Tag Archives: Identity in Christ

I DO & I DID!

Christian encouragement, Discouraged Christian, Encouragement for Women, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Love of God, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Trials, Troubles, Who I am in Christ, , , , , , , , , , ,

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I DO & I DID

There are two events that I really enjoy….wedding and anniversary celebrations. I have always enjoyed looking in the paper’s social page at pictures of both. The pictures of people that have been married forty, fifty and sixty years or more are the best, especially when the newlywed picture is side by side the anniversary one!

I recently saw a picture of a couple celebrating their 71st Anniversary! The genuine love that the couple had for each other was so evident in the picture. Their grin and the look in their eyes said it all.

I had the privilege of being with my daughters-in-law on their wedding day as they prepared for their groom. I am not sure if their hands perspired or their hearts fluttered…but I do know the looks of love they had when they walked down the aisle looking upon my sons’ faces. The bridegrooms might have had knees knocking, teeth chattering…I am not sure. But the look of deep love when they saw their brides was one I personally will cherish forever.

Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb had come, and his bride had made herself ready.” Revelation 21:2 “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

I cannot really imagine the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I can get a sliver of a glimpse because of what I have seen at weddings, but I am sure nothing compares. The bridegroom with come and take away his bride (the body of Christ). No wonder the relationship of marriage is described by the Father as a symbol of His love. He longs for and yearns for an intimate relationship with us. Intimacy that can only come from marriage. Intimacy that deepens over the years as couples face trials and tribulations.

Looking at couples that have been married over 50 years I marvel at the depth of their love. Many times they could have given up. They have traveled down many roads and paths together. Have you ever noticed that the longer people are married, the more that they seem to resemble each other? They always can complete each others’ thoughts and sentences!

We are working on our 35th year of marriage, and it is true! My hubby cannot say a word and make a clicking sound with his tongue, and I know something is bugging him. Or we can look at each other and know what the other is thinking when we have experienced the same social experience. It is so funny!

I believe that is how it is suppose to be with the Father. As time goes by we face many things in life. But as we travel this road of life, the years add up, we become more like our bridegroom, more like Jesus!! We choose to get to know him in an intimate and personal way. Our love deepens, the relationship become the type of relationship in which we know Him so well, we are able to complete the sentences!

I love this quote from Steve McVey, “We are HIS bride, not his hostage.” Married couples do for one another because they want to do for their partner. They do not do so because they are being held hostage by their spouse.

By the same token, we are HIS bride and not HIS employee. The Father allows us to be a part of His work here on earth because of His love for us, not because we need to earn a place in His heart. This is no more true that my husband paying for me to be his wife. I am his wife because I love him. The same is true of the Father.

Try to remember walking down that aisle, or imagine doing it someday and look at who is standing there waiting with open arms.

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Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

Ragamuffin

Christ's rest, Christian encouragement, Discouraged Christian, Encouragement for Women, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Jesus Christ, Love of God, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Trials, Troubles, , , , , , , , ,

Rich_Mullins

RAGAMUFFIN The True Story of Rich Mullins

My heart is so full right now. We went and saw this movie Saturday night and I was reminded of so many things. Memories flooded every fiber of my being. I have pulled out some of Rich’s CDs and books and reread quotes. Brennan Manning was a “ragamuffin” that Jesus used to bring healing into Rich’s life, and I have been re-reading the RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL.

Why? Trust me, Rich nor Brennan are not on a pedestals. Besides, they would not want to be there. I remember the first time I met Rich I was organizing a meal for his first time of three in our little city. I was uncovering all the food and asked where Rich was? Of course, he was sitting directly in front of me. He laughed when I said I did not recognize him. He remarked that the album covers with his picture didn’t look like him either. After the concert and cleaning up, he was ever so gracious and asked us to help him count money from tape sales (1991). He did not like the stuff.

I got to hear Brennan Manning speak a couple of times. He was so unassuming and humble..and truthful. I was so moved by his honesty.

I was reminded last night about how much God loves me. HE LOVES ME. I had a pretty rocky relationship with my dad as my parents divorced and things were always bad between us. As a result, I could never get it in my head that GOD loved me unconditionally. I struggled and struggled.

Then I met Rich Mullins and his music. Abba Father spoke to my heart with reckless abandon. He pursued me relentlessly. And I got it. Oh, I went back to many of my “legalistic” ways from time to time, but God always pulled me back into His arms of love.

A ragamuffin is someone who, according to Brennan Manning, one who is “dirty, bedraggled, and beat up.” Rich Mullins said “We miss the gospel of Christ: the good news that, although the holy and all-powerful God knows we are dust, He still stoops to breathe into us the breath of life-to bring to our wounds the balm of acceptance and love.”

Friends…this is the GOOD NEWS. “Jesus Christ is crazy about you. He loves you just as you are, not as you should be” Brennan Manning

I encourage you to see this movie. Please. It will either confirm what you already know to be true, or challenge you to think about the grace of God.

Be blessed~
IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*Wikipedia image, The Ragamuffin Gospel, All is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir

Stove Knobs-Part 2

Christ's rest, Discouraged Christian, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Trials, Troubles, Who I am in Christ, , , , , , , , , , ,

tool-box-md

Stove Knobs- Part 2

I know that you have been waiting with anticipation to find out the rest of the stove knob story! But I promise there is a point.

Remember the toolbox that was in my reach the whole time? Well…

Ephesians 4:11-15 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ

We are already “equipped” with all we need as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ!We don’t have to be a pastor, missionary or music leader! We are all equipped to build the body of Christ. To work toward unity of the faith and of the knowledge. This knowledge means “an intense knowledge because of thorough participation in the object of that knowledge” (Strongs). In other words, not just a head knowledge of who Christ is, but a Heart knowledge of who He is to you.

The verse goes on to talk about the “perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..” Of course the perfect man is full grown as opposed to little children. Fullness in Christ means that Christ has filled us with all kinds of gifts and dwells and walks in it, the body. God was in his fullness and not simply a manifestation, Jesus was fully God and fully man. This means more than just being filled with food. You know, how you eat and eat and say that you are full and two hours later you are eating again. You weren’t really full. THIS fullness means there is no room for anything else!! God alone is enough to fill us!

We have been given a “toolbox” but sometimes don’t even know we have it..we don’t know how to access it, or we just ignore that we have everything we need! God has given us what we need to get through all that swirls around us, and to help others as well.

Of course there are times when we don’t feel “full” of Christ, or totally immersed in Him. There are times when we don’t think that we can get through the hurts we are experiencing…and then God sends someone our way to say the right thing, pray the right prayer, or give the right amount of money we need. When there are those times that nothing seems to be happening, be must believe what He taught us was true! We must retrain our brain to rest in Him.

So get out that tool box and see what kind of tools the Father has equipped you with…see what tools need to be used. Don’t let it lay on the floor! Who knows, you might have the right tools to help someone fix the knobs on someone’s stove!!

Blessings dear ones~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV Bible