Who Am I?  I am never alone and always have help.

Today, while reading Hebrews 13:5-6, I am thankful that we are never alone, never helpless, and always able to count on God. 

This raises a few questions in the minds of some believers.:  Why do I feel alone?  Why is it that in the midst of a difficult situation I do not see a way out?  If I am always able to count on God, why am I in the situation in the first place?

I will address these questions over the next several days.  If you have questions regarding this, send me an email with your question or in the comment section of this post.

If we do not understand we have something, we cannot access it or utilize it.  If a believer does not understand that God is with them, then they do not access what is their's, His Help.  Here in China, we have McDonald's  like you most likely do in your own country.  The McDonald's here serves coffee just as I imagine all McDonald's do.

One morning, a Pastor took his team to breakfast at McDonald's, and ordered coffee with his food.  When he finished his coffee, he got up, walked to the coffee pot on the counter, and refilled the cup with more coffee.  Sitting down, he realized a team member looked confused.

Thinking he neglected to pay, she mentioned to the Pastor that he did not pay for the coffee refill.   With a smile, he said, "Refills are free."  The team member stood up, took her cup, and went to the counter to refilled it with hot coffee.  After checking with the McDonald's attendant, she realized what her Pastor told her was true.

Coffee refills have always been available to her for free.  However, without the knowledge (John 8:32) of this benefit, she did not access or utilize the free coffee refills.  Today, she loves to get her free refills, with a smile on her face.

Hebrews 13:5,6 tells us that He will never leave us, nor forsake us.  Why?  So we can BOLDLY say, "The Lord is my Helper."  

Who Am I?  I am righteous.  

"Righteousness" is one of those words that new Christians question.  What is it?  I am a good person, am I righteous?  How do I know?

Righteousness is simply 'being without sin'.  The Greek word translated for righteous in today's reference scriptures actually means innocent or holy.

How can I be righteous?  Am I not a sinner?  Jesus, took sin upon himself on the cross, and paid the price for man's sin.  If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, according to Romans 5:17 you already have received an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.  We have God's seal upon us, and the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a confirmation.  (2 Corinthians 1:21-22) We may have been sinners before we confessed Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but once we are born again, we are righteous, without sin.
                                                                                     Joy Neasley

Adoption: I am a Child of God.

Adoption

The word adopt in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined as: to take by choice into a relationship; especially : to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one's own child.  

As a previous foster parent in the U.S. before moving to Mainland China, I know a few parents who have adopted children.  They voluntarily and carefully chose to take the child into a relationship as their own child.  Of course, this is a two-way agreement.  The child, also, agreed to this relationship, and chose to enter into the family, legally.

The day of the child's adoption often becomes their birthday.  This is the day the family celebrates the remembrance of when the child came into the family, legally.  It is also a day in which the child can consider the first day of his/her new life.

Wall of Hand Prints:  Each plaque on this wall is a
 hand print from a child adopted from this orphanage
 in Beijing, China.

Who Am I?  I am a child of God.

Part of the New Birth experienced as we confess with our mouth that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and believe with our hearts what He has done and is doing for us, is the day we become a child of God.  He becomes our Heavenly Father.  He voluntarily made a choice, long before He gave His only Son for us, to take us into a relationship with Him.  Our acceptance is all He waits for.

We are adopted by God into His family with all the legal rights and privileges that come with that heritage.  It is amazing to know that we are royalty.  The day of our adoption separated us from the world, and opened up a whole new life, full of more than we could ever dream or imagine.

Where do we find out who we legally are, and what are all our rights and privileges?  In God's Word, the Bible.


Today's scriptural references:
Romans 8:16-17
1 John 5:1 
1 John 3:1 
John 17:14-16  

Birthday

     Pondering where to start this first blog post, I realized, "Why not open at the very beginning, at Birth." This blog is about Who We are as believers in Christ.

     As a child we want to be many things in this world; policemen, firemen, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and the list goes on.  Not once do I, personally, remember thinking, "I want to be a Christian."  Yet one day, at the age of 19, it happened, "I wanted to be a Christian."  Just as a child does not understand who firemen, policeman, etc really are, I did not understand what a Christian really was.  Yet, I wanted to be one.

     I saw something there that I did not have, God's love.  Only a God full of love for me, would have let His son take my place and die for me so that I could have Eternal Life and a relationship with my heavenly Father.  That was August 1986.  As I have grown-up spiritually over the years, I have come to realize who a Christian really is - Who I am in Christ.  It is amazing as each day He shows me something new.

     Therefore, as a reminder to myself of who I am in Christ, I am going to review daily the lessons I have learned over the years in small bite-size pieces.  I hope you will join me along the way, and come to learn who you really are?

                                                                                          Joy Neasley

Here are references to today's bite:  
(When I study the Word, I use the Amplified Bible.  This will be the version I  most often reference in these posts.) 
John 3:16
Romans 10:9 

Aged Tree

This tree caught my eye while traveling on foot not too far from Guangzhou, China.  The black and white brings out the light from the sun and the contrasting shadows within the tree trunk.

Follow this link to see more photography by Joy as she travels China.

Guangzhou, China

    I took this picture in a suburb of Guangzhou. I love the color combination of the building just behind the small lake.  This hill behind the building with the apartments gave way to the depth  for this photo, along with the tree and the fisherman in the foreground and just behind it.  The various colors of leaves in the tree were an added bonus.  ---joy