You are Chosen and Appointed

Day 6:

"You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give you."  John 15:16

From being picked for a team in elementary school, being included in a group of friends, or appointed for that promotion at work, we all crave to be chosen.

God does not exclude.  He has chosen each of us.  God not only chose you, He picked you specifically for a very unique and special game plan.  He needs us to run the play He has orchestrated for the win!

With God, your past doesn't matter, your qualifications are irrelevant, and the way you look is perfect (after all, He is the one who made you the way he did for His purpose!)  You don't have to be the fastest or most talented, you just have to be willing to join Him.  He wants you on His team.  He needs you on His team.

Rejoice today knowing you are loved by our Creator and He chose you before the foundation of the world for His purpose!

You are Christ's Friend

We are on week 2 of our 40 Days of Finding our True Identity.  If you are just joining us, welcome!

Day 5:

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."  John 15:15

Merriam-Webster defines friend as:  1.  a person you like and enjoy being with
or 2. a person who helps and supports someone or something.  

Friends are a treasure.  It can be hard to find tried and true comrades who enjoy our company and are willing to help and support us when needed.

The best kinds of friends are those that know everything about us, yet still love us.  Jesus is that kind of friend.  Jesus is a friend who likes us even on our worst days.   In fact, verse 16 says that we did not choose Him, but He chose us to be His friend!

"You did not chose Me, but I chose you..." John 15:16a

Doesn't it feel good to be chosen?  He knows all our flaws, our shortcomings, our insecurities, our weaknesses and faults, and yet, He still chose us!  He chose you to be His friend!

So, what are you waiting for?!  Your friend is waiting for you to call Him.  

Father, we thank You that You said that we are Your friend.  Father, thank you for choosing us.  Thank you that You love us regardless of our weaknesses and flaws.  We thank You that where we are weak, You are strong.  Lord, I pray that You would show us what You are doing and I pray that we would grow in our relationship and friendship with you.  I pray that we would become more like you and that we would introduce others to You, our friend.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.  

We are in Christ

Day 4:

"I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." 



I see many Christians who have lost their joy and seem exhausted.  Jesus said that when we remain in Him, our joy will be full.

We aren't called to do every Bible Study, to attend every church service, to volunteer for every good cause or help with every church function.  Not that any of those things are bad, in fact, they are all good.  However, if what we are doing is draining the life out of us, then we need to evaluate what we are doing and why.

We are called to do one thing...abide.  It is the classic story of Mary and Martha ( Luke 10:40-42).  Martha was busy serving,  while Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet.  Jesus said that Mary chose the one thing that was needed.

Friends, without abiding in Jesus, we can do nothing.  It is only through staying connected to the vine that we can bear any fruit.  Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.  We are alive and a part of Him.

We are "in Christ".  What does it mean to be "in Christ"?

It means we are never alone.  It means we are secure in Him.  It means He is our strength.

 Rest in Him. Stay connected to Him.  Don't try to do anything He isn't doing.  Without Him, we are nothing.

In Him is rest and fullness of joy (John 5:11).

If you are feeling dry, exhausted, and joyless, may I encourage you to stop striving, and instead just be still in His presence.  Rest.  Breath. Live.

Abide.

Child of God

Day 3:

You are a child of God

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."  John 1:12



For those of you just joining us, we are on day 3 of 40 days of finding our true identity.  It just so happened that the memory verse for the Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study Limitless Life lined up perfectly with today's verse for finding our true identity!

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be the daughter of a king, a princess?  My little girl is seven and just the other day she was telling me how she would love to be a princess and live in a castle.  I would venture to say most little girls dream about being Cinderella at one point or another.

When an earthy prince or princess is born, it is not of their own power.  They didn't do anything to become royalty.  They were simply born into royalty.   And as a result of their birth, earthly princes and princesses receive certain privileges and rights as heirs in their kingdom.

When we were reborn into our heavenly inheritance, it was not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). When we received Christ and believed in His name, we became royalty not by any effort on our part, but by the power of God.

We became a child of the Most High King.

Rest on that thought for just a moment.

God.  The One who created the Universe.  The One who formed the seas and separated them from the land. The One who existed before time began.  The One who carefully placed every star in its space.  The One who measured the distance from galaxy to galaxy.  The One who formed mankind out of dust and breathed life into our beings. That God loves us and calls us His.

