Stolen Identity - Recovering the Glory that is Ours in Christ

Identity thieves are everywhere. 

A few years back my bank account was drained.
I just happened to look at my phone app before a purchase and saw only $0.00's.
Definitely unnerving.
My identity was stolen by someone who captured our card information from a gas station.
We had no idea.
We saw transactions from all different places taking $300-$500.00.
All the way down our account went right to zero.

We freaked out.  Called the bank and began the process of getting our funds back.
It took some time.  Which put some pressure on our next few weeks.









Our true identities, the one rooted in Jesus since the beginning of time, are idle without the activating power of grace through faith.  As we journey through life and encounter our share of troubles and tribulation the enemy tries to hinder, destroy, steal and kill the inklings and hopes of our real divine identity.   We all bear the image of God but our identity in Christ is a gift in divine redemption.  

There is a spiritual identity thief that robs, kills, and destroys.  The problem, most people have no idea their identity is stolen. 

The scripture says we were known in Christ before the foundations of the World.  
Shaped and gifted by God, when we step into the grace of God through faith we awaken our true identity.  It is rooted and established in the love of Jesus. Our identities are glorious and powerful.  They are beyond our imagination but not beyond God's imagination.


 YET many believers have no idea who they are in Christ and his Kingdom.  


 The more one knows of the power, love, grace, truth, life that is ours in Jesus, the more the enemies tactics and hindrances fall off and are defeated.

The more we press into Christ and walk in the Spirit, the more we come into the understanding of the Kingdom we are part of.

The work and power of Jesus is magnificent and all together effective in every way to do the impossible.

The mind of Christ awakens and we get new understanding and vision.  We become more and more aware of the the power available to us, as we surrender to the Spirit's discipleship.  He leads us into greater and greater faith and glory step for step.  That process awakens us to deeper and deeper understanding of who we are in the Lord Jesus and his Kingdom.

Beyond the fact that we are gifted in grace (I Cor 12:7; Ephesians 4:7) and empowered in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) we also carry the adoption into a family.  We are sons and daughters.  Children of a divine family born and blessed in Jesus Christ.  We have total freedom and run of the house.  Total freedom and run of the heavenly temple, our Abba Fathers presence and the abiding grace of rest in Christ.

Grace through faith is unstoppable.

While the identity thief works overtime to distort and hinder the awakening of our divine identity, the Holy Spirit simply and step by step leads us to glory and eternal life.  With simple steps of faith walking in the Spirit, we gain overwhelming motion to activate our divine identity.

The Enemy cannot stand against the power of redemption and love in Christ.  When we welcome Jesus and abide we activate the Christ in us (Col 1:27).  Grace through faith is unstoppable.  The progress to recovering every bit of our divine identity is unstoppable in the simple motions of grace.

Believers moving in grace by faith in the fullness of Christ will naturally demonstrate the redemptive power of Jesus through their divine identity.  

Recovery is required.
We are moving from glory to glory in the image of Jesus.  We all started somewhere.  With our accounts drained and the enemy's destructive seeds of offense, hate, bitterness and slander pressing in on our glorious identity in Jesus, we need the Spirit's lead.

We have to recover our Christ image identity.  It is not handed over.  We contend for it.  We fight for it.  Pray for it.  It is deliberate and clearly established in us by grace through faith.  It emerges over time and awakens daily as we abide and walk in the Spirit.  (Psalms 144; 139)

So What are some of these identity marks?  

Love.  God is love.  So those who know him and hang around him will end up becoming like him.  Identified with love and known for love their life will reflect an identifying mark of love.   What kind of life do we live out if it is shaped by love as our identity?   Scripture has much to say about that.  I John 3:16   Our identity is to love and serve like Jesus and walk like he did.

Joy.  God is filled with Joy.  As we abide in his presence the joy of the Lord becomes our strength.  Our identity is shaped in joy.  We are an overcoming people who are members of an eternal kingdom.   There is nothing but confidence in heaven for the Father's will and plans.  They are altogether good and lovely.  We are his plans.  He is shaping in us the image of his Son.  Everything about that is good.

