graceland

Each time I drive by this I think of an imaginary place where I turn away from the wasteland of wrong thinking.  It’s a beautiful dwelling place in my mind where I turn my thinking over to the truths about who Christ is and who I am in Him.  It’s a plantation where I sew the seeds of grace and preach the gospel to myself.  It’s a habitat that I call Graceland.

So I finally had enough forethought to bring the camera and ask the question my husband hears all too often, “Will you pull over so that I can take a picture?”

When I visit Graceland in my mind I see, once again, that I’ve already been made alive with Christ by His grace and raised up, along with all of the other followers, with Him and we’ve been seated with him in the heavenly places in Him.

I remember my true identity and the identity of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I recall that I am dead to sin and alive to God and that, although I sin, my most true self is not just a sinner, but a saint because I am found in Christ.  Because I’m found in Christ, I have a new identity and an entirely new way of looking at myself.

“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” -Romans 6:17-18

And if that wasn’t enough…”But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith.” -Ephesians 2:4-8

We’ve been raised but we also await being raised. A remembrance of the past (I’ve been raised) and also a reminder of  a future reality (I will be shown in the coming ages the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward His people in Christ).

A game-changer if I would intentionally turn to these truths…enter Graceland in my mind.  The imagination can be used for good.

I can imagine a place in my mind where all of these truths are easy access and a reality right now.  I can also imagine my future.

Do you ever dream of eternity?

We are in this world but we’re also citizens of heaven.  A place where grace will truly reign with God and also with each other.  So we are raised and are being raised.  But the Kingdom of God is also being brought here through us as we bear fruit of His the Spirit right here in this world.  How can I cooperate with that playing out here…bringing Jesus’ Kingdom to bear in the here and now?

How is Christ bringing his kingdom to bear through His people in the world right now? 

How can I partake in bringing the kingdom to bear in my part of the world right now?

As I  dream about entering Graceland now and in the future eternity with Christ—these are the the questions I ask.

Linking up this week with the following inspiring and encouraging blogs.  I highly recommend visiting any and all of them!

purposefulfaith.com     Photobucket Holly Barrett    linkup  SDG Gathering A Field of Wildflowers sunday-stillness-button  Spiritual Sundays     Grab button for Faith Along the Way Renewed Daily - Recommendation Saturday Missional WomenFF Z Font Fellowship Fridays #45  The Watered Soul  “countingmyblessings"       Grab button for Being Confident of This  Dance With Jesus   

 1114updatedbutton  mom blogs party  Imparting Gracesaving4six     beloved_brews_faithbarista_badge _     7 Days Time      WHHWButton200X200I Choose Joy!    Photobucket

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