Who is the believer? We have defined ourselves by our wealth, our health, our stealth, and still we have nothing to show for it. We extended ourselves with credit, debit, and we still do not know what life is all about.
Many of us have not yet realized, or are learning anew, that life not about getting. It’s about accepting. We need life, but we cannot create it ourselves. We need Life, and that more abundantly. We see markets crumbling, governments falling apart. Every source of life and liberty is drying up all around us. Everything manmade is being shaken to the core, so that only the eternal remains standing.
The Occupy Crowds are looking for something to hand onto, to define themselves by something, yet outrage alone does not an identity make. The Tea Party movement wants to go back to the original principles of Constitutional government, which include the principles of limited government.
For those who live by faith, we are identified with Christ, and He, who was set aside to die for us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1: 4), is our new self, our Life, and Our Way and Truth in a lost and losing world.
We do not define ourselves:
"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100: 3)
We find our identity, we rest in who we are in the Great I AM. I am nothing except who I am in the Great I AM:
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (Exodus 3: 14)
and
"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
and of course:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
Or, one could just as well write:
"As I AM, so am I in this world. . ." It will take us eternity and then some to receive the full revelation of this, but when Jesus comes again, we have this glorious promise awaiting us:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 3)
We do not need to find any other banner to rally under than this one:
"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. " (Songs 2: 4)
Let God, who is Love, by your banner, your heading, your identity, your everything, even in these terrible times.
For those who live by faith, we are identified with Christ, and He, who was set aside to die for us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1: 4), is our new self, our Life, and Our Way and Truth in a lost and losing world.
We do not define ourselves:
"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100: 3)
We find our identity, we rest in who we are in the Great I AM. I am nothing except who I am in the Great I AM:
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (Exodus 3: 14)
and
"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
and of course:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
Or, one could just as well write:
"As I AM, so am I in this world. . ." It will take us eternity and then some to receive the full revelation of this, but when Jesus comes again, we have this glorious promise awaiting us:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 3)
We do not need to find any other banner to rally under than this one:
"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. " (Songs 2: 4)
Let God, who is Love, by your banner, your heading, your identity, your everything, even in these terrible times.
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