The New Identity

We are usually known by the company we keep.  You’ve heard the adage, “birds of a feather flock together.”  For all intents and purposes, this is true.  Wannabes, as I call them, are individuals searching for recognition of some kind, because their identity “sucks” in their words.

Kids and young adults sometimes join vicious gangs that roam the neighborhood and city streets at night looking for innocent people to victimize.  Police and communities identify these criminals as hooligans and gangsters.  This is the identifying markers of those that have lost their self-worth, or they are in an identity crisis.  They need Jesus.

I believe they want to feel wanted but feel rejected by society for a variety of reasons in their thinking.  They struggle to be part of something, because they lack self-confidence and the security of belonging.

The above thoughts may not apply to all individuals.  A recluse type of personality may live with other issues that they too struggle with, regarding their identity.

Some people join clubs or church organizations to experience fellowship and feel a part of something real.  Others search for some kind of identity through the lives of iconic figures that they have placed on a pedestal, wanting to relate and be like them.

When I was living a non-Christian life, my identity ran a close parallel with the people I hung with.  When I peered at myself in the mirror, the reality of my sorry life would hit home.  I saw a face of despair with eyes longing for a new identity that would leave me with positive thoughts at the end of the day rather than, “Is this all there is to life?”

It is heartbreaking when I look into the faces of souls that are searching for something tangible and see sadness everywhere I turn.  I wonder, are they searching for peace?  Are they hoping to find a reason to keep living?  Have they lost their identity, because of harassment and being bullied at school, or are they being rejected by family members, or do they need a friend?  They need to hear that Jesus is the only answer for their search.

All the above searchers need Jesus to bring answers to the anxieties surrounding them.  He is the answer to every person’s need, no matter how great or small the need, Jesus is the answer.  For this reason, Christians must share the good news that He is the Way.

There are a multitude of reasons why people lose self-worth or go through an identity crisis.  Perhaps they lost their identity because they took their eyes off worthwhile goals, while walking away from stability or security of some kind—marriage, college, church, job, or family.

Growing old can also have lasting effects on a person’s psyche, causing them to lose sight of their identity.  It is easy to lose one’s identity when the devil is always putting them down or pointing out their flaws and failures.  Abusive relationships where a person badmouths or abuses a person physically or psychologically can affect identity.

No-one needs to give power of any kind to things or supremacy to anyone that brings them to tears, reducing them to a level of not knowing themselves.  People or things do not have to steal a person’s identity, dignity, personality, or how they feel about themselves when they plug into a “new identity” through Christ Jesus.

The Lord gives hope; He gives reasons for living; and He gives a lasting feeling of security and belonging when desperate people reach out to God for help.  The moment a repentant heart asks Jesus to be their friend and Savior, instantly as that breath leaves a person’s mouth, God forgives their sins when they ask Him.  Help is a breath away.

Trust me when I say, God loves you with a never-ending love and wants peace of mind for you if you are looking for peace.  Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  Nothing is more important to God than our well-being, joy in living, and becoming His child.

God loves everyone with agape love.  He desires that all humanity have a reason for living.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He is the reason for my new identity.  He saved me!  I am somebody now that I am God’s son.  My identity is in Him.  Nothing can take that away from me; nothing and no-one.

(Romans 8:31-35), “What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?” (vs 32) “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (vs 33) “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.” (vs 34) “Who is he who condemns?  It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (vs 35) “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

(Romans 8:37-39), “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (vs 38) “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,” (vs 39) “nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Accountability or Bust

Usually, a sentence or title with the word ‘bust’ in it means, “Force of will of nature; won’t stop until accomplishment of success has been achieved.” 

The Bible says that if we love God, we will keep His commandments, known as the law, even though we are no longer under the law.  We are under dispensation of grace since Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

As children of God, the Lord expects those that are called by His name, Christian, to abide in truth and keep the 10 Commandments.  Christian means Christlike.  If a person says they love God and do not keep His commandments, the Bible says that they are a liar, and the truth is not in them.

