WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST

When we know who Christ is, then we can begin to make sense of who we are in Him. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called”. (NLT)

The reality is this: When you are a believer, you can count on the fact that you have a bright future regardless of what you may going thru. You might say, "But I'm in the middle of a crisis". God will get you through it. "But, I'm facing opposition." God will give you the victory. "But, I've already lost so many battles." God will turn the curse into a blessing. "But, I'm in pain!" God will never leave you; He will be there with you to give you the strength you need to overcome every challenge and every setback.

Notice what Paul says... (v. 18) “... that you may know...what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” The word inheritance here refers to the Father's inheritance, not ours. I’ve always read this verse to mean that Paul was referring to all the good things that we inherit from God--heaven, forgiveness, salvation, and so on. But Paul isn't talking about what we will inherit. He's talking about what God will inherit. God will inherit the saints--that is, the church. You and me and the rest of us.

This is God's plan. He sent his Son into the world to die on the cross for our sins so that all who come to Him will be saved and will become a member of his church. (We're talking about the universal church, not this specific church.)

When you become a member of His church, the process begins in which he makes you pure and holy and blameless--a job he promises to finish. And when His work in you is done, He will receive you--along with all the members of his church--as His inheritance, His precious possession to be treasured throughout eternity. This is what God's people mean to Him. This is who you are in Christ.

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INADEQUATE YET CHOSEN

“Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure… Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long ago.” Ephesians 1:4-5, 11

Have you ever felt inadequate? Untalented? Unworthy? Probably most of us have felt that way. Maybe it began on the school playground with a pickup game of softball basketball. Each side’s captain was choosing the teams and you were picked last. Whatever it was, the feeling of “not measuring up” can haunt us long after we graduate from sandlot sports. In the workplace, in the classroom, at home, we've asked, "If they had it to do all over again, would they choose me? Would they hire me? Would she marry me?" Maybe you've wondered the same thing about your Christian life. "If God had it do over, would He still save me?" Some of you believe that you have been such a disappointment to God that He never would have saved you if He had it to do over again. But Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells us the exact opposite. He emphatically states that God chose and accepted you into the body of Christ not because He had to, but because He wanted to. You are part of his plan. From the beginning, He chose you to be part of his family. His unchanging plan has always been to bring us to himself thru Christ. Paul says...(v. 4) Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Whether or not you think it's possible for you to become "holy and blameless", the Bible makes it clear that God thinks it is possible. You may wonder, “How is that possible with all the mistakes and blunders I have made?” Well, the key is that it’s not your plan, it’s God’s. And it’s not because of your efforts on your own, it’s all about who you are “in Christ”. Nothing in your life has ever caught Him by surprise. And yet, verse 11 tells us, “...for He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long ago.” That means that long before God made the Heavens and the earth, He knew all about your life – where you would be today, all of your disappointments and mistakes, all of your “inadequacies” and shortcomings. He knew that you would fall short of His glory. Maybe you’ve felt like giving in to regret and giving up, but He has never given up on you. His love for you has never changed. Your past may be littered with failure and defeat, but it doesn't change the fact that God loves you, He chose you, and He believes in you. You have been on his mind from the very beginning.

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WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus, “Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Ephesians 3:8-12

In his book The Winner Within, Pat Riley, former coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, talks about the danger of the "Disease of Me." He tells how the Lakers' out-of-control egos brought about one of the quickest falls in the history of the NBA. They won the Championship in 1980 and they were predicted to do it again the following season. Then resentment set in among the players. Some thought Magic Johnson got too much attention from the media. Kareem Abdul Jabbar believed that he was being snubbed by other players. Some players believed they weren't getting the recognition they deserved. As a result, the Lakers shifted their focus from winning to whining. And the following season they got beat in the first playoff round. This is the ultimate humiliation for a reigning champ; it had happened only twice before in NBA history. Riley summed it up by saying, "The Disease of Me leads to the Defeat of Us." When we put our egos ahead of our responsibilities we lose--and lose big. When we think life is “all about us” and we have a “what’s in it for me” attitude, we’re opting out on God’s plan for us in Christ. We begin to think that "we are who we make ourselves to be". But the reality is that it’s not just about “who we are”, but about “who we are in Christ. “ This is why we must adopt Paul's attitude: I am not an important person, but I have an important job to do. And in Christ alone, can I do that job.

