hold on

In Christ: I Have Been Chosen
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In Christ: I Have Been Chosen

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 20 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day thirteen with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have been chosen by God.

I Have Been Chosen

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.“
Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)

Do you remember the choosing of teams in childhood sporting contests?  Were you one that was chosen early or passed over until the captains were left with little choice?  Do you ever feel unappreciated or unwanted?  How does it feel when you are asked to do something special or chosen to be a part of a prestigious group?

There are probably times when every one of us has felt left out or unwanted.  We feel like we are on the outside looking in and wonder what it would be like to be included.  In Christ we have the wonderful identity of being chosen by God!  As you pray, ask God to help you grasp the great love He has for you.  Pray that He would fill you with a sense of value and purpose as one who has been deliberately chosen.  Pray for a greater understanding of being chosen by God to be holy and blameless in Christ.  Pray for a continued growth in becoming what you already are in God’s sight.  Pray that the people around you would come to know the joy and fulfillment that is found when you are chosen in Christ.

In prayer,

Tom  

In Christ: I Have Every Spiritual Blessing
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In Christ: I Have Every Spiritual Blessing

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 21 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day twelve with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing.

I Have Every Spiritual Blessing

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.“
Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)

What first comes to your mind when you think of blessing?  Are those thoughts different if you consider spiritual blessings?  How often do you think you have every spiritual blessing that you would desire or need?  How would being blessed “in the heavenly realms” be different from what you might normally think of blessings to be?  Are there ways that it would be the same?

Far too often when we hear the word blessings, someone is talking about receiving some type of physical possession.  While it is true that “every good and perfect gift comes from above”, including all material possessions that would fit that category, how often do you consider the greater blessings that exist for those in Christ?  As you pray, ask God to help you see greater value in the spiritual blessings you receive than you do in temporary ones.  Pray that you would make the most of the spiritual blessings that God has poured out in you.  Pray that you would not be distracted from the greater blessings by the allure of the lesser.

In prayer,

Tom  

In Christ: I Have Been Crucified
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In Christ: I Have Been Crucified

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 22 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day eleven with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have been crucified with Christ.

I Have Been Crucified

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.“
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

When you think about where you were before you knew Christ, how often do you think about that transition to being in Christ involving your death?  What active part does a dead person usually have in decision-making and life choices?  What does being crucified have to do with living by faith?  How much of your life does God require in order for Christ to live in you?

For most people, death is something that we don’t like to think or talk about.  In death we often see the permanent end to something while failing to see the new beginning of something else.  In Christ, the old must die in order for the new life to begin.  As you pray, ask God to help you surrender to the crucifixion of your old life in order for your new life to begin.  Pray that being crucified with Christ would put Him in the decision-making role in your life.  Pray that the new life you live would be lived fully for Christ.  Pray that the people around you would no longer see the life you lived, but they would see Christ living in you.

In prayer,

Tom  

In Christ: I Am Declared Righteous
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In Christ: I Am Declared Righteous

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 23 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day ten with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have been declared righteous.

I Am Declared Righteous

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.“
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

How often are you right?  How often do you think you are right?  Is there a different answer to those two questions?  What does it take for you to admit that you are wrong about something?  How hard is it to take back the wrong you’ve committed against someone?  What if that wrong was done against God?  Is there a way you can make it right?

As much as we would like to be right about everything, the truth is there is no one who is right all the time, no not one!  Because of our sin, all of our good deeds and right living will never be enough to make us right with God.  That is why a very important part of our identity in Christ is that we are declared righteous!  As you pray, acknowledge your sin and wrongdoing while thanking God that Jesus was willing to take on your sin so that you could be declared righteous in Christ.  Pray that your life would reflect the righteousness that God has given you.  Pray that the people around you would see in you a righteousness that far exceeds any trace of goodness you may think you have.

In prayer,

Tom  

In Christ: I Am a New Creation
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In Christ: I Am a New Creation

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 24 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day nine with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have been called to be a new creation.

