this in the power of Christ.

“And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away.”

Matthew 5:41-42

We are commanded to be givers, not takers. And even though we have absolutely nothing in and of ourselves to give (even our righteousness “is as filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6), in Jesus we have everything we could possibly need and more. All the strength this world needs is found in Him alone.

We as Christians are the strong ones in the world. It may not seem like it, but remember, you are not giving of what you have, but of what Jesus has. Yes, He calls you to spend yourself. Giving can be exhausting, difficult, costly, and even scary. But the more you give, the more you get; so next time you can give more. If you just cling to what strength you have been given, it will fade and sour. The only way to get more is to give it away.

Jesus asks us to give in many different ways. It could be through prayer; giving up your resources of strength, time, and energy to pray for people you know, events, the weak and poor, etc. Prayer is the Christian’s ultimate weapon. He may also ask you to give of your money, your time, your energy, or anything else you may possess; which, really becomes Christ’s when you become a Christian. This quote by Major Ian Thomas sums it up beautifully:

“The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you – your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything – then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it!”

Ian Thomas

Everything you have belongs to Jesus. Allow Him to spend it as He sees fit.

My Heavenly Father has been challenging me in this lately, more than ever. He is teaching me to disregard what I want and ask Him what He wants. I am learning to give up energy and time to wrestle in prayer for burdens that HE places on me. I am learning to trust Him to provide just the right amount of money for what is necessary at exactly the time it is needed. I am learning to give up even good things for the sake of His glory and to spend more time in His presence. And let me tell you, it is SO worth it! As Hudson Taylor once said, “I never made a sacrifice.”

So, I challenge you to give. It can start with the smallest smidgen. That may be all the strength you have right now. But it will grow. God will give you what you need, when you need it. You can pray for someone in need. You can make a meal for a busy or elderly neighbor. You can do chores around the home that no one else wants to do. You can write a note of encouragement to a hurting or discouraged friend. You can sponsor a child in poverty. You can go on a mission trip to physically help people in need and give the life giving news of Jesus.

Just pray about it. He will tell you what to do. Let it come from Him. If you try in your strength, you will fail. But, oh, what joy! We don’t ever need to try in our strength, for His is more than sufficient!!!

And just like that, there is a very real crisis for us to respond to. When I got on the internet this morning, I saw the headlines about a shooting in Colorado. An armed and dangerous man walked into a theatre where the Dark Knight Rises (new Batman movie) was playing and shot most of the people in the room. 12 people died, and it is estimated that 38 were injured, many of which are still in critical condition.

So, church of Christ, are we going to sit here and wring our hands and worry and despair? Or are we going to rise up in prayer and the strength of Christ? Are we going to have doubts and trust more in the power of the Enemy than the power of Jesus Christ? Or are we going to stand firm in our faith, trusting that God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), that He is ALWAYS in control, and that His heart breaks over this as much as ours? Are we going to shake our heads sadly, cry a few tears, and turn away to the next distraction? Or are we going to go to our knees in prayer, standing in the gap for those who are weak and hurting without Christ, pouring out all we have for our brothers and sisters, knowing that God can (and I believe will) bring a great victory out of this seeming defeat?  It is up to you, but I pray that you will open your heart to God. Listen, trust, and obey what He tells you. Then stand back, and watch what our God will do!

This exhortation and challenge is very much for my soul as well. I do not pretend to have perfected in any measure the call to give. God is challenging me very much in this, and I pray that He gets all the glory in this. I welcome any comments and concerns over this post.

For King and kingdom,

Victoria Eira

Being Poured Out for the Weak: Part One

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me"

Matthew 25:40 

     I would like to introduce to you my Compassion International kiddos. They are so special to me and have been such a blessing in my life for the short time I have been their sponsor. God challenged me to pour out my love and resources for someone in very real need about 4 or 5 months ago; trusting Him to provide the monetary resources necessary to support a Compassion kiddo. About two months ago, He challenged me to step it up to not only one kiddo, but two. Learning to trust Him is a life long lesson as He leads us to deeper and deeper surrender of every aspect of our lives to Him. He came for the broken and needy of this world, and He makes strong His saints so He can pour them out for the weak in this earth. These lost, broken ones are His special people, and serving them is a practical way to serve Jesus Himself. So, trust Him. He is so worthy, and He is well able to fulfill that which He promises. 