The above statement not only applies to newborn Christians that are just starting out on their journey with Jesus, but to top executives in upper levels of church leadership.

No matter what level faith a Believer may be in God’s work, they need to walk circumspectly and softly before the Lord and keep the vertical in right prospective so that the horizontal outreach can flourish.  Accountability and dedication to God is everything regarding the statement, “accountability or bust.”

My wife and I did our best to raise three children with moral values and integrity.  It was a challenge at times, but our determination stood the test of time.  In our household the unspoken axiom we lived by was “accountability or bust.”

(Proverbs 22:6), “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

As adults, our children are now raising their own offspring with the value of being responsible and accountable for what they say and do.  Occasionally, when they are correcting their children in my presence, I will hear words that I spoke to them finding their way back to me, like a boomerang.  It always makes me smile.

Perseverance on our part paid off with great dividends even though disagreement raised its head from time to time.  My wife and I were proactive and persistent in our endeavors to raise our children with principles and to reverence the statutes of God, while respecting us as their parents.  We must have done something right.  Isn’t this what God does with His children?

God is long-suffering, gentle, and kind.  I may not, at times, agree with everything He wants me to do or not do, but He works with me as I did with my daughter and two sons.  They did not learn obedience or honorable skills overnight; it took time to teach them what good behavior was all about.

Chastisement was not an easy task to implement, but we loved them and believed in tough love to emphasize the importance of responsibility and accountability.  God loves me dearly and sometimes chastens me to enhance spiritual growth and teach me how to respect and honor Him as Heavenly Father.

This training does not happen overnight or instantaneously.  It takes time for God to knock off all the worldly barnacles that remain attached to my thinking and disposition. 

He is working to form me into His image, like a master potter that works with clay.  God is the Potter, and I am the clay.  He is patiently smoothing out all the rough spots in me as He does with all His children.

(Hebrews 12:7-11), “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (vs 8) “But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” (vs 9) “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect.  Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” (vs 10) “For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” (vs 11) “Now no chastening 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.”

God is teaching me, daily, how to put off the old nature and grow in grace, which is the new nature that He imparted to me at the time of my conversion.  I was a sinner, but that day when I asked for mercy, I became God’s child after He forgave my sins.  I was saved by grace through faith.  Some people call this process of spiritual growth, stewardship and accountability.  Others call it sanctification. 

Early on in a person’s walk with the Lord and interacting with Him, there is an awareness of the Holy Spirit’s ongoing support and guidance.  God is long suffering and understands our strong-headed personalities.  With all our kicking and bad attitudes, He sees beauty in us as He kneads and molds the clay into vessels of honor.

Jesus cleanses us with His blood that He shed on the cross for our redemption.   Our soul is made pure as the driven snow in God’s sight.  Our unwavering devotion reaffirms “accountability or bust” or better yet, “heaven or bust.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd   

A Fool's Errand

I’ve always heard that we should not tempt fate.  I don’t know exactly what this means, but if I were to do something against my better judgment that could injure or kill me, this venture or activity might be considered a fool’s errand, and at the same time would be tempting fate.

The definition of fool’s errand is: “an English idiom referring to a foolish undertaking or a task certain to fail.”

I have no desire to climb mountains or rock climb, parachute out of an airplane or go paragliding, explore caverns, scuba dive in the ocean or go cliff diving, which is leaping off a cliff edge into a body of water.  These things are not for me.

If any of these activities are your forte and a way of challenging yourself and having fun, then more power to you.  Be safe!  As for me, I am not the venturous type to take unnecessary chances with things that might injure or take my life. 

Call me chicken or scaredy-cat if you want, but I try to use sound judgment when dealing with out of the box ideas that I may have with regards to potential dangers.  Although, when I was in my late forties, I took hang gliding lessons to obtain a hang-gliding pilot’s license.

