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Look to what SETS FREE
Jesus constantly challenged the bound up authority of religious rulers because he was there to demonstrate the rule of the KING. The inmates were trying to run the asylum, and that just never goes well. We too often default to pretend spiritual formation, which drifts to legalism, because we can’t measure the heart. We don’t trust the Spirit to do…
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Rock and the hard place
There is a saying where you can find yourself “between a rock and a hard place.” Yesterday was one of those days. There are just those intense moments… or hours… or days… when the pressure is so intense. Even crying out to God seems laborious. Psalm 40 is a cry for help. It is the psalmist assuring God he (the psalmist) is…
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Remembering Steve Hill
It’s hard to believe the Brownsville Revival was almost 20 years ago. The Toronto Blessing and the Brownsville Revival were incredible influences on my life. I did not get to go to Toronto, and when Brownsville first broke out I did not have a chance to get there early. But I had a friend who was able to get to…
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Understanding the LAVISHNESS of his grace
Pause, if you will, for just a few minutes to read Paul’s opening in 1 Corinthians and somehow take in this thought: “ALL I need is provided. ALL is mine in Christ Jesus. I do not lack.” 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore…
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Daniel’s Prayer of Confession
In this season, it’s not just about “our” sins (on a personal level), but OUR sins as a whole. When Daniel gave confession for Israel, he didn’t lay it on those who had gone before. He had done nothing wrong in his life to personally bring Israel into captivity, but in this prayer, he inserts himself into the confession. Note…
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Holy Spirit Proving Grounds
The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. (Matt. 4:1-11) There are places where the Spirit will lead us to test our character. Even if the event seems intense, it’s a “controlled environment.” We miss those proving ground tests all too often in our own lives. We have weak theologies that don’t believe in a devil, or…
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We wake up to the 1980s and the Cold War
I went away for a couple of days and come back to the 1980s? Two views (among many) take an extended look into what has gone wrong.
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The invitation to new starts
Lent isn’t about giving up alone. It’s about examination. It’s about new opportunities that don’t involve selling products in multi-level marketing schemes. New opportunities in the Spirit. New opportunities to be reminded of the fresh start we can receive by the power of the Spirit. Walk in those opportunities! 31 Abandon all of your repeated sins. Make yourselves a new heart…
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Lent is not just “giving up”
Don’t let Lent just be about giving up social media, or chocolate, or meat. Allow it to be a focus on what Christ wants to do IN you. I would suggest NOT fasting media, but paying more attention to what is going on beyond our own needs. To pray for the “hot spots” like Ukraine, the overlooked like Venezuela and…
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Lenten Resources
Two places to bookmark for Bible reading and devotional resources: Daily Readings Daily devotionals sent to your inbox.