     Elvis Armando Ramirez Barrera is nine years old and lives in El Salvador, Central America. I became his sponsor on April 15th, 2012. 

     Silvia Oranga is fifteen years old and lives in Kenya, Africa. I became her sponsor on June 25th, 2012; her birthday!

     Picture Update for Elvis! I just got this new photo in the mail yesterday. Thought you might like to see a new photo of little Elvis. :) 

     I would greatly appreciate if you would pray for these two precious kiddos. Prayer is the most powerful weapon a Christian can wield and the greatest gift they can give. So let's shower these kiddos with prayer; prayer that God's plan for them would be realized and His glory seen in and through their lives. Thank you! (comment on this post to let me know if you would like updates on what to pray for.)

     Compassion International is a wonderful organization that pairs kids in poverty situations with sponsors from the U.S. The sponsorship money goes towards several life changing things, such as: nutritious snacks and meals, educational opportunities, health and hygiene training, medical checkups, the caring embrace of a local church, and the message of God's love through Jesus Christ. For more information you can visit their website at www.compassion.com. Set a child free from poverty, in Jesus name. 


Sweet Blessings in our Jesus Christ,
Victoria Eira
 

Praising Jesus

    

     Recently, God seems to have been giving each day somewhat of a theme. Today's theme is Praise & Worship. Learning to praise Him, worship Him, and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving is such an amazing lesson. Jesus gave us the gift of music and singing as a way to praise Him. 

     So, here is one of my favorite worship songs; None Among, by Matthew Smith. Plus one more by him that enjoy just as much. I especially like songs that use hymn type language (or just hymns, those are awesome too!) and are full of language regal and strong. I listened to this song today and was reminded afresh just how one-of-a-kind our Jesus is. He is truly above and beyond ALL else!  

 None Among

When by faith my Lord I see
Bleeding on a cross for me
Quick my idols all depart
Jesus gets and fills my heart

Chorus:
None among the sons of men
None among the heavenly train
Can with Jesus then compare
None so sweet, none so fair

Soon my tongue would fain express
All His love and loveliness
But I lisp and falter forth
Broken words, not half his worth

Oh I try and try again
Still my efforts are in vain
And I know despite my pride
That his truth will still remain
Idols crowd my heart and mind
And demand I shed my blood
But the Lord, the risen Christ
Has secured me in the flood
Has secured me in the flood

His Love Can Never Fail

I do not ask to see the way
My feet will have to tread;
But only that my soul may feed
Upon the living Bread.
'Tis better far that I should walk
By faith close to His side;
I may not know the way I go, but oh, I know my Guide.

Chorus:
His love can never fail, His love can never fail,
My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.
My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.

And if my feet would go astray,
They cannot, for I know
That Jesus guides my falt'ring steps,
As joyfully I go.
And though I may not see His face,
My faith is strong and clear,
That in each hour of sore distress
My Savior will be near.

I will not fear, though darkness come
Abroad o'er all the land,
If I may only feel the touch
Of His own loving hand.
And though I tremble when I think
How weak I am, and frail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His love can never fail.

~Victoria Eira

Puzzles

 Jeremiah 17:9

     Sort pieces, side and middle; build edge, starting with corners or obvious colors/patterns; start filling in the middle; place last piece; sit back and enjoy the finished product, satisfied that you have completed something and solved at least one puzzle to your day.
     And yet, even when I feel so accomplished, I'm always reminded that I can never truly accomplish anything by myself. Only God can, in and through me. No matter how calming or satisfying the building of a puzzle may be, there is always something that can never be satisfied. Unless...I go to Jesus. Only my King can satisfy every longing, calm every nerve, bring joy to a tired heart, and give strength and determination to a weak resolve. He is the fulfillment of every longing, the maker of every dream, and the satisfaction of every desire. God created us to be satisfied by only Him. 
     The world has much to offer, and nothing to give. It tempts and teases in an attempt to draw us away from our Heavenly Father. But it only has empty promises, quick fixes, addiction and imprisonment to offer us. Don't buy the lie that to be happy you must follow your heart. For "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) 
     Our hearts will lead us astray; we must follow instead the Word of God, who is Jesus. Our emotions and feelings are fickle; changing with the wind, telling us to do what will make US happy. Jesus tells us to follow His example and do what makes HIM happy. And ultimately, that is what will make US happy; making HIM happy. This is how we are created. 
     Praise the Lord, for He is good, and His way is perfect!
     May this drive you to seek your God in a new way. When you are tired, thirsty, hungry, lonely, angry, sad, excited, restless, impatient, or anything else, turn to Jesus. He is waiting to be your Everything. 


