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What’s Your Label?
36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. (Luke 1:36, CEB) Nothing is impossible with God. The labels we wear, the labels put on us…just don’t matter to God. If the Lord declares you “favored” that is the label you wear!
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The Use of the Plural in Genesis 3
I am on the Common English Bible Advent Blog Tour, which has afforded me a great opportunity to dig into this new translation more carefully. Overall, I love the freshness of the language. There is a fresh clarity to some phrases that I find helpful. Using a new translation always keeps me on my toes as I read very familiar…
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The Zeal of the Lord
The beauty of Advent is the realization that God loves humanity so much we don’t have to try and find him. He comes to us. His passion for us is real! 2 The LORD of heavenly forces proclaims: I care passionately about Zion; I burn with passion for her. (Zech. 8:2, CEB) His coming is about his passion for us. And…
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The Astonishing Power of the Spirit
Part of our Advent Reading has us in Zechariah. He is much nicer than Amos, and I’m sure he was invited to at least a few dinner parties. Zechariah prophesied in a time when Israel was at their lowest. They were back in Jerusalem trying to rebuild the Temple after the captivity. Those who could remember (or heard the stories…
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The View From Heaven
I really enjoy the Book of Revelation. When I get the voices of Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey, etc., out of my head, I really enjoy Revelation. There are pictures of worship in this book that draw the reader into the presence of God. We get a window into heaven in this book. When we worship on earth we need to understand…
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REMINDER of Giveaway
I would like to give away more Common English Bibles! HERE are the rules. Let’s hear from you!
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Words I Need to Hear
Michael Hyatt has a tremendous post on being a “hero” today. It’s worth your time reading. A couple of things I needed to hear: Stop complaining about a lack of resources. Has God called me to do what I am doing? Then he knows how to get it funded! Be in the moment and act. Good challenges for today!
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Emerging Victorious
One of the phrases repeated throughout the letters in Revelation is “those who emerge victorious” (Common English Bible). Often it is translated, “the one who overcomes.” Each of the seven churches have their issues. For a couple of them, very little is going right. For a couple of them, they are doing well spiritually but are suffering persecution. There are…
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Repent — Comparing NIV and CEB
It’s an old fashioned word. It’s a biblical word. It’s a word that fits an “old time” Pentecostal preaching method. I like the word! I get visions of Billy Sunday with his flaring high kick and his finger ready to come down as he glares into someone’s soul and cries out, “REPENT!” And I like the way the Common English Bible…
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The Things We Never Seem to Learn
When I teach Church History from the Reformation to the present I focus on my own denomination’s history in a couple of lectures. I will give students the good, the bad, and the ugly. We’ve certainly had our warts (which I remind them is true of ANY church movement in history). One of the things I tell them is we…
