Jonathan Shradar

Having just finished Rankin Wilbourne's Union with Christ , I wanted to share some highlights with you. It is a splendid and accessible book on what is vitally important for the Christian to understand; that in faith you are united with Christ, joined to him for all of eternity, secure, empowered, loved and approved. Among Wilbourne's goals in writing is to see the church reclaim this important doctrine and believer living in its power. Be encouraged Saints, you are in union with Christ. May you know and enjoy God. "One way to think about the Christian life—not the only way, but a powerful and too-little-used way—is that believing the gospel means having your imagination taken captive and reshaped by a new story." "Could anything about the Christian life be more precious than this? This is what God has saved you for—communion, relationship, and intimacy with himself. This is what Christ suffered for, “that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18)." "You

This week a friend was sharing how she has been fighting off sickness for several weeks and how every time she sets out to engage church community or participate in worship she faced all the more hardship. "I have realized every time I attempt to be about kingdom business I come under spiritual attack," she said. Without a doubt, the enemy of our souls has zero desire to see us flourish in the community and doing "kingdom work." But the thing is, our God's plans and purpose can not be thwarted. And that is a glorious truth. In the same conversation, my friend relayed that over the same time she has had the opportunity with a couple of people out of the blue, one at a pharmacy as she picked up meds because she was sick! So there you have. We might be able to connect in the ways we thought we should, but the Lord will use us none the less, everything is a kingdom opportunity. Turns out that of all the good things we could plan, it is the sovereign God things that