I Am a New Creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!“
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

What do you like the most about new things?  What do you not like about new things?  How easy/hard is it for you to take hold of new things if the old are still available to you?  If there was one area of your life that you could make completely new, what would it be?  What would it take to do so?  Do you believe people can change?  Do you believe you can change?  Why or why not?

Many of us live with an internal tug-of-war where we like new things but are far more comfortable with many of the old things that define who we are.  For example, I tend to buy new shoes but will rarely wear them until I actually throw the old ones out.  As you pray, ask God to help you see any areas of your old life that you tend to cling to instead of claiming the new life that He gives.  Pray that you would have the courage to always put away the old life and live as the new creation you are.  Pray that you would trust God’s ability to make not only you, but those around you, into a new creation when you are in Christ.

In prayer,

Tom  

In Christ: I Stand Firm
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In Christ: I Stand Firm

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 25 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day eight with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, can stand firm regardless of the storms of life.

I Stand Firm

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.“
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV)

How often do you feel like you are living the “one step forward, two steps backward” way of life?  Have you ever tried walking in conditions that were difficult or impossible to maintain solid footing?  How much confidence do you gain when you have the proper footwear in icy or slippery conditions?  What influence do product guarantees have on your trust of an item?  What types of things might make a guarantee more believable or valuable to you?

At times life can seem to follow a treacherous and slippery path.  With just a casual look around, most of us can see far too many people who have slipped and fallen along their chosen path.  As you pray, ask God to always make you aware that He is the one who can make you stand firm in Christ.  Pray that God’s Spirit would help you to always stand firm in your faith.  Pray that you would trust the guarantee that you have been given through the deposit of God’s Spirit within you.  Pray that your ability to stand firm in Christ, even in the midst of the instability of life, would draw others to Him.

In prayer,

Tom  

In Christ: I Have Been Bought With a Price
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In Christ: I Have Been Bought With a Price

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 26 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day seven with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, can have the mind of Christ to fill you with His wisdom.

I Have Been Bought With a Price

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.“
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

What is the most that you have ever paid for something?  How does the price paid for something affect the way you treat it?  How do you feel when someone else mistreats an item that you have purchased at a great cost?  What rights do you feel you have as a purchaser?  How do you want your items treated that others borrow from you?

Most individuals and families that I know have at least one item of personal property that seems to be sacred to them.  Do what you want to anything else and while there may be disappointment and sorrow, it is nothing compared to the heartache when that one item is damaged or destroyed.  That is the level of extreme value we have to God as we were bought with the incredible price of the blood of His Son, Jesus!  As you pray, ask God to help you to always remember the price He paid for you.  Pray that you would live in a way that honors the price Jesus has paid for you.  Pray that you would share with others the value that God places on their life by His willingness to pay such a great price.

In prayer,

Tom  

In Christ: I Have His Mind
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In Christ: I Have His Mind

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 27 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day six with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, can have the mind of Christ to fill you with His wisdom.

I Have The Mind of Christ

“‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.“
1 Corinthians 2:16 (NIV)

Have you ever wished that you could crawl into the mind of someone so you could have a better understanding of how they think and who they are?  Are you of the same mind with someone else to the extent that you can accurately finish sentences and thoughts of each other?  Do you ever act like you know more than God?  Does your life say that even if your words never would?  What qualities should be most obvious in your life because you have the mind of Christ?

When we are in Christ, we should become so much like Christ that it is obvious that we have the mind of Christ!  Our thoughts and words should be the same as we would expect from Christ.  As you pray, ask God to fill you with a humility that allows you to be emptied of self and filled with the mind of Christ.  Pray that your very thoughts, which determine your actions, would reflect the mind of Christ.  Pray that your decisions would be based on what comes from the mind of Christ rather than from yourself.  Pray that the people around you would see the mind of Christ in you.

In prayer,

Tom