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On Your Honor
Honor and respect. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Aretha Franklin belted it out. We desire to get it, but do we give it?
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Thy Will Be Done
Have you ever wondered why there is such a poor witness in many a church these days? Scandals seem to be more common, and sadly, are even expected by a jaded world. Whether it be a lack of moral purity, greed, or the false idol of personal popularity, the world is watching and saying that religion is poison. And you know what? This type is!
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Are You a Hot Mess?
When the world or your life is falling apart, who do you turn to?
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A Slice of Humble Pie
"But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." [Isaiah 66:2 ESV] You would have to had nipped the strong drink of propaganda and then fallen sound asleep like Rip Van Winkle to not notice the lack of humility here in the United States, especially in the last six years or so. I mean, do the scriptures on humility above reflect our culture at all?
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A Reflection On Perfection
Have you ever considered the word "perfect?" It is used in many ways today, but I'd like to focus on the sense of the word used in scripture to describe Christ and His sacrifice: to lack nothing necessary to completeness, to be of consummate integrity and virtue. A rough analogy nowadays would be a perfect diamond, one without flaws in cut, color, or clarity. Such internally perfect diamonds are rare--less than 0.5 percent fall into this category. They are also full of faceted beauty. In the spiritual world, there is only One who is perfect, whose beauty is so great that mortal man cannot bear the vision and live: "our…
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Faith or Fable
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:5-6 ESV]
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Gethsemane
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. [John 12:24 NIV]
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Self-Love: The Antithesis of Christ
Even a cursory perusal of the news, Facebook posts, or Twitter feeds is witness to an abject lack of love in the world. How many of the snarky memes and angry comments build us up or seek the good of our neighbor? They rather seek their own good and go out of their way to tear down anyone of a different political persuasion these days. The lack of respect for others is truly troublesome. Is it any wonder Jesus said of the last days, "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." [Mat 24:12 ESV]
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Speak Life
Did you know that one of the best ways to speak life into any situation or heart is to speak truth? Particularly, God's truth. No, I am NOT talking about any word-of-faith-type theological ball of tangled yarn. I am simply saying that if you want to lend light and wisdom to a situation, or encourage someone to walk in faith and godliness, speak God's truth. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life." [Jhn 6:63]
![For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. [Isa 57:15 ESV]](https://i0.wp.com/lampstanddevotions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SunRays.jpg?resize=1140%2C758&ssl=1)