Peace.  Time marches on but God is at rest.  Jesus' work is finished.  We carry his Kingdom in the grace assignments that only faith can make come alive.  Rest is the inheritance of believers.  And we enter that rest by faith.   Jesus is our peace.  Abiding and learning to rest in him in all seasons and circumstances is our inheritance in action.

Ephesians 1 lays out a remarkable list - In Christ.  

Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ
Chosen before the foundations of the world in Christ
Holy - unblemished in Christ
Foreordained in Christ
Adopted in Christ
Glory is freely bestowed on us in Christ
Redeemed through the Blood of Christ
Forgiven of all trespasses in Christ
Knowing the mystery of his will and pleasure in Christ
We've obtained and inheritance in Christ
Sealed with the Spirit in Christ
Made for the praise of his glory in Christ







Wow.  Start each morning off with these statements!
Your perspective will change and you will remember the remarkable grace, love, power that is in us in Christ Jesus.

Hang in there.  

Often we start making predictions based on past failures when trouble lands.    We start predicting a negative future out of some of our bad memories.  

The awesome thing is God is not tied up by our predictions. 

He is creative.  In love with us.  And he is good all the way.  

Everything in his heart is to see us live forever with him.  

He has provided everything needed in the Lord Jesus and his perfect work. 

I have always been a bad predictor of the future....even when I think it turns out bad. 

God always sweeps in and something unseen re-writes the story.  

That is the heart of God over us.   

He re-writes it so we see him, grow deeper in love and learn to walk with him.

In turn he changes us inside forever!  

This is all worth it.  

Even the days when you are hanging on by the tips of your fingers and you see a 1000 feet of air beneth you.   He will catch you.

Or He will sweep in and bring something unexpected.  

Believe.  Believe.  Believer. 

Trust in the NAME of Jesus.  

Comments?  Ideas? Testimonies?  

Send those to me.  

Thanks for +1's and re-shares. 

More Posts on Confidence and Zeal...

 http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2015/01/4-keys-to-confidence-in-god-must-haves.html

 http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/03/invasion-of-wing-suit-people-soaring-in.html

http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/12/10-keys-to-sustaining-life-in.html 

Thanks for reading.  

The dialogue is awesome.  Thank you.

Testimonies?  Share em with me.  

With much love in Jesus

You can do this thing!  He's got you.  

Jeff Reynolds   ---

Brother Jeff

www.mycapstone.org

www.jeffreynoldsministies.com  

Resurrection Confidence - Courageous in the Eyes of Heaven

Confidence in God. 
It is a key ingredient for walking in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
It is an essential ingredient for following Jesus.  

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Heb 10:35

Hezekiah Seeks the Lord

1) We place confidence in God not ourselves.  Eph 3:12

In him and through faith in him (Jesus) we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Phl 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, 

we who serve God by his Spirit, 

who boast in Christ Jesus, 

and who put no confidence in the flesh

 Psa 27:1

 The LORD is my light and my salvation— 

whom shall I fear? 

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

 of whom shall I be afraid?

  

 Psa 27:3

Though an army besiege me, 

my heart will not fear; 

though war break out against me, 

even then I will be confident.

2) We put all confidence in the NAME of Jesus. 

Heb 4:16
Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Heb 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  1Jo 4:17

Courageous in the eyes of heaven. 

Sometimes this makes us look foolish
...in the eyes of the world.   

Everything rests on Jesus rising from the dead. 
We believe it. 
We live in the freedom of new life through the resurrection power of Jesus

Sometimes this makes us feel vulnerable.  
We scan the horizon, on the look out for a place to put our trust. 

The resurrected King is our HOPE, TRUST, LIFE.
He is our trust.  He is our Rock.  
He is our fortress in times of trouble.  

I'd rather look foolish to the world and receive an eternal Kingdom 

than give into loving the world more than God.   

Love and Serve The King of Kings.

2Ki 18:19

The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “ ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: 

On what are you basing this confidence of yours?

