Weekly Reflection

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."

Looking Back vs. Remembrance

My friend, have you ever asked yourself, What is the difference between looking back and remembering?

The difference matters because one strengthens our faith, while the other can pull our hearts away from God.

Throughout Scripture, God called His people to remember His faithfulness. The Israelites built memorials after crossing the Jordan River. Abraham built altars to honor God's promises. Jesus established Communion, saying, "Do this in remembrance of Me."

Remembrance points us to God's goodness.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

The Battle Within: Keep Fighting

When was the last time you paused to meditate on these verses?

I have read this passage many times throughout my journey with Jesus Christ. Yet over the past six years, as my relationship with Him has deepened, I have come to better understand what the Apostle Paul is describing for those who have died to sin and confessed, "Jesus is Lord."

I often pray, "Lord, this battlefield is hard. Sometimes I wish You would take me home the moment I surrender my life to You."

My friend, Paul, is not giving us permission to continue in sin. He reminds us that every believer is engaged in a daily spiritual battle.

The moment you declared Jesus as Lord, you became a target. Your mind, heart, and soul are under attack.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

You know I love it when I read a passage throughout my journey with Jesus, and then one day the Holy Spirit leads me to pause, meditate, and ask questions.

As I read the passage above, a question came to me: What is it about a kernel of wheat that made it so important for Jesus to use it as an illustration to teach me the importance of dying?

I was amazed by what I learned. The facts about a kernel of wheat reinforced something I have often said: it is impossible to truly meet Jesus and remain the same.

This is what I learned, and I encourage you to prayerfully reflect on it as you consider your own walk with Jesus.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he did not sin."

We often confuse temptation with sin. The battle comes when temptation invites us into disobedience, and if we allow its influence to dictate our decision, it leads to sin.

If Satan came after Jesus, the Son of God, how much more will he come after humanity? The real question becomes: How did Jesus resist the enemy?

Jesus demonstrated throughout his ministry that he resisted Satan through obedience, surrender, prayer, and the Word of God, which was his recipe for victory against Satan’s schemes.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

Have you ever thought about Jesus as a disciple?

Yes, He is Lord, Savior, Messiah, and Son of God, but during His earthly ministry, Jesus also modeled complete submission to the Father.  His life until death was a testament to what he told his disciples in Matthew 16:24.

John 5:19 says:

"The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing…"

Jesus did not move independently from the Father’s will.

John 5:30 says:

"I seek not to please myself but him who sent me."

My friend, Jesus, never asks us to do something He Himself refused to do.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

My friends, have you ever experienced a moment in your Christian journey when the Holy Spirit revealed that your understanding of God was wrong? Every season of my walk with Jesus has humbled me and reminded me of the truth found in Isaiah 55:8–9:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

God continually reminds me that His wisdom, judgments, and understanding are far beyond human reasoning. Often, what God commands or allows may seem painful, unfair, or difficult to understand through human logic, but His perspective is eternal and perfect.

One day, while battling a flood of lies and intrusive thoughts in my mind, I became frustrated with God. I knew those thoughts were not from Him because they contradicted His Word, yet I found myself accusing God and questioning why He would allow Satan access to my mind. During prayer, the Lord brought me back to a Bible study I had once completed called Battle of the Mind. As I reflected on it, something suddenly became clear to me: Satan does not have power over my mind.