Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg –Embraced by Christ

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And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Revelation 2:8-10

Jesus is the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, the one who is from everlasting to everlasting. Kingdoms rise and fall, and dynasties crumble, but the Lord Jesus is without beginning and without end, for even death could not hold Him. He precedes us and will continue after us.

The beleaguered people in Smyrna needed to hear this description of their Lord so that they could be reminded of and encouraged by it. Faced with the prospect of suffering, even to the point of death, they felt themselves to be anything other than triumphant. Therefore, to know that they had been included in Christ—to know that He was their Savior, their companion, and their friend—made all the difference to the challenges they faced.

Smyrna was the home of Polycarp, one of the most famous Christian martyrs of all time, who, as the city’s bishop, was bound and burned at the stake around AD 155. Polycarp may not have been in leadership at the time the church received this letter from John, but he might well have been a young listener as it was read. At the very least, these words would surely have become very familiar to him as he grew in faith. We see their impact on full display when he was urged to renounce his faith in Christ in order to save his life. Instead of recanting, Polycarp replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury. How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”[1]

It is tempting to blend so perfectly with the surrounding culture that there is never a possibility of being on the receiving end of animosity and persecution because there is never anything different and challenging about us. But the Lord Jesus does not tell us to avoid suffering in His cause; He tells us not to fear it. If we are prepared to stand strong concerning the exclusivity of the claims of Christ, the purity that is represented in following Christ, and the sufficiency and authority of the word of Christ, then we will need to remember Christ’s words: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28). Your calling is the same as that to the church in Smyrna: to be faithful to the end, no matter the cost. You have been embraced by Christ, and He is as real, alive, vibrant, and committed to His kingdom and to His people as He was in the days of Polycarp. How will you stand for Him today?

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Revelation 2:8-11

Topics: Trials Trusting God Victory

FOOTNOTES

1 The Martyrdom of Polycarp, ch. 9 (author unknown).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God’s Love Does Not Depend on Us

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 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

When God inspired Jeremiah to write these words, He meant them for the whole nation of Israel, not only Jeremiah. And when He gave the people of Israel this message, many of them were living lives that did not please Him. Some of them were even worshipping idols instead of God, but He still loved them and promised to keep on loving them forever.

Many of us seem to think that we must somehow earn God’s love by doing things that make Him happy. But that kind of thinking is wrong. Yes, God is pleased when we choose to obey His commands and follow the principles He has given in His Word. But His love for us does not change because of things we do or don’t do. If you are God’s child, He loves you now, will love you tomorrow, and the next day, and forever – because of Who He is, not because of the way you behave.

Chelsea had a hamster named Rascal, and his name was all too fitting. Rascal was always trying to escape from his cage! Often, he would bite Chelsea and anyone else who tried to hold him or pet him. One time, Chelsea worked hard to earn some money so she could buy Rascal a special ball for his cage. Because he tried to get out so much, she thought he would like to have the freedom to run around inside the ball. But after Chelsea had spent all her hard-earned money to buy him this gift, Rascal just sat still in the ball, refusing even to budge.

Chelsea’s family watched all that she did for Rascal – cleaning out his cage, buying toys for him, spending time with him, holding and petting him (when he would let her), and often getting bitten or scratched for all her efforts. They told her that Rascal was just not a good pet. In fact, Chelsea’s mother offered to take Rascal back to the pet store and see if they would give her a different hamster, one that would respond better to all that Chelsea tried to do for him. But Chelsea said, “No.” You see, Chelsea loved Rascal. Her love for Rascal did not depend on his being lovable, or upon his loving her back.

Wow! It is amazing to think that Chelsea, who is just a sinner just like the rest of us, could love Rascal (who is, after all, just a hamster) with a love like that! But if she can love a hamster with that kind of unconditional love (love that does not have to be earned) like that – how much more do you think our perfectly loving and compassionate Father God loves us? Chelsea’s love for Rascal is just a tiny little love when compared to God’s great love for us. But just as Chelsea’s love for Rascal did not depend in his being a “good pet,” so God’s love for you does not depend on your being a “good person.”

In fact, God gave us His greatest gift of love, not because we are good people deserving of His goodness, but because we could not be good people apart from Him. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth [shows] His love toward us, in that, while we yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus died for us so that we could be made righteous (good and right in our character and actions), not because we already are righteous. And God continues to love us and do good things for us. Why? Because He is a good and loving God – not because we are good and loving people. If you are trusting in the God of the Bible as your Father and Savior, nothing you do will ever change His love for you. He loves you now and forever, no matter what.

