Kingdom Seeker

INTRO / Testimony / Series I: I Am Accepted

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I Am Born Of God And The Evil One Cannot Touch Me

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”

I John 5:18 ESV

I need to really work on believing this. Because it feels like what I'm going through now is the evil one touching me. But God word says its not so I guess that means my life could be so much worse right now and I should be super thankful for God's protection. 

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I Can Find Grace And Mercy In Time Of Need

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I can find grace and mercy in time of need

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

In Genesis 3, we see humanities first instinct after sinning is to hide. We now had the knowledge of right from wrong and we knew we were very wrong. When God asked, “Where are you?” He already knew where they were, He just wanted them to come to Him in humility and ask for grace and mercy. These were people who walked with God in the Garden of Eden. They had the closest relationship with God people could have but still they hid in shame. How much more do we have to fight our flesh and the condemnation from the enemy, so that we can go to God to repent for our sins. God has always wanted to be in relationship with us. Whenever we turn away from Him, He is always waiting for us to repent so He can once again receive us with open arms. We are the ones who distance ourselves from God. No matter our condition God wants us to come to him. Even in our sin, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.(Psalm 51:17)” All we have to do is posture our hearts in repentance and He will gladly accept us. This verse says we can go with confidence to the throne of grace. Meaning God is fully aware that we are always going to fall short so might as well come boldly, come with courage, come without fear to His throne because He will bestow upon us grace and mercy. Now this does not give us license to abuse His grace. As Peter aptly said, “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! (Romans 6:15)” When we are truly repentant we will ask the Lord to strengthen us and give us eyes to see a way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) so as not to wound our Lord again.

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I Have Not Been Given A Spirit Of Fear But Of Power, Love, And A Sound Mind

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

This verse has a lot of significance for me. Since I was young, I was a fearful person. I hated scary movies, just seeing posters and trailers would have my imagination going wild at night. I remember I couldn't sleep for two weeks after reading the plot of Human Centipede on Wikipedia. I slept with a nightlight till I was 16 and I couldn't sleep comfortably in the dark till I was 18. 

When I decided to completely surrender my life to Christ in January 2019 I began to be plagued by fear again. I would have sleep paralysis occasionally which is quite terrifying and call out to Jesus to save me. I would lay awake, afraid of all the things that go bump in the night. But this time I knew God was with me and I would recite “I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” over and over till I could fall asleep. It took a while before I actually started to have faith in this verse. But eventually, I began to sleep more soundly. Now I can even use the bathroom at night without turning on the light which is a big personal accomplishment. 

I also had to remind myself to trust my Father. Fear stems from distrust in God. I didn’t truly believe that, “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed.” And that if I really loved God I would not have fear because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). 

Fear is such a destructive force in our lives and we must go to our Father daily to help us conquer it. Fear hinders our ability to be effective for the kingdom of God. We can often be gripped by the fear of what others think of us and not give them the word the Holy Spirit is putting on our hearts. Or we could be afraid to step out into uncharted territory that will bring us closer to the promised land God has for us. We must always ask God to grow our faith and trust in Him so that we can conquer our fears.

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I Am Hidden With Christ In God

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am hidden with Christ in God

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Colossians 3:3 ESV

On our own we are target practice for the enemy. We have no defenses and nowhere to seek refuge. We are wide open for any attacks the devil has planned for our lives. But with Christ we are hidden and the enemy cannot find us. He can try to hurt us through those around us who are not walking with Christ or our circumstances but he cannot get to us directly. For no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).  

When we are hidden in Christ though “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.(Psalm 91:7)” We are in the fortress of God, where there is rest and peace (Psalm 18:2). We do not have to fear because we are victorious in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). For are now “dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.(Romans 6:11)”

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I Am A Citizen Of Heaven

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am a citizen of heaven

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

Philippians 3:20 ESV

As followers of Christ we can often feel a malaise, an uneasiness, and discomfort as we live our daily lives. Our faith calls us to holiness but most of the people surrounding us do not ascribe to this alien way of living. So we stand out and cannot fit in with the status quo of our society because we have been raised to a higher standard. 

The reason why we feel this way is because often we forget that once we surrender ourselves to Jesus, we are also surrendered to His Kingdom. Meaning we are now foreigners on this earth. As Hebrews 13:14 says, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” Our souls are yearning for our new world to come because it cannot find comfort in the wickedness of this world. 

Always remember that we will be in our Father's house with many rooms(John 14:2). We will dance on streets of pure gold (Revelation 21:21). No longer will we shed any tears because we will finally be home (Revelation 21:4).

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I Am Confident That The Good Work God Has Begun In Me Will Be Perfected

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:6 ESV

As a Christian there is no need for us to strive. We just have to completely surrender our hearts to the Most High. Being obedient to the commands of our Father is an invitation for Him to work in our lives. Some of that work is renewing our minds (Romans 12:2), giving us a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:26), changing us into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and so much more.

Though God is a good Father and knows exactly what His children need, He will never impose His transforming powers on us. We must willingly deny ourselves and live for Him for the process of sanctification to begin and be continuous in our lives. 