I had eight training flights on the beach of Sand City, a few miles north of Monterey, California.  I was hooked!  I continued my training for the next few Saturdays in Hollister, California, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from my house.  I had twenty more training flights there, Twenty-eight in all.  That Saturday I was going to receive my pilot’s license, but something unexpected happened.

Flight number twenty in Hollister was a perfect flight until it wasn’t.  At the bottom of the hill when I flared my kite to land, I stuck my foot into a gopher hole.  What are the odds.  The hardest phone call was to my wife to tell her I thought I broke my ankle.  That was the end of my Saturday playdays.  I figured if I got hurt this bad on a good flight, what if I had a bad one.

I am more careful to weigh the cost in my mind and then decide if it is worth the risk to do something out of the norm.  I think it’s called, “analytic reasoning.”  People that know my personality have labeled me “analytical.”

I can think of many things that might tempt fate, but a fool’s errand stands out among them all.  It is when a person thinks they have time in their life to live it the way they want and then give their heart to the Lord on their deathbed.  This is foolish thinking in my opinion with so much at stake.

We have no assurance that we will see each other tomorrow, let alone the next minute.  So, it behooves us to live in the moment as if we won’t see the next moment.  Spiritual death is eternal damnation and separation from God. 

It is a terrible punishment for the unsaved to suffer, because they rejected God’s provision for eternal life in heaven—His Son, Jesus.  We, ourselves decide where we will spend eternity through the choices we make concerning God.

Total understanding of God is beyond my simplistic reasoning or knowledge, but I remember kicking thoughts of the afterlife out of my mind when I was living the fast life.  It was scary to think about, because I knew where my soul was headed if I were to die.

I’m sure non-Christians prefer not to think or talk about dying.  Just the mere thought of spending eternity in the wrong place is unpleasant to ponder, to say the least, and too close to reality if a person is heading down the wrong road.  It is hard for the mind to comprehend time with no ending, mainly being separated from God forever.

When I close my eyes for the last time on earth, my soul’s desire is to awaken in the presence of Almighty God and hear Him say, “Enter into the joy of the Lord, good and faithful servant.”

Eternity in heaven is worth living a Christian life in this world.  It is a fool’s errand to tempt fate by waiting until it’s too late, thus giving up heaven and trading it for hell, because of disobedience and living a haphazard, non-Christian life.

The moment Jesus comes back to receive His bride unto Himself, the Church, or if a sinner dies prior to His coming and hasn’t had their sins forgiven by God, it’s too late.  There are no reprieves or second chances.  Time is of the essence!  Don’t wait another minute if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior.

(Romans 3:23), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

I cannot understand why anyone would be foolish enough to take a chance of missing heaven, because they want to live life unfettered by God’s interference.  They probably do not realize the depth of God’s forever love and how much He truly cares for them. 

God desires that we become His children through the ‘new birth’ of being ‘born again’.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  In Him we have eternal life.

(Mark 8:36-38), “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (vs 37) “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (vs 38) “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

If a person would only think about life and how short it really is, chances are they would consider getting their soul in harmony with Jesus.  Life is like vapor, here one minute and gone the next.  This reality is becoming more apparent to me the older I get.

Birthdays seemingly come much quicker than they once did, but such is life.  It seems like yesterday I graduated from high school, and now I am old with three married children and six grandchildren.  Where did the time go?

I am glad that when I was in my early twenties, I made the decision to follow Christ.  The night I bowed my knees and asked God to forgive my sins was the turning point to a peaceful life of new beginnings in Christ Jesus.  I don’t regret a mile I’ve traveled with the Lord.

My wonderful hope is that one day I will be with Jesus, in heaven, when this life is over.  I am happy that the words A FOOL’S ERRAND will not be spoken at my funeral or etched into my tombstone.  Let’s face it, today is the day of salvation, not tomorrow. 

A fool’s errand needs not be in anyone’s epitaph, because God gave His Son to die on a cross for your sins and mine.  We need only to ask God to forgive us.  He will do the rest.

