resurrection power

Unmasked: Our Identity in Christ – Free

October 20, 2016 by Ellen 4 Comments

There’s a stampede of children running through the school. It’s the last day, the last hour, the last second before summer vacation. Their faces beam with joy, as they burst through the door, laughing and screaming. They are FREE!

Oh, the joys of childhood freedom: a full summer of long, lazy days; playing outside with neighborhood kids until the glow of lightening bugs lead us home. Three months of freedom!

Wouldn’t you love to capture that sense of childhood freedom, bottle it up, and pour it over yourself on the days when life overwhelms? I would.

And yet, as followers of Jesus, we have His freedom available to us.

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 NASB

Indeed. Without question. Truly, undeniably free.

And the beauty of it is, we are free from SIN. Oh, happy day!

“Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” Romans 6:18 NLT

Are you like me, though? Do you know this truth of freedom, and yet don’t walk in it? I continue to live in fear over faith, anger over peace – you name it. What sin still has you in bondage?

So now I must ask this:

If we are free, and free indeed in Christ; if we are new creations; if we are empowered with resurrection power – WHY THEN do we still have a slave mentality when it comes to sin? Why do we stay shackled?

Possibly, we become like the Israelites who were tasked with spying out the Promised Land (Numbers 33). They saw that the land flowed with milk and honey. They also saw fortified cities, and large, strong people who were descendants of the giant Anakim people.

I wonder: Did they not want to overtake the Promised Land because of their fear of the unknown? Or perhaps they were comfortable with the status quo. Maybe, just maybe, it would take too much work to overcome those giants. Perhaps, they lost sight of the fact that God gave them this land, and saw themselves as less-than.

“There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:33 NASB

When faced with my new, God-given self, I must admit that sometimes I want to run and hide. I’m familiar and at home with my old self and my old ways. And I’ll admit, it’s hard work and takes courage to walk in newness of life. How about you?

Another reason we don’t step confidently into our new-found freedom, is that we have memory lapses. We step out in faith, do something in His resurrection power, and then promptly forget how faithful the Lord was to us. We have our memorial stones scattered here and yon, instead of piled high. When we remember God’s faithfulness, His goodness in strengthening us and providing for us – well, my goodness, we should walk in freedom every second of every day!

I think it’s time to stack my memorial stones and see how high they will go – a visible reminder of all the times Jesus has walked with me or carried me through.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 NASB

Join me, won’t you, as we walk in freedom with Jesus!

Grace be with you,

Unmasked: Our Identity in Christ-Empowered

October 13, 2016 by Ellen 6 Comments

Running blindly into the inky darkness, I desperately tried to find my way to safety. The crack of a twig and rustling leaves told me he was near. Eyes wide, the “O” of a silent scream formed on my mouth. Shadows chased me through the dark alley. Suddenly, I could run no further. Dead end! I turned slowly, my back against the cold brick wall. There was nothing between me and this man. His large body blocked my only route to freedom. I tried to lift my arms for protection, but they were frozen. I was defenseless.

The terror of the nightmare jolted me out of my sleep. Barely able to breathe, suffocating in fear, I fought the feeling of powerlessness that engulfed me.

That helpless, useless and powerless sensation can overwhelm any one of us from time to time. Watching a loved one suffer with an illness; seeing broken relationships that should be healed and whole; wanting to help, but not knowing how. Powerless.

Sometimes it can be a simple task in the midst of an out of control schedule that pushes you over the edge. You feel powerless to change the situation. Many times our reaction to those situations disappoints us. If you are like me, those are the times you feel powerless to be the person you KNOW you should be in Christ.

But God.

“And how very great is His power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which He used when He raised Christ from death and seated Him at His right side in the heavenly world.” Ephesians 1:19-20 GNT

Let this scripture soak deep into your soul; let it permeate your heart and your mind. God’s power is at work in those of us who have put our faith in Jesus. It is the SAME power that God used when He raised Christ from the dead. Resurrection power. Miraculous power, according to Strong’s Dictionary (G1411 dunamis, from G1410 dunamai, meaning to be able). Ability, power, strength, might.

Scare you much? It petrifies me. To know that amount of power is available to me, because of Jesus. Goodness, I wish I could tell you that I walk in His power each and every day. I wish I could tell you that having this kind of power in me makes me confident. It makes me weak-kneed instead. My husband says that if we had faith in this power, we could do a lot more, but we are weak.

If you are like me, then I urge you to strengthen your faith by internalizing these truths from scripture. They give us much insight into the resurrection power in us:

Know that it is available and at work in us.
Ephesians 1:9 tells us that His power is at work in us. Bury this truth in your heart, and remember it as you walk through various trials or circumstances that make you feel powerless. You are empowered NOW.

Know that it is Holy Spirit led.
If Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of your life, you have His Holy Spirit in you. He enables us to be what we cannot be on our own. The Holy Spirit empowers us for living with strength beyond our own.
“But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 AMP

Our weakness, His power.
Odd though it seems, His power works best in our weakness. In our weakest moments His power will shine. And those who know us well, and see us empowered beyond our own natural capacity, will know it is Christ’s power at work in us. Those who don’t know us, will hear us boasting about our weaknesses, so that God is honored.
“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

Know that it is from God and not ourselves.
This power is to be used for God’s honor and glory, in the ministries that He has called us to. He has provided for you and empowered you to serve!
“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

May we all walk in newness of life, EMPOWERED beyond what we could ask or imagine.

Grace be with you,