I call Him Savior...He calls me friend.

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"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." 
John 15:15

 I don't think I encouraged my kids to call me by any particular title. As they grew, mommy became mom or momma; I was dubbed Mammy by our oldest grandson, and my nieces and nephews call me Aunt Dee. On a good day, I'll answer to any of the above! But this post isn't about me. It is about Them. God. Jesus. The Holy Spirit.

 God the Creator, I Am; Jesus: the name above all names, the only name by which we can be saved into eternal life, Savior, Redeemer, Counselor, Advocate, Price of Peace, Lamb of God, El Shaddai; The Holy Spirit: Holy Ghost, Comforter, Guide. These same names bring peace to believers yet upset others to the point of bitterness, anger, hate...and I have to ask why?

Is the peace that sweeps over Christians the result of our personal relationship with Them? When we hear Their names and smile, is it because we truly believe in God, love Jesus as a trusted friend, and depend upon the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide us? I don't know about you, but I love feeling the tug of the Holy Spirit when talking about our Triune God with fellow believers! But there is a flip side to this peace.

Hate. Fear. Anger. Disbelief. Unbelievers. For the life of me, I can't imagine why anyone would want to substitute these things for the peace of God.  What fuels this stuff? Are fear and hate the result of unsatisfied spiritual hunger? Does that gut-wrenching feeling within an unbeliever scare them?  Is it because, like the demons of Mark 1:24, unbelievers have rejected Them on purpose and feel a sense of helplessness?

When I hear the name of God or Jesus being misused by both sides of this argument I get so frustrated.  I have experienced the power and peace of God; or as some may say "I have tasted and seen that God is good." I know that there is power in the name of Jesus.  I can feel the Holy Spirit in my gut. Quite frankly and quite simply: I believe in Them. And because of this double sided argument, I realize that They will continue to cause division in our land, separating light from darkness. 

 I will leave you with this thought:  If agnostics, atheists, and followers of Eastern religions do not believe in the power of Jesus' name, why are they so offended by it? Could it be possible that the "non-believers" have more faith in His name to evoke change than modern-day Christians?  What if Christians displayed a faith equal that of those who want to silence us? Would we be more open when sharing our experiences where They are concerned? This Christmas, choose to be open about your relationship with your best Friend and shine the light of Hope, Peace, Joy everywhere you go.

Have a blessed Christmas and awesome New Year,

 In Christ with love and compassion,

Coach Kelly

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