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Issue 38

By Cailin Henson Leave a Comment

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newidentitymag

As we enter springtime, let’s rejoice in and giv

As we enter springtime, let’s rejoice in and give thanks for the glorious resurrection of which springtime reminds us. Jesus’ resurrection is not just ancient history; it is played out day by day in Creation and in our very lives. When we see cherry trees blossoming, crocuses and tulips sprouting from the ground, and birds beginning to sing again, we can choose to face the future with joy because we know these beautiful sights are just dim reflections of the renewed world to come.⁠
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✍🏽: Bethany Cummins @bethany_kathleen in "Choosing Spring" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

Many Christians talk about being called. Whether i

Many Christians talk about being called. Whether it’s to this ministry or to that particular church, many use the word “calling” to state their certainty in making decisions. In fact, it no longer is a decision when someone says they have been “called” to something. It means that something or someone external to them has summoned them to make a decision. In some ways it can be used to justify irrational and unwise choices. Some have stated they were called to be a missionary in another country when they haven’t lead anyone to know Christ in their home country. Others use their “calling” as a way to justify verbally assaulting and bullying others under the guise of their prophetic calling. After all, it can’t be wrong if God called you to it. But God never calls us to violate scripture, the wisdom of the community, and his character. Violating any one of those things should give us reason to pause and if we violate all of them we can be sure that it is not God. What does it mean to be called? Who is doing the calling? Is it an audible voice that is heard or is it an internal feeling?⁠
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✍🏽: Ramon Mayo in "What Does It Mean To Have A Calling?" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

There’s a very popular book called "The 7 Mounta

There’s a very popular book called "The 7 Mountains of Influence" by Bronwyn O’Brien. The message of the book is that in order to change the world, there are seven mountains of influence that God wants to permeate: Arts & Entertainment, Business, Education, Family, Government, Media, and Religion. The main idea here is that each one of us is called to a specific mountain, or several of these specific mountains, to bring influence. The idea I believe God wants us to get is that the passions we carry, even the one’s we’ve thought are worldly or not Godly, often times are Godly. If you have a passion to be a professional basketball player, a stay at home mom, or the world’s greatest plumber, these are all passions God has very likely placed within you to walk out. The things that bring you joy and bring life, even if they’re outside of the church, are many times the Lord’s doing. God hasn’t called everyone to serve in the church or stand behind a pulpit. God has called us all to be ministers in every sphere of influence for his glory and kingdom! Understand that you are called to a specific mountain of influence, so the question isn’t whether or not what you’re passionate about is of God; the question is, how can I use this passion I have for God?⁠
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✍🏽: Nicholas Sowell in "Mountains of Impact" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

Happy Easter! We hope your day is filled with hope

Happy Easter! We hope your day is filled with hope and sunshine!

📖⁠ But on the first day of the week, at early

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But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. [Luke 24:1-12] For the full story on what happened the rest of the day, read in full Luke 24:1-53.⁠

💬⁠ Known as the “Great Sabbath,” Holy Sat

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Known as the “Great Sabbath,” Holy Saturday is considered a day of silence that points to how Christ “rested” physically in the tomb. Churches that have services on Holy Saturday often keep their worship gatherings simple and bare, encouraging participants to rest in anticipation for Easter.⁠
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On Holy Saturday, taking a moment to pray and reflect on Jesus’ death is a practical way to remember God’s work. How does Jesus’ death affect you? What does his death mean for you, both personally and for the church? How might you respond to Jesus’ death? What areas of your life do you feel most affected by Jesus’ sacrificial death?⁠
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✍🏽: @lukegeraty from “Elevating Easter”⁠ | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

"Even though I was only in high school, I still th

"Even though I was only in high school, I still thought about things like eternity. I thought about death. I thought about the meaning of life and all of this stuff. I just didn’t know where to put that or how to answer any of those questions. Walking into Young Life and hearing the gospel gave me a context for that and made a ton of sense."⁠
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✍🏽: Tyler Weaver as interviewed by Ben Helms in "No Cookie-Cutter Christian" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

📖⁠ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was no

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After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. [John 19:28-30 ESV] For the full story of what led up to the death of Jesus, read John 18:2-19:42.⁠

Judah was outraged when he heard ⁠ Tamar, the wi

Judah was outraged when he heard ⁠
Tamar, the widow of his deceased son, had become pregnant because of prostitution. He demanded, “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” (Gen. 38:24, NLT). What a shame to their family name! What an embarrassment for her! But this story exposes Judah’s poor character, not Tamar’s. ⁠
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Judah’s firstborn son was Er who married Tamar, but Er died. So Judah had his second-born son, Onan, marry Tamar, as was customary to continue the family name and keep their land secure. But Onan died too (Gen. 38:3-10). Judah’s only living son was too young to marry Tamar, so Judah told Tamar to go live with her parents and remain a widow until his youngest son, Shelah, could marry Tamar. Although “Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers” (Gen. 38:11). ⁠
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✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "Cultivating Good Character" | Continue reading at newidentitymag.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

