You Are Accepted - In Christ

When we believe in Christ and invite Him into our hearts, we become someone new.  We are not the old person.  Unfortunately, we don't always know who God says we become when we make the decision to believe in his son, Jesus.  We have to study God's word to see who He says we are and we have to start living in our new identity.  Over the next few weeks, I will be taking a look at several scriptures to see what our God says about us.  He says we are accepted, secure and significant through belief in Christ.  Let's start with a scripture that tells us we are Accepted:

In Christ - We are Accepted
In the Gospel of John, he is intent upon telling us who Jesus is.  John 1:12 concludes that "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." NIV 

We are accepted by God through our belief in His Son Jesus Christ.  When we believe in His name, we become children of God; we become accepted.  We need never fear rejection again.  We are completely and eternally accepted as a child of God when we believe in Jesus.  Who we are determines what we do, and God wants us to know that we are His children.  I love the way my Freedom In Christ Bible puts this.  It says that believers are not in the process of becoming children of God; they are children of God who are in the process of becoming like Christ.  Do you truly believe in and follow Jesus?  If you do, then you are a child of God.  Believe it and rest in the assurance that you are His.

Who are We?

I've loved having extra time to read, study, pray and worship since my job was eliminated.  Me and God have been hanging out together and, I tell you, I am so relieved that I am never alone.  Neither are you - if you are a believer in Jesus Christ and you have invited Him into your life and heart and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior.  The bible gives us truths about who we become - Who We Are - when we believe and walk with Christ.  Knowing and living out these truths can be a game-changer in a believer's life. 

I discovered this cool graphic art thing called Wordle and I entered words and phrases that support what scripture says about who we are IN CHRIST.  It created a cool word graphic to remind us of these important truths.  I also got the idea that people would benefit from knowing just what the bible says about our position in Christ.  I study this really awesome bible that's called the Freedom In Christ Bible and it is packed with nuggets of truth and insight that help us get to know God for who His is and to understand who He says we are - In Christ.  The bible gives us scripture and truth that says We Are Accepted, We Are Secure, and We Are Significant - IN CHRIST.  In future days, I hope to give specific scripture and expound upon some of these phrases and truths found in God's Word.  For now, I hope you can view my Wordle graphic.  If not, I've put it onto my main home page. 

I look forward to talking more with you about your identity in Christ!  Until then, know that you are never alone.  I don't know about you, but that gives me great joy and comfort.

Really?!

They say it's my birthday....Happy Birthday to me!  I'm hearing that song in my head.  Are you hearing it?  What a whirlwind kind of week I've had.  I found out this week that my job, and entire department, was being eliminated and my last day of work would be today...on my birthday.  Really?  Yea, really! 

Initially, that was a bummer and I'd really be gossiping if I went into the details of what that company is all about, but suffice it to say that I've come to realize that my unexpected departure was all for the best.  God had an exit strategy for me.  Not exactly what I would have chosen or expected, but for my benefit, nonetheless.  I recently prayed that God would free me up to do more ministry with my husband.  Be careful what you pray for, because God has the prerogative and power to answer.  He is faithful to give us that which fulfills His purposes.  Really!

As I awoke this morning, I was reminded that God doesn't often make Himself known in the ways that I would expect.  Most people who know me, also know that I hate snow - unless it's on a  mountain in beautiful Colorado!  Yet, this morning there was such a magnificent blanket of snow here in the Midwest.  My usual disdain for such weather was quickly dissolved as I took in the beauty of the landscape.  Just as that blanket of snow had thoroughly covered the tree branches and transformed them into a beautiful masterpiece, God's comfort and peace had blanketed me with His strength and love and was continuing to transform my heart.  What a special birthday gift.  It was not at all what I expected, but such a blessing! Really:-)

Romans 8:28, "And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  NIV

Reaching the Clouds

This is on our trip to Steamboat Springs, CO a couple of summers ago.  It almost feels like you're meeting the clouds and arriving in Paradise:)

So I am trying to figure out Pinterest and I want to download some of my pictures and videos to my blog so I can pin them to Pinterest.  If that sounds like a foreign language to you, you're in good company.  I may need a Pinterest interpreter to help me with the technological navigation.  Here goes....my fingers are crossed for success in my endeavor.