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Coal In My Stocking
There was coal in my stocking! I’ve been naughty. Right? Actually, receiving coal was funny, but it did provoke a serious question. Does God Give Bad Gifts? Does God give His children, believers in Christ, coal? Does God give bad gifts to His own? Nope. ““If you then, being evil, know how to give good…
Read MoreNo Sweet Christmas Music
photo: Nasa.gov Revelation gives us another view of Christ’s nativity. No sweet Christmas music here. Instead, think “Jaws,” and then music accompanying a fierce battle scene. War in Ages Past “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of…
Read MoreAre You the Only One Praying?
Review who and what you are praying for and about. Are you the only one praying for that person, or that issue, or that opportunity? You might be. What implication does that have for the fervency of your prayers? That possibility definitely helps me be consistent in my prayers, and heightens my sense of responsibility.…
Read MoreHere Be Dragons
Mapmakers used the phrase “Here Be Dragons” at the edges of their known world. * Beyond what they knew, there was danger, there were dragons. We often think of the future that way. Beyond the edge of our (confident) expectations, we often fear dragons are lurking. Too often, we focus on dragons, and not on…
Read MoreI Don’t Want To
But, Lord, I don’t want to. Have you ever said that to your Lord? I have. Ask yourself: “Is He Lord over your decision?” “Is He Lord over your life?” Recently I talked about being on the shelf. (See On the Shelf) So, learning my new area of service should be—will be–wonderful. But what if I…
Read MoreGive Us Grateful Hearts
“Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for Your many blessings. Make us mindful of the needs of others. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This Thanksgiving, take stock. Are you a grateful person? What are you grateful for? The Lord has given you and me many blessings–spiritual and earthly, eternal and temporal. I once heard someone…
Read MoreDistractions: A Spiritual Problem Too
Employees are bombarded with distractions: email, messages, unscheduled visitors, phone calls. It is a huge productivity problem, with well-paid consultants and programs attempting to improve focus on the tasks at hand. Researchers have found that it takes some time, perhaps 25 minutes, to reengage after an interruption. Distractions can be a spiritual problem as well.…
Read MoreWhen Encouragement is Wrong
I love to give and receive encouragement. And encouragement is—can be—a spiritual gift. (See A Little Help FOR Our Friends.) But it is possible to encourage evil, and that is not good. “Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his…
Read MoreYou’re in Christ’s Army Now
“You’re in the Army now. You’re in the Army now. You’re not behind a plow. You’re in the Army now.” I sang that ditty as a kid, never expecting I’d be in the Army. Ever. We’re in the Army Now But I am in the army now. And you, as a fellow Christian, are also…
Read MoreOn the Shelf
“The Lord has put me on the shelf.” That is “Christian-ese” for “I am not in service”; “I’ve been set aside.” Be careful. You may be in the Lord’s place of service, even though it isn’t how you want to be used. Watch how you interpret “on the shelf.” How about: “He is preparing me for something.”…
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