When religious leaders do not speak up, clearly speaking about the Word of God, we put those under our charge in spiritual peril—all because we don’t want to offend.
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The simple standard for the test is Jesus behavior is the Word of God.
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The reality is that because we know people, know their tones and attitudes, we can quickly conclude what point of view they are taking. Sometimes we do that too quickly. What if we don’t know the person? How do we “hear them”? What filters or lenses do we put their spoken and non-spoken communication through?
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When I find myself at odds with other believers, I work hard for unity, for oneness. Yet oneness does not have to mean we agree on everything. There are beliefs that are essential for all who claim to follow Jesus, and non-essentials.
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For me there is something about “sitting with the Word”. I read, I think about things going on in the world, and in my life…I mull over what God’s Word has to say to all of this…I pray. When I do that, I am simply putting my life “through” God’s Word.
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To thrive in our physical world, we equip ourselves in all sorts of ways. Consider the skills you possess to thrive in this physical world. You and I need to be well equipped with the Word of God.
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It’s Christmas Eve, and for many little ones, the waiting is almost over. When I was growing up, Christmas Eve was when we put up the tree and more. Our tradition was born, in part, from celebrating Advent, that season of preparation, that season of waiting. Our tradition also helped to keep my parents sane. There were four of us, and our excitement about Christmas grew exponentially as December 25th approached. Filling Christmas Eve with a mountain of things to do kept us fully occupied until we rushed to church at Midnight. It was a good plan. Yet the waiting…oh, the waiting to get to Christmas was torture!
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In Part One I joked about that Christmas classic, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” All kidding aside, as we seek to reach our loved ones for Jesus, we do not want them thinking, I got run over by a Christian! I doubt people truly seeking Jesus ever felt run over by him. Yes, the religious of his day—ever challenging him—got clobbered, but they were not truly seeking him. For those who seek him, his presence is grace-filled. Yet many may not be seeking him, and we want to invite them to meet Jesus. If your heart aches for those you love to meet Jesus, what can you do?
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Christmas: it comes with gifts of all shapes and sizes and prices. It has its own genre of music, which somehow includes “Silent Night” and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” As followers of Jesus, we sometimes lament how Christmas has morphed into any number of ideas, all of which seem to leave Jesus out. Phrases like “Keep Christ is Christmas” and “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” hit a sweet spot in our psyche. Beyond the slogans, there is a deep ache in our hearts; it is an ache for our family and loved ones who do not yet accept this child in the manger as Lord. That ache is magnified during the Christmas season. What do we do?
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