Tag: Religious
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Valentine: A Reflection
Note: This poem was first published on February 14 2022 Well, it’s this time of year once more, A day with a lot of history and lore. Of mister Valentine’s nocturnal weddings, All in the face of potential beheading.
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Vanity, Vexation & Victory
The book of Ecclesiastes seems to be the diatribe of a man who has taken wisdom and philosophy beyond the borders of most peoples’ thinking. Most people are vaguely and sometimes acutely aware of the vanities and vexations of life, but never pause to understand the whole system behind their suffering. Solomon underscores many different…
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The Promise, The Battle & The Wilderness
There are certain patterns in the Bible that repeat themselves enough that they should establish themselves with a certain degree of firmness in our minds. One of these patterns is the way in which God, His people and the enemy interact with the promises God makes. There are recurring themes with regard to God’s promises,…
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The History Of Halloween
Note: This post was first published on October 31, 2019, on this site. The history of Halloween is a long one. Many cultural practices have conspired to create the product we have today. I’ll try to present this information chronologically to avoid confusion, and will add a few of my own thoughts at the end.…
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Being The Same Person In All Places
Hypocrisy is an insidious thing. The problem is, we are all naturally evil, but we all have an innate desire to appear good. With these paradoxical aspects of us so deeply entrenched, we can become hypocritical without even thinking about it. To deepen the complexity, let’s add the fact that most of our social circles…
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Imagination: A Good Servant And A Bad Master
Francis Bacon—an English statesman and philosopher, whose life touched the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries—once wrote that “money is a great servant but a bad master.” Since that time, a few variations of the servant vs. master theme have been contrived and used by different people. One that I saw was applied to fire, another to…
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The Comforter
Throughout the Bible we see various descriptions and roles for the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. Some are emphasized more than others depending on our denominational affiliation or personal experience. In the past century or so, there has been an increasing awareness of the fullness or baptism of the Holy Spirit—an outpouring that…
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Counting The Cost
There are contradicting views out there concerning the cost of following Jesus. Some say that everything spiritual we receive is free. Or rather what they probably mean is that it’s paid for by someone else. Others will tell you that following Jesus and receiving His benefits will cost you everything. Which is right?
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The Spiritual Power Of Abortion
Abortion has been a hot-button topic in our nation for decades and the battle surrounding it has reached a fever-pitch. Mostly the cry against its abolition has reached a fever-pitch. And it raises the question: why are people so passionate about the right to kill babies in their most vulnerable stage of life?
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More Than We Ask Or Think
Most of us interact with people every day. At home, on the job, and in the public square. As we do so, it’s easy to become cynical because of all the shortcomings we see in those around us. And we can become discouraged because of the failures we see in ourselves. But the real tragedy…
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Biting The Hand That Feeds
In his natural state, man walks through life using the faculties and talents that are most readily available for his use in achieving his desires. Most never seem to pause and think of where their abilities come from or what they were intended for. As far as most seem to know, their abilities are happenstance,…
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The Lord Alone Will Be Exalted
So many people go through this life seeking accomplishment, honor and prestige. Everyone naturally wants to be someone. It’s in our DNA. But, some of us read the Bible and discover that temporal glory and wealth is vanity, and we supernaturally steer away from the extreme zeal the world has for these things. Ideally, we…
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Truth: An Anchor Or A Club?
In exploring the concept of truth and its function in our lives, I suppose we would do well to begin by defining it. Primarily, I understand truth to be a person and not just a concept. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life…” In saying this, He…
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The Test Of Praise & Pleasure
Most of us have heard of God’s refining fire—mostly in the context of suffering and pain. Much of the testing we receive by fire certainly does produce suffering. That’s why we’re called to endure to the end. There would be no need to endure if all was beauty and ease.
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A Future & A Hope
The other day I was watching a debate between John Lennox and Peter Atkins on YouTube. Debates are not something I typically enjoy, but I find John interesting, so I indulged. John Lennox is a Christian apologist with a background in math and bioethics and Peter Atkins is an atheist with a background in Chemistry.
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Is Isolation Healthy?
Is isolation healthy? I know this sounds more like a psychological question than a religious one, but the Bible lends clues and directions in all facets of life. For example, if you read through the Gospels, you’ll see that Jesus frequently got away from the crowds and went off by Himself.