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On Ephesians

As Dr. Eley prepares us to dive into the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians, I was reminded of the fact that in myself, I am nothing. But in Christ, I am more than a conqueror. And as more than a conqueror, I am a child of God and have a royal inheritance in heaven. Unfortunately not too many folks in the world see it that way. In fact, even in the church, many believers think they will get to heaven based on the "good" things they do on earth and how well they obey all the rules. But Paul tells us a different story.
It's no secret that Ted Turner (founder of TBS and CNN) has a great disdain for Christianity. He once said that Christianity is a religion for losers. He then cracked a joke about hoping the pope would step on a landmine. He once ridiculed Christian CNN employees, calling them Jesus Freaks and suggesting that they should work for Fox.
Despite all that, Mr. Turner, who has claimed to be an atheist, often talks about his acceptance in the afterlife.
In 2003, when he was meeting with a group of Christian to discuss the movie Gods and Generals -- a Civil War era faith-friendly film that Turner financed -- he said: "Look at my philanthropy! The Bible says it's better to give than receive...I'm living like a Christian. I guarantee you I'll see you in Heaven. I'll be like the guy who has the last two tickets in the stadium. I've lived a really good life. I'm going to say, 'Hey, St. Peter, remember Gods & Generals?' This movie is a final bit of insurance that I get in."
It's a little unclear whether Turner really believes his own words, but it appears that he is making the same mistake that so many make. Like I said before, even many professing Christians believe that our acceptance into heaven will be determined by how good we are in this life. Though goodness is a goal, it's not a ticket. We must remember Paul's words...
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Aren't you glad about that? I am!!!

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GROWTH COMES THRU ADVERSITY

Man! What a week! I’m beginning to think that I ought to stop writing about adversity! It seems as if I have had no loss of it in my life since I began this particular string of posts. This past week, I had a bad reaction to some medicine and woke up in the emergency room of the hospital! I thought medicine was supposed to help, not hurt. But when I think about it, that’s the way life is. You go thru adversity and you keep going. It’s not about how hard you get hit, it’s about how you keep moving forward.

Frederick Nietzsche said, "Every talent must unfold itself in fighting." He's saying that growth in any area of your life comes with a price -- and that price is struggle. We experience very little that’s worthwhile in life without some kind of adversity -- the adversity of opposition, the adversity of lost sleep, the adversity of financial pressure, the adversity of loneliness, the adversity of delayed gratification. Even the adversity of the emergency room. A price must first be paid. I wouldn’t have discovered my allergy to that medicine if I hadn’t been taken to the ER. Things could have been much, much worse.

In Ephesians 6, Paul knew that he was in the midst of a fight. He knew that in order to become the man of God he wanted to be, he must daily enter the battlefield to contend with an enemy: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV)

It will do us good to remember that we are engaged in battle, day-in, day-out. It's not a struggle that can be seen with the human eye, but it can certainly be felt with the human spirit. This struggle cannot be avoided; it must be confronted. On the other side, however, victory awaits us, because we do not fight unarmed. We carry with us the full armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit and the helmet of salvation.

Peter tells us not to be surprised at the fiery trials we face; they're part of the process of growing in Christ. Every talent must unfold itself in fighting; growth comes through struggle.

So no matter where you may be facing adversity - in a relationship, at work, in your walk with God – the obstacle will not disappear on its own. It belongs there. You are called to confront it, through the power of Christ within you, until you can emerge victorious!

