Dear
Present Truth Magazine Subscriber:
We
are glad to have you as a subscriber to our Present Truth Magazine. Below
you will find articles from individual authors who have written for our
magazine. Our prayer for all who
receive read these articles is that the Lord "...may give to you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may
know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of
His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
THE MIRACULOUS AND THE MIND OF
CHRIST
By A. Wilson Phillips
I recently read an article in
Creation magazine where a humanist gave a scientific explanation as
to why the ten plagues in Egypt, according to God’s prophet Moses, were
impossible.
All of humanity is engaged in a
war of words. Words are thoughts in spoken or written form, and we have
become master wordsmiths in our highly sophisticated information age. Too
often, we try to speak or write the God of the Bible out of our lives.
However, in my humble opinion, this cannot and will not ever happen. We
will always have the miraculous works of God happening in our world.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom
the Bible declares to be the Son of God and Son of Man, was supernaturally
conceived in His mother’s womb by God’s Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-38).
Unbelief in Him, the Savior of the world, leaves one without hope in this
life and the one to come (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).
Jesus’ parents and rabbis in
the land of ancient Palestine (modern Israel) taught Him about His
miraculous heritage. Moses had spoken and written about these miracles,
and Jesus often quoted from Moses as well as the other prophets in Israel
(John 5:44-47). A master communicator and wordsmith, Jesus spoke words
that brought forth miracles. Unfortunately, His words also brought a
response of unbelief from some (Mark 6:5-6). Unbelief is still a problem
among Christians and non-Christians alike in our modern scientific age.
Many Christians have unbelief and fail to mature because they do not allow
their minds to be renewed by the Word of God and His Spirit.
And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God (Rom. 12:2).
Those who renew their minds to
know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God will have the mind of
Christ concerning miracles. They will believe firstly that the Creator
exercised His faith and divine imagination in creating the heavens and
earth.
By the word of the Lord
the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Ps. 33:6).
The Hebrew word ruach
(breath) and the Greek term pnuema (spirit) tells us that God, who
is spirit, created man from the dust of the earth (previously created) and
breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life. God created man in His
likeness and image to partner with Him in overseeing and managing His
creation (Gen. 2:7, 1:26, 28).
Secondly, those with the
renewed mind of Christ understand that because of Lucifer’s and Adam’s
pride and disobedience, the Creator had a controversy with Lucifer, and
Adam was caught in the middle (Ezek. 28; Is. 14:12-15; Rom. 5:12). As a
result of the fall of man, Lucifer (alias serpent, Satan, devil, dragon)
held mankind captive by sin/death in Sheol until the incarnate Son of
God/Man would come, in cooperation with Father God, to release both the
righteous and unrighteous to be judged by the righteous Judge (Heb.
2:14-15; John 5:24-30; 1 Pet. 1:3).
Thirdly, those with the
renewed mind of Christ believe that after the death, burial, resurrection,
and ascension of Jesus Christ, the “enthroned Christ” sovereignly appeared
to one of the worst enemies of His followers—Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9).
God breathed His life into the soul of this arrogant, religious Pharisee,
and the miraculous power-encounter supernaturally changed Saul into
Paul, an apostle and zealous teacher and preacher of the gospel of the
grace of Jesus Christ (Acts 22:5-21).
God worked the greatest
miracle of all by changing Saul’s life. Through the process of having
his mind renewed, Saul came to know the good, acceptable, and perfect will
of God.
Like Moses, Elijah, Elisha,
and other prophets in Israel, Apostle Paul experienced God sovereignly
working extraordinary miracles through him (Acts 19:11). God’s purpose for
these miracles was to reap the hearts and souls of men and women, who
would dwell with Him eternally in their glorified spiritual bodies.
God sovereignly chose Paul and
renewed his mind so that he had the mind of Christ. Paul then wrote the
majority of the new creation covenant letters to God’s covenant people.
These letters express God’s love for His chosen children.
In summary, God came to me in
1965 in an Apostle Paul-type experience. He changed me inside. People I
formerly hated, I began to love. Since that time, God has worked unusual
miracles in me and through me (1 Cor. 12:11). Like Paul,
...I will not
dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished
through me, in word and in deed (Rom. 15:18).
I too have the mind of Christ
(1 Cor. 2:16).
God who breathed the breath of
life into all the plants, trees, birds, and
animals
breathes the breath of His life into men and woman today. This
“new birth” is the greatest miracle of all.
Miracles will never cease.