(1 John 1:6-9), “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (vs 7) “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (vs 8) “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (vs 9) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd  

Unwelcome Distraction or Not

Assuredly, Satan has the same modus operandi (mode of operation) when Christians are doing their best to witness for the Lord.  Without fail, as I begin to tell someone about Jesus, confusion of some sort raises its ugly head.

As soon as I recognize that it’s the spirit of anti-Christ, I rebuke or resist the devil’s attempt to interrupt me and things level out.  I am then able to continue sharing the good news that Jesus Christ loved us so much that He died on a cross for our sins and that He is the purest form of love possible.

(1 Corinthians 14:33), “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

When Christians stand fast in faith and are determined to share Christ with others, distractions from hell soon pass, because of the power of Christ within the messenger.

(1 John 4:4), “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

There is more than one scenario regarding distractions.  Allow me to explore the differences.  I have found, through experience, that the line separating Satan’s unwelcome distractions from God’s warnings that lead Believers away from something bad is super thin and almost invisible to the necked eye of unbelievers.  I call it, “The line of distractions and counterfeits.”

It is sometimes hard to distinguish between good and evil interruptions, but Christians see through the eyes of faith, and it becomes apparent and very clear whether the distraction is friend or foe.  For this reason, they need to always walk in the Spirit so they can readily determine what entity is at work and from where it is originating, heaven or hell.

(Psalm 37:23), “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”

I am a firm believer that the Holy Spirit illuminates a person’s awareness and understanding when Truth is being threatened with counterfeits and distractions from Satan.  Evil is always trying to overshadow commonsense logic and God’s work.

If an individual feels anxious in any way while being immersed in confusion when facing any type of situation, they should stop everything immediately and not proceed with what they are doing until they discern the source of interference that is producing uneasiness.

God will make His presence known if it is He who is trying to get one’s attention.  Christians know the voice of God.  In like manner, the Lord will reveal the antics of the adversary when children of God are in right standing with Him.  God will not allow them to be lead astray if they listen and observe what the Holy Spirit is revealing.

Here’s the point: the key to success is to maintain a personal, everyday relationship with God and permit Him to provide the direction needed for sound decisions, which uncovers His perfect will.

Patience is a virtue, and no one should rush into anything that they are not completely comfortable with or sure of, especially if an unwelcome distraction is present.  If it is not the enemy of our soul that’s raising eyebrows, like I said, it might be the Holy Spirit shedding light on the situation to protect innocent victims, mainly you and loved ones.

Acting too quickly can produce regrets later.  Being distracted and falling into the trap of a get-rich-quick-scheme, for example, or listening to forceful, pre-scripted words like, “act now while there is yet time” can produce anxiety, accompanied with remorse if a person acts without taking time to consider the full scope of things or examining underlying glitches that may occur, because of undisclosed information.

Failing to weigh the consequences of one’s actions can be catastrophic in different ways.  Remember, God is not the author of confusion.  He wants the very best for His children.  If God is not in it, you don’t want or need it.

When a person walks in the Spirit, they can discern whether it is God or Satan that is troubling the water.  Be wise; don’t rush things because you think you might miss out on a great deal.  That’s when things can go south in a whirlwind of complications if bad choices are made.

As Christians remain wise when dealing with other and listen to the voice of God, I believe He will close doors that man cannot open and open doors that man cannot close. 

A cohesive thought is this:  We need to trust God with everything, and allow Him to direct our life, because He wants to be involved in all things that concern us, both big and small.

Written by,

Papa Boyd

What is Your Constant

Have you ever stopped to consider what situation, or thing makes up your life and how they influence you every day?  I mean, what is your ‘constant’… the thing that does not change, which effects or involves you personally?

Let’s take a pause and read what the dictionary has to say about the word ‘constant’…… “A situation or state of affairs that does not change; occurring continually over a period of time.” 

I would venture to say that a person’s personality might very well be their constant, although, if you think about it, exceptions to the rule can occur if stronger personalities enter the equation of influence, so it’s not a constant in some instances.