~Victoria Eira

Horses

"Hast though given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?"

Job 39:19

     Horses are by far my favorite animal and one of the most beautiful aspects of God's creation. I am a long time horse-lover, for as long as I can remember in fact, and they continue to fascinate me with their strength and beauty, grace and versatility, power and variety in breed, body type, and personality. And more recently, (as in the past 2 years) I am seeing these traits as shadows and pictures of the strength, beauty, grace, power, and majesty of King Jesus.  I am grateful for these pictures and shadows that God placed in creation to remind us of how majestic He is. It helps me truly see Him so much better. 

     An awe inspiring thought? When you look at a horse and all the beauty and fun, and grace, and strength, do you ever ask yourself, If this animal is so amazing, just how awesome is the One who made them? (i.e. Job 39:19) :) Think about it, our God is so huge that our brains (which He created) cannot, and I repeat, CANNOT fully comprehend Him!!! It is impossible! 

     So, if you please, allow me to introduce to you the two beauties Jesus has given into my care. They are daily a joy and always manage to bring a smile to my face. We have been through a lot and we have taught each other a lot as well. In fact, after introductions, I have a recent story to share with you that includes a warning. 

Introducing....

JackieAnn (aka Jackie)

 Jackie is a 12 year old Quarter Horse mare. She is rather shy and tends to be temperamental at times. She is a beautiful golden buckskin and in the summer she has darker dapples across her body, and her mane gets long and thick. Jackie is my spitfire girl and takes a great deal of patience to handle. God has used her to teach me many a lesson in attention to detail, patience, trust, and diligence.

 

Snowfield Darlene (aka Darlene or Leenie)

Darlene is a 29 year old Morgan mare. She is fairly laid back and easy going (unless you have a plastic bag or a tarp nearby...) and doesn't act or look her age. She was my 4-H horse, my omoksee horse, and my second horse ever. She loves her belly scratched and any kind of food. She is scary smart when you give her a chance to think and is easily bored. Bit of trivia: When I first brought her home my first horse, Pepper, kicked out some of her teeth. So she is missing two of her bottom front incisors.

"If a feller's been a-straddle since he's big enough to ride,

and has had to sling his saddle

on most any colored hide, - 

though it's nothin' they take pride in,

still most fellers I have knowed,

If they ever done much ridin',

has at different times got throwed."

~Anonymous

     Now for the promised story/warning. Just yesterday I went out to my horses and after trimming Jackie's hooves and grooming them both, I decided to hop on Darlene and let her walk me around. Mistake #1: I got on by hopping instead using a mounting block. Mistake #2: I had no halter or bridle on her, no way to control her. Mistake #3: Getting on in a pasture with another horse loose in it. 

     So, to make a long story short, Darlene started moving, Jackie chased her, and I got dumped into the barbed wire fence. Plus I bounced off of a t-post. This resulted in a sprained ankle and lots of very colorful bruises. Lesson learned. Point taken. Please, take my mistakes as a warning and be careful, don't do stupid things around horses, and be safe. However, I don't want one little accident to keep you from enjoying horseback riding. Yes, accidents do happen, but they are well worth it. :) 

      I am grateful to Jesus that I was not hurt worse, and that my horse is physically okay. I will have a bit of work to do gaining back Darlene's confidence, but He has a purpose in all of this, and I  am excited to see what He does with this time.

      To finish up this epistle on the equine species here are a few horsey quotes for your enjoyment. Have fun reading them, and when they refer to the beauty and wonder of horse, think of the great and mighty God who created them. 

"No one can teach riding so well as a horse."

~C.S. Lewis

"He is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him, but only in patient stillness while his rider mounts him. He is indeed a horse, and all other jades you may call beasts."

"I will not change my horse with any that treads but on four pasterns. When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk. He trots the air. The earth sings when he touches it."