Science says, “See and believe.” God says, “Believe My Word, and you will
see.”
Our future is
full of miracles—the best is yet to come.
A. Wilson Phillips is the co-founding and senior
pastor of Abundant Life Covenant
Church.
CHRIST’S
BODY HEALS ITSELF
By Richard K. Clark
It is my understanding that the
human body is created and programmed to heal itself. When I cut my finger,
there is set in motion a series of functions that stop the bleeding and
begin the healing process. When foreign invaders (viruses, allergens, etc)
are detected in my body, there is a mobilization of cells dispatched to
counter and cleanse. Generally speaking, when my body is healthy and well
cared for, it will heal itself; on a much grander scale so is the body of
Jesus Christ—His church.
Therefore whoever eats this
bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty
of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so
let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks
in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not
discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and
sick among you, and many sleep (are dead) (1 Cor.
11:27-31).
The church is Jesus’ body on
earth, and we are all members individually. Paul said that God has set the
members in the body just as He pleased (1 Cor. 12:18). Paul was concerned
that not all the members of the Corinthian church knew what it meant to be
a member of the body of Christ! As a result, many were weak
and ineffective in fulfilling their life’s calling.
As in Paul’s day, today’s
American culture of individuality and personal rights has made it
difficult for Christians to grasp the concept of being baptized into a
local church. If the individual members of my body (numbering in the
millions) decided to function independently from my head, at best I would
be very handicapped, and at worst I would die. As I am baptized into a
local church, my identity is swallowed up in the identity and vision of
the whole. My assignment is to know and do what is best for the bigger
entity, and therein my life will be fruitful and fulfilled.
The life and power of the
almighty God flow through committed believers. God has always been a
covenant God, and His people are called to the same. The Spirit of
Christ still speaks prophetically through His
messengers
in local churches to equip the saints for their ministries and
edify the body. The end result is that the local
church can live in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, a perfect man, the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ (Eph 4:11-16). In this healthy and wholesome environment, God can
meet every need of every person as He sees fit.
Richard K. Clark is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
Transforming Memories
By Benjamin Davis
Have you ever heard someone
say, “I’ll never forget when...”?
Some memories that we have are
stronger than others. This is because we learn mentally and emotionally,
and those memories that are tied to an intense emotion are stronger, more
lasting memories. For example, when we experience feelings of excitement,
an autonomic signal is sent to the adrenal glands. A hormone called
epinephrine goes into the bloodstream, locking the experience into memory.
This reaction causes us to involuntarily remember emotionally-charged
events, good or bad. That is why a young college student can cram for a
test, get an A, then forget the information shortly thereafter. However,
if he/she is interested and excited about a certain subject, that
information will be retained longer because it has an emotional aspect to
it.
Peter recounted an emotional
memory he had when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (2 Pet.
1:16-19). When Jesus was transfigured before His disciples, they heard an
audible voice of God. “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on
their faces and were greatly afraid” (Matt. 17:6).
When we come into contact with
the power of God, it often creates in us a strong emotional response.
Whether fear, joy, or peace, such emotional experiences have a lasting
impact. For this reason, Paul spread the gospel “in demonstration of
the Spirit and of power.” This was so their “faith should not be in
the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:3-4)
Heart suffering is a key tool
that God uses to bring lasting memories into our lives that permanently
change us. Jesus Himself learned obedience from the things which he
suffered (Heb. 5:8).
All hardship that causes
suffering represents God the Father’s discipline in our lives (Heb.
12:3-11).
Now no
discipline seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless,
afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who
have been trained by it (Heb. 12:11).
The Lord through Jeremiah
instructed the people:
Break up your fallow ground,
And do not sow among the thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
And take away the foreskins of your hearts... (Jer. 4:3-4).
When babies are circumcised,
they do not yet have the full brain development to remember the event in a
cognitive way. However, adult circumcision would not be forgotten!
Similarly, heart circumcision that we experience from the Lord can be a
painful and emotional experience.
As
we experience heart suffering in following the Lord, we can grumble and
complain about it, or we can choose to receive it as discipline from the
Lord. Either way, we will have a lasting emotional memory from it. As we
receive suffering from the Lord as His discipline for our good, He will
use that experience to place in us permanent memories that will transform
us into His image. We will then refer to such experiences by saying, “I’ll
never forget when….”