A constant that God gives to individuals is their complexion color and the perfect hair color that compliments their complexion.  But wait, aging can certainly bring about change to the constant of hair color by turning it gray.

Some people experiment with different hair coloring products, because they are dissatisfied with God’s choice of hair color for them.  So, the constant will change every time a bottle of bleach is used, or hair dye coloring is applied.

Toupees are used to cover up men’s balding heads for those that are losing or have lost their hair for one reason or another.  Again, the constant of being bald changes with a little help from synthetic or real hair that has been manufactured into a toupee or ‘rug’ as I call it.  This is coming from a voice of experience, but this is a story for another time.

Before I met the Lord and surrendered my life to Him, my constant was living a sinner’s existence, while heading in the opposite direction from God.  When I asked God to forgive my sins, the constant, which was sinning, shifted and changed to a Godly life that I now live.  Salvation is forever.

I became a child of God which is my never changing way of living.  I am now on God’s side of the fence, rather than straddling it or carousing with the devil on his side.  When I made up my mind to follow the Lord, I left spiritual death and no longer wish that things were different, because they are.  Life is grand and full of harmony since I met Jesus!

The fact of the matter is this: I am a child of God and no longer a lost sinner looking for peace of mind and hoping for real stability.  Everything changed when I accepted Jesus as Lord, who died on the cross for my sins.

The negative constant of sinning controlled my coming and going, while keeping me in bondage.  This sinful way of living changed in a moment of time to a positive, lasting experience in Jesus.  I have found that God is worth living for.  The reasons are endless.

A sad state of affairs is when a person continues down the wide road to destruction without detouring and going God’s way.  They may wish they could make a change, but until they confess their sins to God, and allow Him to change their constant, they will remain a sinner on a fast track to self-destruction and spiritual death if they do not change their way of living.

A person cannot make this change of constant within their own power or self-will.  It’s not like changing hair color or wearing a toupee; it takes Jesus Christ to change the constant of the sin nature in a person’s life.

(John 6:44), “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

(Acts 4:12), “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

(Isaiah 64:6), “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness's are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

I have found that Godly living, in a world of ongoing changes, is the only thing that does not change.  It becomes every Christian’s constant, because God is the “Constant.”  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

The Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are unchanging.  For this reason, we can trust them to keep their promises and to always be our constant, unlike the things in the world that are persistently changing, of which we cannot count on.  We are left to weep alone in times of trouble, but Jesus will never leave us.  He sticks closer than a brother.

(Proverbs 18:24), “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

(Deuteronomy 31:8), “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you, do not fear nor be dismayed.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

The Fullness of His Glory

I’ve heard the term Shekinah Glory through the years, but what is it?  Shekinah is a Hebrew word for “dwelling” or “one who dwells.”  It is the divine presence of God.  The word glory means “magnificence” or “great beauty.” 

The beauty of God was manifested through His Son, Jesus.  Jesus was God incarnate.  This means that Jesus was God in flesh who took on human form.

When I think about the magnificence of Jesus, (Emmanuel, God with us), I feel that I may never grasp the fullness of His glory or even scratch the surface of understanding, regarding the depth of love and compassion that embodied Jesus, the Savior of humanity.  He was God/Man who died on a cross for our sins.

The love that Jesus imparted to those around Him during His ministry in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, prior to His death, was not only supernatural, but He personified agape love.  God’s unmerited love was completed the moment Jesus proclaimed, “It is finished” as He gave up His Spirit and died for our sins.  The plan of God was accomplished and finalized on the cross of Calvary for the salvation of humanity.

Unconditional love was freely manifested on that dreadful but glorious day for mankind.  Jesus, Deity from heaven, dwelled and walked among the people in His short lifespan. 

The Lord’s tenderheartedness toward everyone was selfless, yet for me, as I walk by faith rather than sight, it is difficult to grasp the fullness of His glory.  But I thank Jesus for taking up residence within my heart and changing me from a hopeless sinner to a child of God when I asked Him to forgive my sins.

