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Issue 38

By Cailin Henson Leave a Comment

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ASK A QUESTION ABOUT CHRISTIANITY

newidentitymag

"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! In this piece, I want to explore some of the significant events that took place from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection and suggest some ways in which your devotional life can become richer as you grow in your relationship with God." –@lukegeraty in Elevating Easter⁠
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Join us each morning over the next 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.

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given. –1 Chronicles 16:8-12
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📷: Photo by @hollivves from Pexels
#godisgood #givethanks #givepraise #heartcheck #perspectivecheck

"Immediately, the cracks of my character, my faith

"Immediately, the cracks of my character, my faith, and my foundation became incredibly and painstakingly visible. Since I was training myself to become acutely aware of my thoughts and actions, every angry, greedy or prideful thought was magnified. Anything I sealed with my “Yes” or “No” I had to remind myself to keep with consistency (Matt 5:37). Once I settled down to discipline myself to really follow the Sermon On The Mount’s lessons while reflecting on my life, I realized something—it’s been a very long time since I’d taken a good hard look at myself. Mostly because a) I didn’t really like the person I had become b) I didn’t really want to revisit how I had become this person and c) I didn’t want honesty, I just wanted things to stop being difficult."
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✍🏽: M Ramoran on her challenge to live out the sermon on the mount from "A 30-Day Search Party" | Continue reading at newidentitymag.com
📷: Photo by @hazardos.prod from Pexels
#sermononthemount #seekinggod #heisfaithful #godisincontrol #weareallonajourney #progressnotperfection

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it ther

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” -J.R.R. Tolkien | Let us bring out the love of Christ in each other and not forget those who are suffering.

"God does not change, but he uses change—to chan

"God does not change, but he uses change—to change us. He sends us on journeys that bring us to the end of ourselves. We often feel out of control, yet if we embrace his leading, we may find ourselves on the ride of our lives." –@jenhatmaker

The things that bring you joy and bring life, even

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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#mountainsofimpact #blessedtobeablessing #creatorgod #calledtobecreative #madetomakeadifference
✍🏽: @nicksowell from "Mountains of Impact"
📷: Photo by @tarynburkleo

"Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

"Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
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O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.
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But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for himself; The Lord hears when I call to him.
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Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the Lord.
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Many are saying, 'Who will show us any good?'
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety." –Psalm 4 (NASB)
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#trustingod #godisincontrol #godhasaplan #godisfaithful #prayerispowerful #prayerchangesthings #faithoverfear

When people come to me and are suffering from any

When people come to me and are suffering from any type of sickness, it is my assumption that God wants to express his love and compassion to them.
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As Ken Blue writes: “If Jesus truly reveals the character of God to us, then we may cease speculating about and arguing over God’s will in sickness and healing. Jesus healed people because he loved them. Very simply, he had compassion for them; he was on their side; he wanted to solve their problems.”
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I realize this doesn’t solve the complex question about why some people are healed and others aren’t, but I believe we are called to live in the tension of trusting that God loves people and wants to rescue them from their problems while also knowing that God is sovereign, and that we live in a fallen world that has been deeply broken while also believing that God will ultimately make all things new.
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✍🏽: @lukegeraty from "Healing As The Kingdom Comes Slow"
📷: Photo by @tarynburkleo
#healing #prayer #compassion #onearthasitisinheaven #godislove #jesusislord

"Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind.

"Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart." –Roy T. Bennett
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#fearnot #madeformore #liveauthentic #liveidentified #calledtobecreative

“The world was made for the body. The body was m

“The world was made for the body. The body was made for the soul. And the soul was made for God.” -Ravi Zacharias

Our thankfulness in difficult times boils down to

Our thankfulness in difficult times boils down to confidence. The Bible has promised that God will be glorified. And it also promises that God upholds the weak and defends those he loves. Thankfulness is a matter of accepting those promises and living by them. It is an outpour of our confidence in the word and strength of our God. Without this confidence, we would have no reason to rejoice in trials, but the Bible repeatedly assures us that our confidence is real and justified in Christ. Thankfulness comes from our assurance in God. Building confidence starts with reminding ourselves of God’s promises for the future, his faithfulness to us in the past, and his presence with us in the present. This could mean beginning a practice of writing a list of things God has done, will do, and is doing. Or perhaps it means praying each day to become more aware of the Spirit working in our lives, even in the small things. Even keeping a journal of daily events can reveal the active role God plays in our lives, and reading through the journal periodically can remind us of the power and sovereignty of God. All these things build our confidence in the power and presence of God with us.
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#confidentingod #letusglorifygod #godspromises #godisfaithful #prayerispowerful #wordbeforeworld #gratitude #thankful
✍🏽: Sarah Mariano from "Constant Gratitude"

In a world where we usually trust only what they c

In a world where we usually trust only what they can see, it is a challenge to place all your trust in what is invisible, namely, God. I, like the next person, like the idea of controlling what my life’s outcome will be and knowing what’s next. Adam and Eve were the same way. In Genesis 3, they were tempted by Satan in the Garden of Eden to be like God, knowing good and evil, controlling things. Sadly, they were lured away from noticing what God had graciously given them—the earth, the trees bearing good fruit, the perfect relationship they had with him and with one another. Instead of trusting God, they chose knowing good and evil. Therefore, the earth and all that was in it was cursed as a direct result of Adam and Eve trying to be like God. To this day our default is trusting human knowledge over an all- powerful, loving and relational God.
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#trustingod #trustgodsplan #godisreal #godlovesyou #godhasaplan #godisincontrol
✍🏽: Steve Butwell from "Trust Me"

Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your

Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your people. –Psalm 3:8
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#victoryisfromthelord #pray #havehope #victoryisfromgodalone #lookforthegood #faithoverfear #bestrongandcourageous #blessedtobeablessing

“Spending time with God is the key to our streng

“Spending time with God is the key to our strength and success in all areas of life. Be sure that you never try to work God into your schedule, but always work your schedule around him.” -Joyce Meyer
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#timewithgod #strengthinscripture #godsword #holyspiritcome #success #strength #motivationalmonday #inspiringquotes
📷: Photo by Daniel Frank on Pexels

What do you do when your old life begins to creep

What do you do when your old life begins to creep back in, sins that you thought you’d left behind begin to come alive, and old fears consume your mind?
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#mindful #comeallwhoarethirsty #restfortheweary #godislove #thelordismyrefuge

Christians will have struggles. That’s because t

Christians will have struggles. That’s because there’s a devil that’s always looking for people he can influence. Remember he even tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Another source of our struggle comes from the world. Life is full of sinful things to see, hear, and do. Our third source of struggle comes from our flesh, our humanity, our desire to gratify our appetites, habits, or addictions. Our flesh is constantly in opposition to the Spirit, like the old cartoons that had the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other shoulder while they both tried to influence the decision. In the cartoons the angel always won, but that isn’t necessarily true in real life. Sometimes we yield to our flesh. These struggles can cause us to feel undeserving of grace. The struggle doesn’t mean we’re not Christians, it means we are or there wouldn’t be a struggle.
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✍🏽: Delbert Teachout from "Amazing Grace"
#strugglesarenormal #temptationtotriumph #graceabounds #holyspirithelp #sinandstruggle #Jesusloves

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s wo

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” 2 Samuel 22:31-33 NIV
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#perfectlovecastoutallfear #rockandrefuge #liveidentified #strongandsecure #hiswayisperfect

"Worry is momentary atheism crying out for correct

"Worry is momentary atheism crying out for correction by trust in a good, sovereign God. Suffering breaks self-reliance." –Randy Alcorn
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I'm Cailin, editor of NIM, and that's me, a year and a half ago on a trip to Germany with my husband for our anniversary. We hiked to a hut in the Bavarian alps for a late lunch. The normal thrill and life-giving experiences that traveling brings has been muffled by our current climate dealing with the recent health hazard and the thought of traveling certainly brings up more fear than joy in me right now. And I sure miss those carefree days. My heart goes out to those who have physically suffered or are suffering in apprehension. I've been wrestling my fears every day and I constantly have to talk to my heart and relay to it that God is good, that he is protection, that he is purpose and above all else, that his will is perfect. How do you cope with anxiousness and worry? Through what experiences has God taught you to trust him? And how can we encourage others to default to faith rather than fear?
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#faithoverfear #fromworrytoworship #peaceinsuffering #trustingod #godissovereign, #godisgood #godistrustworthy #facingourfears

God designed us to be attached to people in health

God designed us to be attached to people in healthy ways, but what did sin do when it entered the world? It disconnected our relationship with God, so of course we experience difficulty in our human relationships, too. Research shows a break in an important relationship can lead to dysfunctional relational patterns. Often, trauma or clinical depression are tied with fears of being abandoned or the loss of an important relationship. The beauty is, Jesus came to restore the relationship between him and us. And he’s at work today in our human relationships, too.
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#theroadtowholeness #heathyrelationships #reconnecting #depression #anxiety #itsokaytoaskforhelp #beautyfromashes #jesusheals #mentalhealth #restoringrelationships
✍🏽: @lindseybeharry from "If God Is All I Need, Why Do I Feel So Lousy?"
📷: Photo by Aditya Vyas on Unsplash

Because our lives as Christians are characterized

Because our lives as Christians are characterized by a transformation in Christ, according to his perfect will and character, in our lifetimes we are never done transforming. In other words, we will never arrive at a state of perfected goodness, righteousness, and truth this side of heaven. In terms of culture, if we ever think that we know exactly how we are supposed to be or how a culture ought to be, this should give us pause. We can’t rely on our culture.
Just checkout those history books to see some of the attitudes and beliefs that were culturally accepted norms from the past that would be culturally appalling to us today. Instead, we should be relying on Christ. We can embrace the good things inside and outside of our own cultures that challenge us to imitate the character of Christ, while critically considering the negative aspects of culture that will deter us from following Christ. –Jeffery Porter @jefffrelatable from In Someone Else's Shoes and rethinking our own experiences as expertise
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#newidentitymag #liveidentified #faithfulmess #finditliveit #gritandvirtue #bedeeplyrooted #createandcultivate #calledtobecreative #liveauthentically #liveauthentic #alifeofintention #livefullyalive #christinculture #intentionalliving #purposefulliving #faithfulliving #shereadstruth #hereadstruth #christianliving #christfollower

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