tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75827088653266198822024-03-05T02:21:37.168-05:00Beautiful Freedom...we are fearfully and wonderfully made...the source of that is our only Hope...Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-75149173877891713412017-10-10T14:33:00.000-04:002017-10-10T14:33:48.022-04:00Cultivate What Matters...worth the read. <img alt="You know all those things you've always wanted to do?" class="intro__handwriting" src="http://laracasey.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Cultivate-Webpage-Handwriting.png" /><br />
<br />
I came across this book and blog and so grateful for this statement. It rings so true on so many levels. Such a sweet gift. These words are on repeat.<br />
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Check it out: http://laracasey.com/cultivate/<br />
Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-13788343311595702162015-02-12T10:53:00.002-05:002015-02-12T10:53:43.087-05:00I know there is a God.<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote>
“God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, <strong>meet everyday</strong>, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, <strong>your love</strong>.
Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks
you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, <strong>“No, I do not believe there is a God. I <em>know</em> there is a God.”</strong><br />
~Ernest Boyer, Jr.</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-52811249138749545822014-09-23T10:31:00.004-04:002014-09-23T10:31:38.989-04:00Fierce Woman - Kim Wagner<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">The truly beautifully fierce woman has an otherworldly strength derived from a source beyond herself. She’s plunged in fully to the forgiveness and love of Christ, and He holds her heart so completely that she’s reached true contentment. Her identity is forged through abiding in Him, and her courage is displayed by her commitment to Him and His cause. He is her driving motivation and propels her by the wind of His Spirit. Her passion is stoked by His fire. She is no “halfhearted creature” but is drinking deeply of Him and experiencing infinite joy. She is a warrior at heart—not violent or aggressive—but tempered by humility. She’s a soft warrior; fleshing out the beauty of fierceness in her daily life. Loving God and others with sacrificial devotion. This is the kind of fierceness I’m talking about when I said I love to see a fierce woman in action. I strive for this ideal. Check her out in the characteristics below. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;"><b><br />Characteristics of a Beautifully Fierce Woman</b>:</span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">Her identity and value are rooted in her relationship with Christ rather than a relationship with a man.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She’s filled with gratitude for God’s good gifts. Her heart is ruled by the peace of contentment.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She courageously faces her fears rather than running or hiding in shame.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She’s passionate about things that matter rather than living for the trivial.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She loves God and others. She’s more focused on giving love than getting love.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She’s willing to battle for a worthy cause rather than shrinking in defeat.She grabs the hem of God’s will and doesn’t let go.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She protects and defends the helpless rather than using her strength to bully others. She is known as a sincere encourager.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She’s honest but kind.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">Others feel comfortable in seeking her counsel.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She embraces God’s Word as her ultimate authority rather than being swayed by the voices of the culture.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She faithfully confronts by speaking truth in love rather than enabling sin by keeping silent.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She walks in confidence and humility that flow from her recognition of Christ’s work of grace in her life.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">She has the power to influence and inspire because she lives under the Spirit’s control.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">Her life is lived all out for God’s glory rather than the smallness of self.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">God wants to use these characteristics to fulfill His calling on your life. I love seeing how the fierce women of Scripture did this. Esther courageously stood ready to perish as she fought for the lives of her people. Deborah led the armies of Israel to victory in spite of fearful Barak. Priscilla, along with her husband, Aquila, once literally “risked her neck” to save Paul’s life (see Romans 16:4); she was bold, courageous, and a diligent student of the Word.</span></span></span>Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-66722115184075195992014-09-17T16:40:00.001-04:002014-09-17T16:41:22.916-04:00Secret of Contentment...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04wDCxPLxSp_04leuIvjCVlhn-gu3XD_kGlKKCQJOVsFFOhIV0vFZOg4U92gGJLtcGNPEToWNK_OOnif9IqpGstMYmAzApYV_w3TLXReR7FToDd7y00hXGFkkWmDPMaiKnti5JyJ87iay/s1600/Matanuska_Glacier_mouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04wDCxPLxSp_04leuIvjCVlhn-gu3XD_kGlKKCQJOVsFFOhIV0vFZOg4U92gGJLtcGNPEToWNK_OOnif9IqpGstMYmAzApYV_w3TLXReR7FToDd7y00hXGFkkWmDPMaiKnti5JyJ87iay/s1600/Matanuska_Glacier_mouth.jpg" height="253" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have
learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in
need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being
content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living
in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him [Christ] who gives me
strength. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Philippians 4:11-13</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Discontentment
can be dangerous. It can drive us to hasty decisions or unwise actions we later
regret. A desire to be someone we’re not, a wish to be somewhere we don’t need
to be or a motivation to have something not ours--can easily derail our life.
Why let our discontentment obsess over the thrill of the chase, when
contentment patiently waits on the joy of all Jesus has for us. Contentment has
a way of cleansing our motives. It moves us closer to Christ’s heart. <br />
<br />
Contentment is the ability to endure hardships or handle prosperity. If we are
never satisfied, always in want of a little bit more, we are set up for
disappointment. More relationships, more stuff or more opportunities only
complicate and confuse our life, if they become the object of our affections.