Benjamin Davis is an associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church
THE STRESS FACTOR
by Jonathan Clark
I listened intently as the
esteemed lecturer spoke. She was a neuropsychiatrist from UCLA, and she
was presenting her findings to the audience with conviction. She expounded
on a topic that is increasingly showing up in the medical literature of
late—namely, the biochemical and physiological basis of how stress can
kill a person.
Is it possible for someone to
die of a broken heart? What about when someone emotionally hardens his/her
heart against another person? Can unforgiveness be literally “taken to
heart” to the point of blocking arteries? According to the scientific data
that the instructor presented, the answer is yes. She (and others) believe
that worry and stress (which is usually clinically referred to as
depression and/or anxiety) should be classified with the other known heart
disease risk factors (high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, tobacco
smoking, obesity, diabetes, etc). Stress not only contributes to heart
disease—she also presented evidence that a troubled soul can also lead to
cancer and strokes.
As I listened to this
fascinating information of how lowered levels of the chemical serotonin in
the system of one experiencing stress can lead to fatal conditions, I
pondered the truth that God Himself will often lead His beloved children
into stressful situations:
Beloved, do not
think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened to you… (1 Pet. 4:12).
When the Lord leads His
children into painful situations, they are at a pivotal crossroad that
will affect the rest of their lives—they will decide whether to yield to
Him in submission and allow healthy growth and development to occur
(“betterment”), or choose to worry and fret to the detriment of their own
health (“bitterment”).
…but rejoice to
the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is
revealed (in you), you may also be glad with exceeding joy (1
Pet. 4:13).
We have all met people who are
advanced in years who have soured over time—and others who have sweetened
over time. Unfortunately, their physiology often reflects their thoughts
and feelings.
If you
(suffer tribulation) for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the
Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (1 Pet. 4:14). 
A wise man once said that we
cannot stay where we are and go with God. Even Jesus Himself grew stronger
as He was challenged in His sufferings (Heb. 5:7-8). When God chooses the
day of His visitation for me, I want to allow the worrisome situations to
be a stimulus to make me healthier and more robust for the future.
Jonathan Clark is an elder of Abundant Life Covenant Church and a physician in
Springfield, Missouri.
The Lord's
Covenant
By Byron Hamilton
Recently, a friend asked me,
“Why do you emphasize the covenant so much?” I explained that a
covenant is simply a binding contract or agreement between two parties.
The term is not in common usage
today, therefore we don’t get the full impact of the concept in
Scripture.
The Bible is all about
covenant! In fact, from the Hebrew and Greek words for covenant (berith
and diatheke), we have translated the word “testament.” Thus, we
divide the Scriptures into Old and New “Covenants.” The Hebrew word,
berith, is derived from a root which means “to cut,” referring to the
cutting of animals into two parts and the contracting parties passing down
an aisle flanked by the sacrifice (Gen. 15). This sacrifice spoke not only
of a destroyed life that united two formally divided parties, but
indicated curses of the covenant if either party violated their oaths.
The pinnacle of the
various covenants made in the “old covenant” was between God and Abraham.
It is what scholars of the Ancient Near East call a Suzerain-vassal
(great lord and servant) treaty. The greater king had absolute
sovereignty. He pledged protection and favor to the subject’s realm and
dynasty. The vassal, on the other hand, pledged absolute loyalty,
obedience, and devotion to his Suzerain. This devotion was illustrated by
a regular tribute or tax exacted on the vassal by the Suzerain.
The enduring sign that God’s covenant was in effect
with Abraham and his descendants was circumcision—the “cutting off” or
removal of the foreskin (Gen. 17).
The sacrifice of
innocent life, the shedding of blood, and the fellowship-eating of the
sacrifice were all aspects of ratifying the covenant and binding the
ceremonial pledges taken by both parties. The prophet Isaiah spoke in
covenantal terms when pointing to the Messianic Servant:
...For He was cut off from the land of the
living;
For the transgressions of My people He was
stricken (Is. 53:8).
Again, the Hebrew verb
used here means “to cut in two, divide, or destroy.” Christ offered His
own unblemished life as the covenantal sacrifice to unite a holy God with
sinful man, and circumcision continued to be the everlasting sign of this
better covenant.
Apostle Paul clarified:
For he is not a
Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the
flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of
the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men
but from God (Rom. 2:28-29).
Paul further explains:
In Him
(Christ) you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the
circumcision of Christ...And you, being dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having
forgiven you all trespasses (Col. 2:11, 13).