God loves you because of Who He is – not because of who you are.

My Response:
» Do I try to earn God’s love, or do I believe that He loves me no matter what?
» Do I truly trust in God’s love, or do I worry and fret about how He feels about me?
» Do I show the same kind of unconditional love (love that does not depend on someone else’s actions or words) to others that God shows to me?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Are we living at the end of history?

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Nearly three hundred thousand people rallied in Washington, DC, yesterday to support Israel in its war with Hamas, constituting the largest pro-Israel event in US history. Later in the day, the House passed a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown.

That’s the good news. But, as always, bad news is not hard to find.

“Wars and rumors of wars”

Thousands of residents in Iceland have been urged to evacuate as authorities anticipate the imminent eruption of a volcano on its southwestern peninsula. Roads have already been damaged as a result of around nine hundred earthquakes in the area; toxic fumes are a threat as well.

Meanwhile, the United Nations now estimates that the global drug problem affects approximately 275 million people. Here’s one frightening dimension: the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of a rapidly growing practice it calls “polysubstance use.” Over the last three years, studies of people addicted to opioids have consistently shown that 70 to 80 percent also take other illicit substances. “It’s no longer an opioid epidemic,” according to one health expert. “This is an addiction crisis.”

Then there’s Ukraine, whose counteroffensive against Russia is going so poorly that authorities are considering dismissing three commanders of the armed forces. And China: Xi Jinping is meeting with President Biden today amidst rising tensions between the world’s two superpowers over Iran, Israel, Taiwan, export controls, and economic challenges.

A recent study concluded that the number, intensity, and length of conflicts worldwide is at its highest level since before the end of the Cold War. Remembering Jesus’ reference to “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6), it’s not hard to wonder how much longer the world can continue like this.

One of the most frequent questions our ministry has received since Hamas invaded Israel on October 7 is whether this is the beginning of the “end times,” i.e, are we living in the last days? We have published articles and podcasts on this question; I have written a book on Revelation and discussed the larger subject in numerous articles as well.

Today, I’d like to consider the question from a perspective I’ve never considered before.

“God does not want us to understand”

When I have grappled theologically with unanswered questions, I have known that the problem was not that our Father is being unkind or arbitrary, since “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and can want only what is best for us. Rather, I have identified these logical options:

  • He has answered our question, but we have not been willing to hear his voice or submit to his Spirit (cf. Jeremiah 6:10).
  • He cannot answer our question because unconfessed sin is blocking our ability to pray effectively (Psalm 66:18).
  • He cannot answer our question because our finite minds cannot comprehend his infinite purposes (cf. Isaiah 55:9).
  • He has not yet answered our question, but he might in the future (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12).

This week, I found a different approach, one that relates directly to our topic today.

Jonathan Sacks was a philosopher, theologian, and author who served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth in the UK for many years. I followed his career with great appreciation. When I complimented his book on morality in one of my articles, he tweeted me with a personal note of gratitude.

I was working this week with some articles by Rabbi Sacks for a book I am writing on the Israel–Hamas war and found an anecdote I had not seen. Just a few weeks before his death from cancer, the rabbi was asked the age-old question, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” He responded:

God does not want us to understand. Because if we ever understood, we would be forced to accept that bad things happen to good people, and God does not want us to accept those bad things. He wants us not to understand, so that we will fight against the bad and the injustices of this world, and that is why there is no answer to that question. God has arranged that we shall never have an answer to it.

Praying the Bible’s last prayer

Regarding the timing of his return, Jesus was blunt: “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). He added that he would come “at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

Let’s apply Rabbi Sacks’ thinking to our Lord’s assertions. If we knew when Jesus would come back, wouldn’t that knowledge impact every dimension of our lives? If his return is not in our lifetime, would we presume on a future that is actually guaranteed to none of us? (Even if Jesus doesn’t come back for a thousand years, you and I could die tomorrow.) Alternately, if it is imminent, would we fall into idleness while awaiting his return, which was apparently a problem for some in the early church (2 Thessalonians 3:6–12)?

As with explanations for suffering, God does not want us to know when Christ will return so we will prepare every day for his coming. Why? Because the best way to live every day is to live as if it were that day.

If you knew Jesus would return tomorrow, whom would you forgive today? Whose forgiveness would you seek? What would you stop doing? What would you start doing?