Or, we may struggle under the weight of adversity. It can crush our contentment
unless we see God at work where we are unable to work. Contentment grows our
trust in Jesus.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord,
who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to
his service” </span></i>(1 Timothy 1:12).<br />
<br />
Paul understood the fruit of contentment. He was a work in progress, but by
God’s grace he had progressed. He used hard times to better understand the
heart of God. While in jail, he started the first jail ministry and he penned
profound words of truth. Contentment was the canvas of his life on which
the Lord painted His beautiful masterpiece of grace. From the beginning of His
walk with Jesus he submitted to whatever He wanted. Christ working through him
was his big secret!<br />
<br />
Therefore, we stay enrolled in the school of contentment for it is a lifelong
educational process. Like wisdom and humility, we are always learning and
growing in the discipline of contentment. The secret is surrender to Jesus
Christ and by faith allowing Him to live His life through us. His strength
sustains us. His Spirit empowers us. His wisdom enlightens us. His humility
humbles us. His love embraces us. The secret of contentment is resting in
Jesus. It's trusting Him to handle the rest we can’t control. Prayerfully we
wait on God’s best. Contentment in Him is great gain!<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Godliness with contentment is
great gain” </span></i>(1 Timothy 6:6).<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Prayer: </span></b>Heavenly
Father, I surrender to You and Your expectations for my life. I trust in Christ
to strengthen my soul. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Related Readings: </span></b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+131%3A2%3B+Proverbs+19%3A23%3B+2+Corinthians+12%3A9%3B+Ephesians+3%3A16%3B+Colossians+1%3A11&version=NKJV">Psalm
131:2; Proverbs 19:23; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">By: Wisdom Hunters Devotional </span></span></span>Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-30849146078643862822014-06-12T16:07:00.002-04:002014-06-12T16:07:45.701-04:00Be Satisfied with Me<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Be Satisfied with Me</div>
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by St. Anthony of Padua</div>
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Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with another, To be loved thoroughly and
exclusively.</div>
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But to a Christian, God says, "No, not until you are
satisfied, Fulfilled and content with being loved by Me alone, With giving
yourself totally and unreservedly to Me.</div>
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With having an intensely personal and unique relationship
with Me alone.</div>
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Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be
found, Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship, That I have
planned for you.</div>
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You will never be united to another</div>
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Until you are united with Me.</div>
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Exclusive of anyone or anything else.</div>
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Exclusive of any other desires or longings.</div>
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I want you to stop planning, to stop wishing, and allow
Me to give you The most thrilling plan existing . . . one you cannot imagine.</div>
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I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it
to you.</div>
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You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things.</div>
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Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.</div>
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Keep listening and learning the things that I tell you.</div>
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Just wait, that's all. Don't be anxious, don't worry
Don't look around at things others have gotten Or that I have given them Don't
look around at the things you think you want, Just keep looking off and away up
to Me, Or you'll miss what I want to show you.</div>
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And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a
love Far more wonderful than you could dream of.</div>
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You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have
for you is ready, I am working even at this moment To have both of you ready at
the same time.</div>
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Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me And the
life I prepared for you, You won't be able to experience the love that
exemplified your relationship with Me.</div>
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And this is perfect love.</div>
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And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful
love, I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me.</div>
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And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting
union of beauty, perfection and love that I offer you with Myself.</div>
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Know that I love you utterly. I AM God.</div>
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Believe it and be satisfied.</div>
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-85048209849729530212014-06-01T15:24:00.002-04:002014-06-01T15:25:33.384-04:00A Prayer for Enjoying the Sabbath Rest of the Gospel - Scotty Smith<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
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<header style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><h3 class="blog-list-title" style="-webkit-hyphens: auto; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Abel, Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6em; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.2em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-break: break-word;">
<a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2014/05/25/a-prayer-for-enjoying-the-sabbath-rest-of-the-gospel/" style="background-color: black; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white;">A Prayer for Enjoying the Sabbath Rest of the Gospel</span></a></h3>
<div class="date-author" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-size: 0.85em; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">May 25, 2014 | Scotty Smith</span></div>
</header><article class="general-post" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: proxima-nova; line-height: 28px !important; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.75em;">
