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The Identity Property

Lesson 1-8 Properties of Real Numbers - ppt video online download

I wrote about the Division Property of Zero in my most recent blog post and that got me thinking about other math properties that I teach my students. The Identity Property is one of them. In mathematics, an identity is defined as a transformation that leaves an object unchanged. With regard to addition, that would be zero (13 + 0 = 13), and in multiplication, it is one (13 x 1 = 13). The best way I found to explain it is by asking my students what they see when they look in a mirror. Answer: Themselves! That’s their identity. Or is it? 

What is Your Identity?

When it comes to Jesus, He has a knack for turning things upside down, including the Identity Property! As Christ followers, we choose to put our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Our identity is found in Him and Him alone. 

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

‭‭ John‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Out with the Old, In with the New

We are a child of God, a new creation, redeemed and forgiven. Unlike a mathematical identity, when one’s identity is found in Christ it is a transformation that leaves us radically changed! 

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

All Because of Jesus

Our new life would not be possible without Jesus. Keep that in mind as you gather with friends and family to celebrate His birth in the coming days. 

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 ‭NIV‬‬

The Ultimate Gift

That is cause for celebration! Jesus truly is the Ultimate Gift, one to be treasured anew each day. 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Image result for merry christmas clip art images

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Road Closed

Obstacle Ahead

ROAD CLOSED—This is NOT a sign you want to see in the early part of a 1000+ mile journey home after being away for over three months. Actually, I’m not sure it is EVER a sign you want to see. I only know that it was particularly painful yesterday. I wasn’t sure we would ever get out of Florida! All lanes  on I-95 N were closed due to an accident just north of Jacksonville. So, we had to exit and find our way back with several thousand of our closest friends. You can imagine our delight!

An Alternate Route

My husband, Todd, doesn’t generally let me do much of the driving, but he succumbed when he had had enough of evading the obstacle keeping us from our intended route. I suggested that I take a turn behind the wheel so he could take a nap. I assured him that I wouldn’t fall asleep in such driving conditions. So, I drove. He slept. We covered 0.8 miles in the process! Finally, we made it  back to I-95 and were on our way again. By midnight we had conquered the rest of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, stopping off for the night in Elkin, NC.

Responding to Obstacles

I’m always asking God for writing material. After an altered night of sleep due to our late night, it came in the form of the Verse of the Day in YouVersion first thing this morning. As we reflect on the last week of Jesus’ earthly life, we revisited the story of Jesus going to the Temple in today’s verse. Like us yesterday, He encountered obstacles. Also, like us, He responded with anger. Okay, His was righteous. Ours, not so much. Instead of the Temple being used for its intended purpose—worshiping God, it was being used to take advantage of those who traveled to Jerusalem for that very reason.

Jesus went into the Temple area. He threw out all those who were selling and buying things there. He turned over the tables that belonged to those who were exchanging different kinds of money. And he turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. Jesus said to them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are changing it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’”

Matthew 21:12-13 ERV

Theft

The people who came to the Temple for worship were being robbed, in multiple ways. First, the merchants were selling animals needed for sacrifice at excessive amounts, priced too high for many of the travelers to afford. That led to a second type of robbery—a spiritual robbery. Those who could not meet the asking price were excluded from worship, unable to pray and connect with God at the Temple. The merchants and religious leaders had filled the Temple with obstacles, keeping the poor and vulnerable from God’s very presence.

Clearing the Path

Jesus would have NONE of that! In His anger, He single-handedly cleared the Temple of all man-made obstacles blocking people’s access to God. That was a temporary act, leading to His ultimate act, one that has eternity stamped on it. Jesus tore down every obstacle standing in our path to God when He went to the cross on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sin. The obstacle is gone, the road is open, never to be closed again. Thank you, Jesus!

If you haven’t yet chosen this road, please know that it is an open invitation and one you’ll never regret accepting. I know how thrilled we were to get back on I-95 and get moving yesterday, yet it pales in comparison to the joy of being in relationship with God, only made possible through Jesus. May you know that same joy!

