New Identity Magazine

God in focus. World in scope.

  • About
  • Grow
    • Spotlight: In Perspective
    • Growth & Maturity
    • Foundation
    • Practical Application
    • Jargon
  • Connect
    • Community
    • Discovering God
    • God Talk
    • Life Together
  • Live
    • Give Back
    • People
    • Culture & Creativity
    • Careers & Callings
  • Back Issues
  • Write
    • Submit an Article
    • Writer’s Guidelines
    • House Style Guide
    • Content Submissions Agreement
    • Jargon Substitutions
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Contact

DANIEL LIRA

By Jena Campion Leave a Comment

From the flowing prairie to the ebbing waves; this pastoral intern talks about his gifts and calling.

What is your occupation?

I am a Service Technician at California State University, Long Beach.

Do you have any hobbies?

In Illinois [my home state], it was fixing cars, and enjoying the pleasure of cars. In California, in these times, it’s too expensive, so I am trying a new hobby, surfing.

What is your average day like?

I wake up, spend some time in prayer, go to work, after working at my part time job I come home, eat lunch, study VLI (Vineyard Leadership Institute), set up my small group teaching and other church type activities, eat dinner, more studying, and finally go to bed.

Vineyard Leadership Institute is a two-year seminary (a college that prepares students to be pastors or ministers) program aimed at and catered to those who have jobs, bills to pay, and families. It counts as one official year of seminary, but takes two years to complete. It’s almost like part-time seminary.

Why did you choose to become a Christian?

I was Christian longer than I remember. I was raised in a Christian family. I first started walking with Jesus around 16 years old. Why? Because you know, you are a teenager with a lot of stresses going on like college prep, jobs, and friends. You think things are bad, so you turn to God. In my emptiness and hardship, I turned to God, and He met me there.

It wasn’t easy though. Actually, it was very difficult for the first three years. It was a complete roller coaster. It had a lot of ups and downs. Then after three years, God brought a lot of stability and growth to my life through making Christian friends. In the second year of college, I started to get more Christian friends and I was like, “Whoa, this is what Christian people are like.” I thought they were really dorky. I didn’t trust Christians. Once I saw the value of being around Christian friends, God moving from one place to the next, God always brought me to a higher level. God had me move out to California, for example, the purpose of which I still don’t know yet. God always leads me and provides for me, and here I am.

What are your gifts? Where do you think you are being called in ministry?

I believe something to do with teaching. I am naturally talented in that area. Certainly by the gift and grace of God. Basically teaching or preaching, maybe both. And more recently in the past six months, I have been having a burden for lost people. Somehow reaching out and investing in the lost people who don’t know Jesus. But for right now, more in depth in the area of teaching/preaching and possibly evangelism.

I also have a passion for prayer, healing and prophecy. My first experience of prayer was pretty miraculous in my old church in Southern Illinois, Vine Community Church, at a conference. It actually was really scary. It was my first month going to the church, and I was the first person they called on to get prayed over and had a prophetic word for. Someone told me what God was doing in my life and they were correct. It scared me. I didn’t believe them at first. So I took about eight months to investigate spiritual gifting, especially prophecy. I aligned it with the Bible and felt compelled to understand it and use the gifting. When used correctly, it is very helpful with people getting to know Jesus and receive healing. I had a friend in college that was having a very rough time and I wanted to pray for him. I went to my small group and asked the group to pray for him and to help me be able to pray for him. Ever since then, I have been able to pray for people. I would love to be used, if it’s God’s will, to have a big impact regarding the gift of prayer and having a Jesus-centered focus.

“I would love to be used, if it’s Gods will, to have a big impact regarding the gift of prayer and having a Jesus-centered focus.”

What is your favorite scripture or character of the Bible?

I don’t have any favorite scriptures; I really like the whole Bible. But when I first started walking with God, I liked Jeremiah 29:11 a lot, which is basically “don’t be anxious about anything.” I don’t really have a life scripture, where the person’s whole life is based around that scripture. My favorite character, by far, is Joseph, in Genesis. I really like Joseph’s story because there are many powerful truths illustrated in his story. For example, we can see how someone can do everything right and still have it hard in life. We see how doing the right thing doesn’t always yield positive results. The fact that “the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper” is hard to swallow but it is true many times; Joseph’s story shows us this. However, God is still going to have His way in people’s lives. No one can thwart His ultimate plans. He can even take the bad things that have happened to us (abuse, pain, and other wounds) and use it for good: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.”

What the hardest thing to discuss, like the most fearful, taboo topic to talk about with non-believers or new believers?

For me, the most difficult topic is to talk about God’s justice. Many people who read the Bible will see God as mean. They see God of the Old Testament as different than God of the New Testament. In trying to explain things in the Bible to people, such as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Flood. People think, “If God is a God of love then why did that happen?” Trying to explain that to those people is a difficult task to do. You are trying to show the overall picture, but they only see things in a small way. They don’t see why God would do that. It’s like a parent with a kid; the parent disciplines the kid but it’s out of love, not wrath.

What do you like and dislike about the Christian faith?

The thing I like most about the Christian faith is love. Love is in many places. Christians look so happy and seem to love each other. The thing I don’t like about Christians is just the opposite. You see a lot of judgment of other people and legalistic behaviors and thoughts.

What would be your encouraging or warning advice for new believers?

A warning is “Welcome to the battlefield!” As a Christian, you will be experiencing the most hardships of your life, with basically a target painted on your back. There is an enemy out there named Satan, who wants to hit that target. Life will be harder—not worse, but harder. You are living in a cosmic battle. An encouragement is God will always love you and not leave you.

Any concluding thoughts?

