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Viewing 1 - 6 out of 6 Blogs.
Identity theft Taken from Word for today - UCB ‘…Christ lives in me…’ Galatians 2:20 Your identity has great value not only to you, but also to the thief who wants your name and credit card to run up a stack of bills. Some of us will go to great lengths to try and gain an identity we think will make us more acceptable to a certain group; like wearing designer clothes or driving a certain car. Some think it’s their looks and opt for plastic surgery. Some identify themselves by their profession or trade. Maybe you’ve heard about the man who went to see the psychiatrist with a severe identity crisis, saying, ‘Doctor, I’m convinced I’m a dog.’ When the psychiatrist asked how long he had this problem, he blurted out, ‘Ever since I was a puppy!’ Too many of us are confused or basically uninformed about our true identity as redeemed children of God. This leads to false growth, or no growth. Paul bottom-lined his identity like this: ‘…Christ lives in me…’ Then he added: ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13). With the fingers of Mozart there’s no musical piece you couldn’t play. With the brain of Einstein there’s no mathematical formula you couldn’t unravel. With the life of Christ within you there’s no victory you cannot win. Your new identity in Christ solves the problem of acceptance. When you understand who you are in Christ you realise that you’ve already been accepted by God - and no one can improve on that! So who are you? You’re a totally forgiven, fully accepted, deeply loved, daily-empowered child of God. Once you fully grasp that, you’ll have joy you’ve never known and grow like you’ve never grown.
What would Jesus do? Taken from:The Word For Today UCB Do you complain when your friends let you down? Do you keep score about gift giving, initiating phone calls or picking up the bill? Are there times when you feel you give more than you get? Jesus experienced these things - and more! His closest friends let Him down. They were unreliable and immature. They learned slowly and always the hard way. One even betrayed Him. Yet He forgave them and loved them anyway. Listen:'...having loved His own...He loved them unto the end' (John 13:1). Jesus loved Hid friends, but not because they were worthy of love. His love made them worthy! In knowing God, J I Packer writes, 'There is tremendous relief in knowing that God's love for me is based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst in me. No discovery can disillusion Him in the way i'm so often disallusioned about myself or quench His determination to bless me. There is cause for humility in the thought that He sees all the twisted things about me that others don't see. Indeed He sees more corruption in me than i see myself. Yet He want to be my friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given His Son to die for me to realise this purpose.' So the next time a friend lets you down, remember God's grace. Use His Son as your role model and ask yourself, 'What would Jesus do?'.
A poem by Jill Briscoe: It's not the way things ought to be and yet the way things are, I look above and see a void and not one single star. Then in the day the blue is grey. The winds of change are stilled, my heart it seems must die to dreams i'll never see fulfilled. It's not the way it ought to be and yet the way things are, then God walks in, forgives the sin and lights my evening star. He tames the rebel doubts with love, rebukes my frantic fears, then asks me why i sigh and cry and counts my many tears. One day the things that "ought to be" will be the way He's planned, so i should live and freely give my hopes into his hand. I'll live in light of ever-ness with eyes upon the throne, He'll give me grace to run the race till i am safely home.
I just wanted to share what happened to me yesterday. I drove with my friend and my daughter to visit my children's grandma who is in hospital at the moment .... i need to add here that i'm a learner driver!....After the visit we went back to the car, i started up and i don't know how i did it but my car lurched forward into the car in front!!! As you can imagine i was horrified, i did'nt know what to do. My friend then asked another driver who was parked next to us, his advice. To begin with his 'advice' was just to drive off! My friend explained that we were christians and this was'nt an option. He then gave us some sound advice about writing my details down etc.... As i was doing this (still in shock) i could over hear my friend sharing her faith with this man! I was thinking ' er ... hello... i've just crashed my car!' ( much to my shame ) Anyway, as it turned out the mans wife was dying in hospital and my friend was able to share a little about jesus with him and the out come was my friend and her husband went to pray for this woman last night and share their faith with her. I don't know what the out come will be for this family but i'm certain God's hand is upon tham and that my 'crash' happened for a reason. God is so good, even though my attitude at first was bad!!! Up until now i still have'nt heard from the owner of the other car ( i broke the left indicator and damaged the bumper a little ) Even though i left a note with my details (and apology!) and i also informed the hospital - the car belonged to a member of staff. I know the Lord is in control. Thankyou for reading this, hope you were encouraged! God Bless! This actually happened a couple of weeks ago now! i originally posted it on Ditty Talk.
I just wanted to share these words from a song i've been listening to, sung by Natalie Grant: This is a song for anyone whose ever been knocked down and can't get back again, stuck in the corner, can't move forward, all alone and you think your going nowhere. This is a song for anyone whose ever stood underneath the sun and felt too small, two feet small, two feet tall and so out of place. He see's you - He knows you - He loves you and He wants you to know that: The life that you've been living, the days that you've been given were made for something beautiful. Life, don't let it pass you by because you were created for something beautiful Heaven holds a dream that's just for you and there are things only you can do, so step by faith, put the past away it'll take you to a better day. Second to minute to hour to life, time always seems to fly, it's on the go and before you know your days are through but He see's you, He knows you - He loves you and he wants you to know that: The life that you've been living, the day's that you've been given, were made for something beautiful. Life, don't let it pass you by because you were created for something beautiful What are - you waiting for? .... What are you - waiting for? .... what - are you waiting for? There's something beautiful For I know the plans i have for you, Declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future Jeremiah 29v11
These are the word's of another song sung by Natalie Grant i just wanted to share, it touched my heart and is my prayer...... Make me over I've been silent instead of speaking up, gave my advice instead of giving love. I have been unfair, faithless and unkind, i have shut my eyes just so i would stay blind. I'ts not what i meant to do 'cause i wanna honour you Make me over, make me new, make me a reflection of you. Take me all apart, take me to your heart and pull me closer. Oh Jesus make me over Take away the pride that whispers in the dark, take the stone out of the middle of my heart. Hidden underneath my insecurities is the servant that you've destined me to be, but day after precious day, i get in my own way Make me over, make me new. Make me a reflection of you. Take me all apart. Take me to your heart and pull me closer. Sweet saviour make me over I am only made of your imagining, i'm dust and clay on the wind. Wash me in the river of your sacrifice until i'm changed, purified Take me all apart, take me to your heart and pull me closer. My Jesus, make me over, make me over Amen
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