Summer 2012 Puerto Rico Blending Trip: Being Found in Christ

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Today I was reading an excerpt this morning (Conclusion of the New Testament- Messages 135-156, Chapter 8):

"To be found in Christ actually means to be observed, seen, or discovered in Christ by others... It is one thing to have a doctrinal understanding of being found in Christ; it is quite another thing to be found in Christ in our daily living. Where we are when others observe us indicates the realm in which we live. If we live in our culture or in our good behavior, we shall be found in culture or in our behavior by others. In whatever realm we live, that is where we shall be seen, observed, and discovered by others."

When I was in Puerto Rico, I stayed with a family who served the Lord full-time on a nearby college campus. My morning reading today reminded me of them because during my stay in Humacao, I had observed, seen, and discovered this family in Christ.

Puerto Rico Christians on Campus
Our crew in Humacao

In their neighborhood, there are several households who are either related to them by blood or by faith. These Christians live day-by-day and from-house-to-house church life (Acts 2:46). They have the heart to reach out to their closest relatives, friends, and neighbors. Their living unto the Lord is their daily living. There is no chance of living a double-life, one foot in the church and one foot in the world. It is not easy to be found in Christ in such an observable and practical way. Yet I think I have found the secret that would help us to be found in Christ in our daily living!

The secret is your community, that is, the Christians whom you are spiritually and practically related with. 

The Lord said, "I am the vine and you are the branches," but have you noticed that vine tree bears fruit in clusters? Each part of that cluster is organically related to the ones right next to it through the life supply of the vine tree.

Comments

  1. Big JoeJune 21, 2012 at 2:16 PM

    Wow! this is awesome. Whenever we see a grape by itself, it means the grape has fallen off the vine and away from the cluster. We stay in Christ, by staying in our cluster!

    ReplyDelete
  2. rdlcJune 25, 2012 at 11:07 AM

    To be found in Christ can be a strong testimony to the new ones. That is what attracted me when I met the saints for the first time :). Lord, we just want to love you more and be found in You daily. Thanks for sharing Kat! So sweet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 27, 2012 at 12:04 PM

      wow. amen! Lord may we be found in Christ!

      Delete
    2. KatherineJune 27, 2012 at 2:41 PM

      RDLC, you're right. Being found in Christ is indeed a testimony of Christ being lived out through us.

      Your prayer touched me, how the only way we can be found in Him is to be desperate, to ask of Him, and to be with those who are being found in Christ. :)

      Delete
  3. enoshcohenJune 27, 2012 at 12:05 PM

    Today let us be found in Christ!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJune 27, 2012 at 12:07 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM

      wow thats really true! the secret to living the christian life daily is so related to our community, who we are with! dang that is so good. thanks katherine!

      Delete
    2. KatherineJune 27, 2012 at 2:44 PM

      Thanks for reading this blog, David. By the way, you have a very interesting blog! :)

      And yes, we think of being found in Christ as a mere individual pursuit, but the truth is our community often defines where we are being found in -- in a particular culture or in Christ.

      Delete
  5. UnknownJune 27, 2012 at 7:41 PM

    Wow! That is so true! The ones we spend most of our time with are the ones who shape our living. It's so wonderful to know that the secret to a daily living of being found in Christ is to surround yourself with others who are daily found in Christ!

    Thanks for sharing! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KatherineJune 29, 2012 at 10:30 AM

      I think you wrote it better than I did, Danielle.

      On one hand, it is by the Lord's mercy and grace that we can be found in Him. On the other hand, it is by choice that we would position ourselves in the best environment to be found in Christ, that is, to be in the center of the church life as our community.

      Delete
  6. AnonymousJune 28, 2012 at 1:01 PM

    Wow! God bless the saints in Puerto Rico!

    ReplyDelete
  7. JoyJune 29, 2012 at 12:52 PM

    I've been there too! I love it and I love those believers! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. JoshJuly 8, 2012 at 10:02 PM

    Yes! Being found in Christ has been something of knowledge to me, until I came to college and experienced it in corporate living! Being around brothers daily has made it real.

    ReplyDelete

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