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Taste and See
This morning in our Sunday worship service we sang a song about the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. I was glad to enter into worship with sincere gratitude for His faithful goodness to me and to my church community. Some of us have known each other for many decades, and our heritage of friendship, commitment and so-journeying faith is a rich tapestry portraying the unifying love of God, which He so graciously bestowed in our hearts. The fact that I do not doubt His love for me is due in part to the many evidences of His love I have seen expressed in the lives of the people He…
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From the Community
Regarding the “Come Unto Me” post, Debbie shares: “This was perfect for me. I’m currently in a situation that is causing unrest, and also in another area I’m experiencing peace that I need to express my gratitude for. I frequently find myself missing the forest for the trees, and what you said about external rest not providing internal rest reminded me again of the futility of my efforts if the effort isn’t focused on Him. Also, the journaling prompts help me put it all together to give it to Him, for His glory. Thanks for what you do.”
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“Come Unto Me….”
Home from our week of vacation, I am so grateful for seasons of rest and the rhythm of labor and rest that God designed for us in this life on planet earth. I am also aware that I sometimes mistake physical rest for the preferred state of being at rest on the inside. Ceasing my labors is not necessarily a trigger that ceases my internal unrest; as well, in the life of Christ, I can be physically exhausted and still have internal rest, peace and calm. Even so, in the moments and days when circumstances grant a lightened load of physical labor, I endeavor to focus on Him, come to…
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Awe and Wonder
I’m sitting on the balcony of our condo on Dauphin Island overlooking the Gulf beach, and I am mindful that His creation declares His glory. The existence of all this beauty speaks of His wonder and majesty as nothing else can. The symphony of crashing waves, crying seagulls, and roaring wind echoes through the universe with one magnificent theme: To God be the glory, great things He has done! He says of Himself in the epic discourse with Job, “Who shut in the sea with doors,When it burst forth and issued from the womb;When I made the clouds its garment,And thick darkness its swaddling band;When I fixed My limit for it,And set bars and…
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On Being A Witness
A witness gives testimony of what they’ve seen and heard. “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” (Isaiah 43:10 NASB) According to this verse, we are chosen to know Him and believe Him, and our witness – having eyes on Him and ears tuned to hear Him – is of who He is and what He’s about. I used to think my testimony was of my experience and how my choices honored or dishonored the Lord. I…
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Week Nine
Well, my friends, welcome to the final post in this Bible reading series. Our Scripture journey has been through some of Paul’s letters, some of John’s gospel and letters, and we stopped for a brief look into the book of Hebrews. The way has been rich and challenging. By “rich,” I mean deeply and personally valuable, full of life-giving and life-sustaining deposits. By “challenging,” I mean provocative instruction that strengthens and motivates forward motion. For, as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (NASB)…
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Week Eight
The story is a long one. I’m talking about God’s story, into which you and I have been born at a specific and strategic time on His Kingdom calendar. Do you live with a long view? I don’t always, and for most of us the current culture trains us to live only for the moment. God’s way and His Kingdom are entirely contrary to instant self gratification and constant self preservation. His way is “other than.” It is a Kingdom of love, and as followers of Christ, we are on a long journey into love, the very fabric of God Himself, who IS love. As an avid reader, I’ve always…
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Week Seven
I have been so grateful this week for the fellowship of the saints and particularly for Frankie’s comments on our scripture reading this past week. Her thoughtful words reminded me again of these verses in Ephesians 3:17-19: “…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.” (NKJV) It really is together that we know Him in fulness. Isn’t it wonderful to know…
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From the Community-Week 6
Frankie shares: “No words can adequately convey really what Jesus conveyed so perfectly in John 14-17. John 15 says so much more to me than I could express here. All I know is the Word is changing me, and it is His doing.” ” Jesus so beautifully laid out in John 14-17 His plan for walking in His way, living in His truth, being transformed by His life, and pursuing true knowledge of Him as His true disciples through the power of His Word, His love, and His Holy Spirit toward true unity that makes Him known in this world.” “John 15—Abiding in Christ (Phil 3:9, Col. 2:10) the true Vine…
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Week Six
I have found a particular delight in the book of Colossians this week. The divine mystery that power is available to us through the Holy Spirit to grow in the true knowledge of God has captured my heart. I find I am mindful that “knowing” and “believing” are not the same thing. I can know with my mind a truth I don’t believe in my heart, and I can believe a truth in my heart that I do not know intellectually with my mind. The evidence is this: I believe God, whose thoughts are not mine, whose ways are inscrutable and whose heart is unfathomable. My choices reflect truth I…