November 15, 2024

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

February 17, 2014 by

Feeling badly that I cannot just pop over to your house and bring you a nice big container of steamy, homemade chicken noodle soup….  🙁  But you live in Michigan, and Florida, and Texas, and Colorado, and South Carolina.  So this recipe and my prayers for your healing will have to suffice, my friends!

Chicken Noodle Soup truly is good medicine!  Raise your <sanitized> hand if you agree!  And truly so easy to make…lots of variations, too.  Here is my “Not from a Box, Nor from a Can” Homemade Chicken Broth recipe to start with.  Even just the aroma of this simple broth wafting through your home is going to make you feel a teeny bit better!

2014-02-16 19.29.02

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup  (makes 2+ quarts, approximately 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium sweet onion
2 small carrots, peeled
1 stalk celery
1 (or more!) tablespoon chopped garlic (I use jarred)
2 quarts of your amazing Homemade Chicken Broth
1+1/2- 2 cups (or so) of chicken bits
6-8 ounces egg noodles (we use gluten free noodles)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

  • Melt the butter over medium heat in a 3-4 quart sized saucepan.
  • Slice the onions, carrots (diagonally is nice), and celery into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and add to the pan.
  • Cook until the onions are translucent—about 7 or 8 minutes.
  • Add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional minute.
  • Pour in the broth; cover the pan and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer the soup until the vegetables are almost tender approximately 30-45 minutes.
  • Increase heat back to medium and add in the desired amount of chicken along with the egg noodles; bring back to a boil and simmer ‘til the noodles are tender—about 10 more minutes.
  • Carefully taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
  • Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot. Enjoy!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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CHRISTLife — TwentySix: Always A Receiver

February 17, 2014 by

cl always a receiver

Time measured out my days, life carried me along
In my soul I yearned to follow God but knew I’d never be so strong
I looked hard at this world to learn how heaven could be gained
Just to end where I began where human effort is all in vain

Were it not for grace…I can tell you where I’d be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
And I know how that would go—the battles I would face
Forever running but losing the race…were it not for grace

So here is all my praise expressed with all my heart
Offered to the Friend who took my place and ran a course I could not start
And when He saw in full just how much His Love would cost
He still went the final mile between me and heaven so I would not be lost

“Were it not for grace!”  I believe you (me, too!) are thoroughly and thankfully cognizant of the awesome goodness of Almighty God to mankind in the incredible provision of His grace.  And it is SO good to be aware of where we would be…but perhaps even more important to recognize that, because of grace, we are where God would have us to be.  As Mrs. Myers so abundantly points out, we are always  recipients of God’s amazing grace!  We are the joyful “receivers not independent achievers!”  Here in this 26th chapter, Always A Receiver, she writes about grace/God’s favor over 20 times!

Throughout the Bible, we find many believers well aware of and thankful for God’s grace!  Whether it was James offering motivation to the Hebrews living in dispersion throughout Europe or David’s exclamation of praise, these are just two examples of men who were assured of the truth regarding grace.

But He gives more grace.
Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11

Equally we, too, should be assured of all that Jesus’ sacrifice and death has given to us by God’s grace.

[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God,
freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy),
through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
Romans 3:24

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1 and 2

And so we can also praise our God declaring how good and kind He has been to us! We are redeemed, saved, freed from slavery to sin and now live, in that freedom, under grace.

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:14

Paul shared the following with Titus as he urged him to encourage and reprove the people in Crete. May we have the same heart—keeping in mind the grace we have received and do always receive!

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us
from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people
for His own possession who are zealous for good.
Titus 2:11-14

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CHRISTLife — Week Six

February 16, 2014 by

CHRISTLifepart2coverpic

So! I have briefly read through each of the chapters we will be studying this week in CHRISTLife: Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity.  As always, Mrs. Myers shares the Truth and additional godly images that encourage us to say “I AM what God says I am!”  (Are you more and more believing it? Can you say it wholeheartedly?)

This week’s chapters are:

Always A Receiver…focusing on grace, grace, and more grace!

1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace to me was not without effect.

New Altogether…take God at His Word; and see yourself as the new creation that He has made you to be!

Colossians 3:9 and 10
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self
with its practices and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.

Empowered…In Christ we have absolutely all the strength we will ever need to do any thing that He calls or commands us to do!

Philippians 4:13
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me
[I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him
Who infuses inner strength into me;
I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Enlightened…No longer do we dwell and walk in darkness! Let your little light shine!

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light
of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

(And then as we jump into Part Three, Three Pillars of our New Identity)
Belonging… to God because of His love that accepts us into union with Himself!

Ephesians 2:19
Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens,
excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship
with the saints; and you belong to God’s [own] household.