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4 Steps to Overcoming Adversity

At some point in life, we all face adversity. It’s not a matter of “if”, but “when”. The difference between success and failure comes down to choice. When adversity strikes, it’s not what happens that will determine our destiny; it’s how we react to what happens.
If you drew a picture of your day, you would find that some days the line is pretty straight with few hills and curves in it. Then there are those days and sometimes weeks where all you have is curves, hills and very low valleys.
On the contrary, a dead person’s day is just one straight line all the time. Day after day, night after night, nothing changes. So it's a good thing that things aren't mundane day after day. Life means a variety of experiences - both in adversity and in prosperity.
We all like the prosperity part, but how do you handle adversity? When things get bad, do you turn tail and run? Do you break down on the side of a highway and abandon your car? Do you end up shattered upon the jagged rocks of adversity? Or do you fight? Do you face the adversity and move forward?
1. Run to Jesus
When adversity attacks, run to Jesus. Don’t shut down or isolate yourself from those who can help you. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of your faith. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus will not let you down. You can trust Him to get you through this turbulence.
2. Cast All Your Cares
Casting all our cares on Jesus is a spiritual step toward freedom. Scripture says, “Cast all your care on Him for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Casting our cares on Jesus requires us to give our adversity to Him.
Sometimes, however, one prayer session isn’t enough. Some adversity has several dates booked on your calendar. Every time fear tries to grip you, pray, “I cast all my cares on you Lord because I know you care for me.” And say that in your heart over and over again until the burden is lifted.
3. Submit and Resist
Scripture also admonishes, “Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he shall flee” (James 4:7). Notice this twin advice for freedom from adversity, “Submit to God.” That means that He becomes your Commander. You release your will to Him and let His Word govern you, your actions, your situation and your entire life. You also release the outcome of the adversity to Him.
The second half of that scripture assures, “Resist the devil and he will flee.” He didn’t say ignore the devil, hide from the devil, deny the devil’s existence, or compromise with the devil. God said to resist him. You resist the devil just like Jesus did. When the devil attacked Jesus in the wilderness He said repeatedly, “Devil. It is written.” You can do the same.
4. Keep An Eternal Perspective
Joseph was able to see God’s hand in his circumstances, as evidenced with these words to his brothers, “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.” (Gen 45: 5-8).
God’s ways are higher than our ways. He knows and understands every detail of your life. You may never understand the “why” of your experience this side of heaven, but you can nevertheless trust a holy, sovereign and loving God.
Just as He did in Joseph’s life, He is working right now to help us overcome our adversity. You see, God isn’t just focused on “here and now”. He’s focused on our eternity with Him. And He is working all the things of our present life for the eternity we will spend with Him.

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Pressing On

When Lynn and I were stationed at Fort Campbell Kentucky, one section of the highway thru Clarksville Tennessee was named “Wilma Rudolph Highway”. A lot of folks don’t even know who she was, but her story is a great example of overcoming adversity. Wilma Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children. She was born prematurely and doctors didn't expect her to survive. She did make it, but at the age of 4, she contracted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, which left her with her left leg paralyzed. At the age of 9, she removed the metal leg brace she had depended on for the past five years and began walking without it. By 13, she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year, she decided she wanted to begin running. She entered her first race and came in last. For the next three years, she came in dead last in every race she entered. But, she kept on running until the day came that she won a race. Eventually, the little girl who was not supposed to live and then who was not supposed to be able to walk would win three Olympic gold medals.

The Apostle Paul once said, “one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 Paul faced enormous trials and adversity, but he refused to be held back by the battles of the past. With his faith in God, he pressed on thru the adversity to reach the other side. That didn’t mean that the adversity wasn’t hard, it simply meant that with the strength of Christ, he would persevere. You and I will never know what the Lord has in store for us until we do the same.

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Adversity

Chuck Swindoll tells about commercial transportation of codfish cross country, which was a problem for quite sometime. At first the fish were frozen and shipped, but they lost their flavor in the freezing/thawing process. Next they were shipped live in tanks, but they arrived at their destination soft and mush, the meat having lost its texture.
Someone then had the idea of shipping the cod with their natural enemy: the catfish. From the time the codfish left the east coast, they were chased around the tank by catfish. When they arrived at market, they were as fresh as when they were first caught. No loss of flavor, no loss of texture.
Each one us at times will find ourselves in a tank of inescapable circumstances, which is painful enough. But there are also some God appointed "catfish" to bring sufficient tension that keeps us alive, alert, fresh, and growing. It's all part of God's project to shape our character so we will be more like his Son.

