It May Not Be As It Seems

On a recent walk I saw something odd on a branch of a tree. Was it an animal? Bird? Strangely formed leaves? When I got closer, I took a photo, and when I enlarged it… We are warned about spiritual deception. Not everyone is as they seem! Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.…

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Need Encouragement?

A close up of pink flowers on an apple tree.

Need Encouragement? This has been a hard nearly two years. I’m tired. You may be as well. Constant trouble generally leads to physical fatigue and, often, spiritual fatigue.  God’s word speaks to us about this, and shows us what to do to be encouraged. David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him,…

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Forget Not His Benefits

A person is standing in a cave looking at the ocean.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits. (Psalm 103:1–2)  This Thanksgiving, let’s resolve to forget not His benefits. Psalm 103 has a starter list:             He pardons all your iniquities.             He heals all your diseases.             He redeems your…

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TODAY is Part of His Glorious Plan!

A sunset over a garage with trees in the background.

Sunrise at home God, Almighty God, through His providence, works all things according to His purpose, after the counsel of His will.  We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.  (Ephesians 1:11) Whatever is in your life today is part of His glorious…

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Are You Teachable?

A book shelf with many books on it.

A college basketball coach said many “sand lot” players had extraordinary skills, but that only some were coachable, and that only the ones who were coachable would play in college. What a shame to lose developing that talent. They limited their futures from refusal to learn, failure to be coachable, inability to be teachable. Unteachable…

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Hated?

A black and white photo of a skunk in the grass.

Someone I know had trouble with her freshman college roommates. She didn’t drink or run around and her roommates found that disgusting! The fact that she didn’t criticize them wasn’t enough. She didn’t do what they did. She wasn’t one of them. In that situation, I think the roommates were appalled by her Christian beliefs…

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The Hard Messy Middle

A dirt road in the middle of a field.

We are in the hard messy middle between salvation from sin’s penalty and being saved from the presence of sin. We are learning how to walk according to the Holy Spirit and to reject living like the world. We are in the process of being saved from the power of sin. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat…

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Began and Ends with Joy

A trail in the woods with yellow leaves.

The World Began with Joy When God made the world, there was singing and shouts of joy. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? … When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?  (Job 38:4–7) The World Ends with Joy Hallelujah! For the Lord our…

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Equipped for Purpose

A dark sky with a fire in the sky.

Harry Durgin Facebook; Kilauea Eruption, September 2021 God didn’t just throw us into the world, saying: “Sink or swim.” We were created on purpose. We are where we are on purpose. We are given work to do. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that…

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Partiality Is Sin

The sun rises over a river in a foggy morning.

God doesn’t look at outward appearances, but at the heart. God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)  God’s standards are always the same. It doesn’t matter whether you are Jew or Gentile, your race, your ethnicity, your gender, your income, your looks.…

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