Freedom in Christ Identity

And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!…2 Corinthians 5:15-17a BSB

His reality… is the only true reality.

Everything else is only smoke and mirrors.

I throw off my other identifications. I toss away my perceptions of reality. I consider my human accomplishments as dross and waste. I cast off the cards and boxes that the world has said define me. I throw away my woman-card, my black-card, my small business woman card, my middle class card, my Thompson card, my McClelland card, my Republican card, my Democratic card…all identifications must bow before the One who emptied Himself of heavens glories and His position to fill me. He died to define me. 

He is Truth. Thus, He is Light. The Light of the world. Isaiah says He is SO glorious, so brilliant, so radiant that the sun and moon shall be ashamed of their light in comparison with His ! My mind is blown away when I think of the shame that the sun will feel!!! The light from the sun gives life to everything on earth! Think of it.. photosynthesis, warmth, heat, the ability to see.

But this Jesus! His light far surpasses the sun’s! John says that Light has already come into the world but men loved darkness instead of the Light. This Light isn’t like the suns. This Light is Truth…Truth that requires surrender and yieldedness of belief. This Light pierces through the darkness of human understanding, philosophy, logic and burns away all pride and rebellion. This Light shines in the center of the human heart like the sun shines in the center of the Milky Way. Everything within you must move around and yield to the gravitational pull of Jesus. 

Some men didn’t even recognize the Light. But this Light was the Life of all men. And this Light lives in each believer! How could we let such pettiness like political differences, minimal doctrine differences, unforgiveness, hurts, etc, drown out the Truth! The Truth of who we are and Whom we belong to. There is a Truth that exists in heaven and this Truth has left us His Light.

There is a reality that exists in heaven that needs to come down to earth. He prayed, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I choose to cast off the labels, the carnal humanism thinking that resists and rebels against God.

When you seek the Truth, there is only One whom you will find…His name is Jesus Christ 

This is not self-realization or self-help.

This is self in Christ.

In Christ only.

Christ-reliance.

And all glory, all power, all authority is His!

Hallelujah! 

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.… Galatians 3:27-29a BSB

Visions of Heaven with Grandma

Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. -Hebrews 6:18-19

A few days ago, I sat across from my grandmother while coddling Elena. I had an agenda for that afternoon, but my newborn was in the mood to cluster feed and so I was trapped on the couch. The forced stillness opened up a beautiful space in time for my grandmother to share some of the visions she’s had of Heaven.

“Tell me about heaven.” I asked, having nothing to do. As quiet worship music played in the background my grandmother told me of one of the times God showed her Heaven. Some of the things that really moved my heart was when she said:

“There are children in heaven. Every child that dies on earth goes there.

”“There is a wall of pure gold set with precious stones in an arch at the top…twelve gates. It’s so beautiful. Like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

“The flowers, trees and fruit there are so vibrant and the fruit is sweet, sweet and succulent.”

“God showed me how I would look in Heaven. I had on this white flowy dress and I had long hair and He told me “you will be young and beautiful forever.” My House was two story and it had a spiral staircase like pearls”

“There is no sadness, only joy. Just happiness. The streets are made of gold. It’s exactly as the Bible says it will be.”

As grandma talked, I saw her lips slowly curve upward into a blissful smile and remain that way. She was so happy. Her eyes seemed to twinkle. I laughed softly & said, “you look so happy.

”She told me she was very happy and that she was ready for heaven. I laughed and told her to wait a while longer before she goes. She replied, “my child, earth is a trash heap compared to heaven. I’m not afraid of dying. The angels will be waiting for me.”

I too shared a vision I had of Heaven and seeing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It’s amazing how similar our accounts were.

I’m so grateful for that moment in time where my one month old slowed down my fast pacing so that I could sit and talk with my grandmother. Since then, grandma and I have talked much more…only because I’ve relearned the value of sitting still and listening to (on a deeper level) the wonderful, anointed, caring and amazing woman, I call my grandmother.

As believers, we have an eternally beautiful life promise that will come to full brilliance like the break of sunshine after a long night. We have a hope more secure than the heaviest anchor. We have a treasure more rich than all the gold in the world. We will have, in every sense, His kingdom come, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

About a year after I wrote this, my grandma went home to be with Jesus. During her funeral a bright blue star streaked across the night sky. My sisters says it was the brightest star she ever saw. A few days later I came across a scripture verse where God says that his children shall be numerous like the stars of the heavens…