📖⁠ Then Jesus went with them to a place calle

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Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” [Matthew 26:36-46 ESV] For more of these eventful 24-hours for Jesus, read Matthew 26:17-46.⁠

The crux of the Christian faith is found in Easter

The crux of the Christian faith is found in Easter. It is the story of a man called Jesus, who was killed by being hung on a cross, and then three days later rose from the dead. The Bible says in John 3:16 that because of this act of love, those who believe it will be given eternal life.⁠
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Easter is a holiday celebrated in many shops and restaurants as being all about colourful bunnies, chicks, eggs and lots of chocolate and candy. But for those who look a little deeper it is laden with symbolism that can help you focus on what Easter is really all about: thanking Jesus for changing our lives forever.⁠
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✍🏽: WENDY VAN EYCK in "9 Ways To Make Easter More Meaningful" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

📖⁠ And every day he was teaching in the templ

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And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.⁠
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Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.⁠
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Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. [Luke 21:37-22:6 ESV]⁠

With our busy get-up-and-go lifestyles, it might s

With our busy get-up-and-go lifestyles, it might seem more difficult than ever to find time for God or where we can fully make time for the essential aspects of the Christian life like prayer and Bible reading. Yes, like working out or eating healthy, it comes down to the priority and importance of those things in our lives and whether or not they’re important enough to us. At the end of the day we will make time for the things that are most important to us in our lives. Though God is not a “thing” to be fit into our schedules, I believe it’s more than possible to make a place and priority in our lives for connection with him.⁠
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✍🏽: Nicholas Sowell in "ENGAGING WITH GOD" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

📖⁠ “Hear another parable. There was a maste

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“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”⁠
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Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:⁠
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“‘The stone that the builders rejected⁠
has become the cornerstone;⁠
this was the Lord's doing,⁠
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?⁠
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”⁠
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When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. [Matthew 21:33-46 ESV] || For more of these eventful 24-hours for Jesus, read Matthew 21:20-25:46.⁠

"I wanted to take my own life. It was a dark and s

"I wanted to take my own life. It was a dark and scary time, and it was only God who prevented this act from occurring. When I was going through this period of anguish and anxiety I did not think that I would ever again enjoy the sunshine as God meant for me to enjoy it. Yet it was this dark pit, devoid of any light or even an atom of hope, that brought me to the place where I was able to reach for light from the only true source of eternal light."⁠
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✍🏽: Shannon Clark-Rivera in "FROM THE LAND OF THE DEAD TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

📖⁠ On the following day, when they came from

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On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.⁠
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And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city. [Mark 11:12-19 ESV]

How do I get my life together when it seems like a

How do I get my life together when it seems like a mess?” That is how I translate Psalm 119:9. Most English language Bibles use something similar to the NIV’s translation of “How can young people keep their way pure?” However, I am no longer a young man, and the word “pure” does not seem to apply to all of the ways that I feel like I stumble. For me, the word “pure” sounds like it has more to do with a priest in the book of Leviticus getting ready for a ceremony. I am also not an ancient Israelite priest. Instead, when I think of the ways I fail in my own life, they are more akin to what Paul describes in Romans 7, when he says, “what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”⁠
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✍🏽: @jefffrelatable in "Trading Bad Habits for Zakah" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

"Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during

"Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during the Christian calendar, focuses upon the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is no surprise. Had Jesus not risen from the dead, our faith would be useless, and we would still be guilty of our sins (1 Cor. 15:17).⁠
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Holy Week helps us reflect upon the last week of Jesus’ life. There are a number of ways that Christians celebrate Holy Week, but there is a common commitment to expressing deep gratitude for Christ’s death and celebration of his resurrection! –@lukegeraty in Elevating Easter⁠
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Join us each day this week to read Scripture and see what each day was like in the life of Jesus, leading up to his death and resurrection. It's a good way for us to be present and remember what took place those many years ago.

If you missed it, the new issue is out this week!

If you missed it, the new issue is out this week! Check in with some of your favorite writers, and we don't think you'll be disappointed! The link in our bio will take you to in the full issue!⁠
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Many thanks to our wonderful contributors:⁠
@the_christopherscott⁠
@mayotron⁠
@jefffrelatable⁠
@sclimk⁠
@slimkeman⁠
✍🏼👊🏾❤️⁠
You're the best!

Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season”

Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season” before, perhaps more than once. A wilderness season is when you feel stuck or lost in a difficult situation, and your only options are to endure patiently and wait with the expectation that the situation will eventually pass or be resolved. For some people, this period may last a few days, for others it may last years—or for so long that it feels like it will never end.⁠
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We all encountered a wilderness season at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses closed their doors—some for good. Anticipated events were cancelled. Schools closed with awkward transitions into remote learning. Jobs were lost, hours were cut. Those who lost loved ones were unable to gather to mourn their dead. Church services became virtual, and some may remain that way.⁠
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✍🏽: Chitara Ellis in "Waiting In The Wilderness" | Continue reading at newidentitymag.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠

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