No man has seen God at any time, yet Moses saw the Shekinah glory of God from behind as He sheltered Moses with His hand, while he observed God from a cleft in the rock.  God told Moses that no one could look upon His face and live.  God’s radiating glory would be more than the human body could absorb or experience and remain alive.

(Exodus 33:20-23), “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live’.” (vs 21) “And the Lord said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock’.” (vs 22) “ ‘So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by’.” (vs 23) “ ‘Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen’.”

This manifestation took place atop Mount Sinai where God gave Moses the 10 Commandments.  When Moses came down from the mountain, the people had to put a veil over his face because he glowed from witnessing God’s holy radiance.  I can only imagine the impact that this phenomenon had on those that saw his face.

The desire of all Christians is to see God one day.  The fullness of God’s glory may never be seen by human eyes again on earth, unless God allows us to see the back of Him.  God left His throne in heaven and came down to live with mankind, in flesh, so that they could behold His glory and look upon the face of Jesus as He walked among the people and communed with them.  They experienced God’s presence and glory in the physical person of Jesus.

In these present days, humanity can behold God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the new birth when sinners become born again Believers. 

The Bible says that when Christians see the Lord, they will be like Him.  I don’t know exactly what this means or what form or manifestation God will look like, but I am confident, with the glorified bodies that Christians will receive, this miracle will make it possible to look upon God’s face and see Him as He is.

(1 John 3:2), “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”  

This will be incredible and breathtaking.  I cannot express with words what this glorious moment will be like.  The Bible says that old men shall dream dreams and young men shall see visions. 

These manifestations from God would be wonderful to experience, but nothing can compare to a face-to-face encounter with Almighty God, the Creator of all things.  My desire is that I grasp the fullness of His glory. 

I believe the Bible and all the prophecies that refer to Jesus and His second coming.  Jesus promised that He would return.  He is coming back in clouds of glory sooner than later.  Christians are on the preface of beholding the fullness of His glory.  Believers can rejoice as Bible prophecies are coming to pass.  I believe that Jesus could come back at any moment.

(Luke 21:27-28), “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (vs 28) “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

This question remains: Are you ready to behold the fullness of His glory?

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Tunnel Vision

I remember a select group of girls that hung together in high school, and most of them, but not all, would walk the campus like they were really somebody.  They seemingly looked down on their peers that were not in the ‘in crowd’.  I called them white shoes.

Some of these high society elites, as they saw themselves, thought they were better than the next person and would probably drown if it were to rain, because their nose was always up in the air, figuratively speaking.  They had one thing in mind, and one thing only…popularity.  That was my perception of them.

Yes, these girls were attractive, dressed in the latest fashions, and very popular, but they could not see a need in someone else’s life if that person were standing directly in front of them or on either side, because of social blinders that they wore.  As far as awareness goes, it was all about them and the attention they craved.

Again, this is how I perceived some of them.  There were a few that were sweet and down to earth.  Sadly, there were those that could only relate to their circle of friends and their world of self-glorifying rhetoric that enriched their image.

Now that I am way beyond those high school days, I look around and it seems as if I’m back in high school once again.  People are enamored with themselves and cannot see the needs of others, though the needs are many.

They walk around with tunnel vision.  It’s like they, too, are wearing blinders.  Their immediate world is centered around themselves, while others struggle to make ends meet. 

To bring it closer to home, Christians can be just as uncaring and not see the spiritual want of others, because they lack confidence in their God-given abilities that they were empowered with the moment they became born-again Believers.

Abilities?  What abilities?  I am referring to the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit, spoken of in the Bible.

(1 Corinthians 12:7-11), “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” (vs 8) “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,” (vs 9) “to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,” (vs 10) “to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” (vs 11) “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”  

Some Christians fail to recognize the power that is invested in them as children of God.  This power is absolutely associated with the name of Jesus, the name above all names and personage that God blessed His children with.  In the following, Jesus is speaking.

