new identity – Page 2 – ThrivingBranch

Pictures of Jesus in the Beatitudes (part 6)

January 19, 2020September 17, 2019Leave a Comment

Welcome again to part 6 of our study on seeing pictures of Jesus – different aspects of Him and His finished work for us – in the Beatitudes.

Now we are nearing the end, and we have been purposefully taking this slowly and with great care, because specifically the Beatitudes are very often mis-used as a legalistic barrier, a veil that keeps us from seeing or fully-embracing our new identity in Christ Jesus; and He never intended the Beatitudes (or any of His teaching) to be used in that fashion. That’s part of what the Pharisees were doing with the Old Covenant Law, and Jesus always corrected them strongly for it.

So today we continue looking at pictures of Jesus in the Beatitudes, as we pick-up where we last left off in part 5.

Rejoice That You Are Reconciled

November 3, 2019November 2, 2019Leave a Comment

Romans chapter 5 verse 11 contains an interesting statement. The verse reads: “And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received reconciliation.” The verse reads: “And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received reconciliation.”

And it led me to this line of thought and question: What does it mean to be reconciled? And do we honestly rejoice in our reconciliation?

Sure, we may hear talk about rejoicing, but how often do we even think about our reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ? If we are honest with ourselves, many times we act and think as if we still have not been reconciled at all!

So today in this study, we are going to explore this topic and answer these questions, because Paul spends quite a bit of time explaining this – not without reason – he clearly wants us to know and understand the precise reason and foundation for why we can truly rejoice in God.

It’s Okay to Admit the Truth

May 26, 2019May 25, 2019Leave a Comment

I invite you to perform a little experiment… the next time you’re in a Church-building, or a Christian setting, listen to the things that the people often say about themselves. You’ll usually hear things such as:
– Oh, I’m just a sinner saved by grace.
– I’m a work in progress.
– I’m a piece of metal that’s being refined.

And there are other things as well, but these are the most common phrases that I often hear. And with each of these phrases, there is one common point in all of them – that the work isn’t finished yet.
People are going around constantly telling themselves and others that, well no, Jesus really hasn’t finished the work yet… that it’s still in progress. This is what most people actually believe, and it saddens me, because it’s really not the truth.

What I want to share with you today in this study, is what the scriptures actually say regarding your status right now as a child of God, washed and redeemed by His shed blood and broken body for you. And that in-fact, it is okay to admit the truth of what He has done for you.

One Word From God Is Enough

April 14, 2019April 14, 2019Leave a Comment

Are you waiting for God to do something? Perhaps you have a promise from God, and now you are just biding your time until He actually fulfills it? I’ve talked with a number of people over the years who have expressed this kind of thought to me. They know that God is dependable, and they may even know that He has promised something to them – now they are just waiting for Him to actually follow-through and do it.

Perhaps that sounds familiar, or even describes what you are experiencing right now… however I want to share with you a different perspective; that as the title of this study suggests one word from God is enough. And as we explore this today, you will be able to move from “waiting for God” to truly “receiving from Him”, what has already been given to you.

God Cares For Your Life (If You Let Him)

February 24, 2019February 24, 2019Leave a Comment

One of the most damaging deceptions that I have seen in my time, is the false idea that God just doesn’t care about us. I’ve seen it from many different angles, and this idea may take many different forms, but it’s all the same in the end. It leads people into hopelessness and despair, because it cuts off the source of help – almost like chopping a life-line, tipping over a rescue ladder, or sinking an emergency raft.

Think about it… if a person truly believes that the very author of life doesn’t really care about them, what hope do they have for any kind of help or solution to their problems? It takes the hill and turns it into a full-fledged mountain.

Many people feel this way today – as if God just plain doesn’t care about them, and has no interest in helping with their problems, and this very attitude has caused many to sever the one true life-line and source of help that exists, and it’s all based on nothing more than a deception.

Well, in this study today, I would like to squash that deception with the truth, that not only does God care, but He cares for your entire life – every aspect of it – even more than you could possibly imagine. And as you see this truth today, you will gain confidence and know that you are not alone, and you have a source of help, that you never knew you had.

Guarding Your Heart

February 3, 2019February 3, 2019Leave a Comment

If you’ve been reading the Bible for any length of time, you may be familiar with the words of Proverbs 4:23, which counsels us to be diligent to guard our heart, because the “issues of life” flow from it. And this has been interpreted to mean many different things… but if we aren’t sure what it means then we also can’t be sure if our heart is guarded properly!

Thankfully, the scriptures do not leave us guessing about how to guard our heart, and the benefits of doing so; and as we examine this today, we can see that it is not only simpler to guard our heart than we might think at first, but also incredibly beneficial for us to do so.

Your Union With Christ

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018Leave a Comment

In many Christian circles there is talk about the relationship with Christ, we hear about that quite often in-fact, and I have mentioned it many times in these studies as well. However it has come to my attention that there is actually some misunderstanding regarding what this phrase means. In some ways we have turned this simple phrase into something mystical, magical or difficult to comprehend, when in-fact it is so simple.

As a result of this confusion, what actually is very simple and straightforward, now seems out of reach to many people. I have spoken with many Christians who are chasing after this unicorn of “relationship with Christ”, when it actually has already been given. And as such, believers are left dazed, confused and wondering when it will be completed, never realizing that the work was completed long ago.

This is what I want to share with you today – the truth about your union with Christ.

The Absolute Perfection of Christ

August 12, 2018August 12, 2018Leave a Comment

Jesus is perfect. As believers that statement might not be too surprising. Most Christians would say “Amen” to it, and agree with the statement without thinking twice. Yet in practice there are some areas where we don’t take into account just how very deep His perfection runs. For example, let me ask you a simple question: If you could obey the Law of Moses perfectly, would you be righteous?

Most of the Christians that I have discussions with, would answer “yes”, and indeed many are trying to do exactly that… they are trying to continually improve their behavior to align to what they call the “moral law” (even though the Law of Moses really has no divisions or separate categories).

Additionally, many of the Christians that I speak with, believe that this is all that Jesus did; they believe that the reason Jesus was the perfect sacrifice was because He simply kept the Law of Moses perfectly.

And what I want to share with you today, is the fact that Jesus’ perfection is so much deeper than that! I want to expand your vision and broaden your horizon to see much more of His perfection than what is generally seen. And as you see the perfection of Jesus today, you will be able to more fully appreciate what He has accomplished for you.