One thing to note is that we will not attain perfection in this life. This may weigh heavy on some saints. They may be attacked by thoughts of never being good enough but God is aware that our holiness will not be complete until we have left our mortal bodies. 

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I Have Been Established, Anointed, And Sealed By God

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I have been established, anointed and sealed by God

“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 ESV

When you give your life to God it's kinda like He wraps you up like a present. He gets you in shape spiritually. Then He makes you pretty. And Finally, He wraps you up. I don't know why I thought that. I just imagine God taking me in my broken state, replacing the broken parts, mending what's salvageable, and making me good as new. Then He works out all the kinks. He gets all the details just right. Lastly, He wraps me up and I'm ready. 

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I Cannot Be Separated From The Love Of God

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I cannot be separated from the love of God

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:35-39 ESV

God's love is what cradles us during the difficult circumstances of life. It's like a cocoon that cannot be penetrated by the attacks of the enemy. In it we become stronger and closer to our Father. So that we one day we will transform into new beings with beautiful redeemed bodies. Satan would like for us to think that he can overcome the love of God. That he can snatch us away from the love of God. That we don't deserve the love of God. But all we have to do is remain in the love of God. We cannot doubt for a moment God's love for us because that gives the devil a crack that he will exploit and use to make us leave God's love. 

In all situations be steadfast and remain in the love of God. When you are walking in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) remain in the love of God. When you are surrounded by lions (Daniel 6) remain in the love of God. When you have been falsely imprisoned (Genesis 39:21) remain in the love of God. 

If you feel far from God's love ask Him to make it known to you and He will. He will bring to remembrance all the times His favor was on your life. He will show you all the blessings He has given you. He will comfort you and uplift your spirit. Always remain in the love of God. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

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I Am Assured That All Things Work Together For Good

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am assured that all things work together for good

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 ESV

People often think this verse applies to this life. Now God does do many good things for us during our lifetime but that is not always the case. When you truly decide to surrender your life to Christ, you might think it's smooth sailing from that moment but often it's quite the opposite. Things in your life start to get even worse than they were before. Family and friends might not understand your decision to follow Christ and turn against you. Coworkers are becoming more difficult to work with. On top of that you're trying your best to live a life that honors God all the while everything is falling apart around you.

This is very discouraging especially since a lot of people think Christianity is the key to happiness. But that is far from the truth. Jesus clearly laid out all the facts about what following Him would entail. He said we would be hated just like He was (John 15:18), we could be homeless(Luke 9:58), and His own brothers didn't believe He was the Messiah (John 7:5). I could go on and on about all the suffering Jesus had to endure and as Christians we can expect the same. 

Now I know this isn't very uplifting but hear me out. The outcome of all that pain and hurt was His Resurrection and our Eternal Salvation. Thankfully, through our trials we have the Holy Spirit to give us peace and joy that surpasses all understanding. God never leaves along in our hours of agony. He is there waiting for us to cry to Him for help so that He may comfort us. 

When we endure to the end God will fulfill His promises to us and we will receive our redeemed bodies (Romans 8:23). We will live in Christ's kingdom and be surrounded by His love and light always. We need to remember we are playing a long game. The good and all the blessings and prosperity that God is talking about is waiting for us when we give up our ghost.

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I Am Free From Condemnation

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am free from condemnation

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:1-2 ESV

All along your Christian walk the enemy is always going to try to remind you of all your past sins that you have already repented for and are forgiven of. He will also remind you of the current sin you are struggling with. Please understand that condemnation is not from God. If you are always feeling guilty for sins you have repented of and sins you are currently working with the Holy Spirit to stop that is not from God. God convicts you which for me is a feeling of simply knowing what I've done is wrong. It's not insulting, demeaning, or rude. Feeling convicted isn't going to make you feel like a failure that will never do anything right or any variation of that. When you are convicted you know it is the Holy Spirit gently chastening you because He wants to help you overcome your sin.

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I Am Complete In Christ

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am complete in Christ

“and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

Colossians 2:10 ESV

We seek to complete ourselves with people, experiences, or materials but they still leave us feeling unfulfilled. True fulfillment comes from Christ our Savior. Our feeling of being incomplete came from our fractured relationship with the Father. Our soul longs for the days when we used to walk in the garden with our Maker. We have tried so many ways to substitute God in our lives but we still can't help but feel an emptiness. Thankfully, God has given us a way to make us whole again. The death and resurrection of His Son has allowed for us to regain relationship with God and be complete once again. 

When you are complete in Christ God can fill you with so many amazing things like the Holy Spirit and fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). He fills you with His Spirit of power, love, and self control(2 Timothy 1:7). We try to fill ourselves with perishable and self serving things but what God fills us with is eternal and blesses those around us. 

Seeking a life of pleasure will never satisfy you. You will need to constantly chase the next high. It is a life of constant pursuit and frustration. Yet this is the kind of lifestyle our society deems the norm. It's always, “What's next?” What's your next accomplishment, your He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income, this also is vanity.