<div class="p1" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest</em>. <span class="s1" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Heb. 4.1-3" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Heb.%204.1-3" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Heb. 4:1-3</a> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest.</em> <span class="s1" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Heb. 4.9-11" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Heb.%204.9-11" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Heb. 4:9-11</a></b></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> Heavenly Father, on this Lord’s Day morning, I rejoice in the magnificent paradox these Scriptures present: We’re to <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">strive</i></b> to enter your <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">rest</i></b>. What a glorious irony—work hard to rest well, stay restless till we rest fully, work hard to cease working.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> Yet no real surprise, because the gospel contradicts the fundamental way I’ve been trained to approach <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">every</i></b> sphere of life—athletics, education, finances, career, and reputation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> “You deserve it, go earn it.” “God helps those who help themselves.” “You’ll always get what’s coming to you, so go get it.” “You can do <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">anything</i></b> you set your mind to do.” These mantras we’re drilled into me since I was a child, and they’ve failed me ever since.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> But (hallelujah), because the gospel is true, I <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">didn’t</i></b> get what’s coming to me, Father. You gave that to Jesus at the cross. And in exchange, you’ve given me what I <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">never</i></b> could’ve deserved or earned: complete forgiveness, the righteousness of Jesus, and your permanent favor resting on me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> There’s no greater rest than to know you are at peace with us—to be <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">certain </i></b>that you are resting and rejoicing over us in love. Our never-ending calling, now, is to hear and believe <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">this</i></b>gospel; and to respond accordingly. We now obey you <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">because</i></b> you love us—not to <b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">get</i></b> you to love us, and O, the difference that makes. Hallelujah, many times over!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> What a most liberating vocation you’ve given us. We serve you, not to get anything more, but simply more of you—to glorify you and enjoy you forever. O glorious Sabbath rest! So very Amen I pray, in your holy and grace-full name.</span></div>
</article>Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-34174347826633014932014-05-25T20:31:00.002-04:002014-05-25T20:34:40.079-04:00Excerpt from my Thesis...Well as I drag my feet in completing my thesis one giant leap of a chapter at a time, I wanted to share with you some of the first chapter and the purpose behind writing my thesis on image - precisely being made in the image of God. This is something I do not believe we focus on or understand the power of being His creation made in His image. Here goes nothin...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uQHHvzNciQ3MZ-9mcFKrMSPYp6QPLj2vR4PlN168_prIEnqGFvSTVJKEEVU5tmjsQKYdBvH-17rj-zbC5HG14VzzZctF52RvNWBYbENO0MJ0uCKq1WadlORmlRWpb6etW0Rko121eyNA/s1600/220px-Peter_Pan_1915_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uQHHvzNciQ3MZ-9mcFKrMSPYp6QPLj2vR4PlN168_prIEnqGFvSTVJKEEVU5tmjsQKYdBvH-17rj-zbC5HG14VzzZctF52RvNWBYbENO0MJ0uCKq1WadlORmlRWpb6etW0Rko121eyNA/s1600/220px-Peter_Pan_1915_cover.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Irenaeus
once said, “The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the
vision of God.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beginning of Genesis testifies man
being made in the image of God. Isaiah 43:6-7 points out the purpose, “I will
say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my
sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,<b> </b>everyone who
is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
God created us in his image to best glorify himself. Sinclair Ferguson stated,
“In Scripture, image and glory are interrelated ideas. As the image of God, man
was created to reflect, express, and participate in the glory of God, in
miniature, creaturely form.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
more we resemble God the more we naturally glorify him and experience the
fullness of life. Romans 8:16-17 reads, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our
spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God
and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Him</span> so that we may also be glorified with <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Him</span>.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> What
a beautiful picture of our heritage as children of the King. However, from the garden
to today there is a battle within to be known, to be heard, to know one’s
purpose in this life. Why are we not satisfied with our Creator and what he has
created? What is it about needing to take a bite from the forbidden fruit
hoping it will reveal, ease, satisfy, and numb what is missing? There is a
story to be told from the beginning of time and one that includes us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Peter
Pan was always a favorite as a child. The excitement of adventure, thrill of
staying young, freedom from rules, and flying with pixie dust all sounded like
a dream. There is a part in the book where J.M. Barrie writes, “Off we skip like the most heartless things in the world,
which is what children are, but so attractive; and we have an entirely selfish
time, and then when we have need of special attention we nobly return for it,
confident that we shall be rewarded instead of smacked.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> This
quote from Peter Pan explains many of us, our deep down desires and erroneous
view of God. We want to do what we want and when we need God, we will go to him
in hopes for “grace” and no consequences. The other half sees God with wounded
eyes, with irrational fear of God’s character and love for his heir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
natural inclination of the heart, one created to glorify God is marred by sin.
Sin has stained the image of God in us, but it has not destroyed it. However,
with that sin draws our heart to reflect the images and idols around us. We
have begun to worship the creation and not the Creator. God speaks these words
in Genesis 6:5-6, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the
earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">heart</span> was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had
made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">heart</span>.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
does living in this tension look like and how do we get to a place of truly
having a biblical view of image?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;"> Hedges, Brian. <i>Christ Formed In You</i>.
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<span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <i>The English Standard Version Bible</i>.
