YIC: Day 21 of 30 Jesus, Our Older Brother

We all are in need of being saved from the quicksand of our sin.

Sandra McCracken, on her album Live Under Lights and Wires, tells a story of two young boys who play together near a river. Sadly, the two boys fall into some quicksand. When the rescue workers finally come, they only find the younger brother standing on top of the sand. When the boy is asked where his brother is, he says, "I'm standing on his shoulders." The older brother had sacrificed himself to save his younger brother.

Just like that younger brother, we all are in need of being saved from the quicksand of our sin. Fortunately, Jesus, our older brother, saves us.

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

Read through these verses and find ways that Paul contrasted our old nature of sinking in sin with our new nature in Christ.

OLD NATURE

NEW NATURE

Separated from Christ

United with Christ

Dead

Alive

Disobedient

Obedient

Ruled by spiritual evil

Sharing in Jesus' rule over spiritual evil

Objects of God's wrath

Objects of God's affection

Walking in sin

Walking in good works

Prayer

Thank God that you are a new creation in Christ. Consider taking this list, writing it down, and taping it to your mirror to remind you of your new identity in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJV

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

YIC: Day 19 of 30 Walk Toward God

We are to turn our backs to sin and our faces toward God.

Imagine walking for years in the same direction. How far do you think you would travel from home? Pretty far, right?

Spiritually, this is how life is for non-Christians. Every day they walk in the same direction, with their backs toward God and their faces toward sin and selfishness. This is what Paul called walking after "the course of this world." Their travels lead them farther and farther into darkness and death.

As Christians, we are to live lives of daily repentance. This means we are to turn our backs to sin and our faces toward God. We're to walk toward Jesus, day in and day out. In Christ we're saved from walking on this worldly road and turned to walk toward God.

Read Ephesians 2:2

What course do people walk apart from Christ? (They follow the course of this world.)

Whom do people follow apart from Christ? (The prince of the power of the air: this is another way of referring to Satan.)

Would you say that you're walking toward Jesus or toward the world?

Prayer

Thank God that by saving you and setting you on a path to follow Him, He has delivered you from the need to follow the world and Satan.

Ephesians 2:2 NKJV

2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,

Renaming of the posts

I am shortening the names of the post so that its easier for me and you both.. I am shortening Your Identity in Christ to YIC and then the day number and the title.. I'm hoping its easier to read and know where we are.. Thanks for your patience
~B~

Sorry i got a little behind

Sorry about not having anything new the past few days.. its been a little hecktic and will get some more up in the next couple days..
Thanks for stayin with me and reading my blog
God Bless You,
~B~

Your Identity In Christ: Jesus Is Better Than Self Help day 19 of 30

Jesus Is Better Than Self Help

The gospel is more than a message about God saving you from the penalty of your sin.

Self-improvement messages are nearly everywhere. We see them on television, in advertisements, on the internet, and in magazines, newspapers, and books. You will find multiple steps to living a better life or to making yourself more attractive, a superior athlete, the smartest student, and even rich.

With constant bombardment of self-improvement messages, we must be careful that we don't reduce our relationship with God through Christ to a series of steps to living the best Christian life possible. When we do this, we belittle God and turn Him into someone who helps us achieve what we want out of life.

How do we protect ourselves from adopting selfish methods in our relationship with God? Simple. We live in light of the gospel.

According to A. W. Pink in The Redeemer's Return, the gospel is more than a message about God saving you from the penalty of your sin. It is a message about God saving you from the penalty of your sin, the power of sin, and the presence of sin.

Throughout your life you are brought along by Jesus and lovingly empowered by the Holy Spirit to live for the glory of God and enjoy Him forever. So instead of formulating a new series of steps to take, look to Jesus. Preach the gospel to yourself every day as a way of placing your trust for your life in His hands, not your own.

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

How did Paul use the word saved in Ephesians 2:5, 8? (He wrote in the present perfect tense, which indicates an action that was already completed at the time of his writing. This means we have already been saved from something.)

From what have we been saved? (From Ephesians 2:1-3 we see that we've been saved from God's wrath.)

When talking about being saved, the Bible typically has two ideas in mind: (1) We are in danger and cannot rescue ourselves; and (2) Someone else rescued us. Be creative and think of ways you and your family could act out a rescue mission in your home that captures these two points.

Prayer

Thank God for his mercy and grace in rescuing you from the penalty of your sins through faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJV

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God is an Awesome and Supernatural God

I still do not and cannot understand how a lot of Christians do not honestly believe God is a supernatural being, point in fact, tell some one that He speaks to you directly and see how they look at you. Yet so many times in the bible it tells of God or an angel being sent to speak for God to some one... did this ever quit happening? I don't think it ever did, I think most people quit listening. But that's not all.. God has control over my life, I have noticed that when I don't let Him have control, I kinda spiral out of control rather quickly. I know I'm not perfect, I love that God still loves me. I love the fact that His son came to Earth and lived his life teaching and performing miricles to show us just how Great God is and that he gave himself as a sacrifice so that all that I have done is forgiven even before I was ever born..
No man can do that, but the son of God did. And he didn't do it for just me, he did it for you too.

Do you know Jesus? If not, I ask that you get to know him. If he can forgive 20 years spent in the occult, and 30+ years of hate, then he can forgive as well..

