A millionaire walks into a New York City hotel and is given the bum's rush because staff think he resembles a homeless man. A billionaire is urged to shop for more reasonable alternatives to the $36,000 purse she wanted to peruse. A false prophet is considered true because of his up-beat message. A real prophet is considered false because of his dire warnings concerning the consequences of sin. And worst of all, the devil masquerades as an angel of light while God is mistaken for a cruel kill-joy!
     Jase Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” shook off being “dissed” with good humor, refering to  it as a case of facial profiling. Oprah Winfrey also joked about how the clerk saved her time because even though she is financially comfortable, the queen of talk would never spend so much on a purse. 
     We can avoid spiritual mistaken identities by getting back to the Word of God, reading it daily, re-reading our catechism, remembering and applying what He has done for us in our baptism, what He offers in the Lord's Supper, and by asking the Holy Spirit for discernment. Check out the focus on our gracious giving God at LCMS.org, LHM.org, and LWML.org. See the fullness of God in the face of Christ Jesus–a mystery to the world, revealed by Hiw Word and Spirit!