And throughout each of the chapters we study this week, there seems to me to be an underlying message that is communicated throughout—giving praise to God for the Truth of our identity.  As we continue to look at the facts of just who we are in Christ and faithfully replace the old, negative images (lies) with the Truth and reality of our True eternal, spiritual life.

  • We can praise Him for the new creation we are and the new life we are living.
  • We can praise Him that through Jesus we, who are weak, are made strong.
  • We can praise Him that we can see because ‘in His light we see light.”
  • We can praise Him for all that His precious, unconditional, everlasting Love brings into our lives.
  • We can praise Him that we will never again be on the outside…through Jesus’ blood we now belong.
  • We can praise and thank Him wholeheartedly declaring “I AM who God says I am!”
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Take My Life And Let It Be

February 16, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Take my life, and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; 
Take my moments and my days, 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise, 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise. 

Take my hands, and let them move 
At the impulse of Thy love; 
Take my feet and let them be 
Swift and beautiful for Thee, 
Swift and beautiful for Thee. 

Take my voice, and let me sing 
Always, only, for my King; 
Take my lips, and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee, 
Filled with messages from Thee. 

Take my silver and my gold; 
Not a mite would I withhold; 
Take my intellect, and use 
Every power as Thou shalt choose, 
Every power as Thou shalt choose. 

Take my will, and make it Thine; 
It shall be no longer mine. 
Take my heart; it is Thine own; 
It shall be Thy royal throne, 
It shall be Thy royal throne. 

Take my love; my Lord, I pour 
At Thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself, and I will be 
Ever, only, all for Thee, 
Ever, only, all for Thee.


  ~Frances Havergal-lyrics; Henri Malan-melody; performed by School of Worship~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
The psalmist, David, certainly seemed to have the same praise-filled thoughts in mind as did Ms. Havergal!  In this beautiful song of commitment, not only does she pledge her life (moments, days) but her physical selves (hands, feet, voice and lips) as well every thing of value she had (silver&gold, intellect) but all that was intriciscally ‘them’ (will, heart, love…and whole self).  How about you?  I am sure you have voiced words similar to these to Almighty God.

God deserves our all, every bit of what makes you…you; and what makes me…me. Anything that is in us that is good and righteous and pure and holy He has given to us…none of it is of our own doing.

Which is your favorite verse of this song?  Is there a particular one that your heart just sings out?  (Would you take a moment and leave a comment below sharing your thoughts?)  I love each and every one the verses but I think my current favorite is

Take my love; my Lord, I pour  at Thy feet its treasure-store. 
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee (ever, only, all for Thee).

The love that I have is only pure and good and perfect love because God has placed it into my heart.

Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us,
for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

 And so, I have this beautiful love—truly my ‘treasure-store’—to pour at His feet symbolically as a sacrifice.  It symbolizes my promise, my commitment, my pledge of my whole self to the One Who loves me so!

Consider these verses, friends, as further statements of dedication and commitment. God truly deserves all that we are—proof of our love for Him!

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg you in view of [all] the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (Amplified)

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

*   *   *   *   *

Dear Lord, we do SO want to dedicate ourselves—every part of us—to You, our Maker!  Please help us to change our hearts in any areas that may get in the way of this.  Today may we choose to offer ourselves—all we are and all we have—to You!   You deserve our ALL!  We ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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He Is Our Shield — Psalms 18:30-32

February 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

As for God, His way is perfect!
The word of the Lord is tested and tried;
He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.
For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God,
The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect?
Psalms 18:30-32

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CHRISTLife — An Intentional Quiet Time (Part 2)

February 15, 2014 by

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Each Saturday for the next few weeks, we will look in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a quiet time—or as some folks call it—a devotional time.  Last week we talked about one aspect of a quiet time—reading the Bible. This week we will focus on recognizing how vital it is to include singing praises to God as part of our quiet time.

If you are like me, you have found that singing and praising through song is so uplifting; don’t you think?  Almighty God is the point…He is the focus…keeping my mind and heart set toward Him is my aim.  He is the reason why I sing praises to Him!

Psalms 147:1, 7
Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God,
for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!

There are more reasons to praise our God than we have words enough to do so!  Here are just a few of His attributes:
• He is full of glory (Psalm 138:5)
• He is great (Psalm 145:3)
• He is wise and powerful (Daniel 2:20)
• He is good (Psalm 107:8)
• He is merciful (Psalm 89:1)
• He is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9)

And just some of His wonderful works:
• He is the One who saves us (Psalm 18:46)
• He keeps His promises (1 Kings 8:56)
• He pardons sin (Psalm 103:1-3)
• He gives us our daily food (Psalm 136:25)

There is a day coming when all will praise God by bowing to Jesus the King!

