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Showing posts from June, 2017

Was God a Lousy Parent?

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Genesis 3:9-13 (KJV) And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Did God flunk parenting, because Adam and Eve messed up? Think about this...if God is perfect (yes, He is!), then how did His kids make a big mistake? Not-so-big secret: God is perfect, but His kids aren't. They have free will. As a result of my way too young and imperfect parenting, I carry a great deal of guilt. Don't get me wrong--my kids are smart and successful and terrific. They turned out great. The big thi

In My Father's House

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Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, England Fathers Day was yesterday. In our house, it passes quietly; just the way The Hubster likes it. We went to church. Had some lunch and a nap. Our daughter called and they had a nice conversation. It was a nice day--just hanging around the house. My Sunday School class discussed the 23rd Psalm. I love the imagery the Word proclaims, but more than that, I love the promise of what lies in store for us in our Father's House. The Bible contains many assertions of what is in store for us in Heaven. Here are a few. In my Father's House: 1. There are many mansions (John 14:2) 2. There is bread enough, and to spare (Luke 15:17) 3. I am protected (Psalm 23:4) 4. There is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) 5. There is music (I Chronicles 6:31) 6. God has prepared it (Genesis 24:31) 7.  We are blessed there (Genesis 39:5) 8. We will eat the first fruits (Numbers 18:13) 9. There are treasures (I Kings 7:51) 10: I will live there forever (P

Behind Enemy Lines

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Satan lies. He tells us we are weak and powerless. There is no place to hide. We are all alone in this world. Nothing will ever change. It’s simply not true. Our Father promises that we are kings and priests. Revelation 1:6 (KJV) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. He says we have a hiding place. Psalm 119:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. We will never be alone, according to His Word. Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he   it is  that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Jesus vowed to set us in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:6-7 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. We

Progress

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Jeremiah 18:3-4 (KJV) Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it . A friend shared her candy with me recently. It was something I hadn't tasted since I was a child. After quickly popping the treat in my mouth, I realized that although this was a childhood favorite, it didn't carry over into adulthood. Bleh. Just as our palate matures, our faith should do the same. Brand-new Christians don't have the same development as 30-year believers. We all need to be making slow and steady progress forward, though. It is natural to fight against big, glaring sins that are evident to all. They are hard work to leave behind, but well worth the battle. Only after this is accomplished, will it be time to really do some deep cleaning in our souls; that internal struggle you face with your