In an act of kindness, Actor Kirk Douglas pulled over to the side of the road to pick up a Sailor on leave who was hitchhiking. When the Sailor recognized him, he said to Mr. Douglas, "Hey, man, do you know who you are?"

That's a great question that everyone of us should ask ourselves from time to time and when we do, we should listen for God's answer.

For more information on Postmodern Pilgrims, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805421378/fm082-20

The Federal Government recently announced that they had cracked the largest case of identity fraud ever. Three men were charged with allegedly running a high-tech scheme to steal credit information from thousands of people. U.S. Attorney James Comey said losses from the scam were estimated at 2.7 million dollars, and advised consumers to check their accounts for signs of tampering.

More than 15,000 credit reports were stolen from a credit history bureau, using passwords belonging to Ford Motor Credit Corporation. Victims of the scam reported losing money from their bank accounts, seeing their credit cards hit with unauthorized charges, and having their identities assumed by strangers. Comey said, “With a few keystrokes, these men picked the pockets of thousands of Americans, and in the process, took their identities, stole their money and swiped their security.”

Comey says the only apparent motivation was greed and prosecutors were sending letters to the more than 30,000 victims offering help to restore their credit ratings. He urged all consumers to protect their finances and their identities by paying close attention to their financial statements and credit histories, and to learn new ways to protect themselves through the Federal trade Commission’s website.

—http://www.foxnews.com, Feds Crack Largest Identity Fraud Case Ever, November 26, 2002, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

In our world, protecting our credit and identity from fraud can prove to be a challenge, but Jesus offers those who believe in Him a security and an identity no one can steal.

Rev. 2 17 NIV “ …To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”

It seems like a worn out plot line of a movie, but it's not. It is Phillip Staufen's reality. If that is even his name.

For the last 18 months, a twenty something, world traveler with a cultured English accent has been desperately struggling to find out who he is.

Unfortunately, a B.C. Supreme Court judge refused to grant his request to be given the legal identity of "Phillip Staufen," born June 7, 1975, in Vancouver.

Staufen doesn't know his name, but that name and birth date was on his Ontario health card, which was the only identification he had when he woke up in a Toronto hospital in November 1999, suffering global amnesia from a blow to the base of his skull, presumably sustained in a mugging.

The only memory he has is picking himself up off a sidewalk near the Toronto bus station and wandering around until he saw a hospital.

A linguistics expert pegged his accent as upper-middle-class Yorkshire. But although eight Yorkshire newspapers and two TV shows in Britain publicized his plight, no one recognized him.

Why does he want the official documentation? He is on a quest, to discover his real identity and he thinks traveling to England will help him.

— The Vancouver Province, May 31st, 2001, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Dave Bootsma

We may know our names, but since the Fall, we've all been searching for our true identity. It is only found in relationship with our creator through Christ.

2 Cor. 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Whether we realize it or not, the cars Americans drive, tell others a lot about them. According to a national survey by Roper, almost half of Americans believe their cars match their personalities. With the variety of styles, colors, and models available, any driver can make a statement using their car.

Studies have shown that SUVs reinforce a feeling of being independent and above it all, while convertibles represent freedom. A sports car might hint at an inner adventurous spirit, while a woman in a pickup asserts competence. Drivers of retro styled cars may be trying to recapture youthful feelings of being young and carefree.

James Hazen, a psychologist in Wexford, Pa, who works in the automotive industry says, "About 25 % of people choose cars that make them feel powerful. They go for the big engines, the big tires. Some people want cars that look good and stand out. Others find comfort in blending in with all the other white Camry's on the road."

Consumer psychology expert Charles Kenny says at any age or life stage, automotive messaging is "natural, normal, and healthy." He says, "Expressing a unique identity is what makes us human, and that's what our cars let us do."

—Parade Magazine, May 15, 2005, What your car says about you, by Dianne Hales. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Some people get their sense of self from insignificant things like cars and jewelry; others get it from their relationship with their Creator.

Isaiah 45:3 (HCSB) "I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I, the Lord, the God of Israel call you by your name."

As victims of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina attempted to put their lives back together, many found it difficult because the storm destroyed birth certificates, marriage licenses, and other forms of identification.

While it may be difficult to prove our identities when we lose validating documents, there will never be a time when God ceases to know who we are, or when we should forget who we are—a child of the King, image-bearers of our Creator.

—http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9316512/. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and James Hodsden.

1 Peter 2:9-10 (GW) "However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not God's people, but now you are. Once you were not shown mercy, but now you have been shown mercy."

Do you like your name? Your age may determine how you answer that question. Most of us become more comfortable with our names over time. What name would you give yourself if you could choose it today? Would you keep the name you have or would you change it? How does your name contribute to your self identity?