Doing these things is the best way to live even if you were guaranteed several more decades of life on this earth. When we live in this way, we’ll stop asking when Jesus is coming because we are ready to meet him whenever that moment comes. And we’ll be able to pray the Bible’s last prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Can you say these words to your Lord today?

If not, why not?

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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Proverbs 22:29

Noah heard God’s warning. He believed what God said, and he went right to work. He did not stand in his living room and ask God to manifest the ark in his yard. He did not “name it and claim it” or “mark it and park it.”

Too often, people desire the convenience of the blessing but dismiss the burden of the work. God’s promise does not automatically entitle us to the blessing. We must act on the word that He gives. We take the step of faith that demonstrates our confidence in what He has said.

God promises us the power to get wealth, but He tells us that the person who will not work should not eat either. He promises that His Word will be health to our bones, but we must be good stewards of the physical bodies with which He has blessed us.

Our profession and our conduct must be in agreement. Noah scouted out the forest, felled the trees, sawed the planks, and hammered the nails. He put his faith to work.

God has a plan for our family’s future. Where do we need to pick up a hammer? Let’s behave like we believe and watch God’s promises come to pass. Let’s get to work!

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you do the works of Him Who sent you. Behave like you believe the promises of God. Watch them come to pass, in the name of Jesus!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Ezekiel 31:1-32:32

New Testament 

Hebrews 12:14-29

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 113:1-114:8

Proverbs 27:18-20

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Weapons of War

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For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
2 Corinthians 10:3, NIV

 Recommended Reading: Ephesians 6:10-18

The Bible declares some things that might not be immediately obvious—like mankind being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Other things it assumes—like the fact that we are in a war. It is obvious that we do not currently live in a world where peace is the norm.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he did not reveal that they were in a war; he assumed they knew that. Instead, he told them how to go about waging war. The specific war Paul was in was with false apostles who were masquerading as “ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15). Though they were in the world and Paul was in the world, he did not battle them with worldly weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Rather, he battled with spiritual weapons, the fullest description of which is in Ephesians 6:10-18: truth, righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. These are not the weapons of the world but of the Kingdom of God.

You are in a spiritual war in this world. Arm yourself with the armor and weapons that will ensure your victory.

Lies and false reports are among Satan’s choicest weapons.
J.C. Ryle

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Forty Years in Training

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Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. 

—Exodus 3:15

Scripture:

Exodus 3:15 

Moses was stunned, to say the least. He thought he was done. He had been living in relative obscurity, thinking he would never do much again. After all, he hadn’t heard from God for forty years. But suddenly one day God was speaking to him from a burning bush.

What Moses didn’t realize was that God had been preparing him all that time. By watching a little flock of sheep, he was in training to lead a human flock, numbering over two million, to freedom.

So there he was, standing before a burning bush. Moses had spent a lot of time in the wilderness. He saw a lot of tumbleweeds. He watched bushes catch fire and burn out. But this one was different. It continued to burn yet did not dissipate.

Something ordinary was doing an extraordinary thing. In other words, God was doing something to get Moses’ attention. And then He spoke.

God told Moses that He had seen the suffering of His people, and He was appointing Moses to go to Pharaoh and take the Hebrews to freedom.

Moses was an older man by that time. He was seasoned. Wiser.

In effect God was saying to him, “Moses, look at that old bush. Do you see how it keeps burning? That is what I’m going to do with you. You will continue burning until My purpose is accomplished. Are you up for that?”

God told him, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations” (Exodus 3:15 NLT).

We tend to look at these men through rose-colored glasses. Abraham had his lapses of faith, as did Jacob. Yet God was saying, “I am the God of men who have failed. I am the God of ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things. There is hope for you. I’m not only the God of Abraham. I’m not only the God of Isaac and Jacob. I am the God of Moses.”

He was calling Moses and giving him a second chance. He had been seasoning Moses and getting him ready for what was ahead. Moses didn’t know when he woke up that day that his life would change forever. It came unexpectedly.

When something out of the ordinary happens in our lives, it may be the Lord trying to speak to us. When we have an unexpected change of plans, when something we weren’t preparing for happens, we think it’s the worst thing.

Maybe something like this has happened to you recently. There has been a change in your plans. You wonder what’s going on. Maybe the Lord is trying to get your attention.