It is amazing to imagine that He (most powerful Being in the Universe!) could love us as His own child.  Yet, He does.  And He doesn't get it wrong like some earthly parents do.  He is a loving and caring Father, who longs for a close, intimate relationship with you, His child.  He never gets it wrong.  He will never leave.  He will never reject.  He will never abandon.  He is love.  He is waiting with open arms.

As children of God, we have a spiritual birthright and are heirs of His Kingdom. Because of our birthright in Jesus, we have been given spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).  Since we are His children, we are His heirs.  We are heirs with Christ of God's glory.

We may have all dreamed about being Cinderella at one time (and for the record I love Disney fairy tales). But I have to say, Cinderella, your fairy tale is a shoe short.  We don't need a fairy god-mother when we have the Father God as the Creator of our glory story.

Father God, Your love amazes me.  You love me as your daughter, the same as You love Your Son, Jesus.  You loved me so much that You sent Jesus to die in my place.  Father I pray that You would surround me with Your love and reveal more and more of Yourself to me.  And I pray that I would rest in the assurance that I am Your beloved child.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.    

You are Light

Day 2:

"You are the light of the world."  Matt 5:14a

Matt 5:14-15 says, "You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."

Think about New York City at night.  When the night lights of New York are shining, the city is radiant and there is no way to hide it.  If the power goes out, only then do the lights go out and it is hard to see in the dark.  

God created us to be light.  God's very presence is light.  In Revelations 21:23, it says, "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."

The Living God lives inside of us and His light is present in us.  He has made us new, bright and shining!

His power is what fuels our light.  As long as we stay connected to our power source, our light shines.

People are attracted to the light inside of us.  They are aware of their need for light in order to find their way. It is hard to see in the dark.

 Father, You said that we are light.  I thank you that Your light is inside of us and I pray that we would shine for You.  I pray that others would be drawn to You in us and would want to move out of darkness and into the Light so they too can see.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

You are Salt

Day 1:

"You are the salt of the earth."  
Matthew 5:13a

Have you ever sat down to a delicious looking meal and bit into it only to realize that it was missing something....salt?  Salt is an important ingredient and without it, there isn't much taste to most foods.  

I did some research on salt.  In ancient times, salt was considered extremely valuable and the lack of it could effect the health of an entire population.  In a world without refrigeration, salt was the only means of preservation.  This fact made it a popular trade item worth its weight in precious jewels and ounce per ounce in gold.   

I found it particularly interesting that about 2500 years ago, salt was a highly valuable commodity in Rome. Roman soldiers were paid with "salt money" or "salarium argentum", which is where the word "salary" was derived. 

So, when Jesus was teaching that we are the "salt of the earth",  "salt" was viewed as one of the most valuable resources of the day.  

However, like food without salt in the ancient times, if we are not sprinkled with the seasoning of God's Word, our spiritual health will decay.  

We are valuable, and as a result, we need to stay in God's Word so we don't lose our "saltiness".  Food without salt is just bland.  As children of God, we need to show the world that God brings flavor to our lives so they too will want to "Taste and see that the Lord is good." (Ps 34:8)

Our saltiness or lack thereof, can also effect the health of the population around us.  Please pass the salt...

Would you consider "passing the salt" by sharing this post with your friends today?  

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40 Days of Finding our True Identity

 

This summer I wanted to spend some time going through different scriptures discovering our true identity in Christ.

Currently, I am reading two books.  I am reading Limitless Life by Derwin Grey with Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies and Victory over the Darkness by Neil Anderson.  Both of these books focus on finding our true identity in Christ.

Through Derwin Grey's book, I am finding that I have believed labels about myself that simply are not true. Labels such as failure, afraid, rejected, unloved, unlikable.  These labels or other negative labels, if believed, limit our lives.  These labels are false and do not define us.  God defines who we are and He says we are complete, courageous, accepted, loved, and His friend.

In Neil Anderson's book, he states, "It is not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it is who you are that determines what you do."

When we have the wrong labels on us, it determines what we do and like I said above, it limits us and what God wants to do in our lives.  When we believe what God says about us and replace wrong labels with the truth, our actions will reflect our beliefs and God is able to work more effectively through our lives.

So, for the next 40 days or so, I want to focus on identity.  I want us to see ourselves differently, through new lenses by the end of this summer.  I want us to see ourselves as Christ sees us, a perfect reflection of His grace and love.  Who is with me?  Who is in for this 40 days of finding our true selves?!