~William Shakespeare, Henry V

"A hurry of hoofs in a village street, a shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, and beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark struck out from a steed flying fearless and fleet; That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light, the fate of a nation was riding that night."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Paul Revere's Ride

"I took my horse to market,

And lost her on the way,

For dappled were the moors with rain,

And she was dapple gray."

~Traditional Nursery Rhyme

"A horse never knows who may buy him, or who may drive him; it is all a chance for us, but still I say, do your best wherever it is, and keep up your good name."

~Anna Sewall, Black Beauty

"Let us ride together, - 

Blowing mane and hair,

Careless of the weather,

Miles ahead of care,

Ring of hoof and snaffle,

Swing of  waist and hip, 

Trotting down the twisted road

With the world let slip."

~Anonymous, Riding Song

"I'd horsewhip you if I had a horse."

~Groucho Marx, Horsefeathers

New Roads and Old Memories

     New roads. :) These bring a smile to my face (especially small gravel roads) and the adventurous, risk taking side in me rises up and off we go! Today I did just that as I took a new road home from Kidder Ridge. It was fun, beautiful, and exciting. (It's the simple things in life...) :) 

 
     My purpose in being on the ridge was to help a couple of fellow 4-Hers with their lambs. I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved being an active part of the program again. It brought back memories (photos above of my goat, lamb, horse and me). Since graduating a year ago, my experience has been limited to leadership type positions, and there are times when I miss being a member. It was a fun, stretching, educational 7 years of my life. 
     However, those 7 years are not without regrets. I wince when I look back and see how focused I was on having the 'best' project and how wrapped up I was in identifying how well I did each year by the ribbons and trophies I received. I missed so, so many opportunities to share the Gospel through this amazing program. I was the 'model' 4-Her, and yet, what did I really accomplish? Only what is done in the spiritual realm is what is going to last. My trophies will get dusty and worn, my ribbons eaten my moths and worn by time. My record books will only be momentos  of time past. 

"But lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal."

~Matthew 6:19

 

     I often wonder how different that time would be if I had been wrapped up in Jesus instead of myself. I do not regret the time spent in the program and helping my fellow members and learning how to care for and use God's creation. I do regret not making Jesus my #1 priority in each situation and event, no. matter. what. God revealed this glaring lack in my life about a year ago. I was learning what it meant to truly surrender when I suddenly realized that I had NEVER asked Jesus anything about 4-H, or given it to Him. This was a huge chunk of my everyday life that I unconsciously blocked Him out of.
     If you are a 4-Her (or member of something else) please, please, don't do this! Turn to your King, surrender it into His hands and follow His lead. His way is ALWAYS best. He has a plan for your life and He can only accomplish it fully if you get out of the way and let Him have complete control. You can trust Him. I know it.
    If He shows you that it takes away from your devotion to Him, reevaluate it and ask Him what He would have you do. If He would have you leave the program, then do so. If He wants you to totally change how it looks in your life, then do so.  And if He keeps it in your life, daily give it to Him, sit back, and watch what our God will do! 

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

~Victoria Eira

Forgiveness...and Sweet Joy!

"Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away." 

~Isaiah 51:11

     I am forgiven! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul! What joy there is for those who's hope is in the Lord! 

     I was reading the latest issue of SetApartgirl magazine today and came across and article on joy and what can block that joy and taint your time with the Lord. I read the article and felt a dread seep through my heart as I recognized a pattern often seen in my life; a sin pattern. Disobedience, and as a result a "wall" was being built between me and god. I bent my head in contrition and confessed my sin to God. 

      Oh, sweet Jesus, what rivers of peace and joy flow through me now! The article's author pointed to Psalm 32, and the example King David set in confessing, repenting, and rejoicing in being forgiven.

"When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not his. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah...

Be glad in the Lord,  and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart."

~Psalm 32:3-5, 11

     "A beautiful, joy-filled romance with god is always marked by a pattern of daily, moment-by-moment obedience. It is an obedience that does not question or hesitate, but simply acts; and it is an obedience that not only follows the clear commands in God's word, but also responds to the gentle nudging of His Spirit throughout the day. This perpetual response to the Father's guidance is the pathway to unhindered intimacy with Him." 

