2023 January
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Sacrificing At What Cost
…”I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” – 2 Samuel 24:24 One day I was having lunch with a man who had a certain amount of notoriety in his life. After a time of getting to know each other, he said, “How can I help you?” Those
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, I have placed in every son and daughter the need to be affirmed with words. You recently noticed in your study that I very infrequently spoke audibly to my children. Moses was one of the few that I spoke to face to face (Dt. 5:4). However, on three occasions I spoke to my Son.
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Creating a Memory
“The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matt 23:11). Ken Blanchard, the author of the One Minute Manager, once shared a story about what can happen when individuals in a company model servant leadership, no matter where they are on the totem pole. A business consultant was training more than 3000 employees of a
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Greater Works Shall You Do
“Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22) Jesus did all of His miracles as a man, not as God. Let that sink in. This is a profound truth that has major implications for
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A Call To Worship
…but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage. – Exodus 6:9 It is very difficult to lead when those you are leading believe they have been mistreated and have lost all hope. Such was the case when God called Moses to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, I want you to learn from my son David. In some ways I see similarities in your life and his. David had some wounds early in his life. This was due to his being conceived in iniquity (Ps 51:5).It wasn’t his fault, but it created some issues that caused him great pain. He failed
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Why Work?
“For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus
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In The Zone
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. – Joshua 1:7 In sports, there is a term known as “in the zone.” It is a description
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, I want to explain the covenant promise I have made to you and my other sons and daughters. One thing you should know is the difference between a covenant and a contract. Covenant means I will fulfill my part no matter what you do. When I said I would never leave you nor forsake
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Forgiving Ourselves
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) The murderer was condemned to life in prison. Then one day something amazing happened. The guard came and opened the jail cell. “You are free to go. Someone else is
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Placing Trust in Our Strength
So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. – 1 Chronicles 21:14 When was the last time your overconfidence cost the lives of 70,000 men? That is exactly what happened to David. David made what might appear to be an innocent request of his general, Joab. But
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
I long so much for my kids to know my true nature and love for them. Many years ago I had become so distraught with the condition of man that I regretted ever creating him. “And the Lord was sorry He had made man and was grieved in his heart” (Gen. 6:6). You must know
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Father, Son and Holy Scriptures?
“Jesus answered: Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?’” (John 14:9). The disciples had been with Jesus for three years. They’d seen miracles – dead men came back to life, the sick were healed, and water was turned to wine. These were but a few of
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Seeing the Works of God
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord…. – Psalm 107:23-24a When you were a child, perhaps you may have gone to the ocean for a vacation. I recall wading out until the waves began crashing on my knees. As long
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, I want you to help my sons and daughters understand my way of bringing heaven on earth as my son prayed (Mt 6:10). Making earth more like heaven is accomplished one person at a time. When my work is done in my sons and daughters, it creates light that attracts others to it. That
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Out of Your Comfort Zone
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8). Have you ever been given an assignment at work that was beyond your perceived ability? When I was in my late
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Passing The Test
The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors – to David.– 1 Samuel 28:17b When God anoints a person, a pattern of testing appears to take place at specific times in the leader’s life. God often takes each leader through four major tests to determine
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, my kingdom operates from a different value system than the world’s. I know that you have been walking in these values for many years and I am proud of you for the changes you have made. I call men to humble themselves to be lifted up; to give, in order to receive; to die,
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Greek versus Hebraic
“I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior’s sword” (Zech 9:13). In the early church there was an emphasis on developing a heart toward God. This was the Hebraic way. The
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Horizontal Versus Vertical
Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. – Exodus 2:12 Moses saw the pain of his people. He saw the bondage and the injustice. His heart was enraged, and he decided he would do something. He would take matters into his own hands.
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, you see your weakened condition as something bad. I see it as something good. I do hurt for you because I know it is a hard place to be in. But I do my greatest work through broken vessels. Some of my kids become victims to their plights. Others become victors. You are one
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Listening to the Father’s Heart
So many of my sons and daughters refuse to trust me for the impossible. They see their situation and conclude it will always be the way they see it now. I am glad you are acting differently. You have done well to stand on several of my promises. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
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From the Desert to the Promised Land
“The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan” (Josh 5:12). God calls you to eat from the fruit of your own work. During the exodus from Egypt, Israel had to eat