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Riches & The Cares Of The World
What do riches and the cares of the world have in common? Many would think that they are in diametric opposition to one another. When you have riches, worldly cares disappear. If you have worldly cares, riches are obviously absent. So goes the conventional wisdom. And there is truth to it—to an extent, but many…
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There But For The Grace Of God, Go I
I have always enjoyed reading older books for multiple reasons. In my opinion literary art peaked during the Victorian era. Writers used flowery poetic language that would be considered disruptive to narrative by modern masters of the art. But I love language, so it is no disruption to me, but a delight. Another thing I…
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The Power Of The Word
There are many negative views regarding the word of God that swirl around, searching for minds and hearts that are vulnerable and ripe to be turned against it. Some samplings of such views might go as follows: It’s outdated. How could a book this old possibly provide for the complexity and nuances of our modern…
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When Evil Serves The Purpose Of God
Note: This post was first published on 2/28/2019 You may have read the title of this post and wondered if I have gone off the deep end. Well, I don’t think so. The purpose of this post is not to try and soften my characterization of evil in any way. I am not trying to…
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Concern For Posterity
5 Isaiah then said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of armies,6 ‘Behold, the days are coming when everything that is in your house, and what your fathers have stored up to this day, will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 7 ‘And some of your sons who will come from you, whom you will father, will be…
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Secret Place Or Secret Sin?
The carnal man is one who by definition lives by the flesh and not by the Spirit. He is one who sees life with a darkened understanding. And he fulfills the desires of the flesh—that is to say he sins. There are some who do so flagrantly without the least vestiges of shame. Then there…
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The Things You Think But Never Speak
Prelude: Psalm 32:3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted awaythrough my groaning all day long — ESV Poem: The things you think but never speak Are oft revealed in what you seek. The things you seek, speak more than words, Have a care—or they’ll be your lords.
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Lightly Healing A Wound
In Jeremiah Chapter 8, the prophet lays out some strong condemnation and dire warnings for the kings, priests, prophets and people of Judah. And while most of what he says pertains directly to the way God was dealing with and will deal with the Jews, I found a little nugget in there that can be…
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Protection From Deception
There is a lot of concern among many in the church about deception. Rightfully so. We are warned repeatedly in the Bible about false teachers and false prophets and about how deception will abound in the last days. We look across the modern landscape and say amen to those scriptures, realizing they are being fulfilled,…
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Facing Rejection Like Jesus
Rejection is something all people face to varying degrees. And it can be one of the hardest issues to cope with depending on severity, frequency, and source. I faced a lot of rejection throughout childhood and adolescence—mostly from peers. And I spent a long time trying to make sense of how to deal with it.
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The Valley Of Humiliation
As 2019 drew to an end and 2020 was coming in, a lot of people made the remark that this would be a year of 20/20 vision. Most seemed to think this would be a positive thing—as in God giving us vision in our enterprises and endeavors. What I found, as we marched through a…
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Waiting For & Hastening
2 Peter 3:10-12 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people…
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The Snare Of Indecision
Have you ever been at a cross-road where making a Spirit-led decision seemed impossible? I’ve been there more times than I care to count. Romans 8:14 says that all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Many of us take this to heart and as sons, we wait to hear…
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The Lion & The Lamb
So many of us have a hard time finding a balanced perception of God. Or put another way, we struggle to find an all-encompassing view of Him. Some of this has to do with the finite nature of our minds grappling with the magnitude of an eternal God. A lot of it has to do…
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Intentions Of The Heart
Something most people don’t often pause to consider is the intentions of their heart. I know I often skim over them or don’t see them at all. But then sometimes something stirs in me to remind me that the motive behind what I’m doing is just as important as the actual thing I’m doing. In…
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The Third Welsh Revival
Wales has a history of a few revivals, but the one most talked about is the third one, which by most accounts started in early 1904. In a town called New Quay there was a preacher named Joseph Jenkins. He is considered to be the leader of the early stages of the Welsh Revival.
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Zeitgeist
Although zeitgeist is a German word, it is widely used among English speaking people. It simply means the spirit of the age or the spirit of the time. Hiding in plain sight in this word is something most people who use the word, miss. That is the word spirit. Or rather the literal meaning of…
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Another Year
Another year gone, another begun. Just a blip on God’s radar—perhaps a mere blink of His eternal eyes. And yet it’s a trip around the sun. And it contains a lot for us mortals. So much can change in the blink of an eye, not to mention in a year. A lot of it is…
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Youth & The Dawn Of Life
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for…
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Christmas Reflections (A Poem)
It’s Christmas 2020 Looking back over the year, Some things were funny, Many things brought us fear. Would the virus destroy us? Would we go to the Pen, For not wearing a mask? Bad will between men.
