Tag: patience
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Reconciling Fruit
Psalm 144; Isaiah 27:1–6; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (ISV) In times to come, Jacob will take root, and Israel will blossom, sprout shoots, and fill the whole world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6 ISV All of this comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through the Messiah and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians…
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Facing It
Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:1–13; James 5:7–12 The yearning in Psalm 119:81–88 is almost palpable. The need for relief with a counterbalance of trust produces a huge amount of tension within a few verses. This tension is often part of our own lives as we desire immediate relief from our trials, the fulfillment of our hopes…
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The Next
Psalm 47; Deuteronomy 34:1–9; John 16:4–11 Who will come next is part of the “calculation” of many things. Psalm 78:4 speaks of telling the next generation about God. Proverbs 13:22 tells of leaving an inheritance for grandchildren. In 1 Timothy 1:2, Paul tells Timothy that he (Timothy) is his (Paul’s) true child in the faith.…
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45 Days Countdown
Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Daniel 12:5–13; Ephesians 1:7–14 We love countdowns. Before church service starts, we have a countdown. Every sporting event has a countdown. Part of its attraction is the pressure. It moves us. Another attraction of a countdown is finitude. We know there is an end, even if our team is losing (or maybe…
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Desolate
Micah 2:1–13; Matthew 24:15–31 Many people attribute motives to leaders, especially political ones, that fit a narrative, rather than the facts. Sometimes they fit both the facts and the narrative. The last few presidents have had a lot of that. Even our current governor has had a lot of that. We may not like their…
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Saintly Ones
Matthew 5:1–16; Revelation 7:1–17 ※ Q: What is a Saint? ※ You would think that this question is easy. However, the meaning of saint depends on the context and even timeframe. Chasid (חָסִיד) and Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) are the Hebrew words that are most often translated as saint (not always, though). Chasid (חָסִיד) means faithful or…
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Wholesome Speech
Leviticus 19:11–18; 2 Corinthians 12:19–21; 1 Peter 2:1–5 (read online ⧉) Slander is one of the biggest things that divide people whether it be in families, churches, the internet, the world. Slander can be small things, it can be large things. The reality is that it often hurts the innocent and the guilty the same.…