To the non-believer, no matter where you are in life, God wants to be a part of that through Jesus Christ. Get to know Jesus. Meet Christian friends and ask them for their testimonies. For the Christians, never give up. It’s too easy to stop walking with God, but keep at what you started doing. Give him every part of your life—he wants to be a part of it.

Share with friendsShare on facebook
Facebook
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on reddit
Reddit
Share on google
Google
Share on email
Email

Filed Under: Live, People Tagged With: Issue 3

Related Posts

  • DESMOND TUTUDESMOND TUTU
  • BREAKING BREAD AND BREAKING BARRIERS IN SOUTH AFRICABREAKING BREAD AND BREAKING BARRIERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
  • SURFING AND SERVING IN PANAMASURFING AND SERVING IN PANAMA
  • GOSPEL FOR ASIAGOSPEL FOR ASIA
  • GOD VALUES OUR HEALTHGOD VALUES OUR HEALTH
  • REPENTANCEREPENTANCE

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Current Issue

Current Issue

Read Now

No Fields Found.

newidentitymag

New Identity | Exploring Faith
We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the lin We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the link in our bio! Happy Fall/Winter! 🍁
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
How should we be using our money? - We're looking How should we be using our money? - We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on the topic of praying continually and what that can look like in our fast-paced society, please leave us a comment! 😊
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio
Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on ou Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on our own is in vain. We can never hope to achieve the same level that Jesus was on while we are still here on Earth. We’re like little kids, struggling just to walk. But that’s why Jesus gave us an example of redeemed followers in the form of the Apostles, who were his close group of students here on Earth. He chose a group of broken, sinful men, and ultimately shaped them into the group responsible for continuing his ministry here on Earth. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Tim VanDeWalker in "Running By Example" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's th "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." –Desmond Tutu
The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not t The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not to become like it. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom. 12:2a). Some have interpreted this as an instruction to reject anything that isn’t explicitly Christian. But I don’t think that’s what this verse is getting at. I think it means much more.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lindsey Beharry in "Choosing Wisely" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
If you desire to serve, seek to form groups withou If you desire to serve, seek to form groups without age distinction. Maybe you want to form a group in your church. Avoid just inviting members from your age group. Seek out people older and younger than you to invite to meet together. Find that person who sits alone and talk to her or him. Instead of a focus on building groups that have the same characteristics to “relate” with one another, you center your discussion in the work of Christ. He will bring the group together. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Russell Almand in "Community and Age Diversity" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If we put our faith in temporal things, they will "If we put our faith in temporal things, they will inevitably let us down. They were never meant to be enough for us. Not alone. When Barnum finally does hit bottom, he recognizes that his heart has been led astray, fooled into thinking that fame or fortune could satisfy him."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "The Greatest Showman" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the ex "Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the extent of its effects on the brain, relationships, and society at a time when sexually explicit content is just a click away. Christians have recognized pornography’s negative impact for decades, yet it is still often considered a “male” problem within the Church. This can leave women who struggle with porn addiction feeling isolated and alone. The organization SheRecovery (formerly Dirty Girls Ministries) aims to change that and has become a resource for women with porn addiction. You can read more about their ministry at the link in our bio. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lisa Gagnon in "Dirty Girls Ministries" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The presence of my sin reminds me of my great nee "The presence of my sin reminds me of my great need for grace, and good works are the outpouring of a grateful heart; being a good child is not a means of earning the favor of God."⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Sally Blotzer in "Forgiving Failure" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by "As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by how we handle our daily lives, much like those around us, but also by an added component: our faith. How we pray and worship and spend time with our fellow followers provides additional meaning to our lives."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Does Your Form Determine Your Function?" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Lum3n from Pexels⁠
Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others an Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others and not to judge. I forget that when he said, “Come follow me,” he wasn’t just inviting us to a strict set of rules but to a real and exciting life whether you turn out to be a pastor, a doctor, designer or simply “Dad.” Sometimes I forget one of his main messages was that he came to give us a better life than we could ever dream of—life to the fullest. Jesus wasn’t locking us down to a vocation or job title. It’s as if he was saying, “Real, vibrant life is available to you now. Following me, loving me and living like me is your real calling…the rest is just there to aid you in following, loving and living.”⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Wendy Van Eyck in "Living For A Purpose" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” There is yet another parallel between the Christian story and The Matrix, simultaneously the most foundational and the most captivating. It’s that something which is missing, something which is not quite right with the world. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that it’s there. At the outset of the first film, Neo is searching for it. Trinity asserts that “it’s the question that drives us.” Morpheus claims that “you can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes.” The question is: What if I’ve only ever scratched the surface of all that life has to offer? What if there is a deeper, truer current of reality, ever-present behind all of my life’s experiences, to which I might awaken at any moment?⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Tumbling Down The Rabbit Hole" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because "I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because we all struggle with temptations to sin. And we all struggle to live in a way that honors God. Like Augustine we all feel the tug of our past sins that say, 'Don’t you want to enjoy us?' And Augustine’s story relates to Galatians 5:16-26 where Paul tells us about how the Christian life is like a walk. In a way, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life." ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like livin "The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like living, and for serving others." Where in your life or in what ways has the Spirit enabled you this week? We'd love to hear, tell us in the comments below!⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott  in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe

More Articles

HOW DARE YOU JUDGE ME!

It was the year between when I finished my undergraduate degree and was about to begin my Master’s degree. The students around me were in the midst of writing their … [Read More...]

JUSTICE OR COMPASSION?

A woman was gossiping with her friend about a man whom they hardly knew - I know none of you have ever done this. That night, she had a dream: a great hand appeared … [Read More...]

WORSHIP

Worship. To some, the word sounds otherworldly, religious or just plain boring. The truth is, everyday and in so many different ways we engage in the act of worship. … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2023 New Identity Magazine. All Rights Reserved · Log in