New Identity Magazine

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

Marie Fiebig — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 19:49:30 +0000

Photo Credit: Mark Hewes | Courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship Every 10 minutes—somewhere in the world—a Mission Aviation Fellowship airplane takes off or lands.” This is how Mission Aviation Fellowship describes its reach. Mission Aviation Fellowship or MAF is an organization of pilots serving missionaries and other nonprofits around the globe. Focused on aviation, technology and training…

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BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

Crystal Alexander — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 16:12:54 +0000

Photo Credit: Felipe Câmara | Flickr (Creative Commons) Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” As parents, we want our children to trust that we are doing our best to provide for them. They are to focus on school and enjoying their youth. We want them to know we have their best interest in mind. Some of us even tell our…

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MY ENEMY, THE DEVIL

Gary VanDeWalker — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 18:55:27 +0000

There are friends I would rather no one know I have. In the past, I’ve introduced you to two of these friends, World and Flesh. One surrounds me; the other is part of me. These should be my enemies. They distance me from God and dampen my love for Christ. However, I find myself drawing them closer than I should. The enemy that should repulse me most is often the one I pretend isn’t there…

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FAVOR

Ramon Mayo — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 20:40:10 +0000

Photo Credit: Sergiy Vynnychenko | Flickr (Creative Commons) Favor is usually given because of something we can offer or some innate quality we possess. Maybe someone gives you favor at work and you get a promotion or a raise. Maybe a restaurant manager shows you favor in order to win more of your business. It seems mysterious when you take into account all the factors that could persuade…

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IN PURSUIT OF INTIMACY: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES THAT CAN GROW US CLOSER TO GOD

Hannah Helms — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 18:17:58 +0000

“It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship.” I’ve lost track of the number of times that I’ve heard this phrase uttered in reference to Christianity. The idea of being in a relationship with God is one of the things that sets Christians apart from other belief systems. We are not bound by the obligation to adhere to a rigid set of rules. There is an appeal in this—in the idea that the God of the…

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SPIRIT EMPOWERED COMMUNICATION WITH GOD

Luke Geraty — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:39:20 +0000

Photo Credit: Steven Leonti | Flickr (Creative Commons) Perhaps the most controversial of the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament is the “gift of tongues.” People seem to either insist that everyone should speak in tongues or that no one should speak in tongues! My friend Matt jokingly told me that the only time he prayed for the gift of tongues was when he was about to take a Spanish…

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PRIMED FOR A PURPOSE

Melanie Watson — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 17:39:27 +0000

Photo Credit: takasuii | Flickr (Creative Commons) One night in 2008, I happened upon a website called Christian pen pals. Out of curiosity I made a pen pal ad. I wanted to be friends with other Christian women who held my values and beliefs. As soon as I saw the picture of Sarah, I knew she was different. We began emailing back and forth and found out we had similar tastes in music, TV shows…

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THE LIGHT OF GOD’S LOVE

Brandon Hurlbert — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 17:18:29 +0000

Photo Credit: Nick Perrone | Flickr (Creative Commons) The Christian life of faith is very comparable to a new relationship. This new life in Christ is exciting and freeing. It is different than anything you have ever experienced. There is so much to learn about God, his word, and even this new quirky family we call the Church. However, much like natural relationships, there is a spiritual…

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@#$%&?! I SWEAR

Richard Rowlands — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 18:55:03 +0000

Photo Credit: Steven Leonti @ Flickr (CC) Profanity, defined in the Oxford English dictionary as blasphemous or obscene language (commonly known as swearing or cursing), is unavoidable and pervasive in the modern world. From movies and song lyrics, to schoolyards and offices, profanity is all around us. As modern Christians, what stance should we take on the issue? Are we to ignore the use of…

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CAN HOBBIES BE A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE?

Lindsey A. Frederick — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 18:48:12 +0000

Photo Credit: Rachel Kramer @ Flickr (Creative Commons) I used to work for a guy known for saying, “I’ll rest when I’m dead!” He ran a ministry and believed there were too many people who needed to hear about Jesus to take much time for himself. I thought this was admirable. But I noticed he also got sick a lot. For awhile, I also felt the weight of his responsibility. In the summers…

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