Advent Devotions: the WITH-ness of our God {His Presence in prepositions}

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Advent Devotions: the WITH-ness of our God {His Presence in prepositions}

Isn't it wonderful when someone wants to spend time with us?  Not just a token, obligatory, "showing up" to either fulfill an obligation, salve guilt, or ask for something...a real wanting to be with us.

As special as it is in human relationships, think how amazing it is when we realize that the Sovereign God of the universe has wanted to be with us!  Yes, US!  and according to the Bible words used, we see that in Jesus, our Emmanuel, He is with us on every level possible.

In the original language of the New Testament, there are three Greek words that can be translated with. 

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1st Week of Advent: O Come, O Come, Immanuel

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1st Week of Advent: O Come, O Come, Immanuel

When I was a child, I always loved Advent.  There was a melancholia, a longing...but mixed at the same time with anticipation and hope. How did I get all that as a child?  I'm sure I didn't, except to say that maybe all the sights and sounds and smells...all the scriptures and songs and prayers and stories of the "liturgical celebration" weren't entirely lost on me, nor on many of you.  The reality of our God-Man Jesus has grown in me over the years as I've walked and talked with my Savior.

But whether you have had that sort of background as a child or not, why not journey with us these next weeks.  Take it all in as if for the first time...all the sights, sounds, and smells...all the scriptures and songs and prayers and stories.

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The Devil Hates Marriage, Every Day of Every Year

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The Devil Hates Marriage, Every Day of Every Year

John and I have been married 49 years today, and I have just now come to the realization . . . no, the revelation by the Holy Spirit . . .

The DEVIL hates marriage . . . our marriage!

And why is that?

Because marriage is a picture of the oneness we experience with Christ the true Lover of our souls. And the evil one loves to mar God’s pictures.

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Invited to the Dance -- Perichoresis

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Invited to the Dance -- Perichoresis

Do you remember prom days in your life? The beauty! The excitement! The “romance” of it all! Rarely does it measure up to all our anticipation, and yet there is something about the dance that draws us in, doesn’t it.

As you may recall from my last blog post, the image of the dance is my favorite metaphor for the life of faith. When I said YES to the LOVER of my Soul, I became one with Him. I accepted His invitation to the dance of all dances … one that will never end and one that is all about Love.

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The Dance of FAITH: Moving with His Life-giving Flow

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The Dance of FAITH: Moving with His Life-giving Flow

A few years ago, my husband and I were at some friends’ house.  This couple liked to gather miscellaneous people who knew them but not each other. True to form, they asked a great icebreaker question.  The particular question that evening was, 

If you could do anything other than what you currently do, what would that be? Your secret ambition?

 

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Living as Abba's Child (a Bible Study in 1 John)

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Living as Abba's Child (a Bible Study in 1 John)

Years ago, when a friend had lost her last remaining parent, she said to me, “Now I feel like an orphan!” I’ve thought about her statement over the years and come to realize that we believers usually live like spiritual orphans. We live as if we don’t have a Father Who tenderly loves and cares for us. We live as orphans in a scary world. But His heart is that we would live as His children in union with Him in His Son.

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Learning from Jesus…the Father’s Perfect Child (a Bible Study)

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Learning from Jesus…the Father’s Perfect Child (a Bible Study)

The parent-child metaphor is perhaps the most tender picture of our relationship with God as believers. This is so movingly expressed in the Scriptures by the Hebrew term for Father God "Abba," meaning "Daddy." In our last post, we explored the truth that in reality we are all adult-children deep down who still really need a Father in order to do an adult life right here and now.

Let's look at Jesus, the perfect Son of our Abba Father God, and do a little digging into the Scriptures. Let’s ask the Spirit to speak to our child-hearts.

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Feeling like a "Child Incognito" especially Now

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Feeling like a "Child Incognito" especially Now

Helpless! Not in control of anything … the virus devastating our country and the world, political discord abounding, our economy in jeopardy, even our daily life changing every day. The good news is that our adult lives in this crisis world was never meant to be lived on our own. We have a Father with whom we can be needy and vulnerable so that we can face what is before us. So join me as we revisit what is means to be …

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Not Just Halloween : Reformation Day for Today!

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Not Just Halloween : Reformation Day for Today!

October 31, 1517… the day that changed the world of Christendom forever. German monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg. His action launched what came to be known as the Protestant Reformation (Or Protestant Revolt, depending on which side you are on).

Luther never intended to leave the Catholic church, but rather to reform it. But in God’s will, reform and a Biblical revolution began and continues to this day.

