SEPTEMBER THEME — “SEEING THE CROSS FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”
Join us in praise and thanksgiving as Belmont Baptist Church celebrates our Year of Jubilee—fifty years of God’s unwavering faithfulness. Together, we will rejoice over prayers answered, souls saved, lives changed, grace that has sustained us, and the finished work of Christ at Calvary. With grateful hearts, we joyfully declare, “Thank You, Lord, for fifty faithful years—to God be all the glory!”
BEATS FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART
HE MUST INCREASE—BUT I MUST DECREASE
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” — John 3:30
After nearly 58 years of ministry, I have learned that the Christian life is not about becoming a stronger version of Nolan Jackson. It is about surrendering more completely so that people see Jesus instead of me. John the Baptist understood something we desperately need to recover: Jesus does not merely deserve a place in my life—He deserves the throne of my life. The exchanged life begins when I stop asking Christ merely to help me accomplish what I want and begin asking Him to accomplish what He wants through me. My pride must decrease. My need to control must decrease. My desire to be recognized must decrease. My stubborn independence must decrease. And as self moves off the throne, Christ becomes increasingly visible. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” That is the heart of John 3:30. Christ increases as I surrender the right to run my own life.
CHRIST INCREASES WHEN SELF SURRENDERS
The greatest enemy to Christ ruling my life is often not Satan, the world, or difficult circumstances. Sometimes the greatest obstacle is simply me. I want my way. I want my timing. I want to understand everything before I obey. I want God to bless my plans instead of surrendering my plans to Him. But Jesus cannot fully rule a heart that is still fighting Him for the throne. Surrender means I stop saying, “Lord, help me do what I have decided,” and begin saying, “Lord, what have You decided? I want that.” This does not mean we lose our personality, our abilities, or our individuality. God created each of us uniquely. Surrender does not erase who we are; it places who we are under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The more completely I surrender, the more clearly Christ can express His life through mine. A surrendered believer can say, “Lord, my plans belong to You. My reputation belongs to You. My future belongs to You. My family belongs to You. My ministry belongs to You. Do whatever brings You the greatest glory.”
CHRIST INCREASES WHEN MY NEED FOR CONTROL DECREASES
Control is one of the hardest things to surrender because control gives us the illusion of security. We think, “If I can manage everything, understand everything, and keep everything from changing, I will be all right.” But life eventually brings us to situations we cannot control. We cannot control another person’s decisions. We cannot control tomorrow. We cannot control every diagnosis, every disappointment, every financial difficulty, or every unexpected turn in life. Those moments reveal whether Jesus is truly Lord or simply someone we call upon when our own plans stop working. John the Baptist could have become jealous when people began leaving his ministry and following Jesus. Instead he understood his assignment. He said, in essence, “This is exactly what should happen. He must increase, and I must decrease.” What freedom there is in realizing that I do not have to control everything. I only have to trust the One who does. Sometimes the most spiritual prayer we can pray is simply, “Lord, I release this to You. I do not have to understand it. I do not have to control it. I only need to obey You and trust You.”
CHRIST INCREASES WHEN I STOP NEEDING TO BE SEEN
John the Baptist had crowds. He had influence. People listened when he preached. But when Jesus appeared, John willingly stepped out of the spotlight. That is difficult for the flesh. We like appreciation. We like recognition. We like knowing that people noticed what we did. But the surrendered life asks a deeper question: Did they see Jesus? After all these years of ministry, I am increasingly convinced that the greatest success is not that people remember my name. It is that somehow, through my life, they remember His. If someone leaves a conversation impressed with me but not drawn toward Jesus, something has been missed. If ministry builds my reputation more than Christ’s kingdom, something is wrong. There comes a point in spiritual maturity where I can genuinely rejoice when God uses someone else. I do not have to receive the credit. I do not have to be the most important person in the room. I do not have to have the final word. My prayer becomes, “Lord Jesus, hide me behind the cross. Let people see You.” That is not weakness. That is freedom.
WHEN THE SUN RISES
Imagine the moon shining brightly during the night. It may seem magnificent against the darkness. But then morning begins to come. As the sun rises, the moon slowly fades from view. The moon has not ceased to exist. It simply becomes less noticeable because something far greater has appeared. That is what surrender looks like in the Christian life. I do not become nothing—I become what God intended me to be when Christ becomes everything. My personality remains. My gifts remain. My responsibilities remain. But they are no longer the center. Jesus becomes the center. The surrendered life says, “Lord, if I must become less noticeable so that You become more visible, then let it be so.” “He must increase, but I must decrease” is not merely a beautiful verse. It is a daily decision. Every morning, there is a throne in my heart, and someone will sit on it. Either I will rule, or Jesus will rule. The exchanged life is not trying harder to imitate Jesus. It is surrendering more completely so that His life can be expressed through mine. Today I must ask myself: What still needs to decrease?
Is it pride?
Control?
Fear?
Anger?
My need for approval?
My stubborn insistence on having my own way?
Whatever it is, I can bring it to the cross.
The goal is not that people would say, “What a remarkable Christian.” The goal is that they would say, “What a remarkable Savior.”
WARFARE PRAYER
Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, I surrender every place in my heart where self still wants to rule. Tear down every stronghold of pride, control, stubbornness, selfish ambition, fear of man, and the need to be recognized. I renounce every lie that tells me I must protect my position, defend my reputation, or control my future. Lord Jesus, take Your rightful place on the throne of my life. Let my thoughts decrease and Your truth increase. Let my will decrease and Your will increase. Let my pride decrease and Your glory increase. Let my fear decrease and my faith in You increase. I declare that my life belongs completely to Jesus Christ. Live Your life through me until others see less of me and more of You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
DAILY CHALLENGE
Before making an important decision today, stop and pray: “Lord Jesus, what would allow You to increase and me to decrease?” Then obey whatever He shows you. At the end of the day, ask yourself one question: “Did people see more of Jesus in me today?”
MONDAY’S PRAYER NEEDS
Britany Smith
Daniel Cooper
Darlene Kelley
Darlene Thaxton
Ginny Ford
Kim’s McClain’s Mother
Lee Cronan
Nancy Brown – Rehab
Rob Davis
Susan Bankston