The word ‘blessed’ most commonly translates in to the English word for ‘happiness.’ Those who live a ‘blessed’ life regularly experience joy, peace, and contentment. Such a pleasant existence can only be achieved and maintained through daily acts of selflessness and service. Sadly …
Blog posts : "General"
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The resurrection from the dead is a central tenant of the Christian faith. Jesus Himself rose from the dead, revealing that everyone who has faith in Him will never die; instead, although the body may temporarily perish, the believer’s spirit continues on in God’s eternal kingdom. When God …
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Have you ever felt that you were barely hanging on and constantly being overcome by life’s circumstances? The Psalmist knows how you feel. Asking God “How long?” is a healthy statement, because God is not there in just the good times, but also the bad. We can face the state of our soul whi…
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When Abram made the statement, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth”, Abram was countering the king of Sodom’s exploitive offer with an allegiance to a different standard. Many people think that making profit in any way is fine, but Abram was quick to poin…
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The greatest question one can ever ask is, “Does God love me?” The answer expressed in this parable is Yes. Every character in a parable has a corresponding real life counterpart. The woman who lost her coin represents God and the coins represent all faithful believers. The lost coin represents t…
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Have you ever felt that you were barely hanging on and constantly being overcome by life’s circumstances? The Psalmist knows how you feel. Asking God “How long?” is a healthy statement, because God is not there in just the good times, but also the bad. We can face the state of our soul while we keep…
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God in human flesh is how John 1:14 describes Jesus, God's ultimate message (cf. Hebrews 1 1-3). Of course this is a mystery that we cannot fully fathom. It is beyond our human experience and limited reality. Jesus' critics want to easily characterize him as someone who cannot be Messiah because the…
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The truth is a gift from The Lord (it is not something that can be earned.) Intelligence, although beneficial and extremely useful, can sometimes blind those who trust in it more than God (the intellect frequently remains in opposition to simple faith and practical wisdom.) God yearns for His chil…
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The word ‘Amen,’ so commonly spoken at the end of most prayers, essentially means ‘I agree.’ ‘Amen’ is an expression used when two people have finished praying together. Like so many Christian practices, prayer is meant to be exercised in community (as well as alone.) No one can have a full rel…
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Scripture tells us that wisdom needs to be cultivated on the front end of our thinking. It takes time and effort to gain God’s perspectives, but if we don’t develop the habit of thinking differently in times of calm we won’t know what to do in times of difficulty. Is your prayer to escape the conseq…
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Does this sound familiar? The wicked flaunt their ambitions and achievements. The wicked honor those who hoard at the expense of others. But the worse of these is that the wicked do not seek after the Lord, for in all of their busyness there is no room for God. We need to remember that our quest for…
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Before I was plugged in to Christ, I was a taker; none of my behavior’s produced anything. I fed off of whoever was around me. One day, I remember bumping in to a person who was plugged in to Jesus Christ. I asked him about a possible work opportunity counseling people at a crisis ‘hot-line.’ He…
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Joshua was faced with a terrifying situation; Moses, the leader who stabilized the Israelites in the wilderness, had died. Now Joshua had the task of leading this people into a land that he had little knowledge of. Like Joshua, God challenges us to be strong and courageous as we face life situations…
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So often we look at the past work of God and think we will not see the display of his power like our predecessors did. But, just as God reminded a new generation of his people that he would go with them and empower them like he had their parents, we also need to expect him to do more than all we can…
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Peter boldly rejected Christ’s prophecy; he vainly exalted himself above the other disciples, saying, “Even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble.” Despite great effort, he would go on to deny the Lord three times before morning. Without Jesus, Peter failed t…
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Everything that we see is made from things that we can’t see. Natural science can only go so far, then it has to hand off the knowledge of the universe to super-natural causes, or things that nature does not have the capacity to explain. In the same way, there are times when our lives can’t be figur…
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Today, our lives are like vessels floating on the sea. Sometimes the seas are tranquil, and sometimes the seas are stormy; those who invite Jesus to accompany them on their journey will receive the promise; for the Lord has vowed that every true believer will make it to the other side. No one tr…
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We get so hung up on externals, appearances, and facades. Jesus cuts to the core of God's concern — our spiritual heart condition. He wants us to not only focus on what we put in our body, but what we allow to grow in our hearts and simmer in our heads. The inner world is what needs our most earnest…
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We didn’t choose God; He chose us. This is a liberating truth because that also means that God has a plan for us to be changed into His likeness. So Christian growth is not an exercise of willpower, but of obedience to the path that God has set before us. This path is filled with God’s provision and…
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What if you discovered that you had inherited ten million dollars? Would it change the way that you do things? That new mindset was the apostle Paul’s prayer over the Christians at Ephesus—that God is filled with glorious riches— and those riches were available to those who believed in Jesus Christ.…