(John 14:12-14), “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”  (vs 13) “And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  (vs 14) “if you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

I certainly understand the difficulty of stepping out in faith to ask a stranger that you’ve never met if you could pray for their need when you observe them struggling to walk or other obvious ailments that you notice.

When a Christian fails to act on the empathy they are feeling, no doubt they are taking personal responsibility of which direction the results of the prayer may go.  No one wants to leave themselves open to criticism or embarrassment in an awkward situation should the person not be healed or set free from oppressive spirits.

Let’s face it, Christians do not heal, God does.  They are the conduit that God uses to bring about His will in the lives of others.  Christians should let Him worry about the embarrassment if He chooses not to heal or set a person free for whatever reason.

It is sad how selfish and out of touch with faith a Christian can become when they allow fear of embarrassment to rule their obedience to God or lack thereof, thus preventing a miracle from taking place.  Believers need to move with confidence and in faith, believing that God not only hears their prayer, but will answer, because the Bible says that Believers need only to ask and then receive.

This is the power I am talking about—the name of Jesus.  He is omnipotent.  When Christians pray, they need to believe that God is a miracle working God.  Just think, if a prayer isn’t provided, perhaps the person in need may be deprived of their miracle.

Speaking from experience, I am sure, too often, fear enters in and the one having the power within to speak healing or words of encouragement, sometimes steps away and thinks to themselves, “Oh well.  At least I wasn’t embarrassed if God didn’t answer.” 

This thinking, or to put it bluntly, this excuse is certainly not the attitude to have, but how many Christians allow fear to overshadow the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that is within them?  Their lack of faith in God to move on someone’s behalf is speculating that He probably wouldn’t have moved anyway.  This is sad.

I remember on Sunday evening; while sitting in a church service, I had a strong urge to go lay my hands on an individual that I had never met, and pray for him.  The moment I suppressed the feeling and didn’t move, someone else in front of me stood, went over to the person, laid hands on them and prayed.  Both individuals were touched by God.

It was an eye-opening experience.  God’s work is going to be done with or without my help.  Blessings come when I yield to the Spirit and become God’s hand extended or His vocal cords sharing words of encouragement with someone.  It is wonderful to be part of a miracle when I obey the prompting of God and do what He is asking me to do.

I am learning the more I yield to the Spirit and do His will the easier it becomes, especially when I see the results of my obedience.  Even though I may not see an immediate outcome, I am confident that God is working and assured that I did what He asked me to do.

I am also learning to shove fear aside and resist the devil, while I trust God rather than personalizing the healing process.  It is refreshing to feel at peace, knowing that God has everything in control.  Tunnel vision fades and the blinders on my eyes disappear.  Obedience draws me closer to Almighty God.

(James 4:7-8), “Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (vs 8) “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Is Change a Necessity

Before I came to the Lord and became a Christian, I wanted change in my life.  I needed change for sanity’s sake, not to mention that my spiritual health was far from okay, but I didn’t want Christianity in my wheelhouse.

There was not an inkling of intentions for this dramatic change at this stage of my search.  God was at the opposite end of the spectrum regarding what I thought was needed to bring lasting pleasure to my life.

With all my activities, I had no time or desire to involve myself with anything closely related or resembling spiritual things.  By the world’s standards, I was successful financially and was no stranger to social activities.

The area I struggled with centered around the lack of peace in my life.  I was ready for some kind of change, but the direction to find it was obscured by self-reliance and self-centeredness.  Peace was seemingly untouchable because of the lifestyle I was living.  Even though money and my personal connections were plentiful, something was amiss.  Previous involvements did not help me obtain what I needed. 

After much time searching for peace in all the wrong places, I finally surrendered to the notion that the things money could buy and people I associated with were not the answer to what I was seeking.  At this juncture in time, and after much soul searching, I was ready to call out to a higher power for help.

I was starving for something more substantial than the unrest going on inside me.  I was ready to try anything that would necessitate positive change rather than grumbling nonstop.