It just might be the hand of God trying to say something or direct you in a certain way. And what may seem like a coincidence actually may be Providence. Disappointment is His appointment.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Sins Remembered No More

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Bible in a Year:

I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Jeremiah 31:34

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Jeremiah 31:27–34

I never saw the ice. But I felt it. The back end of the pickup I was driving—my grandfather’s—fishtailed. One swerve, two, three—and I was airborne, flying off a fifteen-foot embankment. I remember thinking, This would be awesome if I wasn’t going to die. A moment later, the truck crunched into the steep slope and rolled to the bottom. I crawled out of the crushed cab, unscathed.

The truck was utterly totaled that December morning in 1992. God had spared me. But what about my grandfather? What would he say? In fact, he never said a single word about the truck. Not one. There was no scolding, no repayment plan, nothing. Just forgiveness. And a grandfather’s smile that I was okay.

My grandfather’s grace reminds me of God’s grace in Jeremiah 31. There, despite their tremendous failings, God promises a restored relationship with His people, saying, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (v. 34).

I’m sure my grandfather never forgot that I’d wrecked his truck. But he acted just like God does here, not remembering it, not shaming me, not making me work to repay the debt I rightfully owed. Just as God says He’ll do, my grandfather chose to remember it no more, as if the destructive thing I’d done had never happened.

By:  Adam Holz

Reflect & Pray

How should God’s forgiveness affect how you see your failures? How can you show others grace?

Father, thank You for Your forgiveness. When I cling to my shame, help me to recall that, in Christ, You remember my sins no more.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – The Motive for True Wisdom

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 “The wisdom from above is first pure” (James 3:17).

A pure life is necessary for a wise life.

A person whose life is characterized by true wisdom will seek to be pure. The Greek word translated “pure” in James 3:17 refers to spiritual integrity and moral sincerity. It is freedom from bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, and arrogant self-promotion. Christ is the perfect example of purity (1 John 3:3).

A true believer will have pure desires. The deepest part of him desires to do God’s will, serve God, and love God. In Romans 7:15-21 the apostle Paul testifies that when he sinned, he was doing what he didn’t want to do. In Psalm 51:7 David cries out, “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” The true believer hates his sin. Rising out of his innermost being is a longing for what is clean, pure, holy, and honest.

Purity of heart is the motive of someone who seeks to live a life of godly wisdom (cf. Ps. 24:3-4). God says he will “take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19); that new heart will be consumed with purity rather than self. You do still sin because your new heart is incarcerated in your old flesh. But your new heart fights against your flesh. That’s why Paul said, “I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom. 7:22-23).

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). As you persevere in battle against the world, the flesh, and the Devil, be encouraged by reminding yourself that one day the fight will be finished. The apostle John said it this way: “We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Suggestions for Prayer

Read Psalm 51:1-17, making David’s prayer your own.

For Further Study

According to Matthew 5:48 and 1 Peter 1:15-16, what is God’s standard of purity?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Stable and Mature in Christ

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 …I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me].

— 1 Corinthians 6:12 (AMP)

Many people have convinced themselves that they are overly emotional people. They say, “I can’t help it. My emotions get the best of me.” If you’ve ever felt that way, let me tell you that you can be stable and mature in Christ. You don’t have to be a victim of your emotions.

No one is “just emotional”; we may have chosen to allow ourselves to be led by our emotions until doing so became a habit, but with God’s help we can change. God has given us a spirit of discipline and self-control, but we have to use it.

God gave you emotions so you could feel good and bad things, but He never intended those feelings to rule you. With God’s help, you can discipline your mind, your will, and your emotions. You can be a stable and mature Christian who follows God and not your emotions.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I come to You today asking that you guide me toward emotional stability and spiritual maturity. I want to grow up in You, Lord Jesus, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Rekindling Lost Love

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I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Revelation 2:4-5

It’s tragic to see a marriage in which the spouses have grown cold toward each other. Though they’re still together, loneliness and isolation abound. There’s a rigid, lifeless formality to it, seen in their eyes and understood in their expressions. The vibrancy and fresh discoveries that marked their early love are missing, having slipped away with the passing years.

The Ephesian church was a task-oriented, tough-minded, truth-telling fellowship, and for this they were commended (Revelation 2:2-3). But in His words to them, Jesus revealed their Achilles’ heel: though they were seeking to hold fast to the truth, they had abandoned love. One commentator writes, “If the price paid by the Ephesians for the preservation of true Christianity was the loss of love, the price was too high, for Christianity without love is a perverted faith.”[1]

Was it that they had lost their love for Christ? For each other? For the unbelieving community around them? It isn’t necessary to choose between those options. For when love for Christ is not as it should be, then our love for all else will be affected.

