August 22, 2021 – Pastor Barry Clair continues in the series “Our Fight” with the message “Name Above Names”
Several years ago, I received a call. That was back when cell phones first came out. Every call that came in was rough for me because I had a 30 minute monthly plan and it cost like $150 a month. So when I got a call, it was like, “Oh boy! This better be important!” When I answered, a voice said to me, “Mr. Clair. This is the fraud department of your bank calling. We’ve observed some unusual activity on your credit card. Can you verify your identity, please?” After answering several security questions, they continued, “Can you verify your current location? Are you in North Carolina?” I replied, “No. I’m in Quincy, I live in Quincy.” The voice replied, “Then I take it you are not at a Walmart in North Carolina?” I said, “No, no, no, no, I am not.” And they asked, “Then can I assume then that you are not trying to charge $3000 worth of camping equipment on your credit card?” I said, “No. I can assure you I am not. I vowed when I was 10 years old after my dad took me camping on every single vacation when we were growing up that when I became an adult, I would never go camping again! I am NOT trying to buy camping equipment.” The voice asked, “How about your wife? She is a card holder. Is she at a Walmart in North Carolina trying to buy camping equipment on your account?” I laughed and said, “No way! True story; my wife grew up in a log cabin, heated by a pot belly stove, without indoor plumbing, she washed her hair in rain water from a rain barrel. She’s done with camping, too. It’s not us.” They replied, “We didn’t think so, Mr. Clair, so we have denied the charges, cancelled your card, and will send you a new one by FedEx. It should arrive in the morning.”
Later I told Rosemarie, “Someone tried to steal our identity. And they charged $3000 worth of camping equipment on our credit card.” And she said, “Anybody who knows us, would know that we would NEVER buy camping equipment.”
Have you ever had something like that happen to you? Have you ever been the victim of identity theft? In a spiritual sense, that’s what I want to talk to you about today…