Are You Registered? 

New Year greetings in the name of Jesus! 

We just completed our annual trek to immigration to 'get registered' again for another year. We cued up at 4:30 am one morning and 5 am the next. How much more 'taxing' for Joseph and Mary (and Jesus in utero), having to conform to the laws of their Roman rulers and journey to Bethlehem to register their identity, for taxation purposes. 

Back in 1993 we had an unforgettable identity crisis. We were preparing for our furlough and tying up last minute details in Manila. We had our itinerary set for almost 6 months of visits throughout the US and Canada. Alberta had just finalized her application for US citizenship, we had purchased our airline tickets, withdrawn cash and picked up our passports at our travel agent. All of these papers, documents and cash were in my (Steve's) brief case. 

We stopped at a McDonalds for a quick lunch. After finishing, I reached for my briefcase and almost fainted when I realized it was not there. I told Alberta and she asked where I had last had it. I told her the order counter but I could not see it. She insisted I go up anyway. There, sitting next to the cash register was the missing black briefcase. Relief washed over me but at that very moment God gave me a vision of people who were lost without Christ.

Lost people will arrive in eternity without their ID in Christ. Repentance, faith in the shed blood of Christ and His resurrection, the power of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the spirit - will all be missing components of their spiritual identity. As we begin 2017 let us renew our commitment to seeing as many as we can introduced to Christ and 'registered' in His book.  

Have a wonderful New Year

Steve and Alberta