For those of us who are committed to doctrinal faithfulness, here is a challenging reminder that the ultimate measure of a church is found not in its programs, achievements, reputation, or doctrinal orthodoxy but in its love. Christianity, as the Puritan Thomas Chalmers eloquently put it, is about “the expulsive power of a new affection”—about falling in love with Christ, about a sense of the immensity of His pursuing, energizing, loving grace. If that love for Jesus begins to wane, we will begin to look a lot like the church in Ephesus: impressive from the outside but internally loveless. And Jesus warns that this is no small matter; removing the Ephesian church’s lampstand means removing His recognition of them as His church, His people. A loveless church is, in truth, not a church at all.

Perhaps you realize that you do not love God the way you once did. This can creep up on us so easily, our eyes growing dry, our prayers growing cold. What can we do?

Jesus says the remedy for lost love is first to “remember.” We need to recall what it was about Jesus that caused us to love Him in the first place and then use that as a spur for forward momentum. We need to restore our commitment to the things we did at first—which typically means going back to the basics. In short, we need to look again at Jesus, lifting our eyes from what we do—our programs, our efforts, our ministries—to the beauty and love of the one who died for us and who dwells in us. Love is rekindled by looking at that which is lovely. So if your love has grown cold, gaze at Jesus as He reveals Himself to you in His word—and joy and vibrancy will surely return.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Hebrews 1:1-13

Topics: Jesus Christ Love of God Loving Others

FOOTNOTES

1 G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Wipf and Stock, 2010), p 75.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Corrects His Children

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“For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12)

None of us likes to be disciplined. It’s not fun at all! But if you have loving parents, you know that they do not really enjoy disciplining you, either.

A little girl named Addy was once caught stealing money out of her mom’s purse. When her dad took her aside to correct her, Addy saw that her dad was crying – even while he was punishing her. At first, Addy was just sad that she had been caught. But when she saw her dad crying, she was even sadder that she had disappointed him so much by stealing.

Our Heavenly Father is disappointed, too, when His children sin. He punishes His “sons” and “daughters” because He knows that sometimes a punishment is necessary for us to learn to obey Him. He loves us and punishes us for our good, not because He enjoys disciplining us.

When was the last time you disappointed your Heavenly Father by stealing – or coveting, or dishonoring your parents, or breaking the rules at your school, or saying unkind things about another one of His children? Can you blame Him for being disappointed in you? Can you see why He has to correct you? You can trust that, if God is punishing you for disobedience, it is because you are deserving and because He is loving. He loves you too much to leave you in your sin.

God disciplines us because He loves us.

My Response:
» Do I remember that I am disappointing my Heavenly Father when I sin?
» Do I understand that God disciplines His children because He loves them?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Al-Shifa hospital is no longer functioning: Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?

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Israeli tanks advanced yesterday to the gates of Gaza City’s main hospital. According to the World Health Organization, al-Shifa hospital is no longer functioning after three days without power. A Gaza health ministry spokesperson said thirty-two patients had died in the last three days, including three newborn babies, as a result.

President Biden stated yesterday that Gaza’s hospitals “must be protected.” While hospitals are granted special protection under international humanitarian law, the International Committee of the Red Cross notes that they can lose such protections if combatants use them to hide fighters or store weapons.

This is just what Israel says Hamas is doing in Gaza. It claims that the terrorist group operates its command headquarters beneath the al-Shifa complex; the Israeli military has released an illustrated map of the hospital marked with locations it claims are underground military installations. A US official with knowledge of American intelligence has confirmed this claim. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also states that Israel offered “to give them enough fuel to operate the hospital, operate the incubators and so on, because we (have) no battle with patients or civilians at all,” but Hamas refused the offer.

Palestinian medical workers, by contrast, accuse Israel of mounting an all-out attack on infrastructure in Gaza to punish the population and force a surrender. Accordingly, three Palestinian human rights groups have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel, accusing it of perpetrating genocide in its war in Gaza.

This accusation that Israel is committing genocide is common in the press, on college campuses, and at other pro-Palestinian rallies these days.

But is it true?

“Any civilian loss is a tragedy”

In December 1948, in the aftermath of the Second World War, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It defines genocide as acts intended “to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.”

