“If you’re in Christ, it doesn’t matter how you feel about yourself. Even if you think, ‘I’m not that good,’ or ‘I’m not that talented,’ you need to understand this: You’ve been made new. You’ve been remade. You are God’s masterpiece.” Craig Groeschel.

You are God’s masterpiece. In his book Altar Ego, Craig Groeschel reveals that truth and challenges you to walk in the identity you have in Christ. This book is split into three sections. The first helps you see who you are in Christ and how to walk in that truth. The second focuses on living out character qualities that Christians should have, and the third address the boldness we can have because we are a new person in Christ.

As I read Altar Ego, I was really challenge to change my mindset and how I think about myself. To think of myself according to what Jesus says and not what I’ve grown up thinking and the world around me says. Craig Grosechel says that “God gave you that new name, and you will grow into it.” He makes the point that we should focus on what we are becoming, not what we were or are. When we realize the fulness of who we are in Christ, we can live with boldness. That is the other part of the book that really challenged me, to live with boldness, act with boldness, and pray with boldness.

Altar Ego is a good challenge and reminder to every Christian. It is definitely worth reading with an open heart. As you read it, let God speak through the words to draw you closer to Himself and show you who He intends for you to be.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Who says Christmas stories have to be just for Christmas? This delightful collection of Christmas Stories by Max Lucado is a great read for all year long. There are stories in this collection for all ages and also inspiring pieces that really make you think about the true meaning of Christmas. Max Lucado’s imaginative view of how different people and angels might have view the Nativity really help bring it to life.

I greatly enjoyed reading the stories in this book. They helped me to have a deeper understanding of what it meant for Jesus to come to earth as a baby and how much He gave up for me. They also reminded me that everything about Christmas should be about Jesus and that He still does miracles today. We just need to be open to accepting them. That is one of the lessons in the first story in the book, The Christmas Candle, which was probably my favorite story. I would definitely recommend this book as a great family read during the Christmas season to help your focus be in the right place. A few of the stories recount what the angels might have thought or done, while these can be insightful in seeing the story from a different light I would use caution when reading them to a young child, since you do not want the child to think they are truth like the Bible is true. However, most the stories in this book would be great for a child and help them understand that Christmas is about more than gifts, trees, lights, and Santa. I also would not limit the reading of this book to December. I think it would be great to read a story from it every month to remind yourself of how much Jesus gave up to come to earth as a baby. No sacrifice we can make is could match what He sacrificed coming to earth. That is the message I was really left with after reading this wonderful collection of Christmas stories.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

You never know what asking simple questions, sometimes seemingly random ones, may lead to. What would happen if we started talking with strangers and asking them questions? What opportunities would we get? How would it shine our light?

“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

-C.T Studd

What are you doing with your one life?

If you read my post on Sunday That I May Dwell Among Them, you have seen that I am thinking about how we as Christians are the temple of God. I also established the fact that it is good to study the Tabernacle and earthly Temple to discover how we, as the temple of God, should live.Ultimately, we want to glorify God and show Him to others as He dwells in our midst. The Tabernacle was copied after the heavenly one, which shows God’s glory and holiness. Our lives too should show God’s glory and holiness. All of that to say, I’ve been studying the tabernacle.

In my study, I came to this verse. “You shall make fifty hooks of gold, and you shall attach the curtains to one another with the hooks, so that the Tabernacle shall become one.” Exodus 26:6

God’s tabernacle was to be one, a single whole. That reminded me of John 17.

“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world make know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” John 17:22-23

Knowing that the tabernacle was to be one, it should be no surprise to us that we are to be one. Look at the end of those verses. Why are we to be one? So that the world will know that God sent Jesus and loves us and Him. We are not told to be one because our lives will be easier, or because God did not want church splits. No, we are told to be one so that the world would know that God sent Jesus and loves Him and us. This is not about us, at all. It is all about God.

The earthly tabernacle was not to bring glory to its earthly builders. It was to bring glory to God and show His holiness to the people. The body of believers are not to bring glory to us, but to bring glory to God and show Him to the world. I think the American church thinks entirely to much of ourselves and to little about God, when in reality everything is about God and nothing is about us. It is once we really grasp this view that we truly can be one.

Philippians 2:4 says, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” And Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” If the truths of these verses sink into our hearts, we could live as one within the body of Christ.

There are two truths those verse present that are critical to living as one. The first is from the Galatians passage. We must be dead to ourselves. We must see ourselves nailed to the cross and then raised, except it is not us who has risen it is Christ in our place. This is very challenging to really live out. I struggle with it everyday, and every morning (when I remember) I pray and ask God to kill myself, I reminded myself that I am dead with Christ, yet I live, but not I, it is Christ in me. Praying that daily helps me remember that it is Christ in me and not myself. You see, self claims to have tons of rights, and wants, and needs, and desires, and annoying emotions that get in the way. When self is dead you have no rights, wants, needs, or selfish emotions, all you have is Christ. Christ living in you produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, you know the fruits of the Spirit. So the first thing you have to do to live as one is to kill yourself and live in Christ.

The second truth is that we must look on other men’s things. Now, this does not mean you covet them or want them. No, this means you are looking out for the best interest of your neighbor. If you see him in trouble, you help in out. If you find something she lost, you return it to her. If you hear something bad about him, you do not repeat it. Remember the golden rule you were taught in first grade Sunday School? Yeah, this is basically that. Love your neighbor, plain and simple. Put other people before yourself. (This should be easy because you are dead, see above.) If you always put others before yourself and their interest before your interest, you would avoid many of the arguments and fights that people have. So look out for your neighbor’s things before your own.

These truths may sound simple enough on the internet, but in reality they are very hard to live out. However, it is essential that we do live them out so that we can be at one with one another. We want to keep God’s testimony true to the world, and Jesus said the way to do that was to be one. Strive for unity. Forget yourself. Be a peacemaker.

This is not to be taken lightly. It is serious. If nothing else motivates you to be one with your fellow believers think about this. When we are at strife with each other and do not have unity, we are destroying the temple of God. God says He destroys those who destroy his temple. Can we afford to not be united?