I explained to my friend that
some wrongfully look at the Mosaic Law as the “old covenant.” However, the
Law was imposed after the Abrahamic Covenant to show us how
spiritually bankrupt we truly were and how utterly futile it was for us to
fulfill the pledge of obedience in order to participate in blessings of
the covenant. The Law, in fact, led us to the fulfillment of the covenant,
Christ Himself. Not only was He the ultimate sacrifice that secured the
covenant, He became the recipient of the covenant on our behalf through
total obedience to the Greater King. He now dispenses all its blessings to
those who have been placed in Him. (See Galatians 3:13-4:7.)
In Christ, the Great King has
pledged His protection, provision, and presence, and I have pledged my
devotion and obedience. The blessings of the covenant are rightfully mine
to ask for and receive.
Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ...and raised us up
together (with Christ) and made us sit together in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus...(Eph. 1:3, 2:6).
Byron
Hamilton and his wife Leesa own Med-Soft National Training Institute in
Springfield, Missouri.
ONE OF HIS OWN
By
Christa Clark
I met Mary Annette
Wardell when I was an undergraduate at Southwest Missouri State University
(now Missouri State University) in the late eighties. We had a class
together, and she and her boyfriend came, a couple of times, to a Bible
study my husband and I had in our home. Annette seemed to want a deeper
relationship with the Lord, but her boyfriend fell asleep during our
meetings. Her rather quiet, studious demeanor and academic accomplishments
concealed her inward insecurities. Since that time some 19-plus years ago,
I have had the privilege of observing how God has developed a divine
confidence in her.
He
who has begun a good work in you will complete it... Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith... (Phil.
1:6; Heb. 12:2).
Growing up, Annette
never heard her American father and Japanese mother talk much about their
heritage, and her two older sisters were busy making their way in the
world. Seeking a positive identity, Annette performed well academically
and stayed active in extracurricular activities at Central High School in
Springfield. She competed in various music contests and ran for class
office to boost her confidence.
In college, Annette
planned on going into the medical field, and the advice of a professor
gave her the courage to pursue becoming a medical doctor. She applied and
was accepted at the University of Missouri in Columbia along with my
husband Jon.
In May of 1988, Jon and
I moved into an apartment in a quad-plex in Columbia, and shortly
thereafter, another apartment in our building became vacant. We contacted
Annette, and she moved in that summer. Living under the same roof, Annette
and I learned a lot about each other, and God was tying our hearts
together for eternity.
Anyone who has attended
med school can tell you, the first year is like boot camp. I think the
whole strategy is to weed-out the weakest links. As Annette faced the
rigors of human anatomy class, difficult relationship challenges were
taking place in her personal life. The Lord led her into circumstances
that caused her to be more dependent on Him.
At that time, Jon and I
had a small church group that met in our home once or twice a week.
Eventually, Annette became a faithful member of our group. She learned to
trust the Lord and His people in a deeper way.
From time to time,
Annette, Jon, and I and others from our small church group would travel
down to Springfield to be a part of Abundant Life Covenant Church. Many a
conversation took place on those three-hour road trips, and I witnessed
how Annette’s self-description went through a transformation process. She
went from seeing herself as a brain to declaring, “I’m somebody because I
have the life of Christ in me. I belong to Father God.” Galatians 2:20
became revelation to her.
I have
been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
God made it impossible
for Annette to succeed in the flesh; she had to depend upon His Holy
Spirit. As she did, her words and works became life to others.
It is
the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I
speak to you are spirit, and they are life
(John 6:63).
Annette graduated
medical school in 1992, and then did her family practice residency at Cox
Health Systems from ’92 to ’95. Since residency, she has practiced at
Taylor Health and Wellness Center on the Southwest Missouri State
University campus. When she returned to SMSU, she was not the same person
she was as an undergraduate.
Annette has served her
family, her Abundant Life family, and the community in a number of ways,
and in 2004 she was named one of
Springfield Business Journal’s
“Twenty Most Influential Women.” In the Journal’s interview of her,
she had this quote:
My vocation
is a reflection of who I am—it is not my identity. God prospers and
directs me; therefore, I can help others.
The final paragraph of
the Journal’s article on Annette illustrates her priorities and
values:
Perhaps
most exemplary of Wardell’s commitment to service is the time she gives to
the cleaning crew at Abundant Life Covenant Church. As a member of the
cleaning crew that works on a rotating schedule, it “saves the church the
cost of hiring a janitor, especially when there are plenty of able-bodied
members who are glad to serve,” she said.