Surrounded by an overwhelming force that is seeking to destroy?  

Hezekiah and Israel faced an affront.  Over the walls the people heard these words from the King of Assyria.   

Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ There is a King in Israel.  There is a King of Kings and Lord of Lords seated in Heaven.  A High Priest who knows what is like to live this life.  He knows our weakness.  He always provides a way out, a way forward, a way of grace through faith.        1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
2Ki 19:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.  As the pressures increase and the uncertainty grows.....Lean harder into the grace of God and TRUST.  Let your confidence be in God.    Throwing ourselves on the Lord is sure solution for the most challenging troubles and tests.  Press in deeper.  Go after his presence.  Run into the secret place with the Father.  He knows your needs.   Don't be turned away by anything.  Our Father loves to respond to your heart cries for help.  There is no name as sure as our Fathers.  The victory of the Lord Jesus is ours by faith and trust in all his goodness.  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Heb 10:35 If you remember the story.....    1Jo 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. The  Assyrians -   2Ki 19:35  That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! The army is decimated by an Angel of the Lord.    Hezekiah's confidence in God, trust and prayer made a way for deliverance.   Your prayers move mountains.  Your trust brings home by faith all the Father has spoken.   Don't give in to FEAR.  Don't wait in defeat.   Press into the Lord Jesus for what you need.  Today we put our confidence in Jesus.    Heb 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Mat 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Remember your own stories!  David always remembered the stories of God's deliverance for his life.  He remembered all that God had done for him.  We face some tough days.  We get discouraged after many days of struggle.  So did David.  Yet, he always remembered what God had done for him.   What He did he will do....and more.   Everything God has ever done for you tells you what he can do and more.  Remember your testimonies.  Ask the Spirit to remind you of what the Lord has done.  Stir them up and recite them to the glory of God's goodness.  In remembering and sharing them with others you inspire others to deeper confidence in God.  You also inspire yourself to trust afresh in the face of anything.   Hang in there.   Often we start making predictions based on past failures when trouble lands.    We start predicting a negative future out of some of our bad memories.   The awesome thing is God is not tied up by our predictions.  He is creative.  In love with us.  And he is good all the way.   Everything in his heart is to see us live forever with him.   He has provided everything needed in the Lord Jesus and his perfect work.  I have always been a bad predictor of the future....even when I think it turns out bad.  God always sweeps in and something unseen re-writes the story.   That is the heart of God over us.    He re-writes it so we see him, grow deeper in love and learn to walk with him. In turn he changes us inside forever!   This is all worth it.   Even the days when you are hanging on by the tips of your fingers and you see a 1000 feet of air beneth you.   He will catch you. Or He will sweep in and bring something unexpected.   Believe.  Believe.  Believer.  Trust in the NAME of Jesus.   Comments?  Ideas? Testimonies?   Send those to me.   Thanks for +1's and re-shares.  More Posts on Confidence and Zeal...  http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2015/01/4-keys-to-confidence-in-god-must-haves.html  http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/03/invasion-of-wing-suit-people-soaring-in.html http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/12/10-keys-to-sustaining-life-in.html  Thanks for reading.   The dialogue is awesome.  Thank you. Testimonies?  Share em with me.   With much love in Jesus You can do this thing!  He's got you.   Jeff Reynolds   --- Brother Jeff www.mycapstone.org www.jeffreynoldsministies.com

3 Paths of Victory for the Disciple of Jesus - Basic Beginnings with Rich Rewards

I've followed Jesus for 41 yrs!  

Never a dull moment.  

Looking back.  

Recently, I was helping some new believers get grounded.  The Spirit reminded me of some basic things.  Things I've carried along that continuously keep me abiding in Jesus.  

Gifts from the family of believers where I came to know Jesus.  
Pat Kenney was the joy filled worship leader, whose face I can still see in my minds eye. Pat smiled his way through entire worship sets.  His face beamed.  It looked like he got the greatest present ever given to a person..  Over and over he would rejoice and worship and sing and praise and dance.  Whole heart and completely real, he was experiencing exactly what he was singing again and again. 
Pat showed me the way into the Throne Room.   
The way of consistently drawing close to Jesus in worship.  
It's a way that starts with thanksgiving.  
Just a simple thank you Jesus, kicks into gear the wheels of worship and praise. 