        ~Joyful Every Morning (article), Tessa Hershberger-SetApartgirl

"The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory."

~Psalm 64:10

"A life of obedience is a life of much joy - a full joy that is not diminished with the dawning of a new day." 

~Joyful Every Morning, Tessa Hershberger SetApartgirl

     Jesus is mighty to save, ready to forgive, and full of love. HE is our peace, our joy, our love, our righteousness, our EVERYTHING. If you feel blocked from God, or distant from Him, lean on the truth, the fact, that He is always with you. And ask Him to show you what is coming between Him and you. Ask Him to shine His white-hot spotlight of conviction into your life and allow Him to purge you of all sin. I promise it is worth it. Not just because of the joy and peace you will receive, but because He is worthy, worthy, worthy of all that you are. 

Always in His love,

Victoria Eira

Sand & Sun

     I love beaches. I think they are a special part of God's gorgeous creation. As I put together the artwork above I drank in the sun, cool, smooth water lapping my ankles, and the feel of sand on my feet and in my hands. Ah, summer! I felt almost giddy (and still do) just thinking about how big my God is and how mighty to save. Go out and enjoy a piece of summer crafted by God just for you.

"How precious also are they thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand."

~Psalm 139:17-18

The Exchanged Life

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst... Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." 

~John 6:35, 53

      This life is all about an exchange: our body and blood... for His. My worthless pebbles...for His amazing Grace. Wow. What an exchange! And who gets the better end of the deal? We do. 

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." 

~Romans 12:1

     Our reasonable service. Think about it. Just how much are we giving in comparison to what He gives us? 

     Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, the unblemished Lamb in which was found no fault. He is the fulfillment of the Messiah test. He is holy, holy, holy. He is God Almighty. He is untouchable, all powerful, all knowing, the Creator of heaven and earth. He has vanquished the Enemy, destroyed all powers of earth and hell, and given of Himself so we may become like Him. 

     "His body represents untarnished righteousness - the way a man ought to be. It is the Temple of God, housing the power of the Spirit unto Holiness, His Body is impervious to sickness and disease. His Body is the perfect picture of Glory, the divine enunciation of the Kingdom of Heaven on planet earth. The enemy cannot lay a hand on His Body. His Body is not vulnerable to fear, not susceptible to lust, and impervious to the blight of selfishness. 

    We must eat of this body.

    We must partake of the Messiah's Feast, the Kingdom meal. We must ingest into our very being the power of this Body, the strength and fortitude of this Body. We must allow Jesus to enter as the Rider of the White Steed and claim our body as His own, setting up His Kingdom according to the pattern of His Love and Glory. Our body must become His Body. We are no longer our own, we are bought with a price." 

     "His blood is the Sacred Life of God, the Spirit of Holiness, the Power of God unto Salvation. his blood is Life. And we must partake no other Life but the Life of our God. His Life is almighty, all-powerful, without weakness, without vulnerability. It is perfectly fortified and never failing in strength. 

     We must drink this blood.

     We must partake of the Messiah's Feast, the Kingdom meal. We must ingest into our very being the authority and majesty of this Blood, the healing power of this Blood. We must allow our blood (our life) to be replaced with His all-powerful, perfect, unblemished version. We must feed on this Life, drink of this Life, and find our soul satisfaction in this Life alone."

     When put like that, giving Him all of ourselves doesn't seem so big, does it? So, here is what we, as Christians, must do: 

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

~Ephesians 4:22-24

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."

Colossians 3:9-10

     When we put on Christ, we have access to all that He is. I'll finish up with an excerpt from Psalm 91. I encourage you to go read the whole thing. It will leave you in awe and wonder at the power of our precious, wonderful Jesus! 

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty... A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee... There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."

~Psalm 91

(italicized paragraphs taken from sermon The Exchanged Life by Eric Ludy)

     My purpose in writing this blog is to display the glory of Jesus in and through this humble, but exchanged, life. I am an imperfect creature. I will make mistakes. I only ask that you show grace when this happens and know that I strive to give more and more of myself to my King every day as He shows me areas of my life not yet surrendered. I pray that you come away from every visit with a vision of Jesus before your eyes, and a hunger to know Him in your heart. Deepest blessings always, 

Victoria Eira