Annette continues to
grow as a humble servant of the Lord—for He has predestined her to be
conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29), and He is making her to
have the same testimony as Jesus:
All that
the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by
no means cast out. For I have come...not to do My own will, but the will
of Him who sent Me (John 6:37-38).
Christa Clark is an elder
of Abundant Life Covenant Church.
HUMILITY
By Brad Cook
Recently the Lord has been
teaching me to be humble toward Him in order to learn to listen and obey
His voice. For a period of about three days, I was resisting the Lord
through my own darkness. The problem was that I did not know why I was
stumbling because of the darkness. Then God showed me that I was not
humbling myself to Him. As soon as He showed me this, I brought my mind
into subjection to Him and said, “Break me.” Then there was a flow of the
Spirit into my heart, and I felt peace and was overwhelmed with joy. God
is still working in my life dealing with this issue, and I am learning to
humble myself with a full heart.
I believe that the only way to
truly have a flow of the Spirit in my life is through complete humility to
God. Now that I have humbled myself, the Lord is teaching me to listen to
Him so that I can be in tune with the issues that He wants to change in
me—so that I can grow. Shortly after Father humbled me, He took me to
First Peter 2:9, which says,
But you are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special
people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light.
This scripture gave me faith,
and I felt much better inside.
God has also been working with
me about taking initiative and sharing my faith. I believe that the Lord
has been opening my ears to hear Him so that I can minister His words
given to me to my friends. I often think about how fortunate I am to have
the understanding that I have, and it gives me a drive to share this
powerful message with the people around me.
I am very thankful for the
opportunity to share what God has given me, and He has shown me that I
need to be more open when sharing my convictions.
Brad
Cook will be a freshman at Greenwood High School in Springfield, Missouri.
THE GREATEST OF THESE
By Shari Tyson
A few months ago, our youth
pastor extended a very simple expression of kindness to my son. My son
had been very ill, and this gesture truly brightened his day. As I was
thinking about how much I appreciated the compassion our pastor showed,
I remembered an event that occurred in my life that proved to me that it
is those little acts of kindness that make all the difference in the
world.
I was 20 years old and working
in the cardiology lab of a large hospital. Along with our routine work, we
also responded to codes both on the floor and in the ER. This particular
day, a man came into ER with severe chest pains. We were paged, and I
responded to the call.
The man was desperately
struggling, and it became necessary to restrain him. He was frantic from
pain and fear and continued to flex and clench his hand very rapidly.
There were many people standing around him, but not one reached out to
take his hand. Maybe they were so accustomed to this kind of thing that
they only saw the clinical side of this situation. I, however, had never
watched a person die, and the only thing I could see was his fear.
As soon as I was providing the
doctor with the information he needed, I leaned over my equipment and
grasped the man’s hand. Immediately he became still; he quit
all his struggling. The doctor gave me a cursory glance, but I did not let
go of the man’s hand. Several minutes after that moment, the man’s heart
stopped, and he expired with his hand still clenching mine.
Years later, I was reading
First Corinthians 13, and this event replayed in my mind again.
Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels…though I have the gift of prophesy,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all
faith…though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my
body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
That man was not comforted by
the fact that he was in one of the best hospitals. He did not care that we
had state-of-the-art equipment or that we had some of the finest doctors.
He just needed to know someone cared; someone was there for him.
We can have all truth, great
programs, tapes, and books, but if the people don’t feel our compassion,
it profits nothing. What allowed that man to make the greatest transition
of his life with peace was sensing someone’s love. The Lord showed me that
I will be heard not because I have all knowledge, but because I have
love.
We all have so many
opportunities to reach out and take someone’s hand, so to speak—very
simple moments when our compassion can change a life or just bring a
smile. It was good to see my son smile because he knew his pastor loved
him. It wasn’t a dramatic moment, but it did touch his heart. Lives are
changed that way.
Shari Tyson leads the nursery ministry at
Abundant Life Covenant Church.