Pat taught us to worship with thanksgiving.  He drilled into my new faith that Worship  starts with the simple thank you. 

Recently I was leading a celebration and sensed that people were not actually praising with their mouths.  Literally I mean they were "thinking worship" but not making any sounds. The presence of the Lord was awesome and tangible, but the people were not actually singing.   

Making a joyful "noise" is always better than worshiping inside your own head.  

The situation called up the memory of thanksgiving.  Praising with thanks.  Saying out loud the truths of Jesus.   

So the first of three bottom line victories in Jesus is giving thanks.  

1. Thankful Praise 

Thankfulness is the first sound of Spirit and truth worship.  The simplicity of thanksgiving starts the wheels of worship.  Remembering how good God has been and thankfully taking stock of our current lives and blessings always gets my heart awakened.  It will awaken yours as well.  There is always something to give thanks for even in the darkest hours.  And when we can't find it, the words of scripture ring out....

Romans 8:28  
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So we can be thankful that even if we can't find anything to thank the Lord for, we can thank him that he will turn things around for our good.  

From my lips - declaring the truth -not to be confused with thinking the truth. 
Speaking the truth breaks us free.  Thinking the Truth is key but worship is declaring the truth of our Trinity God in the victory of the Lord Jesus and the power of the Spirit.  Believers can get into the habit of "thinking worship".  They are in worship settings but do not actually make a joyful noise of their own.  There can be many reasons for this and yes sometimes just listening is great encouragement, but in general being filled with the Spirit is expressed by.....

"speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and song from the Spirit."  Ephesians 5:19

Speaking out the truth in agreement with the church in worship is a powerful and encouraging reality.  We become part of the sound of heaven on earth and participate in the encouragement of declaring the truth and praise of Christ.   

Make a Joyful Noise - if that is all you can do!  Start it off with thanking God for anything good you have!  

2. Starting on the path of doing right

Sowing to the Spirit is focusing on the future, the hope, the love and the life of obedience in Jesus.  Trying to avoid sins, focusing on not doing certain things and generally keeping in our horizon the weaknesses and shortcomings we carry, will not lead us into the life of fullness Jesus has for us.  

Everyone who believes passes from death to life in Jesus.  We keep on growing in the life and love of the Spirit if we continue in HIM.  We all start at a different zero points.  Yet all of us are being made like him, shedding the death that shaped us without Christ.  

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."  

Romans 8:5-8

Putting your mind on the Spirit, walking in the Spirit and focusing on loving and obeying Jesus is the way to new life.  We are not trying to avoid something.  We are letting HIM create something new within us.  When we sow to the Spirit the desires and mind of the flesh have no voice.  What takes place is we allow the Kingdom to be first in us and the mind and image of Christ to begin to flourish in our lives.  

It's about what you ARE doing. Not what you are NOT doing. 

The Spirit walk is simple.  He leads we follow.  He is gracious, clearly presenting to us us the next step.   One step at a time we walk in the Spirit.  

How do I know this is true?  

I've seen the simplest children walk in the Spirit.  Pray for the sick.  Do things they have not be "trained" to do.  I've heard profound prayers from little children.  I've seen wonderful faith and acts of love and kindness in the Spirit of Christ from kids. 

I've also seen people that our society and culture have no use for grow and change and get victory in Jesus.   I know a woman who is a constant witness to the simplicity and power of the Gospel.  She came shaking and unable to be touched. She could not hold a conversation and she wore a paper eye to cover her wandering eye.  She wondered the streets and was always at the emergency care.  Gradually, slowly, she took steps the Spirit placed before her.  Gradually and slowly she opened up.  She welcomed prayer.  She asked for prayer for "cancer" and was healed.  She stopped drinking and testified.  She stopped shaking.  She took off the eye patch.  She started talking with people a bit more.  She faithfully came to worship and prayer walking in all weather a considerable way.  She got lots of practical help from the church family.  She started praying, for us, for leaders, for people, for the broken world Jesus loves.   She started giving away to her neighbors in love.  One awesome day during worship she came and sat with me up front.  I will never be the same.   