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<span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ferguson, Sinclair B. <i>The Holy
Spirit</i>. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1996, 139-140.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <i>The English Standard Version Bible</i>.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Barrie, J.M. <i>Peter Pan</i>. New York City: Henry Holt
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7582708865326619882#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span><i>Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: New American Standard
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-77258570802130737122014-05-23T21:21:00.000-04:002014-05-23T21:23:58.986-04:00"7 : An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess"<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 22px;">I haven't read a book in a long time that has challenged me as a whole in a long time and 7 by Jen Hatmaker has done it. I am only on the third chapter and my whole being is engrossed and cannot put down researching justice, changing my perception of what I want vs. what I need and single handily pillaging my closets and drawers. </span></span></i></b><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Below is more about the book and I hope you take the time to read it and trrrryyyyy it! Ehhh hmmm there are modified versions of each of the experiments. God's at work and I'm loving how He is using Jen's story to challenge me. I can say I feel closer to Jesus and the true heart of His purpose then I have in a long time when it comes to possessions, waste, food, clothes, media, stress, and shopping. </span></span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">You will be challenged, you will laugh, you'll want to love deeply, sometimes pull your hair out and occasionally whine over how hard it is. It will rock your world, but all because it bring more glory to God. It's getting back to the simplistic idea of loving God and loving others. It is after all the only commandments the Lord gives us in the N.T.</span></span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><i><br /></i></b>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><i>"7 : An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess"</i></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> - </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">7 is the true story of how Jen took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.</span></span><br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-69270699668313759832014-02-12T07:20:00.004-05:002014-02-12T07:23:37.383-05:00Think of the other world...<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">- C.S. Lewis</b></span></div>
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-26516523202486294922013-08-27T12:46:00.000-04:002013-08-27T12:47:05.354-04:00Ann Hasseltine Judson's Letters...<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-35122715307794199642013-08-27T00:14:00.002-04:002013-08-27T00:16:37.764-04:00My Life in His Hands by Ann Judson of Burma<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; text-align: left;">“…my dear sister Mary, a little sacrifice for the cause of Christ is not worth naming; and I feel it a privilege, of which I am entirely undeserving, to have had it in my power to sacrifice my all for hims who hesitated not to lay down his life for sinners. I rejoice that I had a pleasant home, dear friends, and flattering prospects to relinquish, and that once in my life I had an opportunity of manifesting my little attachment to the cause of Christ. I know you often wish to know </span><em style="background-color: whitesmoke; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">certainly</em><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; text-align: left;">, whether I still approve of the first step I took in the missionary cause; and whether, if I had the choice again to make, with my present knowledge and views of the subject, I should make the same. Well, I frankly acknowledge that I should do just the same, with this exception; that I should commence such a life, with much more fear and trembling upon account of my unfitness; and should almost hesitate whether one so vile, so poorly qualified, ought to occupy a sphere of so much usefulness. I do, at times, feel almost ready to sink down in despair, when I realize the responsibility of my situation, and witness my short-comings in duty. If I have grown any in grace since I left America, it has consisted entirely in an increasing knowledge of my unspeakably wicked heart. As to my real religious enjoyment, I think, generally speaking, I have not experienced more than when in America. I do hope, however, vile as I am, to obtain an inheritance in that far better world, where Jesus has prepared mansions for this followers, and will introduce them there himself, sprinkled with his blood, and clothed in his righteousness…” (p. 102-103).</span><br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-40868846354070991612013-08-11T09:32:00.001-04:002013-08-11T09:32:24.081-04:00Contentment<br />
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<strong>Heavenly Father, if I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize Thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is Thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to Thee,acknowledging this as the highest testimony of Thy love.</strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin He became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; His kindly rule replaced sin's tyranny. Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labour to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and He must become to me more than vile lust had been; that His sweetness, power, life may be there. Thus I must seek a grace from Him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from Himself.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have His graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where Thou wilt show Thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>~Puritan Prayers</strong></span></div>
Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-4335938008164454862013-05-20T21:55:00.001-04:002013-05-20T21:56:14.471-04:002 Timothy 2:24...<br />
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial;"><b>John Calvin</b> claimed that...</span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial;">No one gives himself freely and willingly to God's service unless, having tasted His Fatherly love, he [the Christian] is drawn to love and worship Him in return."</span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial;">Freedom in Christ is not the right to do as one pleases but the power to please God by doing what is right -- this is the power His bond-servants possess. Stated another way, we become really "free" only by subjecting our own will to the will of another, One Who is always the perfect Master.</span></div>
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"Child of God"<br /></div>
<br />Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-45890252385978382332013-04-12T10:07:00.000-04:002013-04-12T10:07:47.320-04:00Purpose in Adversity<br />
"...he made me into a polished arrow"<br />
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I was reading in Streams in the Desert recently, and the entry for that day was this portion of Isaiah 49:2. It got me to thinking about the adversities of life and God’s purposes in them.<br />