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Freedom
Note: this post was first published on this site October 25, 2017 Freedom—the human spirit longs for it; people steal for it, go broke for it, even murder for it…and then there are people who actually fight for it and find it. This may come off as a strange or mysterious way to describe this…
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Hate Evil And Do Good
Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. –NIV 84’ I’ve gone through times in my Christian walk when I felt powerless over sin and evil. I had to wonder what people meant by saying we no longer have to sin after we become Christians. Supposedly we only…
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Sheltering In Place
As people in various states and occupations practice sheltering in place, they do so to avoid placing themselves in vulnerable situations physically. There was a time when Jesus’ disciples practiced sheltering in place, because of an order from their Master. It had nothing to do with their physical well being. It was for their spiritual…
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An Attitude Of Gratitude—No Exceptions
Note: This post was first published 8/30/2018 1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. —ESV How many times do we go through life reacting to the circumstances around us, and feeling justified in doing so? It is tempting to be thankful when…
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I Will Not Be Inquired Of By You
In the beginning of this chapter, the elders of Israel had come to inquire of the Lord through the prophet Ezekiel. Throughout the chapter, the Lord lays out to Ezekiel why He would not respond to their inquiry. Basically it had to do with idolatry.
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If God Would Not Move
Something I have noticed throughout my Christian walk is that many times God lets me see what I would be left with if He would not move on my behalf.
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Taste And See That The Lord Is Good
How often have we stood in the shadows and watched as others partake of the goodness of God, thinking instinctively that we have no portion in this? Even many who have some type of relationship with God, do not realize what is theirs experientially in Christ Jesus.
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The Slumber Of This Age
It’s like there is a lullaby playing on a PA system that reaches around the world. Spiritual slumber is settling like a cloud on hordes of Christians. With the availability of so many things that are spiritual poison to those who languish in them, many have done exactly that.
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Think About Such Things
The mind has been referred to by many as a battlefield. It is true, there are many ideas that contend for supremacy in the mind of man.
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Truth Has Stumbled In The Public Squares
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice
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The Love Of Many Will Grow Cold
Matthew 24:11-12 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. –ESV
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Discovering Israel—With Jonas & Kristi Troyer
On December 14th2018 Jonas and Kristi drove from their temporary home in Virginia to New York City to catch a flight from the JFK airport. They were beginning a two week trip to the Holy Land.
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Faith—A Simple Illustration
This chapter in Hebrews is notorious. It has many graphic illustrations of faith–practiced by those of whom the world was not worthy. I recommend reading the whole chapter if you want a deeper faith. But in this post I would like to explore this one verse. And share a simple illustration for those who may…
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When heaven descends
If you have been walking in the faith for any amount of time, you have probably wondered what your purpose is here on earth. Why were you made? What plan does God have for you? And what does any of this have to do with the title of this post?
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The Fingerprints Of God
As I go through life, many times simply trying to get through the next big hurdle, trying to meet the next deadline, or achieve my next self imposed goal, (not to be confused with a Kingdom goal) I can get pretty absorbed in mundane matters before I know it.
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Kingdom Goals For 2019
It is a well known tradition to make resolutions for the coming year, but I’ve found that for most people, those are setups for failure and disappointment. Most likely it’s because we enter into these resolutions with our own will and strength.
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Holy (& Wholly) Unto The Lord
I know some of these plays on words are cliché by now, but it struck me how true this one is, and I have never seen it before as far as I know, so it might even be original.
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Stimulation Does Not Equal Life
Many things in life are illusions, deceptions and counterfeits. If we have the Spirit of God as our counsel, and a healthy hunger for the truth, then this soon becomes obvious. The more we walk the walk of faith, the more we come to realize how little in this life is honest, real, and lasting.
