Reflections
Wrestling on the Promises
“For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love…” (Lamentations 3:31-32, ESV) Promises—they have the potential to do so much. They can give hope in times of waiting, bring sweet satisfaction when they are fulfilled, or bring heartbreak when…
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In What Do We Trust?
by Fred Swartz “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44, NKJV) My dialogue with…
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Remember
by Bev Hawkins “Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. Remember the day you…
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The Certainty of God’s Love
by Stephen Coney “. . . God wanted to make the unchangeable character of his purpose perfectly clear to the heirs of his promise . . .” (Hebrews 6:17, ISV) It was the Fall of 1978 and I was sitting in our Ford Falcon with my little sister as our Dad drove us to an…
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Spiritual Spursy
by Leslie Hall “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners,…
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Covenant Love
“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David”. (Isaiah 55:3, NAS95) I love pondering covenant: faithfulness to relationship. The preceding context to this verse speaks of a calling to repentance (without those words), but…
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To Be His
by Karen Huber “But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to…
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A Long Conversation
“It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14, NAS95) I’ve had an extended conversation with God about calling and purpose. I did not recognize it in full at the start. At the outset, a question stood out: what in…
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Called to Unity
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3, ESV) I’ve had…
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Open Ears
by Fred Swartz “And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” (Luke 7:35, ESV) My wife was talking recently as she has several times in the past about how much she dislikes phone calls now, at least for relatively mundane communication. Life with 7 children is, well, loud, so phone…
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