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I Have Been Redeemed And Forgiven Of All My Sins

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins

“in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 1:14 ESV

God has bought us back from all the wrong we have allowed to take ownership of us. There is so much talk of ownership in the Bible. Being creations of God naturally we belong to Him (Psalm 100:3). However, by committing sin we have seemingly become independent of God but really we are putting ourselves in the hands of the evil one. We have no right to sell ourselves to our selfish desires but thankfully our God loves us enough to redeem us from sin. To get our redemption He had to sacrifice His very being. And not only does He redeem us but He also goes another step farther and forgives us. Not once or twice but as many times as we are willing to repent and turn back to Him. God's love is so lavish. He is willing to spend exorbitant amounts for His loves. 

P.S. Check out Isaiah 43:1 it's such a good verse.

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I Have Direct Access To God Through The Holy Spirit

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”

Ephesians 2:18 ESV

It can often be frustrating when you have to have a mediator to speak to someone. You are never sure that both parties' points are being conveyed properly and it also takes more time to get a response. Thankfully, God in His infinite knowledge knew it was better to chat straight with corporate. We don't need a go between when speaking to God. He is more than glad to be spoken to directly and replies back. 

Actually, sorry I am mistaken there are two intercessor for us, Jesus and the Holy Spirit... who are also God. I can talk to God without anyone or anything between us. I have the privilege of  conversing with the Master of the Universe whenever I want. Whether it's just to have a casual conversation or when I'm in the throes of temptation, I can call to Him and He hears me (Psalm 17:6). 

When Hannah was crying out to God for a son, He heard her prayer, answered it, and blessed her with 5 more children (1 Samuel 1:9-11). Sometimes we don't even have to pray audible words, God heard Ishmael crying when he and his mother we in the desert and He rescued them and blessed Ishmael (Genesis 21:17-18). God was listening to the church as they prayed for the release of Peter and He sent an angel to lead him right out of prison (Acts 12:5)!

The whole story of humanity is God wanting to have a relationship with us personally. Not with our pastor, parents, or some dead person you assume is in heaven. God wants the words from your mouth to reach His ears. 

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I Have Been Adopted As God’s Child

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I have been adopted as God's child

“he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

Ephesians 1:5 ESV

It's an unfortunate case when biological parents cannot care for their children. But it's always heartwarming when a loving couple opens their hearts to children that aren't biologically theirs but they have been grafted into their family. Still not all orphans have this wonderful experience. Some are never adopted or do not receive love from their adopted parents. Living in a fallen world, this can often happen. 

But we have an eternal heavenly Father who is eagerly waiting to adopt everyone that will accept Him and His Son. 

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I Am A Saint

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am a saint

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:”

Ephesians 1:1 ESV

In some sects of Christianity you have to reach an almost unobtainable tier of holiness before you can be considered a saint. My personal thoughts on this are that it might lead people to have a works based mentality of Christianity. We are no longer justified by works as Abraham and Rahab were (James 2:21+25) because we are justified by our faith in Christ's death and resurrection (Romans 5:1). Now this doesn't mean that works are no longer important. It says in James 2:17, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

As true believers, we have been so transformed by our faith in Christ that the Holy Spirit works in us to produce good fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) and those seem like the qualities of a saint to me. 

In the Bible saint is translated from the Greek word, hagios. It is used multiple times to refer to all Christians. As it is written in Leviticus 20:26 and then reiterated in 1 Peter 1:16, “You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” As saints we are a different breed. We cannot go down the same path as the world does. God has gone ahead of us and made a narrow road that He will guide us down. 

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I Am A Member Of Christ’s Body

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I am a member of Christ's body

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

1 Corinthians 12:27 ESV

There are a bajillion parts of the body (that is an accurate number). Some get more shine than others though, like the eyes. They are utilitarian and also can be very beautiful. But God doesn't want it to be like that. As members of the body of Christ we are all valuable. And no part is greater than another. 

I know this might be hard for some people to comprehend or it's something they've never heard but a new believer is just as valuable to the Body of Christ as a seasoned pastor. It saddens me that there are some in church leadership who elevate themselves above their congregation. They put themselves on pedestals and have become unreachable celebrities in the House of God. In the Bible it clearly states that the first shall be the last in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 20:16). So the members of the Body of Christ that try to exalt themselves rather than exalting God and letting Him exalt them (James 4:10) will be in for rude awakening when they find themselves last in the Kingdom. 

As members we should all work together in the love and harmony of Christ. When there is offense we should ask the Lord to help us to forgive and follow the protocol which the Bible states in Matthew 18:15-17 to resolve disputes between believers. When we quarrel and bicker amongst ourselves we weaken the body and allow room for non-believers to mock us for not following our own Father's scriptures.

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I Have Been Bought With A Price and I Belong To God

WHO I AM IN CHRIST: I have been bought with a price and I belong to God

“for you were bought with a price.

So glorify God in your body.”

1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV

To God we are more precious than the reddest ruby and the greenest dollar. Our worth is more than an amalgamation of all wealth on the whole earth. Isn't it beautiful that even though our souls are so expensive, God paid the ultimate price for us. He sent His son, who was more than enough to buy us back from the chains of sin. Just like Hosea bought Gomer after her infidelity, our Father buys us back from our wayward wanderings.