Philippians 2:10-11
That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Almighty God is oh-so-worthy to be praised!  Psalm 107 would be a great place to look to be encouraged with reminders of what God has done for His children! Throughout this particular psalm are listed proof after proof of God’s goodness.

Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31
Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness
and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

The Book of Psalms has been called the ‘Praise Book’ of the Bible.  In it are literally hundreds of examples of praises and reasons why praise is oh-so-very important. Did you know that every single one of the 150 psalms included in the Book of Psalms is an actual song?  Steve Pearson, a wonderful singer and songwriter, has written and recorded many songs using the words of the Psalms and his own inspired musical accompaniment. To my knowledge, he has now written and recorded a melody to each of the 150 psalms!  Here is a link to his website  www.psalmistry.com  Check it out!  Click on a song you have chosen to listen to…this will give you the particular songs words.  then click on “mp3 or midi” (I usually choose midi and listen to a piano rendition of the song). Also you can choose to view (and print!) the sheet music for the song.  I would love to hear how these wonderful songs and website have been a blessing to you!

As I read the Scriptures, one thing is clear: singing our praises is a good thing!

Join Miss Amy Grant as she sings Sing Your Praise to the Lord!

Psalm 92:1
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High…

Psalm 138:1-5
I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart;
before the gods will I sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name
for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness;
for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word
and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
In the day when I called, You answered me;
and You strengthened me with strength
(might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord,
for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].
Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord
and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord.

Keep worshipping Him and enjoying your quiet time with your Lord!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

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CHRISTLife — TwentyFive: Filled

February 14, 2014 by

cl filled

 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—
that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

To me—THIS—is the epitome of being “filled.” For oh-so-many reasons…let’s take this passage apart—attribute by attribute—and look at each of these ways in which we are filled. Not only here in Ephesians chapter 3 but also in other Scriptures are these images of how God sees us reiterated. Remember: I AM who God says I am!

I am strengthened with power through His Spirit in my inner being (verse 16)
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength

I have Christ dwelling in my heart through faith (verse 17)
John 14:23
If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

I am rooted and grounded in love (verse 17)
Colossians 2:7
Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith,
just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

I can comprehend the breadth, length, height, depth the love of Christ (verse 18)
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I can experientially know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (verse 19)
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced
that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves
but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

It is God’s desire to fill us with the fullness of Himself.  Through the passage above (Ephesians chapter 3) we see how He works that through the Christ in us.  Through the indwelling Spirit, we can begin to understand these things that ‘surpass’ our knowledge.  And because He is able to do ”far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us!“

In and through Christ Jesus, we have been filled!  Filled with all of this…and more! Here are more truths about who we are in Christ!  Please feel free to add more below in the comments!

As for me, however, I am filled with power
by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage,
Micah 3:8

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken;
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak
the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.
Acts 4:31

….And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19

…Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ,
to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:11

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.
Colossians 2:9 and 10

Personally I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are rich in goodness,
amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge and
competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another also.
Romans 15:14

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

These beautiful Scriptures are my prayer for you (and me, too)…
The God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Romans 15:13

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Colossians 1:9

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11

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Tell Me Why

February 13, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Tell me why the ivy twines 
Tell me why the stars do shine 
Tell me why the oceans blue
And then I’ll tell you why I love you
Because God made the ivy twine 
Because God made the the stars to shine
Because God made the ocean blue
Because God loves you…that’s why I love you

~  Author, unknown / Performed by Eddie Cochran  ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

And that’s the Truth!  I love the questioning…and then the sweet response in this little song!  Y’know…”if you tell me why (the stars shine, the ivy twines, and the oceans blue) THEN I will tell you why I love you!”  And such should always and forever be our determination.  Really, love is all about love…it’s not about the other person <shocking, I know!> or how we feel or how they feel about us.  We love because God loves…simple as that!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God,
and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another,
God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:7-12

And any capacity that a heart would have to truly love—with the love of God—comes from having Christ Jesus living in our hearts. The Scriptures make this clear.  Now that doesn’t make me the bearer of good news…unless…you are ‘born of God’ and Jesus lives in you.  And perhaps the day before we celebrate Valentine’s Day (or Happy Hearts Day, as we like to call it!) isn’t the most convenient time to make these statements. But these are God’s words…His Truth…not mine.

God IS love.  And every single person ever born or who ever will be born has been loved by God.  And being loved by God makes them accepted and gives them value and worth.

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that
He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son,
so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16 AMP

When Jesus knew the time was quickly approaching that He would be tortured and crucified, He so loved those closest to Him and wanted them to be well-equipped to continue on together.  By His example and His words, He encouraged and admonished them.  Here are His words from John, the Apostle He loved best.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:34 and 35

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:9-10

Jesus had tried to make it clear to them all along that love was a requirement. They might not have understood at the time but surely they did within a very short period of time.