I don't expect to be completely healed, for I know that it is part of my journey and is part of who I am and has made me a better person and taught me to look at things diffrently.. but on the other side look at the things that God has healed me of...

I have had no signs of gout since june which flaired up for 6 hours because I took a benadryl and in january after a close call to death and the antibiotics moved the gout to my other foot. It lasted a week but with prayer it went away. My hoshimoto's is gone.. God took it away. Doctors have told me repeatedly I would be on medications all the rest of my life to treat them... guess what? God has healed it.. I don't take meds at all for either condition..

I can go on and on about things that have happened and is presently going on in my life with Jesus and God.. some of which sounds like made up stories but I asure you they are not. Some of those stories will come out in other entries at another time I am sure... until then,
God Bless you all..
~B~

Your Identity In Christ Day 18 of 30 The Red Sea Is Behind You

The Red Sea Is Behind You

Read Exodus 14:10-13

Imagine helicoptering into this Red Sea scene, dropping commando-style onto the scene for an interview with one of those terror-stricken Hebrews. The stark fear of being wiped out by their former slave-driving boss, Pharaoh, and his cronies aside, what emotion does your interviewee articulate? I'd put my money on fear, fear that they haven't escaped their old identities, their old slavery, and their old slave master.

Think about it. These people had known nothing but slavery for 400 years. Suddenly, the God whom they thought had forgotten about them completely comes on the scene to deal with Pharaoh's tyranny. Finally, after the chilling plague narratives, Pharaoh relents. At last! Camping and bonfires on the beach of the Red Sea, right?

But wait! There's more: Suddenly, in the throes of megalomania, Pharaoh changes his mind and chases after them. Now God's people are hemmed in at an impassible Red Sea without water wings. But just as they miraculously cross and the Egyptians are charging across after them, God closes the sea and swallows them up (v. 26-29).

They were this close. This Moses guy had a great plan and now this! Horrific images emblazoned on their minds from lifetimes of slavery come rushing back. The hope of deliverance was too good to be true and they're really just slaves after all. It's back to the old life.

Now that's fear.

Nothing can quite peg identity like fear - and its constant companion, shame - can. And that's the big question. Who are you, really? An ineffective employee? A failed father? A basket case? A pervert? Damaged goods? Shame words try to name you, own you, and weigh you down.

Know this: you've been lied to.

You are not your old nature, and Christ has removed it completely from you and in His perfect love, driven out fear. In Christ, you are His treasured possession. We were not meant to lug the weight of slavery around in the first place. Christ's burden is easy; His yoke is light. You're clothed in Christ's righteousness, and when God sees you, He doesn't see shame - He sees the perfection of Jesus.

As part of God's family, you are the beloved firstborn. Rather than receiving the just judgment of the Egyptians, He has ransomed you to be with Him. In His eyes, the chaos of the sea is behind you, and the enemy has been defeated. Just like the Israelites' enemies and their accusations were drowned in the Red Sea, the shaming, condemning words of your past life of slavery have been silenced in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Amen!

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" Galatians 5:1

By Pastor Matt Johnson

Exodus 14:10-13 NLT

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord .
11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord , which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

Galatians 5:1 NKJV

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Exodus 14:26-29 NKJV

26When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.”
27So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea.
28Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.
29But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides.

Billy proposes to Amy

This is a couple of friends of ours and we are trying to make it go viral... feel free to pass it along..

Billy Proposes to Amy @ resturant

Your Identity In Christ Day 17 of 30 Are You A Slave To Performace?

Are You A Slave To Performace?

Performance enslaves us to the opinions of others, making us unable to say no to anyone.

How do people become great? Do they launch a business and make a lot of money? Do they start a band and play before thousands? Do they make a video that goes viral on YouTube?

Jesus said that our pursuit of greatness is through service, not performance. He modeled this with His own life, laying it down for our forgiveness.

Performance is doing things for other people's approval. Service is doing them for God's approval, knowing that He is watching. Performance enslaves us to the opinions of others, making us unable to say no to anyone. Service frees us to do what God wants, enabling us to say no to others as needed. Performance leads us to become perfectionists, wanting to do everything just right to get praise from others. Service allows us to do even simple tasks and know that we are praised by God for doing so.

Knowing that God appreciates us in Christ allows us to exchange our performance for service.

Read Mark 9:33-37

Did Jesus discipline his disciples for aspiring to greatness? (No. Jesus redirected their aspirations for greatness.)

How does someone obtain greatness in the kingdom of heaven? ("If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.")

Do you have tendency to perform or to serve? Have everyone in your family identity up to three ways they can serve.

Prayer

Pray for a deeper understanding of God's appreciation for you and your family to free you from the pressures of performing and to help you become more satisfied in serving.

Mark 9:33-37 NKJV

33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Today in class 10/20

I rather enjoy our new bible study class that we are going to in the mornings at Central.. Its mostly retirees and one of which is the librarian from the school I grew up in.. This is now the 3rd class that we have been approached to lead in now.. I'm thinking mostly its Sandi more due to her knowledgeable background.. I'm just the crazy supernatural believing christian.. Lol anyways, I thought I would share.. Have a blessed day, we have a full day ahead for us between visiting with friends today and a few concerts..
God Bless you
~B~