Luther didn’t get everything right, but he did get it right that “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17) and so much more.

And Luther got something else right that helps us today. He got it right about how to live in the midst of a pandemic (the Black Plague) with God’s balanced, grace-filled perspective.

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Loving and Being Loved in this Pandemic . . . Masks or No Masks

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Loving and Being Loved in this Pandemic . . . Masks or No Masks

I recently read somewhere on social media that we shouldn’t wear face masks during this pandemic because we are made in the image of God and His image is reflected in our faces.

Really?

True, it is hard to recognize someone if the bottom half of their face is covered. But I’ve been thinking about this lately . . .

“The eyes are the window of the soul,. . .

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There's a Ghost Inside of Me

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There's a Ghost Inside of Me

This fall we are again with our dear Eli, getting ready to celebrate his “Halloween time” birthday. And again this year we see ghosts and goblins, scarecrows and pumpkins punctuating the yards all around.

So again I’m thinking about a Ghost — the Holy Ghost, the Giver of Life and my indwelling Source. And again I’m sharing about the Holy Spirit with my precious grandsons. What better way than with this fun but deeply true song.

Thank you, Mercy Me, for giving me a way to speak truth into young lives and hearts

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Two Truths to Count on in Trials

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Two Truths to Count on in Trials

Surely goodness and steadfast love shall follow me all the days of my life... Psalm 23:8

PAIN!

Bloody! Cutting! Unrelenting! and Soul-numbing...or is it?

For me, pain has a way of sifting through the non-essentials of life!

And I find my soul awakened abruptly from its numbing slumber to longing, loss, grief, confusion, perspective...

...but most importantly, the presence of GOD.

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Running my Unique Lap in the Race of Faith -- Part 2

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Running my Unique Lap in the Race of Faith -- Part 2

4. My success in running depends on my focus.

...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” Heb 12: 2-3


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Running my Unique Lap in the Race of Faith -- Part 1

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Running my Unique Lap in the Race of Faith -- Part 1

...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus Hebrews 12: 1-2

God calls us to own our lives...to hug them to our breasts and to live them with all our hearts! No place do we see this truth more clearly than in the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 12.

Using the imagery of running, God says that now it's...

...our turn to run our lap in the race of faith!

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The Pilgrim Spirit of Faith

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The Pilgrim Spirit of Faith

We are so tied to the here and now, aren't we? But at the heart of the life of faith is belief in the unseen God and trust in His promises that this world is not all there is. People of faith are pilgrims, aliens.

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth...Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13,16

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We are Part of Something Bigger than Us!

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We are Part of Something Bigger than Us!

John Eldridge in his book The Sacred Romance says that deep inside of us is a longing for intimacy and adventure. Here in Hebrews 11, we definitely see both! The intimacy is with a God who spoke us into existence and now can be trusted to care for us every step of the way (we will see this again in Heb 12). And the adventure...oh my! We are part of something bigger than ourselves...and that's exciting! We are in the "race of faith" with a long line of "runners"...some famous, like Abraham and Moses; some infamous and unlikely, like Rahab and Samson; and some unknown, like those who were sawn in two (among other horrors)...people "of whom the world is not worthy," the writer to the Hebrews says (Hebrews 11:38).

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Running your Lap in God's Race of Faith during the Time of COVID

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I have told you all this so that you may have peace IN ME.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NLT

God wants us to live in peace, no matter what is going on around us. But during this unsettling time, I have observed so many children of God walking through their days fighting their own lives. As a result, I think many have no peace in their souls.

In contrast, those who have come to a measure of acceptance despite the confusion do have peace because they have embraced Him who is their Peace. And they have embraced their real “today” life.

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"Never more than I can bear"-- Oh, really?

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"Never more than I can bear"-- Oh, really?

"God never gives us more than we can bear!" For some reason, I've been hearing that a lot lately, have you?

I don't know about you, but in my experience, it has been the opposite! God regularly gives me more than I can bear...and I'll tell you what I think is the reason.

As I now like to say, "I'm a tough nut to crack." I'm a pretty strong personality! So for a lot of my Christian life, I've believed that it's my strength and know-how and abilities and wisdom, coupled with the blessing and help from Above, that will get the job done...successfully...even in the spiritual realm. I've eaten over and over again from the "Tree of knowledge of Good & Evil" thinking that was God's will and way!

But now I know differently. His way is His strength in my weakness! Not His help in my weakness! HIM doing it and being it!

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