By this definition, Hamas is a genocidal group. Its founding charter, published in 1988, explicitly calls for the obliteration of Israel. As Bret Stephens writes in the New York Times, “had the Hamas terrorists been able to kill one hundred or one thousand times as many [Jews] as they did on October 7, they would have done so without hesitation.” He adds that Hamas’s goal is “homicidal: to end Israel as a state by slaughtering every Jew within it.”

By contrast, Israel wants to destroy Hamas, not the Palestinians. When Hamas uses civilians as human shields, their deaths are the fault of Hamas, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I think any civilian loss is a tragedy . . . and the blame should be placed squarely on Hamas.”

Cultural commentator Andrew Sullivan noted: “If Israel were interested in the ‘genocide’ of Palestinian Arabs, it has had the means to accomplish it for a very long time. And yet, for some reason, the Arab population of Israel and the occupied territories has exploded since 1948, and the Arabs in Israel proper have voting rights and a key presence in the Knesset.”

He concludes: “The only people actively and proudly engaged in genocide are Hamas.” Those who march for Hamas are not opposing genocide but “defending its perpetrators.”

Supreme Court adopts a code of conduct

In other news, the US Supreme Court issued its first-ever code of conduct yesterday. According to the Court, the fifteen-page document “largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.” However, the code provides no penalties for violations of ethical standards.

This fact highlights the problem with legislating morality: if even our nation’s highest court cannot anticipate and respond to every possible ethical violation its nine members might commit, how can a nation of laws possibly legislate for every misuse of human freedom? United Nations regulations against genocide have clearly not kept Hamas from seeking and committing it. Nor have they protected Israel’s critics from falsely claiming that it is doing the same thing.

This is why the Christian gospel is so urgently needed in our post-Christian culture. Only in Christ can we become a “new creation” for whom “the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Only Jesus can cleanse sinners so that we are “holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27).

In my latest website paper, “Are the Jews still God’s chosen people?” I relate the transforming power of the gospel to the war in the Middle East. After examining in detail the theological debate regarding Israel’s status in biblical prophecy and God’s kingdom today, I close with three biblical facts:

  1. God intends all people—Jews and Gentiles—to experience his transforming love (Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
  2. God wants to use all people—Jews and Gentiles—to bring the good news of his love to the world (Genesis 12:3; Acts 1:8).
  3. We should join Paul in praying earnestly for Jews who do not know Jesus to turn to him in faith (Romans 10:1).

“Faith is like a window you look through”

In light of these facts, let’s close with this truth: God’s love in Christ can change any human heart, including the terrorists of Hamas. If we think this is impossible, we just need to remember the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. The Bible records that he “was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3; cf. 22:4). Of course, that persecutor is known to the world today as Paul the Apostle.

If God could change his heart, he can change any heart.

Will you pause now to pray for God to bring the terrorists of Hamas into conviction of their sins and salvation in Christ? Ask Jesus to reveal himself to them in visions and dreams, something he is doing across the Muslim world today. And remember: it is always too soon to give up on God.

Br. Geoffrey Tristram of the Society of St. John the Evangelist notes: “It’s not great faith that you need, but faith in a great God. Faith is like a window you look through. It doesn’t matter if the window is six feet high or six inches, or just the tiniest peephole in a telescope. What matters is the God that your faith is looking out on.”

How great is your God?

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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Wild Horse Emotions

OUR EMOTIONS ARE POWERFUL. We all have them. These emotions bring flavor to our lives. But sometimes these emotions get away from us and become like wild horses—untamed and running free.

“Wild horse” emotions, if unbridled, can run roughshod through our souls, lives, and relationships. They have the power to destroy us. Yet these same “wild horse” emotions, if brought under control, can carry us to new levels of success.

Consider feral stallions—ones that have not had any human contact. They can be fiery and reactive. When  they are threatened by a rival horse, they will assert their dominance—bucking, sparring and biting to gain control. They become incredibly dangerous creatures. But introduce a predator to their domain and these strong horses become fearful and  flee. Nevertheless, even the wildest  of these horses can be tamed. Through patient training, it can grow to be calm and collected, displaying graceful strength and power. The same is true of our emotions.

As a follower of Christ, we must learn to tame our “wild horse” emotions, bringing them under submission to God. To overcome these emotions, we must learn to walk in the Spirit. In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul states, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” 5:16-17, emphasis added.

“Wild horse” emotions are what Paul refers to in this passage as “the lust of the flesh.” They are the emotions that wage war against what we know we ought to do.

