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Showing posts from September, 2017

Barefoot Worship

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Joshua 5:13-15 (KJV) And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. One of the first things I do when I arrive home after work is kick off my shoes. The feeling of soft carpet, cool tile and smooth wood on my feet reminds me of childhood. When I was a kid, I spent the whole summer barefooted--indoors and out. All the kids in our neighborhood did the same. We were a crazy, barefooted, suntanned tribe. A theophany is a face-to-face mee

Rest Assured

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Mark 6:30-31 (KJV) And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Every weekday, as I leave my office, I watch parents pick up their children from our daycare and hurry out to their cars in the parking lot. If you've never attempted to put a toddler in a car, it's a long, involved process. While most families are in a hurry to leave our building and get home, there are a few who linger behind. They stroll along the sidewalk, stopping to notice flowers, bugs, or the Canada geese who feed in our front yard. One father and son often play catch with a small football. While mothers make plans for play dates, their children follow butterflies in the garden. When I find myself overbooked, overworked and overwrought, a time fo

Fighting For Faith

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Jude 1:3 (KJV) Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. When I was younger, I avoided conflict at all costs. I once slipped a letter of resignation under the office door of my former boss to dodge an uncomfortable conversation. This may be difficult to believe, because I'm so sociable now. In the passage from Jude, the apostle encourages us to "contend for the faith." Some days, faith comes pretty easy. Those valley days, though. They make me have to fight every step of the way. When faith is an uphill battle, I try to remember that God is enough. He's stronger and more powerful than any foe. I just need to remember to put my faith in the Savior's capable hands. *** Notable Quote: "Faith is not without worry or care, but faith is fear that has said a prayer."

Rain Down Love

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1 John 4:17-19 (KJV) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. I've been thinking about love lately, and everything that goes with it. Love can wipe out pain, guilt, sorrow--among others. However, all of these things are a by-product of love. It's a paradigm. My precious daughter is going through a season of pain. A friend, a gifted artist, is slowly losing her eyesight. Our tiny church has been without a pastor for a year. The people of Texas are struggling to recover from an epic storm. Although love spawns heartache, it also brings reward. We must not ever fear to love. Love is from our Father, and He will not allow fear to deprive us of love's joys. I know God is still in the miracle business. My prayer i