One night, alone in my apartment, I was down in the mulligrubs, feeling hopeless and sad.  Amazingly, out of the blue, a Bible scripture came thundering back into my mind that I hadn’t thought of in years.  A Christian man took time to share it with me a long time back; while telling me how much Jesus loved me and that He died on a cross for my sins.  I didn’t give the scripture a second thought, but it somehow stuck with me.

The scripture rumbled in my mind in God’s time.  The words impacted me, piercing my soul like I had never experienced here-to-fore.  It was not only the words of life that the Christian shared with me, that scripture was now beckoning me to take heed.  After all these years, here it was again, yet this time it was capturing my attention.

The scripture came at a low time of decisions when the toxicity of sin was overcoming my better judgment.  I believe it was the Lord’s perfect timing, because I was feeling alone and hanging on at the end of my rope for sanity’s sake.  God was patiently waiting in line all the time for me to look His way.

I was being pressed down under the load of oppression from Satan.  For years he lied to me as he invaded my mind with the untruth that I could never find peace.  He made me believe that I was too far beyond the edge of hope, at a point of no return.  His deception stifled my aspirations to achieve mental, physical, and spiritual healing.

The things I tried in my effort to obtain fulfillment of my desires were futile.  They found their place on the trash heap of my dissatisfied soul with all the other hopeless experiences that failed to bring lasting harmony and peace.  These encounters only provided temporary satisfaction at best, nothing lasting.

The Bible scripture I alluded to earlier is found in (Matthew 6:33).  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”   I had placed God at the bottom of my list of wants.  He, through the scripture, encouraged me to put Him first and then the desires of my heart would be met.

I’ve talked about the crossroads in other writings I authored.  This thought is a recap as to the importance of taking the straight and perfect path that leads to the Prince of Peace—Jesus Christ.  When following Jesus, it necessitates change, whereas the change comes, because peace has arrived.  The old way of living will take second billing to God’s way.

When the compass of life’s direction changes for the best, and we put into practice God’s way of living, this life changing decision to follow the Lord leads to peace that passes all understanding.  We do not have to be apprehensive about anything.

(Philippians 4:6-7), “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;” (vs 7) “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

For me, this directional change was certainly fulfilling and exactly what I needed mentally and most importantly, my spiritual wellbeing.  I was born again, which is recognized by many as the new birth in Christ Jesus.  I no longer had a desire to travel down the wide road to destruction.  I found what I was looking for, or I should say Whom—Jesus, the Son of Almighty God.

Peace rushed in like a mighty river and flooded my soul with joy and peace the moment Jesus came into my heart.  My desires, attitude, words I used, people I hung with, and the places I frequented changed.  Jesus was the missing piece to my troublesome way of living.

After I accepted the Lord as my Savior, my friends noticed the definite change right away.  There was a smile and glow of happiness on my face.  As I shared what God had done, a couple of skeptics said that I would be back doing the things I once did, but I responded, “Why would I ever go back to the cesspool that I was drowning in?”

Before I parted company with my friends, God gave me opportunities to share my newfound faith with all of them, individually and in group sessions.  Three became Christians, while the others rejected my message of peace and the willingness of God to forgive their sins.

The Bible says that there are those that sow the seed of Good News about Jesus being the only way to achieve mercy, grace, and forgiveness from God, while others that witness for the Lord, waters that seed with more of God’s goodness.  Lastly, there are those that reap the harvest as the Holy Spirit draws that person’s soul to Him.

I sowed the seed to my friends that rejected the Lord, but God will take the words and scriptures I shared and do what is needed to bring them to Him, just like the scripture the Christian shared with me that brought salvation to my doorstep.  It found lodging in my heart at just the right time.

A Believer should never become discouraged if others do not accept what is being shared.  God is omnipotent and knows exactly what it takes for them to surrender their heart to Him.  God, working through the Holy Spirit, will do the work on their behalf, because of the great love He has for them.

God does not want anyone to perish, but to have everlasting life through Jesus.  The necessity of change will then take place in the heart of the seeker when they become a child of God.

Written by,

Papa Boyd