True Identity

True Identity The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit. Romans 8:16 NIV Ursula and I decided to stop at a local diner for breakfast. I told Urs that I had recently come to recognize a few realities about my life. There are several, but the most profound is that I have no purpose outside the family of Christ. She asked what that meant. I further explained that my thoughts on suicide would have been carried out twenty-five years ago if I had not become a follower of Jesus. I make no sense outside of Christianity. In my mind, I am an odd extra piece that doesn’t fit into the rest of the puzzle. But with Jesus, I fit in. Just then, a strange man walked up to me and said, “I think I am supposed to tell you that the Spirit testifies with our spirit… to one another. Bless you.” Is it a coincidence that as I am speaking of God, of my purpose in the family of God that an unknown person would come to me and point out that indeed, I am part of God’s family? I admit that I am still trying to make sense of the meeting and the gentleman’s words. But at least I can glean the message that God has prepared works for me and that I am His… Maybe Eugene Peterson can say it better, “God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are.” Romans 8:16 The Message

Like Babes

Like Babes If a person puts his trust in the Lord and follows obediently, he will experience the shepherding love of God. Psalm 23 paraphrase I remember seeing the first steps of my younger sister and many nieces and nephews. In each instance they shared the same procedure. Each one pulled themselves up on any nearby piece of furniture. They lifted their arms high as if being robbed at gun point, laughed and then wobbled towards their moms and dads. In that experience, I see that all children seem to be born with built-in trust. Without complex legal contracts or previous experience to teach them, they knew they could trust. They knew that the beckoning hands of parents and loved ones were going to catch them before they fell. But as we get older, trust takes on a new sense of being. We live in hard times... And life teaches us that trust is for the foolish and weak. Trust can make you a target for the unscrupulous. And it seems as if each downfall of human trust can cause us to question if God is any different. We start to wonder if God has any integrity (as if God should be judged by the behavior of people). Life's bumps and bruises teach us that trust is sort of unnatural, a luxury reserved for children. But Jesus says that the only way to enter the Kingdom is to be like one of these trusting little ones (Matthew 19:14). I think we are designed to trust. We are built to have confidence in God our Father. I am convinced that trust is normal, as long as it has been deposited in the right place. So, raise your arms high, laugh and stumble your way into the strong arms of God your Father. It is safe to trust the Lord.

Microwave Mentality

Microwave Mentality Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT When I became a believer, I tried to bring my “microwave mentality” into the faith. I wanted and expected that God would give me everything immediately. But faith in God does not work like microwave popcorn. Faith involves a hunger for God, boldness and tenacity. One would need to thirst for God like a deer pants for water (Psalm 42:1). And when we taste and see that God is good, I can tell you that nothing else will satisfy. I like the old saying, "You can't put the cart before the horse." There has to be an order to things. And this verse reveals that one cannot find the will of the Father until one has laid down his or her desire for worldly ways and picked up a penchant for God's ways. When we renew our minds through the word of God, with prayer and with fasting, we place ourselves in a position to be transformed by God. If we stick to God and allow him to change us, on His schedule, we gain clarity in regards to the Father's will. Believe me when I say His clock seems to work a bit slower than our own. But God isn’t slow as many might think. He is patiently working things out for our good, bringing us into maturity. There is no such thing as Instant Christianity. Faith in God is always an endurance race, never a sprint. In regards to faith, Paul said that he runs the race free of worldly entanglements and with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1). And Jesus said that those that persevere to the end, they will be saved (Matthew 24:13). If you let go of the "I want it now" sort of mentality and hang on to God just long enough, I think you will find what you are looking for, and more.

Think Before You Drink

Think Before You Drink Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 NIV At church I saw a person that I hadn't seen in some time. The last time we had spoken it was over a year ago and it ended in a heated exchange. Yet, when I saw her, I did not hesitate to greet her. I was snubbed. She acted as though I was not even there. I proceeded on and found my seat in church. Sometime later she came into church and I decided to try to make contact once more. I gestured to her, waving “hello” and offering a vacant seat in my row. I was once again snubbed. She went to the opposite side of the church to find a better seat but ended up two chairs away from me as the other side was full. At the end of service, the communion elements (crackers and juice), were passed out. I silently wondered if she would consume them. I wondered how she could reverently take part in communion to remember an invisible dude named Jesus, but carry a grudge (or indifference) for a person sitting right next to her? I am aware that forgiveness is easier when the person is miles away (sort of a pseudo forgiveness because in most cases a change of heart has not happened). And I know it is a more difficult task to forgive when the person is right next to you. But I also know that the longer you hate, the easier it is to keep hating. Hate can survive so long that you can forget the true cause and conjure new reasons to keep the feud alive. When you dislike someone, it is easy to forget that God loves them. Maybe that is a bitter pill; God loves someone you hate. If God were smart like me, he would hate them too. But God incessantly shows His “differentness” (if that is a word). He forgives when there is no reason to forgive. He forgives because of who He is, not because of who we are. Well, she ate the cracker. I was shocked! I watched (if it were possible) her heart becoming more like stone. I watched her mind become dull (if that were possible too). I closed my eyes and asked God to forgive me if I was being arrogant, knowing that I had made an effort to live at peace with her. Then I asked God to help me remember the cross. I ate the cracker and drank the cup. When I opened my eyes she was gone. I have no clue as to whether she drank the cup or not...