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Nothing Can Separate Us…
Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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A Lamp On A Stand—A City On A Hill
Matthew 5:14 & 15 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. –ESV What does it mean to be a light? I…
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Going Through Life Like A Battering Ram
Some of the posts I publish are nothing more than a reflection of my own mistakes and the lessons I learned from them. Lucky for those who read my posts, I have made plenty of mistakes and shouldn’t have a shortage of materials any time soon. I am reminded, because this post definitely falls in…
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When Others Don’t Understand
Everyone has times when they feel alone and like no one understands their situation or their life. This can especially be the case for believers. Since our relationship with God is personal on most levels and corporate on a smaller level, there is a lot of room for misunderstanding.
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The Tightrope Of Life
There are many analogies thrown around, many metaphors given, and many philosophical statements made, in an attempt to encapsulate life and the world we live in. These methods create points of reference and pictures in our minds. So bear with me as I present yet another analogy.
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When The Harvest Is Not Yet
Here is a subject that seems appropriate for the fall season. It is a time when many in rural areas are harvesting what they have planted in the spring. You see pumpkins and cornstalks lining shops in town. Local produce has been available for some time now. Soon the leaves will change and fall—nuts will…
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Intelligence—A Poor Substitute For Wisdom
What is wisdom? I believe its definition has been broadened and cheapened over the years as society has devolved. If you do not set a correct premise and beginning for wisdom, then what grows from there is automatically faulty.
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Temporal Or Eternal—Where Is Your Reward?
The priorities of the human mind amaze me. The way we embrace delusion for reality, and temporal over eternal many times. Even the most strategic businessmen—who are well acquainted with waiting patiently for a reward—do not necessarily know much about storing up eternal wealth. Also, many people in the faith do not behave as though…
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Light—In The Midst Of Darkness
One would think that between light and darkness, the choice would be easy. If we were presented with a straight forward option between the two, it probably would be. The problem is, there is a friend of darkness who has strategies of glamorizing darkness and lying about its consequences. He presents doorways into darkness and…
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Mortifying The Flesh—In Order To Live
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. —KJV
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The Old Has Gone, The New Has Come
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. –ESV This is a familiar verse to many of us. It has probably also been an inspiration to many. How many of us became born again, and did not learn to…
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My Will Be Done, Or God’s Will Be Done?
The battle of the will is one that has spanned the ages. But no matter how many decades, centuries and millennia pass by, man is not content to honestly settle the issue of who knows best. Or who has supreme authority. This can extend into human authority that God has ordained as well.
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The Truth Hurts—But Only If You’re Living A Lie
We’ve all heard the old saying: “the truth hurts.” On face value it appears to be that way many times. You say something to someone without thinking. That person takes offense at what you said, even though you didn’t mean to be offensive. You have hit a nerve you didn’t know was there.
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The Disappointments Life Brings
Last week I wrote a post titled “The Fiery Trials Of Life.” This is a lite version of that post. Disappointments are not necessarily fiery, but they present trials in their own right. If a person does not learn early in life how to deal with disappointments, they often have stunted growth—in character and spirit.
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The Fiery Trials Of Life
Refining lives through trials is something we hear a lot about as believers. We nod our heads and recognize the self-evident truth of the matter. But when our turn comes we tend to be a little more skeptical about the necessity of the procedure.
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Alarm Clocks & Wedding Bells
We live in sleepy times. Times when people would rather shrug their shoulders and turn the other way than stand for something decent. On the other hand, there seems to be no trouble in finding people willing to stand for what is immoral, and hold it up as the highest of virtues. Alarm clocks and…
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The Art Of The Question
How many times do you find yourself slogging through life, thinking you’re on your own, and you have to figure everything out from scratch? I know I do it from time to time, and I used to do it a lot. Pride can be a factor in this, as well as inferiority. Funny how these…
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Uncircumcised Philistines
How many of you have uncircumcised Philistines in your life? Maybe they live rent-free in your head, mocking your dreams, visions, and goals, especially if they are Divinely inspired. Or they use other people to do it. Perhaps they speak through certain members of the media, or their political counter-parts, taunting the armies of God.…
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From OCD To Excellence
OCD has become a bit of a buzz word among millennials, and those who have bits and pieces of it, seem to wear it as a badge of honor. You will hear phrases such as, “I’m really OCD about keeping dust off my computer but a cluttered room doesn’t bother me.” Or you may hear…
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Don’t give worry time to demonstrate it’s value—
or soon you will have no time. No one can add a single hour to their lives by being anxious according to Matthew 6:27, and yet it comes naturally for many of us. Why do we have such a hard time believing that worry has no merits? First of all, many of the things we…
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