Jesus is able to bring anyone and everyone who will simply take the next step, into life, love and grace.   

Walking in the Spirit is simply a series of next steps.  And I've always known what the next step is.  I bet you do as well.  

3. Believe in the Name and love one another 

So much of what we do as believers and church goers carries little reality of the NAME of Jesus.  That is not to say we should pack it up and throw in the towel.  Just the opposite.  Establish the NAME of Jesus in everything.  

The NAME of Jesus is a true and reliable witness to the nature, character, work and love of our Lord Jesus.   As first priority in a gathering of believers, the NAME is living reality of God's love, grace, hope and life.  Boiling the church down there are two things that really need to shine.  LOVE and the NAME 

It's a sad day when churches and ministries forget these two realities of presence.  

We evaluate everything else.  But we rarely ask how well we love.  
We evaluate our doctrine, which is good, but more important we need to ask ourselves how well the NAME is being upheld in Spirit and Truth.  

Churches and ministries are structured around so many other things than LOVE and the NAME.   

Heaven is all about the NAME.  Heaven is all about the true nature of God touching the earth with LOVE. 

"Whatever you do in word or deed. Do it all in the NAME"   

This is how we know what love is, Jesus laid down his life for us."  I John 3:16

Believing in the NAME is continuing to walk in the Spirit, taking step after step, in the worst the world can throw at us.  

Believing in the NAME is knowing that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith.  He will make sure we make it - if we hold on to the end.  

As you walk in the Spirit taking one step at a time --- Walk in the NAME.

As you walk in the Spirit taking one step at a time --- Walk in LOVE 

These three simple things will plant you into so much more in Jesus Christ  

Just one step at a time.  

Lay a foundation that never needs a remodel. 


Much love in Jesus, 

Brother Jeff!

Get these two foundations in prayer!  

How's your 24?  
How's your prayer walk?  
Sowing into prayer is the greatest avenue for consistent joy in Jesus than any other thing out there.   

Take a new step into the depths and riches of knowing Jesus.  Pray. 

Start today.  5 mins listening to or reading the Scripture and Psalm 27:14 wait for the Lord. 
Grab some time and steal away with Jesus.  
He is remarkable to be around.  
You will tap into the grace of God.
The Father sent Jesus to restore us to him and he is longing to know us in Christ.  (John 17:3) 


1. 10 Keys to Praying with Power
http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/11/10-keys-to-praying-with-power-moving.html

2. 10 Keys to Sustaining Supernatural Life 
 http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/12/10-keys-to-sustaining-life-in.html

3. Why is the Prayer House Empty? 
http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/11/why-is-prayer-house-empty-or-is-it.html

4. Intimacy with Jesus Beyond Religion? 

Feedback?  Ideas?  

I would love to dialogue with you. 

Share your comments.  

2017  

Transfiguration! 

Look forward, eyes filled with Abundance, Boundless, Victorious vision in Jesus.  

 Get a copy of my Prophetic Review 2016 - Salvation's Mountain Erupting with Open Doors, Shifts and Invitation.   Encouragement, focus, wisdom and insight into the prophetic seasons of the new year.  
www.jeffreynoldsministries.com 

Thanks for Reading!   

I love your comments. Ideas and thoughts.
Please share em.
Re-shares are great. thank U.

The dialogue is awesome.  Thank you. Testimonies?  Share em with me.   

Re-Shares lov em.  Thank you! With much love in Jesus 

You can do this thing!  He's got you. 

Jeff Reynolds   --- 

Brother Jeff

Jeff Reynolds Sr. Leader
Capstone Christian Fellowship 




Believing in the life changing transforming power of Christ through the Gospel