Becoming The Beloved by Graham Cooke

Beloved, If you have ever struggled with legalism or a religious spirit, I believe that your heart will be blessed listening to this beautiful truth that our Lord died to set you free. In Christ, we are His beloved and He is ours. I know of no earthly love greater than the love of our Father and His Son for us. It truly is amazing love.  Please listen to this video and hear for you self the love  and acceptance that Jesus has for His beloved...That you!

A Christmas tradition

                                         MERRY  CHRISTMAS AND  HAPPY NEW YEAR

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to each and every one of you who read and  follow "Dottie in Him" . I pray that the Lord will personally bless you with His love, grace, provision and health in the New Year. The Lord loves us so much and cares in particular for the details of our lives. We are a blessed people,

For the past fifteen years, when our family would get together for Christmas, we would first start with the Christmas story.  Pop Pop would sit to the right and read, while the grandchildren would act out five scenes, ending by singing Silent Night, Holy Night. For several years we had a real baby in the manger, until our last grandchild was promoted to an angel .  Everyone played a part.

As each grandchild grew older, they would help the younger ones to dress back stage, lead the singing and tend the curtain. The adults were the audience and we looked forward to the children each year performing their changing parts. It was set it up in our home between two rooms, so the children felt like they were on stage.  When it was over, off came the homemade customs, down came the curtains, and then the mad dash for the Christmas tree.

This picture was taken in 2001.  The littlest angel is now  grown up in college, and the  director a mother of four.  The baton has been passed to the next generation. We will always remember  our little wandering two year old angel with her crooked halo.   

Be reconciled

Christmas time is a time for great rejoicing.  Our Savior is born, the Kings of kings and Lord of lords .Jesus Christ is the the anointed Son of God.  God the Father is calling out through the Holy Spirit to this dying world, "Come, come and be reconciled to your God.  He is reaching out to you through the birth and death  of His Son Jesus, saying, "The manager is empty, the tomb is empty and the world is empty, COME!  The world holds no answers.  My Son is resurrected and your sins have been forgiven.  Come back to me.  Forsake the world and let me fill your hearts with My new life. 'Though your sins be as scarlet, you will be washed as white as snow." If you hear My call this Christmas, repent and turn to Me. I am only a prayer away.

This another beautiful Christmas song.  I pray that it will bless you.

http://www.andiesisle.com/singfortheking.html

FAMILY IDENTITY

My husband and I first became acquainted with the principle of family identity 1992, when we were asked to teach a class on biblical parenting. It is blessing to many young families, I only wish we knew about it when we are raising our girls.

Family identity birthed at a young age will give a child security, purpose and a healthy self image. It will help to separate your family from other families.  For instance, when  your son or daughter comes to you and tries to convince you that all their friends are going to a party that you disapprove of, you can respond to the manipulation  by saying, " But, we (your surname) don't go to those kind of parties." If you clearly can give a biblical explanation, it will really helps your child to submit to your authority as unto the Lord. 

If family identity is established early in an earthly family, how about God's eternal family? I believe this concept can be translated into the family of God. We have a new family identity. Jesus being our elder brother shows  us the love of our heavenly "daddy", Father God. 

 One of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit is to establish us as children of God in His Kingdom. We are different then the world. 1John 3:9 says it this way, "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning . For God's SEED ABIDES in him and he cannot KEEP on sinning because he has been born of God.  By this it is evident who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." This does not mean that we are prefect and never sin, but it does mean we want to obey God.

 We have a new identity created in the image of Christ.  Daily we are dying to the old self life. Our minds are renewed and growing to accept God ways as our new identity.  

 2 Peter 3,4 says, " His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him, who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious  and very great promises, so that through them you may become PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE , having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire......."  We are in the world , but not of it. The spirit of this world is no longer our identity.  Our flesh, (lower nature) is NOT WHO WE ARE.

We have a  new family identity in Jesus Christ.  We are sojourners, ambassadors on earth, to proclaim the gospel, and MUCH MORE, until our work on earth is finished and the Lord calls us to our eternal home.