Live Boldly
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He is mindful
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. – Luke 1: 46-48 Today’s passage is part of Mary’s Song, also called the Magnificat, which she spoke after hearing from God about the call on her life to be the mother of the Savior. She glorified God in song for what He was going to do for the world through her. While we have not been called to be the mother of the Savior, the Lord has still given each of us a unique purpose that makes a difference in our circles of influence. Our…
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Grace
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. – Luke 15:10 I recently read a post on Facebook that perfectly explained grace. It goes as follows: “The apostle Paul entered Heaven to the cheers of those he martyred. That’s how the Gospel works.” I had to re-read it several times and let it soak into my mind. I thought of Steven who was stoned while Paul looked on in approval and of the many believers that were imprisoned and tortured because Paul sought to destroy The Way. Following Jesus’ example, while they were stoning him,…
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The Nativity
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:8-12 One of my favorite holiday decorations are nativity scenes, they seem to have the power…
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Wise Men Still Seek Him
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13 You’ve no doubt heard the TV commercial that asks, “What you would do for a Klondike bar?” Sometimes is silly to think about what we would do for something as insignificant as ice cream, but the truth is that people can do some pretty extreme things to get what they desire. The wise men that journeyed to see Jesus, the newborn King, traveled hundreds of miles. Their dedication to see Him for themselves and bring gifts was so intense that nothing could stop them. Imagine their surprise when they arrived in Jerusalem and asked about the newborn king and learned that King…
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Mary did you know?
One of my favorite Christmas songs is Mary did you know. The lyrics remind me of the awe and wonder that surrounds our Savior. When I hear the song I try to imagine Mary’s response and picture her kissing her child while he sleeps. We could ask the same questions of ourselves. Do we know? Do we know Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives? Take a moment and hear the words again. Read them slowly and be reminded of what you know about Jesus. Mary did you know? Mary, did you know that your baby boyWould one day walk on water?Mary, did you know that your baby…
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Emmanuel – God with us
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6 God has a beautiful plan for your life. And He wants to lead you each step of the way. That is why one of the names of God, Emmanuel, means “God with us.” God wants to be intimately involved in our lives. He wants us to know His voice and follow Him. In fact, He wanted to be with us so strongly that He sent His Son to physically walk the earth. That baby in the manger was God and He…
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Lessons From A Zebra
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalm 139:14 The other day I read a Christmas card from one of our African Tour vendors. Each year they feature a different animal and this year it was the Zebra. The message was: “Zebras. They stand out. No two are alike. Just like human fingerprints, a zebra’s stripe pattern makes each one unique.” “Yet on the savannahs of Africa , zebras don’t stand apart. They huddle together. They form clusters and their stripes make it hard to tell where one zebra ends and another begins. Which makes each of them safer from…
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Redeem the Situation
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. – Genesis 50:20 In the movie, Count of Monte Cristo, there is prison scene where Edmund Dantes is talking to the old Priest about their prison escape plans when the Priest says, “Neglect is your Ally”. His reference was to the fact only twice each day did the guards come around: breakfast and dinner. The rest of the time the prisoners were left to themselves to do whatever they wanted. In this case what the Priest and, eventually Dantes, wanted was to dig a tunnel to freedom. As I thought about this scenario it…
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Answered Prayers
I received a call from a woman in our church prayer group with an urgent request to pray for the daughter of another woman in the prayer group. She was in the emergency room in excruciating pain and they needed answers on where the issue was coming from. The doctor had ordered tests and a CT scan which did not reveal anything and then sent her home. The pain continued and they returned to the hospital. The mother felt led to ask for an ultrasound, which the doctor did not want to perform, but upon her insistance ordered. After the ultrasound, the girl was scheduled for immediate surgery and her…
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Orchestrated by God
The Lord All-Powerful made this promise: “This will happen exactly as I meant for it to happen. It will happen just the way I planned.” – Isaiah 14:24 I want to share a story of God’s incredible orchestration that started with a friend request on Facebook. A few months ago I received a friend request from a woman that I didn’t know. I looked through her profile, saw the mutual friends that we had and accepted the request. When I started making a list of people to send the new Royal Records book to, I felt that I was to send her a copy, so I did. We talked through text one…