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The goal for many of us is to get through life as unscathed and trouble free as possible, when that is not God’s intention or plan at all for His children. Think of all of God we would miss without adversity, without hardship, and without persecution.<br />
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Our faith and trust in God grows deep in times of trial. The roots of our belief and understanding grow deep and strong into our hearts and create anchors that are immovable Some of the best times of growth in my spiritual life have been when life has been at its worst. When times were tough and I was completely uncertain of everything in this life and how it would unfold is when the “Who” of God became real.<br />
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Do you know what I mean by the “Who of God?” Until we have cause to grab hold of all we have learned and put in our minds about God and His character it is all ethereal and unformed. There is little substance that we can wrap our arms around. But when those harsh waves of adversity crash into life we begin to experience God. We begin to “see” who He is and receive in ways that defy words the things God promises to us as we believe.<br />
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Without these things in life we would remain unpolished, our edges both outer and inner would remain jagged. Adversity brings change on some level. It brings us changes of the heart (the inner man) because we receive things that we don’t want, or we are denied things that we do want and we have to make a decision to respond righteously. This causes change as what we have learned in the abstract now must become real to us in application. When we make that transfer, change takes place.<br />
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God’s polishing tool brings us pain at times, literal, physical pain. Illness, disease, and suffering are all tools of the Almighty in shaping us into His image. He will stop at nothing to create in us what He has foreordained.<br />
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-<em>Borrowed Post</em>Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-85601739211302446802013-03-04T12:17:00.001-05:002013-03-04T12:17:30.305-05:00I Am My PosessionIdentity in Physical Things<br />
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Let's face it: physical things are seductive precisely because they are physical. We can feel their texture, see their shape and beauty, and smell their aroma. Biblically, we know that the most important things in life are unseen, yet physical things are stiff competition when it comes to what gets our attention and shapes our living. It's very tempting for all of us to define ourselves by the size of our pile of stuff.<br />
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We may not even realize the extent to which we define ourselves by the pleasures of the physical world. The three big ones here are food, sex, and leisure. Some of us are always trolling for the next best restaurant, continually being seduced by the "more and different" draw of sexual temptation, or willing to spend far too much time and money planning and buying a vacation.<br />
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Physical appearance can also control and define us. We live in a culture that has institutionalized the practice of being defined by our appearance. Isn't it true that most of us spend far more time in a given week caring for and adorning our bodies than we do nurturing our souls? We're the kind of people who will fret over exactly the right outfit to wear to a service of worship (think about the contradiction there).<br />
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The material world provides a powerful and seductive replacement for true identity. A big house isn't just nice to look at and live in; if it's yours, it makes you feel good about yourself. A luxurious car isn't simply a reliable source of transportation; it functions also as an identity marker. Beautiful clothes have the power to make you feel differently about yourself. Physical fitness and beauty make you feel self-confident and alive. A gourmet meal not only fills your stomach, but for that temporary moment, it also makes you feel good about yourself.<br />
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Now, let me just say that God is the Creator of all physical things. That means that food, comfort, money, pleasure, and beauty were all created to be good things. They're not evil in and of themselves. But, the Bible also says that "man shall not live by bread alone." That means that we were never constructed to subsist ONLY on the physical. We're spiritual beings who need spiritual sustenance in order to be truly healthy and happy.<br />
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In fact, we're wired to "feed" on the Lord himself! He is to be our meat and drink; He is the one who gives us identity and meaning. He alone is able to satisfy our deepest hungers and our most pervasive thirsts. Many people are experiencing an atrophy of the heart from seeking satisfaction where it simply cannot be found.<br />
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Below are some reflection questions. You can use them personally, but they're also helpful in a small group or Bible study setting. It's an opportunity to take an accounting, to make honest confession, and to begin walking on a new and better pathway.<br />
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1.What physical thing(s) do you struggle with most?<br />
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2.Why is that physical thing(s) so important to you?<br />
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3.How can you "feed" more on the Lord?<br />
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4.How can identity in Christ help you view your possessions?<br />
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God bless,<br />
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Paul David Tripp<br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-77316017612767335372013-03-01T15:21:00.001-05:002013-03-01T15:21:02.060-05:00I Am My RighteousnessThe past two weeks we've been looking replacement identities. We either tend to put our identity in our achievement, or we seek to put our identity in our relationships. But there's a third area where we're at risk:<br />
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<strong>Identity in Performance</strong><br />
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In the early days of his faith, Joe was overwhelmed by the desperateness of his need for God's grace. He was seeing his sin everywhere, and he was constantly thankful for the daily mercy and patience of the Redeemer. Joe was also patient with the people around him who were struggling. He knew that they were essentially no different from him, and that he was only kept by God's grace.<br />
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As Joe continued to grow, however, something began to change in his heart. He began to feel as though he deserved to belong in the community of God's children. He was proud of his theological knowledge and had little patience for Christians who were "just too lazy" to really know their faith. He looked down on brothers and sisters who struggled faithfully to participate in public worship and small groups.<br />
