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Life Signs: Contemporary without Compromise Who are You? Many may have heard the quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’s second scene. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The main question is not necessarily what’s the meaning of your name, but who are we in God’s eyes? All of us are God’s children (John 1:12). “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—“ We are Christ’s friend (John 15:15). “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.” We are united with the Lord (I Corinthians 6:17). “But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.” We are free from condemnation (Romans 8:1-2). “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” We are salt and light in this dark world (Matthew 5:13-14). “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Each of us were bought at a price (I Corinthians 6:19-20). “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” Grace has saved you and me (Ephesians 2:8-9). “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Have you ever found yourself trying to earn your salvation? Salvation is a gift to be received from God, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. Good works do not lead us to Christ—it is out of our relationship with Christ that good works flow. Psalm 27:1-3: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” Salvation belongs to our God Salvation belongs to our God/Who sits upon the throne/And unto the lamb/Be praise and glory/Wisdom and thanks/Honor and power and strength/ Be to our God/Forever and ever, amen/ And we the redeemed shall be strong/In purpose, and unity/Declaring aloud/Praise and glory/Wisdom and thanks/Honor and power and strength Change How many times have we heard: “This will change your life!” Many promise much more than they can deliver. The messages seem to fall into these four categories:  FAME  FORTUNE  POWER  PLEASURE These messages barrage us from every direction. But something is still missing in these promises. Ask yourself this question: “Isn’t something very significantly absent here?” I’m sure you know the answer. The answer is YES. There is something missing. If this is our VERTICAL DIMENSION; take note. There is not even a hint of God’s will or what pleases Him in this hard-core pursuit of success. Notice also, that nothing in that list guarantees satisfaction or brings peace deep within the heart. As a final analysis, what people really want in life is contentment, fulfillment, and satisfaction. Guess what? Only God can change a person’s life. The One who created you and me can bring into our lives to what we really need and ultimately desire. What God delights in In Psalm 147 we discover an important secret about relating to the Lord. Our great and mighty God, who has absolute power over everything in Heaven and on earth, is not impressed with powerful people. Those who are strong and mighty in their own strength don't get God's attention. Instead, it is the brokenhearted and humble He notices and supports (vv. 3,6). He chooses to work not through those who are strong but through those who are weak. And most of all, we don't earn His approval by being great or strong. He delights in those who reverently honor Him and put their hope and trust in His unfailing love and mercy, not in their own ability... Ask his Spirit to so work in your life that your primary goal becomes honoring and pleasing God. Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for June 29. Upcoming Events Event: Gulf Coast Kid's House 2010 Chocolate Fest Location: Cordova Mall 5100 N 9th Ave. Pensacola, FL 32504 Times: noon until 3 pm Dates: 1 May 2010 Advance tickets are $15 and will be $20 at the event, which takes place throughout the corridors of Cordova Mall. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: The Gathering: Honoring Our Community's Nurses Location: East Brent Baptist Church 4801 N. Davis Hwy., Pensacola Times: 6 - 8 p.m. Dates: 6 May 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: Symposium 2010 Location: National Naval Aviation Museum 1750 Radford Blvd. NAS Pensacola Dates: Wednesday, May 12 * Golf Tournament. Noon - 4 p.m. at A.C. Read aboard NAS Pensacola. Thursday, May 13 * Navy Band New Orleans Concert. 9 - 9:45 a.m. in the Blue Angels Atrium. * Panel Discussion Session I - "Genesis: The Birth of Naval Aviation (1898-1914)" 9:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. in the Blue Angels Atrium. * Luncheon on the Flight deck. Noon - 1:15 p.m. Guest Speaker is best-selling author Steven Coonts. $15 per person. * Panel Discussion Session II - "Answering the Call: Naval Aviation's Dynamic Expansion for the Great War" 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the Blue Angels Atrium. Reception on the Flight deck and Banquet in the Blue Angels Atrium. 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. $50 per person. Friday, May 14 * Navy Band New Orleans Concert. 8:30 - 9 a.m. in the Blue Angels Atrium. * Hall of Honor Enshrinement. 9-10 a.m. in the Blue Angels Atrium. Panel Discussion Session III - "Naval Aviation: Issues and Answers" 10:30 a.m. - noon in the Blue Angels Atrium. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: Inside Out Tour Location: Forest Hill Church of God: 5508 Moffett Rd in Mobile, AL Times: 7pm Dates: 14 May 2010 Inside Out Tour Featuring: Seventh Day Slumber, Decemberadio, With special guests Kiros in Concert For Tickets or more information call 251-342-0233 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: High Heel Dash for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Location: 3012 E. Cervantes St Pensacola FL 32503 Time: 9a.m. Dates: 22 May 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event: US Navy Band The Cruisers perform a FREE concert Location: National Naval Aviation Museum 1750 Radford Blvd. NAS Pensacola Time: 6 pm Date: Tuesday, 18 May 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WATCH your thoughts, they become words. WATCH your words, they become actions. WATCH your actions, they become habits. WATCH your habits, they become character. WATCH your character, it becomes your destiny. May 2010