JULY THEME – “Seeing Ebenezer- “Hitherto Hath The Lord Helped Us” From God’s Perspective”
Join us in prayer and celebration as Belmont Baptist Church begins our Year of Jubilee, marking fifty years of God’s amazing faithfulness and looking forward with grateful hearts to all He has yet to do.
BEATS FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART
I’d like to begin by briefly remembering where this series has brought us. First, we discovered that Christ Is My Treasure—the greatest gift God has ever given us is not something from His hand, but Christ Himself, the One who alone satisfies the deepest longings of the soul. Then we lifted our eyes to The Heavens Declare the Glory of God, where creation became God’s silent preacher, reminding us that every sunrise, every star, and every breath points beyond itself to the majesty of our Creator and Redeemer. When Christ becomes our treasure and His glory becomes our greatest delight, one magnificent truth naturally follows: Christ is no longer merely part of our lives—Christ becomes our very life.
CHRIST IS MY LIFE
Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
The Christian life is far more than believing certain truths about Jesus—it is living every moment in union with Him. Many people admire Christ, study Christ, sing about Christ, and even serve Christ, while still living at the center of their own story. Yet Paul describes something infinitely deeper. He does not say that Christ is important to our lives or even central to our lives. He boldly declares that Christ is our life. Everything else in life eventually changes. Careers begin and end. Health rises and falls. Relationships flourish and sometimes fade. Seasons come and go. But when Christ becomes our life, we discover a foundation that can never be shaken. Our identity is no longer rooted in what we do, what we own, or what others think of us. It is rooted in the living Savior who dwells within us. The greatest transformation in the Christian life occurs when we stop asking Christ to fit into our plans and begin joyfully allowing our lives to revolve entirely around Him.
Christ Is the Source of Our Identity
The world constantly asks, “Who are you?” It encourages us to answer with our occupation, accomplishments, possessions, family, education, or reputation. Yet every one of those identities can change in a single moment. Retirement can remove a career. Illness can alter our abilities. Success can disappear overnight. If our identity rests upon temporary things, our security will always remain fragile. Paul understood that his true identity was not “apostle,” “missionary,” or even “prisoner.” His identity was found in Christ. Because Christ was his life, no prison could imprison his joy, no suffering could diminish his purpose, and no enemy could steal his peace. When Christ becomes our life, we stop living to prove our worth because our worth has already been established at Calvary. We no longer strive to discover who we are—we rest in whose we are. The believer who knows that Christ is his life possesses a stability that the changing circumstances of earth can never destroy.
Christ Gives Meaning to Every Circumstance
Most people divide life into categories. Some experiences they call blessings, others they call interruptions. Some days they consider successful, others disappointing. But the believer whose life is hidden in Christ begins to see everything differently. Every circumstance becomes another opportunity to know Christ more deeply. Joy teaches us His generosity. Suffering teaches us His sufficiency. Waiting teaches us His faithfulness. Success teaches us humility. Failure teaches us dependence. Every season becomes part of the Father’s loving work of conforming us to the image of His Son. Nothing is wasted because nothing lies outside His sovereign care. When Christ is our life, we no longer ask merely, “How can I escape this?” We begin asking, “Lord, how can I know You more through this?” That single change in perspective transforms trials from obstacles into classrooms where the Master Teacher continues shaping our hearts. The believer who walks with Christ discovers that life’s greatest lessons are seldom learned in comfort but almost always learned in communion with the Savior.
Christ Is Our Present Joy and Our Future Hope
Paul ends this verse by pointing beyond the present to a glorious future: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear…” Our hope is not simply that heaven awaits us. Our hope is that Christ awaits us. The One who lives within us today is the very One we shall behold face to face. That expectation changes everything. We serve with greater faithfulness because we know we will see Him. We endure suffering with greater patience because we know it is temporary. We pursue holiness with greater passion because we long to reflect the One we love. Every passing day brings us one step closer to the moment when faith will become sight and Christ, who has been our unseen Companion, will become our visible King. The Christian life has never been merely about surviving until heaven. It is about enjoying Christ now while anticipating seeing Him forever. The believer who understands this truth discovers that eternity has already begun. Heaven is not simply a destination waiting for us at the end of life; it is the continual enjoyment of Christ, beginning today and continuing forever.
Imagine the branches of a mighty vine. A branch possesses no life within itself. It bears fruit only because the life of the vine continually flows through it. The moment the branch is separated, it withers. But while it remains connected, it flourishes naturally because the life of another is flowing through it. Jesus used this very picture when He said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” The Christian life is not sustained by human determination but by divine dependence. We do not produce spiritual life for Christ; His life flows through us. The greatest fruit is not the result of striving harder but of abiding more deeply.
The world spends its entire existence searching for life. Some seek it in wealth. Others pursue pleasure, power, success, relationships, or recognition. Yet Jesus declared, “I am… the life.” Every substitute eventually disappoints because every substitute is temporary. Christ alone satisfies because Christ alone is life itself. Perhaps today you have been trying to carry burdens Christ never intended you to bear. Perhaps you have been striving to control circumstances that belong in His hands. Return to this simple yet profound truth: Christ is your life. He is your strength when you are weak. He is your wisdom when you are confused. He is your peace when life feels uncertain. He is your purpose when you wonder why you are here. He is your joy when happiness fades. When Christ becomes your life, you no longer merely live for Him—you live through Him. And the greatest adventure a believer can ever experience is allowing the life of Christ to be seen through his own.
Warfare Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that my life is no longer defined by my past, my failures, my accomplishments, or my circumstances, but by my union with Jesus Christ. In His mighty name, I renounce every false identity the enemy has tried to place upon me—fear, insecurity, pride, shame, self-reliance, and discouragement. Teach me to abide in Christ moment by moment until His thoughts become my thoughts, His desires become my desires, and His life is increasingly reflected through mine. Lord Jesus, live Your life through me today. Let every conversation, every decision, every trial, and every opportunity become an expression of Your presence within me. Guard me from living independently of You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit until others see less of me and more of Christ. May my greatest testimony be that Christ is my life, both now and forever. In the victorious name of Jesus, Amen.
Daily Challenge
Throughout today, pause several times and quietly ask yourself one question: “Am I living for Christ, or am I allowing Christ to live His life through me?” Each time you face a decision, a conversation, a disappointment, or a blessing, consciously surrender it to Him by praying, “Lord Jesus, be my life in this moment.” As you do, you will discover that the Christian life is not about trying harder—it is about abiding more deeply in the One who is your life.
THURSDAY’S PRAYER NEEDS
David Burnette – St. Jospeh Hospital – Tests
Pastor Curtis Barbery – My Pastor I Served Under For 7 Years Ready To Go Home Soon
Mary Williams – Rehab for Broken Hip