Just Die Already: Discover How Dying to Self Produces Abundance in Christ

By Jill R Kight

How many people are blind and lost, yet believe they are in Christ, or are graciously converted, yet roll around in the world's muck because they haven't grasped the superiority of Christ's abundance? 

 

This book addresses these realities and so many more through:

 

•      Cha

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jill Kight
• Release date: Jul 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781735227122

Book preview

Just

Die

Already

Discover How Death to Self Produces Abundance in Christ

By Jill Kight

Dedication:

I dedicate this book to my husband, Brandon, and my mom, Sheila, who have always listened patiently to all my thoughts and ramblings and have offered encouraging insights. In addition, I dedicate these writings to my children, Blake, Dirk, Asher, Claira, Judah, and Finley who have provided numerous opportunities for my spiritual growth leading to ultimate abundance in a life for Christ.

Thanks:

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every reader who chooses to give this book their precious time. It is my great joy to pass on to you the message God placed on my heart, and it is my prayer that you grow in Christ in an ever-deeper way while always relying less on self and more on our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. When you finish this book, may you find you have yielded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting in whatever way He leads and have discovered grace-filled abundance in Jesus.

Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Scripture marked NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture marked NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Editor: Pam Lagomarsino

Front Cover Designer: Brandon Kight

Formatter: Samantha Fury

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Rescue of the Dead

Chapter 2 Hair, Trees, and Sticky Fruit

Chapter 3 A Banquet of Junk

Chapter 4 Take a Deep Breath

Chapter 5 Want to Move Far Away?

Chapter 6 Inexhaustible Abundance

Chapter 7 You’re on Fire! (At Least I Hope You Are)

Chapter 8 I’ll Surrender Some of It

Chapter 9 You Brought the Ram, Right?

Chapter 10 Use Your Head…The Dog Bites

Chapter 11 Sweating Praise

Chapter 12 Spill It

Chapter 13 Streams

Chapter 1

The Rescue of the Dead

Small groups and one-on-one conversations ...this is where I thrive. Crowds? Not so much. Of course, I don’t always get what I want and what works best for me. Therefore, crowds are a necessary part of life if I want to be at all social.

Often in a large crowd, I pause for a moment and think about the vast number of people around me: all with separate thoughts, all known by God, and all created with an eternal soul. I think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:14, For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. As my eyes scan the sea of people even at something like a Christian concert or large church service, I am certain that all whom I see are not on the narrow path, Jesus’ path, which begins when He places them there.

During these moments, my heart fills with gratitude beyond words for the salvation I received through my Savior while simultaneously aching for the many who are implied in Jesus’ words. May the following anecdote I wrote possibly illuminate the dire situation of the crowds.

There was little to no hope. While their ship was sinking, the inhabitants had desperately searched for a lifeboat to climb into, but to no avail. Realizing there were no lifeboats, they flung themselves into the sea to swim quickly away from the pull of the ship as it descended into the depths of the sea. Incessantly and mercilessly, the ocean waves bombard the survivors frantically attempting to stay afloat. At the realization this was likely the end; one tired survivor recalled some Scripture his mother had taught him so many years before. He had rejected the truths as he grew, preferring to pursue the pleasures of the world, but now the Scriptures flooded his mind with clarity and precision.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Immediately upon remembering this verse, he mentally checked the box of goodness, that although he had sinned, he’d also been a good guy overall. His good definitely outweighed his bad. The sting of truth struck him again as he recalled another verse he was taught as a boy. As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one’ (Romans 3:1012).

The thoughts that assaulted him were of desperation, fear, and condemnation. As the waves pushed him beneath the surface, another verse from childhood poured into his thoughts like a sweet childhood memory. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

He uttered a final cry before he sank deeper. From his memory, he whispered a prayer from the second part of Luke 18:13, "‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’’

What he didn’t realize was a handful of other survivors all around were also feeling the weight of their sin, and they were being reminded of God’s truth in their minds as well. Some remembered verses they had learned at home. Others recalled Scripture they had heard at Sunday school or VBS. Simultaneously, the Holy Spirit had been working on each one. Each had uttered similar cries for mercy. However, not all had been moved in the same way. Some hadn’t ever heard truth, while others rejected it anyway and clung to their apparent goodness.

Out of nowhere, all the survivors heard a calm, peaceful voice saying, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

In the distance, they barely made out a lifeboat and they all frantically swam over and prepared to climb in. Right before the rescue, someone found an inscription on the side which stated, Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matthew 16:25). The repentant survivors climbed in because they knew they were dead either way. While watching some find refuge in the boat, others remained in the water because of the bizarre and frightening inscription. They didn’t want to lose their life to get in. In that boat, it was certain they would lose their lives, but in the water, there was still a chance of rescue.

Many justified their decision by reassuring themselves they didn’t want the restraints of the lifeboat anyway, the lifestyle it would bring, and the annoying passengers they would have to be near within the long journey to shore. Anyway, they were sure they could swim. Others liked the idea of the boat and stuck close to it even though they didn’t want to completely climb in. They really weren’t sure they could trust the boat to carry them to shore. These survivors thought if it got really dangerous, they would just climb in quickly.

Once the excitement died down of finding the lifeboat, the relieved passengers now peered over and perceived what they could not take in before. To their horror, they discovered all those in the water were dead even though they could still hear their voices and observe their bodies moving. The voice again explained they, too, had been dead, but they were now alive. From this explanation, they understood that even though they thought they were climbing in on their own, they were not. The one who spoke to them over the waters was the same one who pulled them into the boat. At the realization they had no part in their rescue, they experienced a rush of thankfulness that overflowed in their hearts!

Ironically, the ones in the boat were alive even though they had been dead, and they could now rest from their striving for safety. Those treading water appeared alive even though the voice testified of their deadness, and yet to them, they were striving to keep their life. They were blind to their condition.

Over time, they could hear those in the boat praising, singing, and praying, and they joined in, and because they were doing what the people in the boat were doing, they thought there was no longer a distinction between them and those in the boat. As the relentless waves carried them farther from the boat, they even imagined there really was never a boat at all. They continued to tread water, but eventually, they succumbed to shark attacks, violent storms, and weariness. Through it all, they had reassured themselves with the whispers they heard that everyone, in the end, is the same, and it doesn’t matter how you get to shore.

Now, let’s talk about those who sought the refuge of the boat. They arrived safely on the shore, but not without passing through rough waters, storms, hunger, and much difficulty. Many in the boat could not get over their miraculous rescue. They focused their minds on this rescue, again and again, always praising the one who provided the boat. Others in this party let their minds wander in another direction. They didn’t focus as much as they should have on the rescue or the boat, so they became preoccupied with the encircling sharks, which couldn’t really get to them. They also forgot their boat was unsinkable. When they encountered the storms, they wailed as if there was not a firm boat underneath them carrying them through. Some even became so caught up in the goings-on of the ones treading water that they longed to do what the dead were doing. They were hot in the boat, the people were sometimes annoying, and the food was scarce. They forgot to continue to sing for joy for the boat and its provision. They had times that they remembered, and so they praised, but overall, their perspective was warped, so they didn’t have the same experience as the victorious boat riders.

As time went on and they got closer to shore, they lost track of all those in the water. At last, they reached the shore and realized that no one who remained in the tumultuous sea made it. Those in the water had continued to ignore the call. The