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Thanksgiving Day Shopping?
So the “horrible” news is that even Macy’s and Penney’s will be open on Thanksgiving night. People are “horrified.” Here’s the thing: they will open because SOMEONE… and a LOT of someones are going shopping! So, if you are upset, don’t “petition.” Here is a novel thought: JUST DON’T GO. If everyone “upset” by this news did NOT show up……
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Let me be shameless in my prayer!
In Matthew 9 we have the story of the woman dealing with disease for all that time and hearing that Jesus was nearby. She reached out. She pressed in. She overcame all societal barriers to give one last-gasp effort for healing. I need that shameless attitude in my own life. There needs to be more than boldness. There needs to…
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Heartbreaking Headlines
Just perusing headlines on a news site reveals the incredible polarization of our world and wealth. One headline said this: “Couple in China ‘sell’ their daughter for an iPhone.” A couple of headlines down was this: “HSBC unit ordered to pay about $2.46B in lawsuit.” The vast differences between “worlds” pricks my heart and causes me to pray a bit…
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The joy of giving
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did not say, “IF you give…” He said, “WHEN you give…” We can hassle over tithe or some mandatory number, like 10%. But, why? The point is GIVING. Why give at all? Giving is a bold statement, which is why I try to push myself past an arbitrary number like 10%. Giving says,…
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I know where I want my mansion in heaven
Okay, okay. I am not talking literal mansion. But if there was one… please take my request. I want it next to John MacArthur’s mansion. He’ll have a big one. He’s become more righteous than us all. When I was first in ministry I soaked in MacArthur’s style of expository preaching. I knew he didn’t think too much of the Charismatic movement,…
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The scary thing about prayer
When we pray we will learn to listen. That listening part gets scary. When I am listening I find the Lord challenging me for MORE. We need to hear from heaven. We need to hear HIS will. When he calls us out for more we need to respond. It is the work of prayer that scares me. The thing to…
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Happy Anniversary
I was informed by a WordPress notification this is my 5th Anniversary for this blog. I’ll never match tremendous numbers of “hits” or views like other great friends of mine, but I have enjoyed the process. Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. Thank you to those who let me know in person that you read my blog. It’s…
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Anxiety and the Kingdom of God
There is a place of freedom we can truly find in the Kingdom of God. It’s often seen as “beyond reach,” or for when we “get to heaven,” but when Jesus talks about the abundance of the Kingdom of God he is speaking directly to tremendous benefits. Benefits NOW. Expectations NOW. In Matthew 6:25-34 he talks about freedom from anxiety. Grab…
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It’s Not a Gun Culture
In the past few weeks, just from the “world of sports,” I have observed something again and again. When something tragic happens, like a mass shooting, we get reflective over being a “gun culture.” I don’t think we’re a “gun culture.” I think we’re a culture of violence. The gun owners who give the snide remarks about banning bricks or…
