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Arab Spring Isn’t All Blossoms
As we celebrate the “Arab Spring,” there are reminders that all doesn’t bloom evenly in the Arab world. The Church in Egypt is feeling the pressure. And an Iranian pastor sits in prison awaiting execution. Often when we see good things happening, what gets missed is the plight of the Church in regions of the world. In our prayers, we…
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The Passion of Pursuit
This past Friday night and Saturday I had the privilege of spending time in prayer with some great people in my church. For the short time we were together we simply spent it seeking the Lord. We had worship, times of prayer together, times of prayer on our own, and times of sharing what the Spirit was speaking to us.…
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Come aside… and wait
The admonition of the Lord to his disciples was to wait until they are clothed with power from on high. This weekend I get the opportunity to come aside with folks from my church to pray. The agenda is prayer for about 24 hours. While we don’t get the opportunity to “wait until…” we do get the opportunity to stop…
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The Call to Come Aside
Our church is preparing for a weekend prayer and fasting retreat. The agenda is simply prayer. We are using the Book of Acts as our starting point for prayer. In preparation this week, I am challenged by the command of Jesus: “Go and wait until you receive power.” Just wait. And wait until it happens. (Whatever “it” is.) It’s longer…
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Being Truly Spirit-Filled
One of my main thoughts from my message from Philippians 2 today: As a Pentecostal believing in the power of the Spirit, I will confess that all too often it is easy to see the true “power” of the Spirit in the manifestation gifts like healing, deliverance, prophetic words, etc. What we need to start seeing is the FULLNESS of…
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The Rage of the Prophets
I am off for a few days of vacation with family. Our attempt is to do as little as possible, which may be aided by a couple of days of storms. As I enter into a very short period of “rest,” my reading for the week will actually be JEREMIAH. What a combination! In this time of rest I am…
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Dallas Willard Paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer
Based on what Dallas taught in The Divine Conspiracy on the Lord’s Prayer, he wrote this paraphrase: Dear Father always near us, may your name be treasured and loved, may your rule be completed in us — may your will be done here on earth in just the way it is done in heaven. Give us today the things we…
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Lord, I’m a Wimp
Dallas Willard’s book The Divine Conspiracy walks us through the Sermon on the Mount. I have been posting from time to time this summer on his book as I work my way through it again. I want to understand more fully the cost of discipleship. The section he has on the Lord’s Prayer is helpful. This last part is great.…
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The Lord’s Prayer — “Forgive us our trespasses”
Dallas Willard’s thoughts on this particular part of the prayer get right to the point: Today even many Christian read and say “forgive us our trespasses” as “give me a break.” In the typically late-twentieth century manner, this saves the ego and its egotism. “I am not a sinner, I just need a break!” But no, I need more than…
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Come Now Your Kingdom
Dallas Willard walks through the Lord’s Prayer in a way that gets my mind to think more deeply about the prayer Jesus taught his disciples. He taught them to PRAY. I lack that passion at times in my own life. Today’s message is from Matt. 11:25-30 where Jesus invites the followers to take his yoke and learn from him. I…