Indentity

I saw a quote by Stephen Covey:
"Security represents your sense of worth, your identity, your emotional anchorage, your self-esteem, your basic personal strength or lack of it".

Security seems to be the one thing everyone strives for. Financial, emotion, relational etc. In reading this quote by Stephen Covey i realised that a key to being "secure" is realising our identity.

All over the world people are longing for a realisation of their identity. Through the years I’ve heard some many people ask these three simple questions. Who am I? What am I doing? Where do I come from? This is not something unique to our society but it is a question being asked of people all over the world as humanity struggles to find their identity and purpose.

At the outset I want to say that you will never find your identity and purpose outside of Jesus Christ. And here’s the good news….Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus came to save those who are struggling to find their identity and their purpose.

Jonah chapter one describes a storm a situation where a bunch of mariners where on a ship. During their trip they experienced a great storm. The Bible account tell use that all on the boat where very fearful and all of them cried out to their own god. The storm was so bad that the ship they were travelling on was about to break. They began throwing all their gear and wares overboard in order to save the ship and themselves. But, in the midst of this raging storm, a question of identity was raised.

Jonah 1:8
8: Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

Jonah, who are you? Where are you from? What is your occupation?

In the swirl of a fierce storm of carnality, wickedness, and false doctrine, these questions are still asked of us today. Who are we and what is our mission in this world?

Our identity, origin, and purpose are being put to the test. It is the privilege and responsibility of every new generation to continue this great work of ministering the gospel tp every creature. We cannot simply do this by imitating our forefathers. Rather, we must have the same thing they had!

As a church, our job is to point mankind to Jesus Christ. We need to unite around the common cause of changing and influencing the direction of individuals and society. We must not allow a culture or way of thinking to creep in that says “let’s follow the path of least resistance”. We need to get a realisation of the urgency! There is a urgent need for us Pentecostals, Oneness believing, baptised in Jesus Name, Holy Ghost filled people to influence the thinking of the day in an attempt to turn it onto a new path.

The early church (and you can read this in the book of Acts) followed the command of Jesus Christ to go into the entire world and preach the gospel. Everywhere they went, they baptised and taught in the name of Jesus. In Acts 17:6, we see the dramatic effect that they had on cultural direction; “These that have turned the world upside down!”

The torch has been passed to the new generation. Will we influence our world as the Apostles, or like Jonah, will the storm confuse us and drive fear into our hearts?

I have purposed in MY heart, by God’s grace, to be strong in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to stand for righteousness and holiness.

That's my Five Minutes!