[Discoveries] 12-14-08 New identity -- Matthew 1:21

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

/*For those struggling financially ...*/
/*A word on network marketing. There are a number of legitimate network 
(multi-level, relational) marketing opportunities out there. They all 
operate on basically the same principle. Somebody needs to sell 
something, and rather than hire a professional sales force, they offer 
ordinary people the opportunity to become distributors of their 
product(s). If you recruit people to help you sell the product, you get 
a percentage of their sales as well. The recruitment process can involve 
mystery, hype, and the promise of making zillions of dollars. Now let's 
get real. Can you make money doing that? Yes. Is it a lot of hard work? 
Yes, and double yes. If you love networking with people, and just seem 
to attract successful people who in turn attract other successful 
people, yes, you might make good money doing this. But you might lose 
hundreds, even thousands of dollars as well. Take it from me, a guy who 
learned by unhappy experience. Approach this opportunity with your eyes 
wide open, and know that it will almost certainly take more time and 
more money than you expect.*/

/*She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, 
because He will save His people from their sins. -- Matthew 1:21*/

Years ago, a dear friend was battling cancer. It was so distressing 
because how do you fight something that's inside you? Many of our 
readers have faced cancer and you may be one of them. If that is your 
struggle now, please know that my prayers are with you.

Anyway, I didn't know what to do, so I photocopied every passage in the 
Bible where Jesus healed someone, and pasted them into a scrapbook along 
with pictures that I had cut out of catalogs and brochures. I called it 
a healing book, and I gave it to our friend.

Although she eventually died, her cancer did go into remission and she 
was given another year and a half of life.

Cancer can destroy your body, but sin can destroy your soul and rob your 
spirit of life. Until the birth and death of Jesus, there was no lasting 
defense against sin. It was enmeshed in our hearts, intertwined with who 
we were. To remove sin was to remove us. But Jesus came to do the 
impossible, to save us from our sins.

To do that, Jesus had to create a new identity for us. We had to be born 
again. Keep in mind that the work of God is far greater than just 
convincing us to reform and become a follower of Christ. The work of God 
transforms us from within so that the cancer of sin loses its grip on 
us. We become the incorruptible, indestructible children of God.

Be encouraged!
Dwight

What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of 
violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the 
power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by 
addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families 
are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who 
face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers 
are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the 
faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one 
person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the 
sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with 
other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the 
supernatural happens.
Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by
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1223 West Main Street #228
Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA
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