Think about a time that you have been really angry at someone. The kind of anger that has you red-faced, eye-popping, foaming-at-the-mouth, fist-waving, foot-stomping angry. Suddenly, your anger takes control and you lash out with no thought of the repercussions of your decision. That’s a “wild horse” emotion.

Each of us has our triggers that cause us to get angry, to worry, to be fearful or feel other strong emotions. There are times that these emotions are good, even godly, if for the right reason. Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” The fear of the Lord is a healthy kind of fear. But there is also a spirit of fearfulness that does not come from the Lord. We may fear an economic collapse, relational discord, or for a wayward child. The fear of such things can lead us to a place that is unhealthy spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Therefore, it is important that we examine what the motivation for these emotions is before we react.

This is also why it’s so important for us to walk in the Spirit. What is the result when we are fully submitted to the Holy Spirit? We receive the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Bible tells us that “Against such [things] there is no law” Galatians 5:23.

Walking in the Spirit takes discipline. Discipline is the ability to complete with excellence that which must be done when it must be done.

So, how do we discipline our “wild horse” emotions? James, the brother of Jesus, had a thought on that when he wrote, “Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body” James 3:3. In other words, we make them obey us through discipline.

Being disciplined to live a Christian life will save you a lot of heartache and headache in this life. In the battle for self-control, the enemy is you. The war of the soul is a civil war. God gave us freedom to choose for ourselves whom we will serve. Will we bow down to the altar of “wild horse” emotions that will lead to destruction, or will we instead walk in the Spirit and choose life?

God’s Word calls us to discipline ourselves in our appetites, in our passions, in our affections, in our thoughts, in our attitudes, in our moods, in our speech, in our conduct, in our habits, in our companionships, in our amusement, in our purpose and in our marriage.

In John 8:31, Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you must abide in the Word of God. When you do what’s in the Word, when you discipline yourself to live by the words of the Bible, and when you abide in the Word of God, then you are living the life of a disciple. It is not enough to just believe; we also have to do. Jesus said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. It is not enough to call Jesus “Lord.” We are His disciples when we do what He asks of us. Until you are doing what Jesus asks of you, you are not disciplined. You’re a wild horse doing your own thing, not advancing the Kingdom of God.

To abide in the Lord, we must be consuming the Word of God. Daily consumption leads to great spiritual health. Are you reading the Word daily? Are you building a healthy relationship with God? We need this communion with God in order to tame our “wild horse” emotions.

Paul said, “I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, ESV. There is a call of God on your life because you are God’s handiwork. You do not need to run through life aimlessly. He created you in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for you to do. That means there are specific things out there that will bless the Kingdom of God and fill you with contentment, and they have your name on them.

LET GO OF YOUR “WILD HORSE” EMOTIONS.

Let go of the pain in your past. Rather, be filled with the fruit of the Spirit as you abide in Christ’s calling over your life. Forgive those who have hurt you. Don’t become their prisoner, allowing them to take control of your thoughts and emotions. Rather, bring your emotions under submission to the Holy Spirit and live a life filled with peace and joy.

God wants His children to have the best of things in the worst of times. He wants you to live in peace, even when life is hectic and things aren’t going your way. God can use circumstances to build your faith, to move you into a position where you can be used mightily for the Kingdom. Trust in Him, knowing that He loves you so very much and is working all things together for your good.

WE BELIEVE THAT GREAT THINGS ARE ON THE WAY!

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Father of Lies

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Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.
1 Peter 5:8-9

 Recommended Reading: James 4:7

While lions no longer roam the plains of the Middle East, they did in biblical days. And Peter used the lion as a picture of Satan. Lions roar to intimidate their prey and competitors, but Satan intimidates in other, more subtle ways.

The apostle Paul pointed out that spiritual warfare is not a matter of physical armaments and conflicts, but a battle over truth—the realm of thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). That’s how Satan attacked and intimidated Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He replaced God’s truth—“You shall not eat…lest you die”—with a lie: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:3-4). He intimidated Adam and Eve into believing a lie, and they died spiritually. Jesus said that Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44, NIV). His primary weapon against Christians is to persuade us to believe lies about God—that He is not good, forgiving, loving, or faithful.

When you are tempted to doubt God or His truth, you are being tempted by Satan. Resist him and stand firm in the faith.

