Life in Christ

You Are Unique

Dr. Mike Life in Christ , ,
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:13-16 ESV

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Ever notice how the culture around us works hard to make everyone the same? The media through advertisement, news, and fantasy shows continue to sell their products without concern for godly impact.

The media preaches tolerance as long as it agrees with the (their) status quo. Students are taught to comply with standardized tests. If one drops out of school, then there must be something wrong with the person – not the institution. One mustn’t question those who have gone before us but simply accept the facts as given. When someone different appears on the scene, we either quickly agree (because it reflects our lifestyle) or disagree. The world’s culture teaches truth is personal and subjective with no absolutes. Yet the 1% who influence culture still live their life as if absolutes exist. A double standard?

God created you and me with an unique DNA. There are no two people alike in the world today. In fact, there is no one who ever lived under heaven with the same personality, DNA, and character combined in one person. You are unique.

So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to work hard to conform to what others dictate as normal? Are you going to go along with the status quo to be accepted even though deep inside something is telling you no? Are you going to live your life conformed into the image of some other person’s box? Or are you going to allow God’s Spirit to morph you into the Creator’s original purpose for your life?

You are unique in regards to talent, personality, and fortitude. God specially bestowed upon you His specific attributes. He wants you to enjoy life while you learn to love Him, others, and yourself. God is unique. His creation is unique. Therefore, you are also unique.

Don’t settle for less, the artificial, or forgery. Instead, seek Jesus Christ and ask Him to lead you to be YOU. The YOU God so uniquely designed in your mother’s womb when he chose which sperm and egg would unite to form you.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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God Loves YOU

Dr. Mike Life in Christ ,
“…for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me (Jesus) and have believed that I came from God.” John 16:27 ESV

god loves you1
How do you know that God loves you? Is it, like the children’s Sunday school song, only because the Bible tells you so?

We have a man in our small group who enjoys sharing his walk with the Lord. He reminds us continually that he had no problem believing that God loves everyone at our table except him. That it took a crisis in his life where he came to realize that he only survived because of the grace of God. That God poured out his love to him through the people in his world. He came to realize how much God loves him by the fruit produced through the unconditional love of others.

How about you? Do you know God really, really loves YOU?

The above scripture is one of my favorites in regards to God’s love. It reminds me that God loves us not because of our talents, treasurers, or good works. He loves us because of Jesus Christ.

When we acknowledge, believe, and know that Jesus is the Messiah of the Bible, that he came from God on a mission of redemption, and our heartfelt, emotional focus is to immerse ourselves in him, he assures us that His Father loves us. These are Jesus’ words to us.

God loves YOU! He views us through the heart of Jesus. This is why Jesus is so important to us. Without him, we try to win God’s approval through our personal efforts. We are like the confused teenager trying to impress the girl he fantasizes over. The outcome though is childish and usually ends in embarrassment. Instead we need to realize the love that God has for Jesus is the same love he bestows on you and me.

So the next time you question God’s love for you, remember this scripture. And instead rejoice in our King and Savior.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

I Am Me-ish

Dr. Mike Life in Christ
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Gn. 3:6 ESV

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The doctrine of Original Sin is a viewpoint held by many in the Christian faith. In its simple understanding, it states that every person is born in a state of Sin from day one. Which means that every person born starts life depraved by God. I’ve always had a problem with this concept until recently. For how could a loving, good God create something that was imperfect?

The fact is God didn’t create junk. When he made Man & Woman, He stated “very good.” However when our first parents decided to fulfill their personal desires that included rebellion against God, the goodness of God retreated and the void was replaced with sin.

Original Sin is simply the absence of God within a person’s life. In the garden of Eden, there was also the tree of life (GN. 3:22). Adam and Eve could have eaten that tree first, but didn’t. Instead the path chosen led some 4,000 years later to the initial visit of Jesus Christ who became our sacrificial offering and representative before God. He paved the way for a new birth via the Holy Spirit.

Our original parents could have eaten from the tree of life then and receive the Spirit. However, humanity likes to make things harder on themselves rather than just accept the process that started on Pentecost morning when the Holy Spirit birth the Church.

What does that have to do with being Me-ish? Simply without God’s Spirit we are operating totally from a self-centered perspective. We view and operate within the world from our central heart. However, when God’s Spirit makes his residence within you, you become a new creation. You begin to view life through the eyes of the Creator God. You now seek solutions that involves your neighbor and God and you. You no longer operate from a ME-ish position. Instead you operate from a Kingdom of God worldview. Your platform becomes your means to express God’s way while loving your neighbor and yourself in the process.

Eve was Me-ish when she satisfied her desires without taking God and future mankind into consideration. Are we any different? Only because of the grace of God via the Holy Spirit are we different.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!