Our True Identity

This continues a short series on our identity, who we are. The first part deals with two issues, worldly identity and spiritual identity. Worldly identity has to do with names, nouns and adjectives that give a person an individual identity where they live and work. It's source is man.

Spiritual identity has to do with who we are in the mind, heart and Spirit of God. It is not only our real identity in the world but our real identity in the spiritual realm and…

Spiritual Identity, Knowing Whose We Are

We need to return to the issue of personal spiritual identity. Our society is collapsing from within and the reason is we are losing our personal identity as Americans. But the reason we are losing it is because we are in danger of losing our personal spiritual identity which is the heart of what America was founded on. We have a political leadership that is denying our spiritual history thus our personal eternal spiritual identity by replacing…

Spiritual Maturity 2

“Spiritual maturity is completely turning over the mental, emotional, motivating and physical processing of your moment by moment life to the risen Jesus. It is allowing the mind of the Father, the heart of Jesus the Son and the energy of the Holy Spirit to elevate and bring into balance the mind, heart and spirit in us.” This was the conclusion presented based on Paul's quote from Colossians 1:27-28.

We want to hold this thought. I'm sure for Paul it arose…

Spiritual Maturity

“...Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ (Col.1:27-28).”

Maturity, that is the goal for every human being. But what and who is the standard by which maturity is measured? Some people measure maturity by age, experience, skills, confidence and stable emotionality. What is a person like 'under fire' when 'the chips are down?' The secular world has…

Pentecost 14b Being An Image of God

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well (Ps.139:13-14).”

Here is a prime example of what it means to be an image of God: “you created my inmost being (my spiritual being---mind, heart and spirit)” and “you knit me together in my mother's womb (my physical being, the container for my inmost…

75 Shades of Glory

What really makes the human Jesus different from the rest of us that we should follow Him? If He is God the Son how was that revealed in Him? What is there about Him that makes Him a perfect human being in every detail? When He claims to be one with His Father what does that really mean? Just what are some of the indicators that point to His perfection? Is He really holy? Perhaps the following will be a start in answering those questions.

Jesus is the only…

On the Way to Spiritual Gifts, Their Foundation

I am still convinced that the recovery of any stagnant local church is in the discovery, practice and sharing of spiritual gifts. When I say ‘church’ I am not talking about the ‘Body of Christ.’ It's growing. Rather I’m pointing to the sagging denominational efforts vested in maintaining traditional structure and budgets while neglecting the spiritual life of their members. But before we get to the gifts there needs to be a foundation in…

Pentecost 12c Faith, the Eye of the Spirit

In 1952 the Mathews Bridge was built connecting a remote small neighborhood called Arlington to downtown Jacksonville. Just before its official opening I drove the first bus across it. The bus belonged to Jacksonville Junior College (now JU). It was more a time issue than anything else because I needed to get the JJC Glee Club to a concert downtown. In those days road constraints were minimal.

Prior to that bridge being built there were…

Pentecost 12a Trust, The Eye of the Heart

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me (John 14:1).”

The heart is made to trust. Trust is an unseen attitude where the heart operates on a non-verbal level. It is an inner willingness to accept Jesus as the logical extension of eternal truth to live in an anti-truth world. The secular world is built on sin's toxic pride and fear, the generators of 'trouble' for which trust in Jesus is the antidote. Anything…

Pentecost 12a Belief, The Eye of the Mind

“...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason [belief] for the hope that is in you...(1Peter 3:15).”

This is the first in a three part series preparing us for the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. It definitely won't cover everything. It's not intended to. The purpose is to get us to think and act with a deeper awareness of the gift we have been given, the Holy Spirit.…