Several years ago, I was ministering in the Philippines. Part of our ministry took us on a catamaran to a nearby island. When we left, the tide was in, and we easily stepped from the dock onto the boat and sailed away. When we returned in the evening, the tide was out, and our boat sat about ten feet below the dock. Our only egress was a rickety ladder sitting precariously in the rocking boat. I don’t normally like to climb short, firmly grounded ladders, so I definitely was not comfortable with the thought of climbing this ladder.

In recent days, there has been an increase of spiritual attacks on the body of Christ. The wake of this assault carries waves of hopelessness, despair and destruction. Truly, Satan is making a no-holds barred attempt to shipwreck the believers who are doing great damage to his kingdom, using many devices to try and completely sink the ship of vision God has given to individuals and ministries.

The first time the universe heard the uttered words of God, it was not His voice calling out for there to be joy, peace, or even love. The voice of the Sovereign, the Divine, gloriously uttered these words first:

Central to our identity in Christ is that we are children of God. First, we are born again unto salvation through which we enter into eternal life (see John 1:12, 13; 3:16; 1 John 3:1). And second, we grow by the spirit of adoption through which we become mature sons and daughters of God (see Rom. 8:14-19; Gal. 4:5-7). The Greek word used in John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1 is teknon, and refers to a child or newly born believer. In contrast, the Greek work huios used in the passages in Romans 8:14-19 and Galatians 4:7 denotes a mature, adult son who is an heir to his father’s name and authority, his possessions and his responsibilities.

At a trying time in my life, when I was breaking free from the bondage of “brotherly” oppression and a religious spirit, the Lord gave me this verse: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). I grew to understand that the freedom to be who God created me to be was an integral part of my identity in Him.

Everyone wants to know their purpose in life; they want to understand what they were put on this earth to do. If you have been around church for any length of time, you have most likely been told that God has a plan for your life—also popularly referred to as “finding your calling.”

Sometimes there is quite a disconnect between the way God sees us and the way we see ourselves. As the popular saying goes, we are our own worst critics. Unfortunately, in this broken world, our negative perspective ends up reinforced by the hurtful words and actions from others we encounter.

A person’s life is like a large house, full of stories and experiences. There are various levels and rooms reserved for certain seasons of life, each one unique in style, complex in design and purpose. Within each house are many doors that open and close throughout the course of its existence. Some are easier to open than others. Some require a little prying. Some are best left closed forever. Others, however, require a key.

For the past several years, a great deal has been written and discussed regarding the mass exodus of young people from the church. It is a disturbing pattern to see the same kids who were spiritual leaders in their youth groups grow into adulthood and, over a period of time, begin to walk away from everything they were raised to believe.