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When he put his check in the offering plate on Sunday, he scanned the sanctuary wondering who was getting a "free ride." He loved to show people the photo albums of the many short-term missions trips he had been on, and he didn't understand why some people were never willing to give up one week to serve God. The tender, grateful Joe had given way to a hard and self-assured man.<br />
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Joe approached every Christian activity as an opportunity to put another notch in his belt of righteousness. He was active and involved, but there was little sense of gratitude because he had little sense of need. Although he could not see it, Joe was much like the Pharisee Jesus describes in Luke 18. Joe had once been a man who had found his identity in Christ; now he was a man who got his identity from his own performance.<br />
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Although Joe was in church every time the doors were open, there was little true love and worship in what he did. The bottom line was that Joe was doing it all for Joe. The praise always went to Joe, while the judgement went to anyone who was unable to live up to his righteous standard. Joe was in the middle of his life, but he had lost the joy of his salvation. He was a sullen and critical Christian with little heartfelt excitement for his faith.<br />
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1.Could it be that "Joe" might be you? Where can you see similarities?<br />
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2.Is there a chance that you replaced the joy of identity in Christ with the pride of identity in your own righteousness?<br />
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3.Are you more critical and judgmental toward the people around you than you are about criticizing yourself?<br />
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4.Ask yourself: "Do I feel today like I need Christ's grace as much as the first day I believed?"<br />
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God bless<br />
Paul David Tripp<br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-37659226995128759342013-02-28T11:55:00.002-05:002013-02-28T11:55:12.527-05:00I Am My RelationshipsLast week I wrote you about identity in achievement. While God calls us to be fruitful and productive, could it be that you've looked to your success to provide identity, meaning, and purpose? Achievement alone is not an evil thing, but once that false identity begins to define who you are, you're in danger of compromising who God has called you to be.<br />
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Here's a second area where we might find a replacement identity:<br />
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<strong>Identity in Acceptance</strong><br />
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God created us to be social beings. His plan, from day one, was for us to live in meaningful community with one another. Our relationships are so important to God that He positioned the command for us to love one another as second only to the call to love Him (Matthew 22:37-39). Those relationships must be a very high priority as we make our daily decisions.<br />
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Yet, in our sin, many of us look to other people to do the one thing they were never designed to do - give us identity. If we're parents, we tend to try to get our identity from our children. We begin to live vicariously through them, as if their successes are our successes. And when we need the success of our children in order to feel good about ourselves, we'll do anything possible to make them succeed.<br />
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We tell ourselves that it's for them, but in reality, it's for us. We become smothering, domineering, success-obsessed parents. But we're blind to it, because we're always able to say that it's good for them. If anything, their success is a hymn of praise to another Father who provided everything they need to be where they are and to do what they're doing. As parents, we're never more than instruments in His redemptive hands.<br />
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Perhaps your marriage is the place where you seek identity. You live for the next shot of acceptance and appreciation, and the love of your spouse is the thing that makes you feel most alive. You'll feel alive when they notice your efforts and seek your company, but your joy will come crashing down when you feel ignored or taken for granted.<br />
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This is all very dangerous. No sinner can ever be your rock and fortress. No sinner can give you a consistent reason for hope. Sooner or later, everyone around you will fail you. But there's an even greater danger here.<br />
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As you look to this person for identity, you're not really loving them - you're loving you. You've turned the second great commandment on its ear. Instead of serving people because you love them, you're willing to serve them so that they'll love you. This kind of parasitic relationships is never healthy.<br />
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Our children were never given to us to be trophies on the mantel of our identity. Our spouses were never given to us to be personal messiahs. No relationship should be the source of our identity, because we look to people to give us what only God could give. We ask our relationships to provide us life, contentment, happiness, and joy, but sooner or later, like anything other than the Creator, they'll fail us.<br />
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1.Are you asking flawed people to provide for you what only the Creator can provide?<br />
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2. How might some of your expectations for your relationships be unrealistic and unbiblical? <br />
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3. How does identity in Christ allow you to combat the temptation of finding identity in your relationships?<br />
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God bless<br />
<br />
Paul David Tripp<br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-18819878526707716382013-02-27T09:58:00.001-05:002013-02-27T09:58:54.044-05:00I Am My SuccessWhen I was in junior high, I became obsessed with cars. I found a Whitney auto parts catalog, and I was amazed with its size. Page after page was filled with replacement parts for nearly any car on the road.<br />
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Just like that catalog, our fallen world offers an endless catalog of identity replacements. None of us are free from their seduction. Each of us will turn a page in life and find one that's attractive to us.<br />
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I've found in my years of counseling that these identity replacements tend to fall into four major clusters. We'll look at the first one this week.<br />
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1. Identity in Achievement<br />
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God calls us to be fruitful and productive. We should be concerned about our harvest and the return on our investments. But the minute we take on our achievements as an identity, we become slaves to a never-ending stream of potential success.<br />
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This is the profile of a workaholic. He (or she) gets purpose from the next notch on his belt, so he's unable to say no and unable to slow down. Take away his ability to build toward the next success, and he'll be irritated and discouraged.<br />
