If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, this doesn't just mean that you are the same person but have just "accepted Jesus and going to Heaven". No, it means that you are a whole new creation - NOW and for all eternity. You are "born again" spiritually (see John 3) and have become a new creation in Christ. Even as believers for years, we often fail to see all that we are in Christ and/or just plain need some reminders. So here are some reminders straight from God's word - He tells us just who we are (whether we FEEL like it or not!!) Let's all soak in these truths today and remind ourselves of them often. :) 
 I am a Child of God! 
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12) 
 I am not the Great 'I AM' but, I am what I am! 
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect." (1 Cor 15:10) 
 I am the Salt of the Earth whereby others see Jesus! 
"You are the salt of the earth." (Mat 5:13) 
 I am the light of the World whereby others see Jesus! 
"You are the light of the world." (Mat 5:14) 
 I am a branch in Christ! I will bear much Fruit! 
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) 
 I am Christ's Friend! 
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) 
 I am Chosen by Christ! I will bear much Fruit! 
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last." (John 15:16) 
 I am free from Sin! I am a slave to Righteousness! 
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Rom 6:18) 
 I am a Slave to God! I have Eternal Life! 
"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Rom 6:22) 
 I am a Son ( Daughter ) of God! God is MY Father!!! 
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Rom 8:15) 
 I am an Heir of GOD and a Co-Heir with Christ! 
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Rom 8:17) 
 I am the Temple of God! God's Spirit live in ME! 
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Cor 3:16) 
 I am part of the Body of Christ! 
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Cor 12:27) 
 I am a NEW Creation - the Old has gone the New has come! 
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:17) 
 I am Christ's Ambassador! 
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf:" (2 Cor 5:20) 
 I AM A SAINT! ( i.e. Forgiven Sinner ) 
"To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:" (Phil 1:1) 
 I am God's workmanship! I have work to do that he planned! 
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph 2:10) 
 I am a Member of God's household! I BELONG! 
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household," (Eph 2:19) 
 I am Created to be Like God in Righteousness and Holiness! 
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22-24) 
 I am a Citizen of Heaven! 
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," (Phil 3:20) 
 I am Hidden in GOD! 
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3) 
 I will be with Christ in Glory! 
"When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col 3:4) 
 I am Chosen, Holy and Dearly LOVED! 
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Col 3:12) 
 I am of the Light! 
"You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." (1 Th. 5:5) 
 I have a Heavenly Calling! 
"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Heb 3:1) 
 I am Chosen, Royal, a Priest, part of a Holy Nation and belong to GOD! 
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Pet 2:9) 
 I am an Alien to this World! 
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Pet 2:11) 
 I will be like Christ when He appears! 
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2) 
 I am SAFE in CHRIST! Nothing happens to me that doesn't pass through Christ! 
"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him." (1 John 5:18) 
 I am able to do ANYTHING if it is Christ's will! I am totally dependent on Christ! 
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philipians 4:13) 
"...Apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5) 
 I am being changed each day to be more of who God intends for me to be! 
"...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) 

WHO I AM IN CHRIST (Thanks to Vince DeMartino for this) [Edited]

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, this doesn't just mean that you are the same person but have just "accepted Jesus and going to Heaven". No, it means that you are a whole new creation - NOW and for all eternity. You are "born again" spiritually (see John 3) and have become a new creation in Christ (see 2 Cor 5:17). Even as believers for years, we often fail to see all that we are in Christ and/or just plain need some reminders. 

So here are some reminders straight from God's word - He tells us just who we are (whether we FEEL like it or not!!) Let's all soak in these truths today and remind ourselves of them often. :) 
 I am a Child of God! 
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12) 
 I am not the Great 'I AM' but, I am what I am! 
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect." (1 Cor 15:10) 
 I am the Salt of the Earth whereby others see Jesus! 
"You are the salt of the earth." (Mat 5:13) 
 I am the light of the World whereby others see Jesus! 
"You are the light of the world." (Mat 5:14) 
 I am a branch in Christ! I will bear much Fruit! 
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) 
 I am Christ's Friend! 
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) 
 I am Chosen by Christ! I will bear much Fruit! 
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last." (John 15:16) 
 I am free from Sin! I am a slave to Righteousness! 
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Rom 6:18) 
 I am a Slave to God! I have Eternal Life! 
"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Rom 6:22) 
 I am a Son ( Daughter ) of God! God is MY Father!!! 
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Rom 8:15) 
 I am an Heir of GOD and a Co-Heir with Christ! 
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Rom 8:17) 
 I am the Temple of God! God's Spirit live in ME! 
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Cor 3:16) 
 I am part of the Body of Christ! 
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Cor 12:27) 
 I am a NEW Creation - the Old has gone the New has come! 
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:17) 
 I am Christ's Ambassador! 
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf:" (2 Cor 5:20) 
 I AM A SAINT! ( i.e. Forgiven Sinner ) 
"To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:" (Phil 1:1) 
 I am God's workmanship! I have work to do that he planned! 
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph 2:10) 
 I am a Member of God's household! I BELONG! 
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household," (Eph 2:19) 
 I am Created to be Like God in Righteousness and Holiness! 
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22-24) 
 I am a Citizen of Heaven! 
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," (Phil 3:20) 
 I am Hidden in GOD! 
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3) 
 I will be with Christ in Glory! 
"When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col 3:4) 
 I am Chosen, Holy and Dearly LOVED! 
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Col 3:12) 
 I am of the Light! 
"You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." (1 Th. 5:5) 
 I have a Heavenly Calling! 
"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Heb 3:1) 
 I am Chosen, Royal, a Priest, part of a Holy Nation and belong to GOD! 
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Pet 2:9) 
 I am an Alien to this World! 
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Pet 2:11) 
 I will be like Christ when He appears! 
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2) 
 I am SAFE in CHRIST! Nothing happens to me that doesn't pass through Christ! 
"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him." (1 John 5:18) 
 I am able to do ANYTHING if it is Christ's will! I am totally dependent on Christ! 
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philipians 4:13) 
"...Apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5) 
 I am being changed each day to be more of who God intends for me to be! 
"...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) 

