Know who you are in Christ!

In Christ:

We are a new creation

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

We are created to do good works

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are made alive

1 Corinthians 15:22

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

We are free from condemantion

Romans 8:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

We are reconciled to God

Ephesians 2:13

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

We are sons/daughters of God

Galatians 3:26-27

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

We are justified in the sight of God

Romans 3:24

Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

We are blessed

Ephesians 1:3

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

We have eternal hope

2 Thessalonians 2:10

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope.

East from West

Psalm 103:12

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

How far is the east from the west?  If we start out traveling in one direction going east will we eventually meet up with the west?  No!   It's impossible.  When traveling east, no matter how hard you try; you will never get to the west.  It doesn't matter if the world is round or flat.

This is what Jesus has done for us.  Through His sacrifice, He has removed our sin so far it's as if our sin was nonexistent.

Isaiah 43:25 says "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers them no more."

Such amazing compassion God in heaven has for us that sin is removed and we are justified by faith just as if we never sinned.  It's not because we deserve it but because He loves us!

More than dynamite!!!

Dunamis Power

Jesus upon completion of the cross was given

‘the name above all names’. Phil 2:9

And with that name came power.

Dunamis power!

Our word dynamite comes from this word.

Dynamite is a high explosive with the ability to blow things up.

It is very powerful stuff.

Strong’s Greek Concordance describes Dunamis as

“might, power, marvelous works”. 

It is a physical power, force, might, ability, and energy.

“For the believer, it is the power to achieve by applying

theLord’s inherent abilities.”  

In other words, Dunamis means a miraculous power, might and strength that we have to use through Christ. 

When times get tough, we have Dunamis power to do more

than we thought or could possibly conceive.

No one can stand against us! 

Romans 8:31 AMP 

Faith Looks Ahead!

Faith looks beyond this passing life with hope for a life everlasting.

Faith is not a vague feeling, but a certainty.

Through faith, we can be certain of eternity by Christ's completed work on the cross.   John 19:30

Hebrews 11:1 AMP

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Jesus had an objective on the cross which He completed. 

To forever pay for our sins and to have fellowship with Him for eternity!

Life is an Example

The way you live your life is an example to others.

Live in such a way that gives glory to God.

Do good deeds because it’s right and not for an earthly reward.

God sees what you do in secret and He will reward you.

Matthew 6:4 AMP

So that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father

Who sees in secret will reward you openly.

A Shining Light

Be a shining light in a dark world!

Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus was speaking to 1st century people when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount, however, what He said is still true today.

How we live effects the people around us.

As we go about our daily lives, let the light of God shine through you.

Be a blessing to others !

2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV

⁶ For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Light swallows up darkness!

It Is Finished!

On the cross, Jesus said, "it is finished".

What Jesus was referring to was that the price of our sin was paid in full.

There would be no more need to sacrifice bulls and goats.

No scapegoat would ever be sent into the desert for the sins of man. Lev 16:10

Jesus sacrificed His life for man and His blood was the ultimate covering of sin.

He took ALL of man's sin, pain, and sickness on Himself.

Jesus knew before He allowed Himself to be arrested the pain He would endure 

and the loss of communion with God.

So full of anxiety that He cried tears of blood. Luke 22:24

And yet He did it anyway.
So great is His love for us!

Jesus accomplished what He set out to do and fulfilled prophecy.
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken, 
Smitten by  God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

Receive all that Jesus did for us on the cross and rejoice!

God's Hold Never Fails

As we hold on to God's hand our grip may fail,

But God, Who holds on to us never fails.

He is holding onto our wrist with a tight hold and His grip is strong.

John 10:28

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;

neither shall anyone snatch them out of My Hand.

Though we sin, there is no sin that God will not forgive or 

make Him relinquish His hold on us.

His grace is new every morning and He gives us an inexhaustible supply of His goodness!

Lamentations 3:22-23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, 

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning.

Every Knee Will Bow

Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name 

which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The day will come when all Christians will stand before Christ at the judgment seat. 

We will have to give an account of our lives.

What will we have to say to Him?

Did we live for Him or for ourselves?

Did we produce fruit?

The judgment seat is not a place of wrath or meting out punishment for sin.

Christ already covered us with His blood for our sin.

Our salvation doesn't depend on our good works, we already 

received it by the work of the cross.

Rather it is a place to receive crowns for living for Christ 

and for our obedience to Him.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Live life for Christ, not for rewards but because He loved us enough to endure the cross!

Do Not Harden Your Heart

There will come a time of no return.

Just as there was with Pharaoh against Moses.

Moses went to Pharaoh five times and each time Pharaoh hardened is own heart against Moses and the Israelite's.

Exodus 8:15  But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,

he hardened his heart and did not heed them,

as the Lord had said.

On the six time, God hardened Pharaoh's heart.

Exodus 9:12  But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh;

and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

God hardened Pharaoh's heart until there was no turning back.

When you hear Jesus calling you, do not harden your heart.

Hebrews 3:12-15  Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: 

"Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

He wants to have a relationship with you.

He wants to live and make a home with us for eternity.

It's more than a religion, it's a relationship

Three Part Being

God is three persons in one.  

He is fully God. 

He is fully Jesus. 

He is fully the Holy Spirit.  

All three parts are one.

We are equally the same.  We also are three parts.

We are body.

We are soul.

We are spirit.

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While God is able to be separate yet be one, we can only be one with separate parts.

And we were created in His image.

Genesis 1:26  Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, 

according to Our likeness;

All three parts of "us" cannot separate and be in different places at the same time.

Unlike God.

Although He is one entity, God can be in different places at once.

As Father, He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.

In other words, God is all knowing, all powerful and everywhere at once.

As Father, He knows all things and can do all things.

Jesus in body form was and is able to walk among us.

The Holy Spirit was given to us and is always present and able to be everywhere all the time.

Sometimes we find this hard to comprehend, but in the book of Isaiah we learn that God is incomprehensible. 

Isaiah 55:9 Amplified For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher than your ways

and My thought than your thoughts.

All Things Are Possible with God

Matthew 19:26 NIV  Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

When we stay in line with God's will, there is nothing too impossible for us. It is important to know God's will. To do that, we must spend time with Him, read the Bible, and pray. Start a relationship with Him. That is how we know His will.  

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Begin by learning what prayer we want answered is in line with God's will.  Once we learn that, pray for it.  Know that when we pray God hears us.  It is also important to know that if He hears us to believe we will receive when we pray and that it does not hurt others.  Be expectant! God's time is not our time. Wait patiently.  Abraham waited until he was an old man before God granted him a son.  

Expect great things from God. He wants to give them to you. 

Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

We must also not have anything against anyone for God to grant our desires. This hinders Him in answering us. Forgive others for what they have done to you.

Matthew 5:44  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.