Trouble Is
By Matt Christy
Can’t find no rest for my soul
Can’t find no rest on my own
Jesus told me so
Still I’m not so sure that I know…
(“Trouble Is” by Jars of Clay from the album Who We Are Instead
© 2003)
I am a believer in Christ and
have been (in some form or fashion) for most of my life. I have also been
an excellent “social chameleon,” able to blend into many varied
environments as times and needs arose. Call it self-preservation. Call it
cowardice. Even call it what it was: an overwhelming need for acceptance
by anyone and everyone with whom I came into contact. As you might well
imagine, this didn’t often leave room for development of my own personal
character. I became what I believed everyone else would want me to be,
whether a musician (for my mother), a writer (for my dad), a thief (for my
less-than-proper-yet-rather-influential poorly chosen friends), a diplomat
(always to keep the peace), or several other titles. I have been Dish Dog,
and I have been Network Engineer. I have cut turkey for a paycheck, and I
have cut classes for fun. I have run the gamut of identities and
occupations, all in the effort of fulfilling what I thought to be the
pinnacle of someone else’s happiness. In all of this, though, I always
thought I knew who I was down at the core of the matter. I felt, no matter
what, I was doing what I wanted, and that’s all that mattered.
However, I couldn’t comprehend
this one simple fact: I had no identity.
Over time, a hole emerged in my
heart, one I tried on many occasions to fill with many varied things. Most
were legal, some immoral, all incredibly stupid. I tried all manner of
worldly solutions, the fallout of which nearly cost me (quite literally)
everything. Like so many others before me, I chose trinkets (toys,
actually) to fill this increasing void within. I could not go to a toy
store without feeling quite guilty for not purchasing something. A long
line of senseless consumerisms ensued; checked only by the Lord’s grace
and provision of a less worldly and far more spiritually minded family.
Recently my wife and I have
been feeling the Lord leading us to reevaluate our finances. Part of this
reevaluation included the realization that the phrase “our finances” was
wrong. The correct phrase is “His finances over which we are entrusted
stewards.” This proved quite a concept to me, having never heard such a
thing before, and now having to face the reality that my fine collections
were not my own but God’s. I shall not delve too deeply into this topic;
however, I mention this because it is the catalyst by which the Lord
finally defined in me, once and for all, an identity. Not crafted by
rampant commercialism, the need to merit others’ approval, nor any other
self-creation—God’s grace cemented His identity within me, thus granting
me revelation of who I am in Him.
Man, the trouble is
We don’t know who we are instead.
In showing us to reevaluate our
finances, I saw implicitly those by which my home décor centered were not
simply toys. Rather, these were the many small idols I set up before the
Lord God. Often I read in Genesis 35:2-4 the Lord’s commandment to put
away false gods and idols, though I hadn’t gained a full understanding of
the true measure of this commandment. When revelation came upon me, I
shuddered to think I decorated our God-given home with such profane
things! Quickly I gathered these items up and asked the Lord what He would
have me do with them. I did not wait for the answer from the Lord but took
something I heard in service to be the answer I wanted. My pastor once
said, on the subject of sowing and reaping into the kingdom of God, you
should always start with what you have. Seeing a financial need, I mistook
this wisdom to be the source by which we could meet our need. Notice here
I did not say, “how God would meet our need.” This is a very subtle thing.
I did not trust the Lord, and therefore, even though my intellect knew the
answers, my spirit, atrophied by a lifetime of malnourishment, could not
reconcile those answers in any practical way.
I have been plagued by a fear
of failure (common to many people), but also a fear of success. I have
been paralyzed to inactivity by the thought of standing out and being
noticed. Why? No identity. Everything about me was in some way a pilfered
facet of someone else. My false uniqueness came from an inherent ability
to cobble together the accumulatae into something
vaguely entertaining and attractive. God, however, knows who I am, knows
what He created me to be, and refused to sit idly by while I continued in
ignorance and sin against His kingdom. Ephesians 1:3-9 spells this out
very clearly. I was chosen; I did not choose. I was preordained; I did not
choose. I was forgiven and washed clean by the blood of Christ Jesus; I
did not choose. Because God chose me, He sees me through Christ, and my
identity is hidden in Him (Col. 3:2-3). I no longer need fear failure,
need fear compromising my conscience to appease others, nor do I need fear
success. I have an identity now, firmly rooted in the Word of God, and by
the Spirit of God, I am whole. I have freedom now to enjoy life entirely,
because I know God’s love is unconditional rather than performance-based.
I can trust Him to meet my needs and know no matter where He sends me, He
prepares the way before me.
Matt Christy is an information technology support specialist for the
Springfield Public Schools
I
saw a newborn screaming for his next meal in Wal-mart the other day, and
it took me back to the time when my kids were infants demanding their
milk. It’s amazing how all children come out of the womb with the gift
of “manipulation” to get what they want. When we start giving them solid
food, they often resist somewhat. 
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