A government initiative in the nation of Mongolia is causing many residents to reconsider their identity. For a long time, Mongolians identified themselves using only first names. In an isolated nomadic culture, that method of identification worked well. Officials are asking people to add a surname now to avoid confusion in an increasingly modern society. The plan is to help people delve into their clan histories and discover how they are related.

Surnames became a bigger issue recently when the government introduced a new identity card. More than 90 percent of the nation's 2.5 million people have adopted surnames. Some have chosen names reflecting their personalities or interests. One school principal chose the surname "Nomad" because of his wandering spirit. The nation's defense minister chose the last name "Cosmos" because he was the only Mongolian to venture into space. The most popular surname is Borjigin, the clan of legendary Mongolian warrior Genghis Khan.

For those having difficulty choosing a new identity Serjee, a Mongolian linguist and director of the State Central Library of Mongolia, suggests residents look for local histories that might reveal a family or clan name. Serjee says most original Mongolian surnames were bestowed by neighbors in the village and might not be very desirable. Instead Seejee suggests adopting a clan name specific to a person's area, profession or hometown. He says a nickname or something unique about a person's lifestyle also works. Serjee adds, "Be imaginative, be brave. Make up your own name. They may be new now, but in 50 years they'll be old."

—Albuquerque Journal, Mark Magnier, (Los Angeles Times), Mongolians Look to History for Surnames, October 24, 2004 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Names are an important component of our identities. When we accept Christ, we are given a new name—we're called "Christians."Now we bear the name of our Lord and have a new identity. One that should guide our conduct.

Galatians 2:20 (NIV) "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

In his book, "Revolution", Pollster George Barna says one of the reasons the church has so little influence on the world today is that most believers do not understand their true identity in Jesus. Barna says, "Our research indicates that churchgoers are more likely to see themselves as Americans, consumers, professionals, parents, and unique individuals than zealous disciples of Jesus Christ. Until that image is reoriented, churches will not have the capacity to change their world."

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (TEV) "Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends. [20] Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!"

In the motion picture, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Chloe is a dog living the good life. Her days are filled with lounging by the pool, sunning herself, shopping, and trips to the beauty shop. She belongs to an owner who panders to her every need, so Chloe feels free to look down on others around her who don’t measure up, including the gardener’s dog , Poppy, who make loving advances towards her.

Chloe’s comfortable life changes forever when she is dog napped in Mexico and taken to the dogfights in Mexico City. When her abductors learn of Chloe’s background, they plan to ransom her back to her wealthy owner in California. Chloe escapes her captors with the help of other dogs, but is forced to depend on them and herself, if she hopes to get home. During the journey back to life Chloe loves, she is challenged to become more than she thought she could. Chloe learns who she really is, and learns she was created not to be served, but to love and serve others.

OPTION I: Show Clip from Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Chapter 8, Chloe’s Rescue, 1:03:56 to 1:06:04.

Lost in the desert of Northern Mexico, dangerous Mountain Lions surround Chloe and her friend Delgado, a German shepherd. When all seems lost, the pair is miraculously saved by an army of small dogs, a fearless band of Chihuahuas. As she speaks with Monte, the leader of the dogs, Chloe begins to discover more about her heritage. Instead of a worthless breed of lap dogs, Chloe learns Chihuahuas are a tiny, but mighty breed.

Monte explains that when a Chihuahua comes home, it is a cause for celebration.”
Troubled, Chloe asks, “Even a Beverly Hills Chihuahua?” Monet chuckles, and says, “Of course! No matter where you come from, you are one of us, a tiny but mighty breed.
Looking around and at herself Chloe asks, “Mighty? But I’m just a lap dog.” Surprised at her lack of understanding, Monte responds, “Lap Dog? No. Do not insult yourself. Do not insult the Chihuahua race. A gathering of small dogs nearby says in unison, “No mas.” Puzzled, Chloe asks, “No Mas?”

Monte puffs his small chest and explains. “Si. It means no more. We Chihuahuas are not toys and fashion accessories.” As he says this the nearby dogs in unison say, No Mas”
Monte continues, “ We were not bred to wear silly hats and ride in purses.” Again the dogs chant, “No mas!” Monte’s speech builds to sound more confident. “We will no longer be spoken to with bay talk. We have been called Teacup and Tiny Toy for too long.” His speech is punctuated by repeated chants of “No mas!” as he continues. “ Names like FiFi, Froufrou, Pookey, Punkin, or Squirt. Yes we Chihuahuas shake but not for the amusement of humans. We shake because we know the power of our inner strength, our bark. Yes we are tiny, but we are Mighty!” Monte looks at Chloe, challenging her to move beyond her old way of thinking. “Join with us, Chloe. Embrace no mas, Find your bark!” Chloe questions, “My bark?” Monte responds, “Si. That which makes you mighty. That which makes you, you.” Turning to the crowd Monte shouts, “We are Chihuahuas, hear us roar!” The roar of barking quickly drowns out everything else. Even Chloe adds her still small bark to the din. She has begun to uncover the identity that will help her overcome the challenges ahead.

-- Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Chapter 8, Chloe’s Rescue, 1:03:56 to 1:06:04. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

It is easy to take the easy road in life and fall victim to the excesses of materialism. When we do, we face a lukewarm existence at best. Challenges in life are put there to help us discover who we really as believers in Jesus. The Lord wants us to discover who we are, and what we were created for. There is a lot more to life than self-centered pursuits, when we let the Lord reveal His purpose and design in us.

1 Peter 2:9-10 (HCSB) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. A Call to Good Works

Windows computers around the world were impacted when antivirus provider McAfee sent a routine software update containing a huge error. The problem revolved around a case of mistaken identity. Computers that downloaded the update began rebooting over and over again, because the antivirus software somehow classified a common Windows operating system program designed to help computers connect as a malicious threat.

Analysts say sometimes malicious programs masquerade as the important program in order to infiltrate computers, and speculate this added to the confusion. Somehow, the program mistook every occurrence of the networking application as a threat, and shut the machines down. Solera Networks helped one large company resolve the issues when the faulty update caused 50,000 PCs to reboot repeatedly. Solera’s CEO Steve Shillingford said some companies could be dealing with the problem for weeks, though they estimated on average it would 30 minutes per user to rectify the problem. He estimated the cost of mistaking a necessary program for a virus will be high. Shillingford added, “Estimating $100 per hour, this organization’s lost time alone can be conservatively estimated to cost more than $2.5 million. And that does not factor in lost productivity while users are down.”

--Massive Manual PC cleanup expected after McAfee error, April 22, 2010; http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/04/massive-manual-pc-cleanup-triggered-by-mcafee-error/1?csp=hf ; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Matthew 7:15-17 (ESV)(15) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (16) You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (17) So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

Most people pay close attention to the information on their airline tickets. Things like flight number, gate, and boarding time are important, but there are other codes on the ticket that tell the airlines a lot about the passenger. A single-letter code can make a big difference for the travel experience, though most passengers don’t pay much attention to them or know what they mean. One code is the fare basis code which divides passengers into classes based on when they booked their flight, and how much they paid. Other codes indicate whether a passenger is eligible for frequent flyer miles, and where they rank on a stand-by list.

Airlines developed the ticket codes to help track how much money they made on each ticket. Airlines says the better code a traveler has, the less chance they have of getting bumped off of a flight and the best way to ensure a good code is top pay more for a ticket. The airlines agree that the best way to avoid being bumped with a discount ticket is to check in early, because passengers are also ranked according to the time they checked in.

--http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/25/travel/main6805488.shtml, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

In the church, we should treat everybody as “first-class.”

James 2:1-4 (GW) My brothers and sisters, practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by not favoring one person over another. (2) For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes. (3) Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.” (4) Aren't you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments?

In the movie “Coming to America” An African Prince by the name of Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) and his sidekick-Seemi (Played by Arsenio Hall) came to America to find Akeem a Queen, and decided to live in Queens, NY. Akeem wanted to find an ordinary woman who loved him for more than his wealth and family background.

So Akeem pretended to be a commoner and tried to hide his true identity as a prince by trying to conform to his surroundings and fit in. He moved to Queens and lived in a run down, dilapidated, apartment building. But his sidekick, Seemi wasn’t having it.

Seemi knew who he was and He was unwilling to conform to his surroundings. He refused to sacrifice the life and lifestyle he was accustomed to living back in his native Africa.

As much as Seemi tried to go along with Akeem’s plot and conform to the “Queens” way of living, Seemi could not deny who he really was. His true identity kept coming out.

One day Akeem returned to his rundown apartment building with a young woman under the pretense of being poor and impoverished, only to discover that Seemi had the apartment remodeled and lavishly decorated. Seemi refused to conform to the “Queen’s” way of living; he was used to living like a “king” alongside Akeem.

Seemi could never truly conform because who he was wouldn’t let him forget.
Akeem could never truly conform because he was never meant to live as a commoner.

We too must never conform. We were meant to live different. We are royalty and we‘re not meant for low-level, impoverished, sinful living. We’re to be transformed in our minds that is expressed with our lives.

