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Pray With Joy

                   In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:4-6)                 Can you imagine anyone saying this about you? Or about your home church? Let’s start with a definition. What would someone praying with joy look like? Did Paul dance around the room clasping his hands to his chest, just bursting with positive emotion over what the Philippians were doing? Maybe. Did he sit, looking up with a beatific smile? Maybe. Or, maybe he looked forward to praying for them because he’d heard good news.                 I pray through a list of people on an a...
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To Him Be Glory

                          Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.   Ephesians 3:20-21)                 It seems to me that when I hear someone talk about this passage, it goes something like this: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Amen.” Even if I’m the someone . It’s natural and normal in our fallen world to turn to our benefit and forget about the details.                 Then, when something good does happen, it’s not unusual for us to say something ...
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Praise the Lord

                 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. (Psalm 135:3)                 Finally, brothers and sisters whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)                 Many years ago, there was a documentary about Stonehenge in which acoustical engineers analyzed the structure, and determined that the bending of the drumbeats back upon the priest at the center, especially along with drugs, had a powerful affect on the priest’s brain. Other studies have shown the great influence music has on people. It can help them remember, it can calm or excite, etc. So, the notion that singi...
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Feet of a Deer

                   For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. (Psalm 18:31-34)                 It would be so nice to have the feet of the deer and be able to stand on the heights. It’s be really cool to be physically in a condition in which I could do battle, and to have the training to do so. But why? For my area, I live fairly near what would be called the heights. The watershed isn’t that far. The Appalachian Mountains aren’t too far from here, but when I think of the heights, I think of the Rockies. The psalmist may have had great reason for having feet like deer so that he could stand on the heights, but that’s not somethi...
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Heaven and Earth

                     Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35)                 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.   But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. (II Peter 3:10-13) For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to f...
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The Victory

                   This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (I John 5:2-5)                 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one . (Ephesians 6:16)                 The main thing God gets out of your life is not the things you do, but the person you become. (Willard, Dallas, Renewing the Christian Mind .)        ...
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The Day After The Declaration

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7:14) They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)                 So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.   Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day. (Joshua  5:7-9)   For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities ,...
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