Sammy Mwatha is Grateful

I thank God that about 30 years ago, if I 'saw' a newspaper, the first thing to check out was the Astrological Stars, in particular Capricorn having been born in December.

Today I don't need human concocted stars based predictions for my life.

By future is secured by the Blood of Jesus Christ!

2 Cor 5: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Every Job's Important (Author Unknown, Provided by Student Discipleship Ministries, TX)

Do you ever feel that what you do in the church is not important? Do you think that only the "big" jobs like teaching, singing, preaching, etc., are worth having? 
 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV) says: 
 "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." 
 During World War II, England needed to greatly increase its production of coal, one of the country's major sources of energy. Winston Churchill called labor leaders together to enlist their support. He asked them to imagine a parade which would be held in Picadilly Circus after the war. First in line in the parade, Churchill said, would be the sailors, who had fought the war at sea. Then would come the foot soldiers. Then the pilots, who had driven the German Luftwaffe from the sky, would follow. "Last of all," he said, "would come a long line of sweat-stained, soot-streaked men in miner's caps. Someone would cry from the crowd, 'And where were you during the critical days of our struggle?' And from ten thousand throats would come the answer, 'We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.'" 
 God says that every job in His church is important. Write down two ways God can use you in the lives of other people in your church. Next to each write, "THIS IS AN IMPORTANT JOB!" 

Phantom Limbs

Dr. Paul Brand tells of one of his patients, a Mr. Barwick, who had a serious and painful circulation problem in his leg. The doctors recommended amputation, but Mr. Barwick refused. Finally, the pain became too intense and Mr. Barwick agreed to the operation.

In the lead up to the operation, Mr. Barwick grew to hate his leg so much that he asked the doctor to preserve it for him in a large pickling jar. He planned to place it on his mantelpiece and then sit in his armchair and taunt it saying, "Ha! You can't hurt me anymore!"

The doctor followed Mr. Barwick's instructions, but sadly, it was the leg that got the last laugh. Barwick developed a severe case of phantom limb pain. He hated the leg with such intensity that the pain of the wound lodged permanently in his brain.

Thought: Phantom limb pain provides a wonderful insight into the phenomenon of false guilt. Christians can be obsessed by the memory of some sin committed years ago. It never leaves them, crippling their ministry, their devotional life, their relationships with others. They live in fear that someone will discover their past. They work overtime to prove to God that they're truly repentant.

~ Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey, Leadership Magazine, Summer, 1984.

Anyone Around You Thirsty? (By Ron Carlson)

After reading “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), young people at a Bible study were asked to describe “salt.” They couldn't just say “sodium chloride”; they had to describe the effects and physical reactions of salt.

 “It gives food a tang,” one said. Others suggested: “It imparts flavor.” “It preserves from decay.” “It has a purifying action.” Finally, one young girl said quietly, “Salt creates thirst.”

 A convincing hush fell as they thought, “Ye are the salt of the earth” and asked themselves, “Have I ever made anybody thirsty for the Lord Jesus whom I profess?”

BeELEVATED: #10FsForASuccessfulLife - (6) #ValueFAMILY

BeELEVATED: #10FsForASuccessfulLife - (6) #ValueFAMILY: " A strong family bond molds one into a better person" - J Akuoko II Family is everything! Remember the movie "the Godfa...

Why Pray?

Today as I walked along Moi Avenue, Mombasa, I happened to meet an old friend of mine, whom I have always known as Baba Carol. As we savoured (or is it endured?) a cup of hot tea, in a hot cafe, in hot Mombasa, our talk inevitably turned to Kingdom matters and in the course of it, he asked me, "Baba Deno (my son's name), if God knows what we are going to ask Him in prayer, why then pray?" My answer was via an example. "Baba Carol, how would you feel if little Carol were to come to you after school and tell you, 'Daddy, I am so glad you are my dad. Thanks for that nice dress you bought for me during Christmas. Can I please have another dress for Easter, please Daddy?' He thought for a minute and said, "I would feel honoured by the recognition and affection shown by my daughter. May be this Easter I will get her a pair of shoes because the last pair looks worn out and the Christmas dress still looks good". That my friend is how God looks at us, HIS CHILDREN........

Go Forward

Rest in Me, quiet in My Love, strong in My Power. Think what it is to possess a Power greater than any earthly force. A sway greater and more far-reaching than that of any earthly king. No invention, no electricity, no magnetism, no gold, could achieve one millionth part of all that you can achieve by the Power of My Spirit. Just think for one moment all that means. Go forward. You are only beginning the new Life together. Joy, joy, joy. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13

Road of Life (Author Unknown)

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know Him. But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike. and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal. I don't know just when it was that He suggested we changed places, but life has not been the same since. When I had control. I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable...It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on!! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!" I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared," He'd lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, my Lord's and mine. And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light. I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jumps to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Christ. And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says..."Pedal."