--Coming to America Paramount Pictures Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and John Wells

Romans 12:2 (ESV) “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

A mysterious code left over from the Second World War has some of the world’s best code breakers baffled. They spend their time spying on their enemies and tracking messages through satellites and cyberspace, but admit they have no idea what the message found on the leg of a carrier pigeon means. The encrypted hand written message from World War II was found on the leg of a long dead pigeon found in a household chimney in southern England. Some authorities think the pigeon was sent from units in France after D-day and got stuck in the chimney while flying home. When it was found, the British code breaking and interception unit agreed to try and crack the code, but said they have not been able to. A historian told the British Broadcasting Corporation that many messages sent at the time could only be read by the senders and recipients. They said, “Unless we get rather more idea than we have about who sent this message and who it was sent to, we are not going to be able to find out what the underlying code was.” — Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Mysterious WWII code found on pigeon baffles Britain’s best, http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_22055774/mysterious-wwii-code-found-pigeon-baffles-britains-best, Accessed November 24, 2012.

1 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV) “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

In the movie Mall Cop, Paul Blart is struggling with self-esteem issues. During the second scene, he is sitting around the dinner table with his mother and his daughter who are both encouraging him to begin dating again. Blart, a discouraged divorced parent, disguises his loneliness as his family is trying to get him to sign up on an internet dating website. His elderly mother goes as far as posting a video of Paul Blart on his electric two-wheeler, doing some stunts to make him look more attractive to women. The young daughter reminds her father that her mother only married him to be able to cross over into the United States from Mexico. All the attempts of his elderly mother and young daughter only make Paul feel more discouraged, inadequate, inapt, and unworthy. –Jim L. Wilson and Pete Ramirez

Ever feel like Paul Blart? It is during these times that we must remember that we are God’s workmanship created for good works. It is during these times that we must remember that we are created in the image of God, saved by grace, loved and sustained by our Creator.

Ephesians 2:10 (HCSB) For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

identity

At the University of Michigan, the administration is responding to the pop-culture perspective that gender is no longer binary by allowing the students to select their pronouns. While students can select the traditional “he,” and “she,” they can also choose “they” or “ze” if they prefer gender-neutral pronouns.

Grant Strobl, selected “His Majesty” as his preferred pronoun to “show just how ludicrous it is for universities to institutionalize the use of ‘arbitrary’ pronouns and threaten disciplinary action if students and staff repeatedly fail to use them.”

Genesis 5:2 (HCSB)“He created them male and female. When they were created, He blessed them and called them man.”

Identity

In response to the pop-culture perspective that gender is no longer binary, Paul Smith, associate professor of Old Testament studies at Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention says, "Pronouns in Hebrew are only masculine or feminine with no other options. Gender identity and gender roles are part of God's plan for creation, not a result of the fall. Any deviation from this plan is a result of the fall and therefore a violation of God's design and order.”

Genesis 5:2 (HCSB)“He created them male and female. When they were created, He blessed them and called them man.”

Things are not always what they appear to be. A concerned Illinois citizen found a “cute puppy” on the side of the road and brought it to the Bartlett, IL police department. It wasn’t a domesticated animal after all, it was a dehydrated coyote pup. The wildlife specialists at Willbrook Wildlife Center are treating the animal and hope to be able to relocate it to another facility where it can be raised with other coyotes. —Jim L. Wilson

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

In Spiderman: Homecoming, Peter Parker (aka Spider-man), worked with his mentor Tony Stark and the Avengers. Parker’s wanted to join the Avengers, but because Parker was still in High School, Stark believed that he was too young.

Eventually, Stark gave Parker the opportunity to join the Avengers. However, in a plot twist Parker declines the invitation. A movie critic says he turned down the invitation because he misunderstood the offer as “a test.”

However, Jonathan Goldstein, one of the movie’s writers said it was because “he doesn't need the suit to be a hero, nor does he need membership in the Avengers to be a hero.—Jim L. Wilson and Bobby Oh

Romans 6:6 (CSB) “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,”

A recent viral video showed three juveniles bulling Derrin Weddlem a thirteen-year-old autistic boy. While Weddle’s younger brother was watching, they pointed a gun at his face and demanded that Weddle kiss their feet. Weddle’s mother said, “I was hurt. I was angry. I was crying. I was mad.”—Jim L. Wilson and Bobby Oh

Matthew 7:12 (CSB)“Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

According Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, “Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity.”

Obviously, the question of our identity remains an important one. And even if one doesn’t create a fake profile, the issue of how we ultimate define ourselves remains an important one. The Bible tells us that our ultimate identity is defined through Jesus and His finished work on the cross. —Jim L. Wilson and Min Lee

2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

As of January 2020 nineteen States have laws on the books that ban Conversion Therapy, which is “a practice used to try to change sexual orientation or gender identity.” —Jim L. Wilson

he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and called them mankind.