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This replacement identity will also distort your decisions. You'll tend to go after the things where you think you can succeed, rather than going after them because they're in line with biblical priorities. You'll also be more excited about what these opportunities do for you than how they fit inside the plot of God's story.<br />
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If you find identity in achievement, you're at risk in two areas. First, maybe you're beginning to be sidelined. If you're a parent and your kids have left the house, you can't claim achievement in that area anymore. Perhaps at work responsibilities are being shifted to others, sometimes younger and less experienced. Whatever the case, if achievement has become your identity, when it gets taken out of your hands, you'll feel depressed and discouraged because the thing that has defined you is gone.<br />
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Here's the second area, and it's the opposite of the first. Maybe you're being given more opportunities to achieve than you've ever had in your life. You're finally becoming a decision maker at work, or you've finally reached a placed in ministry where you're so respected that people hang on your every word. You feel alive, and you find it hard to say no. You're at risk of becoming enslaved to achievement, making bad choices, and staying too busy, because success is where you find meaning and purpose.<br />
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Does personal achievement mean more to you than it should? Could it be that you've looked to it to provide identity, meaning, and purpose? Now remember what I said at the beginning: God calls us to be fruitful and productive, and achievement alone is not an evil thing. But once that false identity begins to define who you are, you're in danger of compromising who God has called you to be.<br />
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1.How can you be fruitful and productive for the Kingdom of God this week?<br />
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2.What achievements have been taken from your hands? Have you become depressed and discouraged?<br />
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3.Where are you at risk of being enslaved to achievement?<br />
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4.How does identity in Christ allow you to combat the temptation of finding identity in your achievement?<br />
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God bless<br />
<br />
Paul David Tripp<br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-62222776264138531872013-01-23T16:18:00.002-05:002013-01-23T16:19:21.534-05:00Philippians 1:6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-13649974628161341252012-11-29T09:32:00.001-05:002012-11-29T09:32:23.823-05:00Light of My Presence...Let Me infuse My Peace into your innermost being. As you sit quietly in the Light of My Presence, you can sense Peace growing within you. This is not something that you accomplish through self-discipline and willpower; it is opening yourself to receive My blessing.<br />
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In this age of independence, people find it hard to acknowledge their neediness. However, I have taken you along a path that has highlighted your need for Me: placing you in situations where your strengths were irrelevant and your weaknesses were glaringly evident. Through the aridity of those desert marches, I have drawn you closer and closer to Myself. You have discovered flowers of Peace blossoming in the most desolate places.You have learned to thank Me for hard times and difficult journeys, trusting that through them I accomplish My best work. You have realized that needing Me is the key to knowing Me intimately, which is the gift above all gifts.<br />
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The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.</div>
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—Isaiah 58:11</div>
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He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.</div>
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—Isaiah 40:11</div>
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<em>Taken from Jesus Calling</em><br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-83587764533113118962012-10-01T13:44:00.000-04:002012-10-01T13:44:00.385-04:00Crowned with Glory and Honor...<br />
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I am currently doing a study on Genesis and also preparing to write my thesis on what it means to be created in the image of God. As I was studying and reading these two verses the lines highlighted really stood out to me. Being created in the image of God is a bigger deal than we often believe. God created us lower than the angels, but crowned us with glory and honor. He said the same of Christ when he descended on earth. Soak that up and think on that. Often we take for granted the beauty of how we were created and the power we have in God through Christ. There was no other way to be justified but through a perfect human sacrafice for our sake. We often make excuses like those in Exodus 32 for the way we behave, but in reality God's glory is in front of us and he has even crowned us with his glory and honor. We must not lose sight of the awesome and holy God we serve. We must fight to know WHO WE ARE and WHO WE SERVE! We must look to the Lord to grow us in understanding of what it means to be created in His image!<br />
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Psalm 8:4-9<br />
which you have set in place,<br />
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<span style="color: red;">4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">human beings that you care for them?</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">5 You have made them a little lower than the angels</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">and crowned them with glory and honor.</span><br />
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;<br />
you put everything under their feet:<br />
7 all flocks and herds,<br />
and the animals of the wild,<br />
8 the birds in the sky,<br />
and the fish in the sea,<br />
all that swim the paths of the seas.<br />
9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!<br />
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Hebrews 2:6-9<br />
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6 But there is a place where someone has testified:<br />
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,<br />
a son of man that you care for him?<br />
7 You made them a little lower than the angels;<br />
you crowned them with glory and honor<br />
8 and put everything under their feet.”<br />
In putting everything under them,God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 <span style="color: red;">But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.</span><br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-14486859236766238822012-07-13T09:15:00.001-04:002012-07-13T09:16:16.342-04:00God is for me...<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.</em></div>
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Psalm 56:9 </div>
