WELCOME TO THE NEW ADDITION TO "THE WORD...THE GREAT ADVENTURE...."
IN CHRIST...THE KINGDOM WITHIN......
By Gloria Phifer
My prayer for this study is that our eyes will be opened to our identity in Christ. Who we are! Identity is a topic in the church today because the lord is bringing it to our attention. He wants us to know "who we are in Him."
Dictionary: "Identity…The fact of being who or what a person or thing is. . ."
That sounds simple enough but there is so much more to identity.
*** How would you describe your identity to someone?
In order to enter a country, you have to prove your identity. That is why there are passports and visas. On our way to Israel, before we could board the El Al air plane, we were taken separately, into a room and interrogated. "Why are you going to Israel? What is your purpose? Who is your leader? Etc.
Returning to the United States, my passport proved my citizenship and my identity. I am a citizen of this country with all the privileges.
I would have to get to know you, to really know who you are. We need to know ourselves "In Christ."
****Romans 12:2 we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Greek for "renewing" is "anakainosis "(an-ak-ah-ee-no-sis). Wow! what a word. It means "Renovation…renewing. To renovate.
**** " Have you renovated anything lately?
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**** How do we renovate our thinking? By the Word of God. Believing what the Word says about us and who we are. Do you want to know who you really are? Do you want to know how God sees you? We need to know and believe who we are In Christ.
We can believe lies about ourselves. When I was a child, for some reason, my parents thought I wasn't good in math. My step dad kept me up until eleven PM drilling me in math. I have found old report cards…"How is Gloria doing in math?"
The answer was, "Gloria is doing fine in math." I grew up thinking I wasn't good in math. I never put much effort into math…after all if I wasn't good at it, why try?
One day at work, where I worked in the accounting department, (I had also worked as a teller at a bank)…I was balancing my work, which I did every day. And I realized the lie I had believed. Lo and behold…I was working with math everyday and getting a paycheck for it for 15 years. (My thinking was renovated…I saw the truth.)
Knowing the truth is very important. The Lord can show you a truth today that can totally set you free from a lie of a life time. Ask Him for Truth. Truth in who you really are. That is what this study is all about. The Truth of who you really are.
God's identity of you… John 8:31-32 Notice it is continuing in His Word and the Truth will set you free. "If you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed: and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
As we look at this study…please take it to heart. Meditate on the scripture and apply it to yourself…for instance…"I am the beloved of the Lord." Take the Word as it belongs to you…because it does! If you can worry…you can meditate. (I don't mean something bizarre); just thinking…pondering …chew on it. Place your name in the space. ------------I am the beloved of the Lord. Philip. 4:1
**** Knowledge and believing the right things are life changers. Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge".
**** Prov 24:5 "A wise man is strong: yea, a Man of knowledge increases in strength." Notice that…knowledge increases strength!
**** Wisdom cries out. Prov. 8: 1-14" The Words of Wisdom's mouth are in righteousness…they are plain to him that understands and right to them that find knowledge.
" I believe Wisdom is Christ. 1 Cor. 1:23-24. "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Col.2:3 In Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
*** IN CHRIST is all the power and wisdom of God!!!
**** In your opinion why is knowledge important? Why is the knowledge of who you are "In Christ"important? What will this knowledge do for you?
Ephesians 3:8-10 "According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." What a wonderful privilege to be part of that eternal purpose In Christ.
Beloved, we are the body of Christ on this earth. We represent Him. Our lives belong to Him. We are on this earth for a purpose and our purpose is NOW. We have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this. The Lord knew the generation we would live in and He has equipped us. We must know who we are! It is imperative for this time and this place. We are called and we are chosen.
We are on a journey to find "Who we are in Christ" and the Kingdom Within.
Welcome to the journey.
