One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple…. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of [...]
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Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. – Mark 10:21-22 As with many [...]
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… Only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. – Jesus, Luke 10:42 How much of the time do you feel the pressure of expectation? Sometimes, the expectation is from others. Sometimes it is what we expect of ourselves. In either case, feeling [...]
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When Jesus healed the blind man in John 9, the Pharisees put him out of the synagogue. Before they did this, they put him through a grueling period of intimidation.
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Which church is the more likely to be a growing church: A church with a broad-range of programs that have appeal to all ages or a church with few programs but with a …
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I have long considered the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not as the knowledge of the mind but as the knowledge of experience. Adam and Eve intellectually knew that there was “right” and “wrong” before they ate the forbidden fruit. In eating that fruit they experienced evil, or rebellion against their Creator.
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CHRISTMAS SONGS I LOVE (Part 2): MESSIAH, JOY TO THE WORLD, & J – O – Y The songs of Christmas are widely varied. Many reflect the secular view of Christmas while others are deeply spiritual. Some are light, whimsical, and ephemeral while others are classical and [...]
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CHRISTMAS SONGS I LOVE (Part 1): Hark The Herald Angels and O Come All Ye Faithful One of the things I love about Christmas is the music. It is festive and joyous – even if some of it is a bit silly. For example, how much sillier can you get than “Grandma Got Run Over [...]
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A Communion Meditation… The Death of the Innocents When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under…. – Matthew 2:16 We often call the event described in this verse “The [...]
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THE CHRISTMAS SCANDAL – the Virgin Birth Some things are so familiar we do not see them for what they are. I believe the story of Jesus’ birth is one of those. We glamorize this event. Put it in “soft-glow candlelight” with halos all around. The manger may be in a barn, but there is [...]
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