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It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase, "God is for me." He was for us before the worlds were made. He was for us or He would not have given His well-beloved Son; He was for us when He smote the Only-begotten and laid the full weight of His wrath upon Him—He was for us, though He was against Him. He was "for us" when we were ruined in the Fall—He loved us notwithstanding all. He was for us when we were rebels against Him and with a high hand were bidding Him defiance. He was for us or He would not have brought us humbly to seek His face. He has been for us in many struggles; we have been summoned to encounter hosts of dangers; we have been assailed by temptations from without and within—how could we have remained unharmed to this hour if He had not been for us? <br />
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He is for us with all the infinity of His being, with all the omnipotence of His love, with all the infallibility of His wisdom. Arrayed in all His divine attributes, He is for us—eternally and immutably for us; for us when the heavens shall be rolled up like a worn-out robe; for us throughout eternity. And because He is for us, the voice of prayer will always ensure His help. "Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call." This is no uncertain hope, but a well-grounded assurance—"this I know." <br />
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I will direct my prayer unto You and will look up for the answer, assured that it will come and that my enemies shall be defeated, for "God is for me." O believer, how happy you are with the King of kings on your side! How safe with such a Protector! How sure your cause pleaded by such an Advocate! If God be for you, who can be against you? <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Devotional material is taken from "Morning and Evening," written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission. Today’s Bible Reading material is taken from McCheyne Bible reading plan and used by Truth For Life with permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></div>
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<br />Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-11687340885028183812012-06-05T09:40:00.003-04:002012-06-05T09:40:56.319-04:00Christ Loved Me<br />
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<em>. . . Anyone who does not love does not know God.</em></div>
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<em>1 John 4:8 </em></div>
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The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in Christ's love for him and in the offering of his love to Christ. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1 Then love gives the countersign and stamps upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. "We love because he first loved us."2<br />
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In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the Christian religion, this double mark was clearly seen in all believers in Jesus; they were men who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved. The love that they felt toward the Lord was not a quiet emotion that they hid within themselves in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a passion with them of such a vehement and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in their eyes, even in their casual glances. Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal and mark of all genuine Christians.<br />
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Because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love. The love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Savior with a pure and fervent heart.<br />
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My reader, do you love Him? Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!<br />
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Galatians 2:20 1 John 4:19<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>Devotional material is taken from "Morning and Evening," written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission. Today’s Bible Reading material is taken from McCheyne Bible reading plan and used by Truth For Life with permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers. </em></span><br />
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Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-32931372157906463002012-05-29T11:53:00.002-04:002012-05-29T11:53:34.253-04:00Dear God...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRIMOOh_0Ez1uNwJL8M9sWhlWUW1howsF6MfrMAY3XUMLDTAIOiRyWRkn7hDSX5cQbkC2G8EX7AK1Z9kNKj-dEAQ1miqrd6xkk0QVr-0VNvyE_-W66od7qg_H03ZdraXYLhXjMWfrHg9q/s1600/110830840800103004_Wx91oaK7_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRIMOOh_0Ez1uNwJL8M9sWhlWUW1howsF6MfrMAY3XUMLDTAIOiRyWRkn7hDSX5cQbkC2G8EX7AK1Z9kNKj-dEAQ1miqrd6xkk0QVr-0VNvyE_-W66od7qg_H03ZdraXYLhXjMWfrHg9q/s640/110830840800103004_Wx91oaK7_c.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7582708865326619882.post-79673311369243080722012-05-22T10:51:00.001-04:002012-05-22T10:51:27.560-04:00The Kaleidoscope...<br />
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<em>Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved.</em></div>
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<em>Song of Songs 1:16 </em></div>
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From every angle our Well-beloved is most fair. Our various experiences are meant by our heavenly Father to provide new vantage points from which we may view the loveliness of Jesus. How friendly are our trials when they allow us a clearer view of Jesus than ordinary life could afford us! We have seen Him from the mountain peaks, and He has shone upon us as the sun in His strength; but we have seen Him also from the lions' dens, and even there He has lost none of His loveliness. In the experience of suffering and pain, from the borders of the grave, we have turned our eyes to our soul's spouse, and He has never been other than "beautiful." <br />
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Many of His saints looked upon Him from the gloom of dungeons and from the martyr's flames; yet they never uttered an ill word of Him, but died extolling His surpassing charms. To keep our gaze on the Lord Jesus is noble and pleasant employment. Is it not unspeakably delightful to view the Savior in all His works and to perceive Him matchless in each? To shift the kaleidoscope, as it were, and to find fresh combinations of matchless grace? In the manger and in eternity, on the cross and on His throne, in the garden and in His kingdom, among thieves or in the midst of cherubim, He is everywhere glorious in His beauty. <br />
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Examine carefully every little act of His life and every trait of His character, and He is as lovely in the minute as in the majestic. Judge Him as you will, you cannot censure; weigh Him as you please, and He will not be found wanting. Eternity shall not discover the shadow of a spot in our Beloved, but rather as ages revolve, His hidden glories will shine with even more inconceivable splendor, and His unutterable loveliness will continually ravish all celestial minds.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>Devotional material is taken from "Morning and Evening," written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission. Today’s Bible Reading material is taken from McCheyne Bible reading plan and used by Truth For Life with permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers. </em></span><br />
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<br />Beautiful Freedomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17880087944107084644noreply@blogger.com0