 

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All In

All In

I am not much of a gambler…really. But when Texas Hold’em became quite popular back in the early 2000s, my husband and his game-loving family taught me how to play. They will be the first to tell you that I don’t have much of a poker face. I can’t bluff to save my life, so it’s a good thing there is no money involved. The player who ends up with all the chips simply acquires bragging rights. Until the next time anyhow! I am competitive, so that’s enough to suck me in right there. You know what? Now that I think about it, I believe I still possess those bragging rights.

Ending the Game

As it turns out, there is a limit to my competitive nature. Texas Hold’em just so happens to be the game that revealed that. You see, we generally play it at night when the tank is already running low. I enjoy it for a while, especially when I have a pile of chips in front of me, but then I lose interest. I start taking more risks with my bets, attempting to bluff even. Sometimes that pays off, but not usually. Do you know what the magic words are when you are tired of playing? ALL. IN. That generally ends the game rather quickly!!

The Rest of the Story

If you read my most recent post, you know that the Holy Spirit has me focusing on God’s extreme nature lately, specifically calling my attention to the words all and always. This is Part II to that post.

Self-Sufficiency is Tiring… (and Impossible)

Life is good, yet rarely easy. There are seemingly new challenges that come with each passing day. And they come in all shapes and sizes. If I’m being honest, the control freak in me often tackles life’s challenges in my own strength and wisdom first. God is my last resort more often than I care to admit. Can you relate? It’s tiring!

There’s a better way. His name is Jesus.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”

John 14:6 ERV

Jesus–The Ultimate Gift

God went ALL IN on you and on me when He gave us Jesus, but it wasn’t because He was tired. He simply wanted to be with us, which meant that He had to solve the sin problem. Through the death and resurrection of His one and only Son, we have been made right with God through faith in Jesus. God, the Father, and God, the Son, went ALL IN for us.

Our Response

How shall we respond to the Ultimate Gift? He himself answered that question by giving us what is deemed the great commandment.

Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

Matthew 22:37 ERV

There’s that word again–ALL. And it shows up three times in that one verse. It seems to me that God desires a reciprocal commitment from us. He wants us to go ALL IN too!

An Invitation to Rest

Are you tired of struggling and striving to do life on your own? I have good news for you. It’s a personal invitation from Jesus himself:

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 ERV

Called to Quit?

I have been described in a number of ways over the course of my lifetime but rarely has the word “quitter” been used. Just ask my mother-in-law about baking Christmas cookies with me! Stubborn—yes, quitter—no. Well, in this case, I am going to condone it because I think quitting is exactly what Jesus is calling us to do in these verses. Quitting, in this case, looks like surrendering your life, with all its complications, to Jesus.

In “The Gambler,” a song made popular by Kenny Rogers, he says/sings, “you’ve got to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em.” Friends, it is time to fold’em. Lay your cards down and end the game right now by going ALL IN for Jesus! I promise you won’t regret it.

Enjoy your rest.

All in for Jesus

 

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Unfair Trade

Unfair Trade
All Trades are Not Even

Have you ever been involved in an unfair trade? All trades are not even. As a child, I learned that lesson firsthand. I collected baseball cards as a kid. My cousins from New York did as well. I always looked forward to their summer visits and the opportunity to “play” with our collections. 

 

An Uneven Trade

One particular trade we made stands out from the rest. My cousins offered me 100 cards for ONE of mine. That didn’t quite seem like a fair trade. I was shocked that they would propose such a trade as I clearly was getting the better end of that deal. After all, 100 > 1. How could I possibly turn that down?

The Trade of All Trades

Did you know that God makes some unfair trades? It’s true! In fact, He is the author of the most lopsided trade in history. God gave us something priceless, Jesus, in exchange for something worthless, our sin, to give us the right to become part of His family, His children. Why would He do that? Because of love! 

 

Reaping the Benefits

That trade is a done deal; however, to become His child and experience the abundant life that comes with that position, God requires something of us. He simply asks us to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and to fully trust that He alone is the way of salvation. God offers salvation to anyone who will receive it from Him. 

 

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

John 1:12 NLT

 

What a deal! And it was all made possible by an unfair trade. 

 

Shortchanged

About that unfair trade I made with my cousins–it turns out that they were the ones who got the last laugh. I did get 100 cards in exchange for my one. The problem—that one card I traded away was Roberto Clemente! Ugh….