John also reminded the believers later on in the First Century Church of what Jesus (and the Apostles) had taught them. They, just like us, have the command to love one another. As the song goes, ‘Because God loves you…that’s why I love you.’

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another.
And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ,
and to love one another as He <Jesus> commanded us.
1 John 3:11, 23

So, y’know, the Beatles were correct (at least about this!): All you need is love! I’m just sayin’!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

CHRISTLife — TwentyFour: One With Him In Spirit

February 13, 2014 by

cl one with him in spirit

These are big, huge, incredible, awesome TRUE statements Mrs. Myers makes as we read through Chapter 24!  And as incredible as they are, we (you and me!) must hold them in our minds, remembering they are Jesus’ words.  And ask for help in believing them.

I was so encouraged and built up by the Truth regarding God living in me, the Holy Spirit living in me, and, Christ living in me!  Of course, this is not a revelation to me but somehow, someway (hmmm, perhaps the Holy Spirit working as my Helper?) today, these truths came alive for me.  Has that ever happened to you?

Listen to this:

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in them and they in God.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
1 John 4:15 and 16

And this:

And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!
Galatians 4:6 AMP

And listen to Paul’s joy as he wrote that he was to

…make God’s message fully known—the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:26 and 27

Looking at just these 3 passages, our hearts can be built up in the Truth knowing that God lives in you (me, too!) because you choose to live in love, and that your Father—Abba!—has sent the Holy Spirt to live in your heart, and that the mystery hidden throughout the ages is now made known—it is Christ living in y.o.u., the hope of glory!

In a side note on page 101, Mrs. Myers writes,

“Take God at His word.  Accept it as true that you are indwelt with the fullness of God Himself, that His Spirit has His home within you and you belong to Him….”

I am setting my mind to do this, friends.  And I don’t want to just assent to it…I want to believe it with all of my heart!  Seeking God’s grace and blessing, and the help of the Comforter!  How about you? <3

 * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

And here are Kim’s thoughts and her beautiful inner identity album page for this week; she writes:

“To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with Christ. The Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ. Therefore, if I am filled with the Spirit, I am abiding in Christ. I am walking in the light as He is the light, and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse and keep on cleansing me from all unrighteousness. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit to guide me on my path in Wisdom’s way.”

CLiiakimweek5

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:16-17 ESV

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CHRISTLife — TwentyTwo: A Liberating Separation

February 11, 2014 by

cl a liberating separation

See what it says right there?  Yup, right above in the graphic!  “…dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  You (me, too!) are separated from sin…now and forever!  And that is SUCH a liberating separation!

If you would, please read through Romans chapter 6…and take note of six questions (and the answers, too!) that Paul asks.  Just click right here…come back when you are done!

Now THAT was encouraging, yes?  There is so much communicated throughout this chapter that would fill up our inner identity album pages.  But also of note are 6 direct questions.  These questions, to me, are equally confrontational and encouraging!  Perhaps, at first glance, you might even consider them rhetorical questions, i.e., questions which seem to need no answer. But, rather these are questions we really do need to stop and answer!  Let’s take a look at them….

  • What shall we say then…are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

The answer—’May it never be!’ or ‘Certainly not!’ is supplied.  And, of course, we never want to take God’s grace for granted!  In fact, in the verses immediately preceding (verses 20 and 21) we are told “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” However, we recognize the Truth that we are dead to sin and do our best to NOT sin.

  • How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Endeavoring to always be mindfully aware of all that Jesus accomplished, we put forth our greatest effort to NOT still live in it.

  • Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

This ‘baptism’ is not speaking of water baptism.  Rather, as Galatians 3:27 tells us “For many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” we have surrendered or given up all that we had or have.   Since we are a new creation in Christ, our own will and desires and hopes are buried. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

  • What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

May it never be! As verse 13 proclaims “…and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

  • Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

Oh what a beautiful picture—a slave to God obeying and having the result of righteous living before Him! Verse 14 reminds us, “…sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”  Oh yes!

  • What benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?

The ‘things we are ashamed of’ were our sinful behaviors and lifestyle.  We are dead to those things, no longer slaves to anything but the One Whom we obey—our heavenly Father!

I hope that my answers to these 6 questions are just the beginning of this discussion. I would love to hear your answers either below in the comments, or over on our group study page!

Oh, one more thing…Mrs. Myers entitled this chapter ‘A Liberating Separation.” And that is a FACT and it IS the Truth.  However, it is our responsibility (yours and mine) to maintain the separation that our Lord accomplished for us.  We must consider ourselves dead to sin and keep ourselves separated.  It is a lifelong reckoning. Let’s not forget that.

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