BBD 04.15.14 Spiritual Amnesiacs (New)

#1 · April 15, 2014, 2:08 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on April 15, 2014, 2:08 pm
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at www.theburningbush.net for the
“Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

14,000
Subscribers to the Email Devotional

04.15.14

Spiritual Amnesiacs

“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your
enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for
those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your
Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you,
what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you
greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax
collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven
is perfect. - Matthew 5:43-48.

The Message translates Matthew 5:48 in this way: “In
a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it.
Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward
others, the way God lives toward you.”

John Smith has finally been identified! John
was discovered in a snowdrift in Norway four months ago. An Oslo Police press release says, “the man did not possess any form of identification, and
did not remember his name, origin, how he ended up in Norway or any other
details of his life.” As the police worked to identify the man it was
found that he could speak English well and understood at least four other
languages. John said that he had been assaulted and from his wrists it appeared
that he had been tied up with plastic ties. Finally, because of the efforts of many
law enforcement agencies, a family in the Czech Republic has identified John as
being their son. Even though John has been identified, he does not want his
identity to be released. (04.10.14 NBC.com; Agence France Presse)

I have always been fascinated by amnesiacs
and how the brain somehow blocks out the true identity of a person. Not knowing
who you really are, as with “John Smith,” prevents you from moving
forward with your life. Not knowing who you really are, prevents you from
forming meaningful relationships with others. Not knowing who you really are,
prevents you from having a life; it puts everything on hold. John has been at a
standstill with his life these four months while waiting to discover is true
identity. Although now that he has been identified, he does not want to release
that information.

Once you come to know Jesus as your personal
Savior, you have been “born again (John 3),” you
have a new identity. But is just having that new identity enough? No, God has
more for you; however, it requires a public release of your identity to others.
The very first step in that public identification is to tell someone else about
your new belief in Jesus. The second step given by God for identification as a “born again” child of God is to follow Jesus in public
baptism. The third step is given to us in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5. What is that third step of identification
of being a Christian? The third step is a continuing step which is to begin to
live, to act, as Jesus would live and act.

Do you know your spiritual identity? Are you
a child of God? Have you received Christ Jesus as your Savior and been “born again” by being birthed into the Kingdom of God
by the Holy Spirit? Have you then allowed all others to know of your new found
faith by following Jesus in baptism? And, are you now living as Jesus would
want you to live? Have you identified with Jesus? Don’t keep it a secret! If
you know your spiritual identity, don’t become a spiritual amnesiac; tell
everyone you can about who you are as a believer in Jesus.

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or
theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the people of Ukraine and Venezuela. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at http://www.theburningbush.net for the
“Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

14,000
Subscribers to the Email Devotional

04.15.14

Spiritual Amnesiacs

“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your
enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for
those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your
Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you,
what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you
greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax
collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven
is perfect. - Matthew 5:43-48.

The Message translates Matthew 5:48 in this way: “In
a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it.
Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward
others, the way God lives toward you.”

John Smith has finally been identified! John
was discovered in a snowdrift in Norway four months ago. An Oslo Police press release says, “the man did not possess any form of identification, and
did not remember his name, origin, how he ended up in Norway or any other
details of his life.” As the police worked to identify the man it was
found that he could speak English well and understood at least four other
languages. John said that he had been assaulted and from his wrists it appeared
that he had been tied up with plastic ties. Finally, because of the efforts of many
law enforcement agencies, a family in the Czech Republic has identified John as
being their son. Even though John has been identified, he does not want his
identity to be released. (04.10.14 NBC.com; Agence France Presse)

I have always been fascinated by amnesiacs
and how the brain somehow blocks out the true identity of a person. Not knowing
who you really are, as with “John Smith,” prevents you from moving
forward with your life. Not knowing who you really are, prevents you from
forming meaningful relationships with others. Not knowing who you really are,
prevents you from having a life; it puts everything on hold. John has been at a
standstill with his life these four months while waiting to discover is true
identity. Although now that he has been identified, he does not want to release
that information.

Once you come to know Jesus as your personal
Savior, you have been “born again (John 3),” you
have a new identity. But is just having that new identity enough? No, God has
more for you; however, it requires a public release of your identity to others.
The very first step in that public identification is to tell someone else about
your new belief in Jesus. The second step given by God for identification as a “born again” child of God is to follow Jesus in public
baptism. The third step is given to us in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5. What is that third step of identification
of being a Christian? The third step is a continuing step which is to begin to
live, to act, as Jesus would live and act.

Do you know your spiritual identity? Are you
a child of God? Have you received Christ Jesus as your Savior and been “born again” by being birthed into the Kingdom of God
by the Holy Spirit? Have you then allowed all others to know of your new found
faith by following Jesus in baptism? And, are you now living as Jesus would
want you to live? Have you identified with Jesus? Don’t keep it a secret! If
you know your spiritual identity, don’t become a spiritual amnesiac; tell
everyone you can about who you are as a believer in Jesus.

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or
theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the people of Ukraine and Venezuela. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org