Who are you? I am the son of Nathan & Elaine. I am the husband of Sarah. The father of my kids. The Director of camp, the Pastor of church, a friend, a mentor. Some (unfortunately) consider me an enemy or a cheater, a hater or meanie. But who am I? All those titles and things are drawn either from what other people think, or how I am connected to them. They say more about what I do than who I am. Who am I? I am a child of God, forgiven by Christ's shed blood on the cross and loved with an everlasting love. I am a sinner saved by the graceful and powerful love of God that redeemed me in spite of myself. That is my identity. In my life, I live out my identity, so do I live that out? Yes, I need to be a son, a husband, a father, a pastor, a director, a friend. But ahead and beyond those things I must be a child of God. That is my root identity and it should be the one I am truest to. So how about you? Are you a child of God first and foremost? Do you claim Christ as your savior? Which identity will control how you live out your day, interact with and treat people? Will you take on one of your worldly identities today and allow it to override your identity in Christ? Will you treat someone else, perhaps even a brother or sister in the Lord, poorly because you are living some other identity? Will the love and forgiveness that Christ has for you BE who you are today? This Sunday we will be reminded by Peter that how we treat and react to others, especially those who we feel are mistreating us, should be controlled by our identity in Christ. May my identity in my actions, reactions, choices, and thoughts, be those of a Child of God, saved by grace and loved with an everlasting love. I pray yours will be too.

That's code for fellowship. I find it interesting that the Lone Ranger really wasn't that lone. He had Tonto. This weekend has reminded me of the power of fellowship. We were not meant to do this Christian life alone. Beyond that, there is a powerful force as we experience the love of Christian friendship through fellowship. The brotherhood of Christ provides a connection that mere worldly friendship can't really approach. Sunday we had the Hyssongs come to sing at the church. I only see them once a year and so don't really know them all that well. Our two families had supper together and we had a wonderful time of intimate fellowship and sharing that gave us all a real boost. It was a great evening. I also recently reconnected with an old friend from college on Facebook. Through just some short messages back and forth, we have been able to share and encourage one another in powerful ways. When we hold ourselves aloof. When we protect rather than share our private lives and personal struggles, we deny ourselves this powerful bond that comes from connecting in a deep and personal way with others. It is unfortunate that many Christians, and especially Christian workers like pastors, don't learn this lesson and end up lonely, discouraged, and sometimes in trouble. The power of fellowship cannot be understated. It is a clear Biblical teaching and one that we would do well to remember. Let us not forsake coming together as is the habit of some, but instead encourage one another, especially as we see the end getting closer. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.[video:youtube:W0jSiErvnDI]

In a follow-up to my post about life in the womb, here is a fascinating study showing that babies are already learning language while in the womb. The new study analyzed the cries of newborns and could detect the difference the parents language made. Very interesting. LINK

Here is an awesome story about a woman who was the director of an abortion clinic and has now joined the pro-life movement. What changed her mind? Watching an abortion. Here is her quote.

"I had never seen an abortion happen on an ultrasound," she said. "My job during the procedure was to hold the probe on the woman's abdomen. I could see the whole profile of the baby 13 weeks head to foot. I could see the whole side profile. I could see the probe. I could see the baby try to move away from the probe."

She had been helping provide abortions for quite awhile. She believed she was doing the right thing. But watching a baby trying to escape death in what should have been the safety of the mother's womb changed all that. The truth is that this is not about the right of an adult woman, it is the right of a child to live. It is not about trying to mess up a woman's life or interfere with what she wants or doesn't want. It is the simple fact that, like it or not, that baby is a person and should be given the same respect as the mom. LINK to article

When you say that someone used you just to get something, that is a very negative statement. I know few people who would want to be used by a friend. In fact, someone who uses you, especially intentionally or repeatedly would probably not be much of a friend at all. Yet this is the mindset I find with some who call themselves Christians. It can show up in teenagers as well as adults. They consider themselves "saved". They believe that if they were to die today, they would go to heaven. BUT. They are going to live life on their terms. They will conduct their day to day lives how they please and do what they want. They will not interest themselves in the things that are important to God nor spend time on their spiritual lives. After all, what does it matter? They are saved and if they die, they're going to heaven. In other words, they are using God. They don't actually care about having a relationship with Him. Maybe they did once, but they are over that now. Now they just want his fire insurance thank you very much and be allowed to get on with their lives. I worry about those who are comfortable with that approach to God. Any one who once called themselves my friend but then had no problem using me while ignoring my feelings or friendship was probably never my friend, no matter what it had seemed like. A true friend wouldn't ever do that intentionally. The Bible says in James,

"You people aren't faithful to God! Don't you know that if you love the world, you are God's enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. "

Sounds pretty clear cut to me. How does someone who claims to be God's friend (saved) find it easy to make them self an enemy of God? Anyone who is trusting that they will go heaven and that they can therefore live however they want should ask them self this question. Is using God just to get this salvation really friendship with God? I think this is why Jesus says in Matthew,

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."

Just saying your a Christian and proclaiming Jesus is Lord doesn't mean your heart has changed. Again in Matthew Jesus says,

"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."

All this to say, if you or someone you know is happy with some good fire insurance, perhaps they should think about what using someone while ignoring them means for the connection you have with them. Tough thoughts.