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Satan's Plan

How will Satan attack your church? Does he have a primary strategy, one that seldom fails? Yes.

He’ll go after your church’s community. He’ll do everything he can to infect it, make it sick, and hopefully, have it die.

In the gospel of John we have the poignant final words and prayers of Jesus to His disciples before the cross. Between John 13 and John 17, it can only be said that Jesus pours out His heart. It is considered by many to be among the most moving sections of the New Testament. What occupied Jesus the moments before His atoning death for the sins of the world? Not surprisingly, His concern that the world would recognize His gift. And how would that happen? Christ’s torrent of prayer and pleading begins and ends with a passionate call for unity among those who claim His name. The observable love between those who called themselves His followers was everything. Why? Jesus said it would be this unity, and this unity alone, which would arrest the world’s attention and confirm that He was from the Father.

As has often been pointed out, when the Bible talks about such loving unity, it doesn’t mean uniformity, which is everyone looking and thinking alike. And the biblical idea is certainly not to be confused with unanimity, which is complete agreement about every petty issue across the board (though within churches there should be unity of purpose and an agreement on the major issues related to doctrine and mission). By unity, the Bible means first and foremost a oneness of heart - a relational unity. Being kind to one another, gracious to one another, forgiving of one another - not assuming the worst, shooting the wounded, or being quick to be suspicious. Biblical unity is about working through conflicts, avoiding slander and gossip, and being generous in spirit.

Unfortunately, many churches do not know how to treat community illnesses. So let’s get practical about some remedies:

Community Allergies: This is when two or more people in the community experience conflict, a personality clash, strong wills locking, or simply offend one another in the normal course of interaction. This calls for an immediate application of a strong antihistamine, specifically the one found in Matthew 18:15: “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him - work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend.” (Msg)

Community Growth Aches and Pains: This is when your church goes through a growth spurt, starts a new service or adds a new campus, or even opens up a new entrance - anything that separates people from each other in ways they were not separate before. There is an inevitable sense of community “loss” because people don’t see everyone they used to see the way they did before. This is unavoidable if a church is going to be healthy, but it still needs an aspirin in the form of Acts 2:47 to keep it from becoming a splitting migraine (just to remind folks that a Spirit-filled church is one that is growing): “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (NIV)

Community Bumps and Bruises: This is when your church faces procedural or logistical hiccups that cause hurt feelings. It doesn’t take much - long lines, poor administration, unreturned phone calls, insufficient communication, or a youth retreat from hell. This calls for a quick Acts 6 X-Ray and physical therapy: “...as the believers? rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers… They said…’brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Everyone liked this idea,… So God’s message continued to spread. (NLT)

Community Infections: This is when a person (or persons) exudes a spirit that invades your church and creates division. They engage in hallway or parking lot conversations that spread dissent. They undermine the leadership. They cast suspicion and doubt. This is a serious ailment, even cancerous, and must be met with a round of radiation found in Titus 3:10: “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.” (NIV)

Sources: James Emery White, Christ Among the Dragons (InterVarsity Press).

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A Wonderful Life

This past Christmas, we all watched numerous reruns of past Holiday movies like: “Christmas Story” and “It's A Wonderful Life”. My favorite is “It’s a Wonderful Life”. It’s a good, heartwarming story. James Stewart is a struggling banker who learns that even though life on earth isn't perfect, it can be wonderful. We may have trials and troubles, we may miss out on some of our dreams, but still, it's a wonderful life.

Christians, more than anyone else, should believe this. We can all say that It is a Wonderful Life, because a relationship with Jesus makes it wonderful. We don't live in a perfect world; there is sorrow and sadness and misery and violence and poverty and hunger and war and injustice everywhere. If I didn't believe in God I would be overwhelmed with the futility of it all. But the fact is, because of God's involvement with the human race, life is not futile. In spite of the problems in our lives...even in the midst of the problems in our lives...we can experience an abundance of joy—because God has made this a wonderful life thru His Son Jesus Christ.

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