It is the oldest stratagem of Satan to disfigure the truth by misrepresentation.
Iain Murray

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Cover-Up

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But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 

—Numbers 32:23

Scripture:

Numbers 32:23 

Some years ago, I read a humorous article about someone who decided to rob a Baptist church in North Carolina. But he was more than six feet tall and weighed 235 pounds. And when he tried to escape with his loot through a bathroom window, he got stuck. It took four police officers pushing and pulling him to get him out of the window.

His sin found him out.

Moses warned the children of Israel, “But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 NLT).

He knew this from firsthand experience.

After Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating one of his fellow Hebrews, he probably thought the Hebrew people would applaud him. He may have been hoping they’d say, “That Moses is something! He’s the grandson of Pharaoh, but he risked everything to help us. He’s our new hero.”

However, things didn’t go as Moses had hoped.

The next day when he saw a couple of Hebrews fighting, he walked up and tried to settle the dispute. But one of them said, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” (Exodus 2:14 NLT).

Moses thought he had hidden his sin, but he suddenly realized that everyone knew. He also realized that he was in trouble. When Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to kill Moses. So, Moses fled for his life into the wilderness.

Moses lost everything: his position, his people, and his reputation. But he hadn’t lost God. He did the wrong thing in the wrong way at the wrong time. His timing was horribly off—by about forty years. Though Moses was gifted to be a leader, he wasn’t quite ready yet.

His heart was in the right place, but he went about it the wrong way. He made a huge mess for himself, and it seemed as though everyone had turned against him. But God had not turned against Moses. And what looked like the end of his life actually was the beginning of a new one.

He found a family that befriended them. He married one of the daughters in the family and ended up watching her father’s sheep. He probably thought that was where he would die.

But God had other plans. Moses was a leader in training.

It has been said that Moses spent forty years in Pharaoh’s court finding out he was a somebody. He spent forty years in the wilderness finding out he was a nobody. And then he spent forty years finding out what God can do with a somebody who realizes they are a nobody.

Are you trying to cover up something right now? Is there some secret sin in your life? If so, then just come out with it and confess it, because sooner or later, it will be exposed. Nothing is hidden from God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Card and Prayer

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Bible in a Year:

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.

2 Kings 20:2

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

2 Kings 20:1–7

The recently widowed woman was growing concerned. To collect some vital funds from an insurance policy, she needed key information about the accident that had taken her husband’s life. She had talked to a police officer who said he’d help her, but then she lost his business card. So she prayed, pleading with God for help. A short time later, she was at her church when she walked by a window and saw a card—the policeman’s card—on a windowsill. She had no idea how it got there, but she knew why.

She took prayer seriously. And why not? Scripture says that God is listening for our requests. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,” Peter wrote, “and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Bible gives us examples of how God responded to prayer. One is Hezekiah, the king of Judah, who became ill. He’d even received word from Isaiah, a prophet, saying he was going to die. The king knew what to do: he “prayed to the Lord” (2 Kings 20:2). Immediately, God told Isaiah to give the king this message from Him: “I have heard your prayer” (v. 5). Hezekiah was granted fifteen more years of life.

God doesn’t always answer prayers with things like a card on a windowsill, but He assures us that when difficult situations arise, we don’t face them alone. God sees us, and He’s with us—attentive to our prayers.

By:  Dave Branon

Reflect & Pray

What tops your list of concerns? How can you give them to God, asking for His guidance and help?

Father, thank You for being there and hearing my prayers.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Obeying Faith

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“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb. 11:7).

True faith works.

When James said, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), he stated a principle that’s consistent throughout Scripture: True faith always produces righteous works.

The people described in Hebrews 11 made their genuine faith known in the things they did. The same applies to us today. Paul said, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12).

Perhaps better than anyone else in history, Noah illustrates the obedience of faith. Scripture characterizes him as “a righteous man, blameless in his time . . . [who] walked with God” (Gen. 6:9).

I remember a sportscaster interviewing a professional football player and asking him what he thought of his team’s chances of winning the Super Bowl. The player replied, “We believe that if we just do what the coach says, we’ll win.” The team had absolute confidence in their coach, but they realized they had to do their part as well.

That illustrates the quality of faith Noah had in God, whom he trusted absolutely as he pursued a task that seemed utterly foolish and useless from a human perspective. Imagine instantly surrendering all your time and effort to devote 120 years to building something you’d never seen (a vessel the size of an ocean liner or battleship) to protect you from something you’d never experienced (rain and flooding). Yet Noah did it without question.

Noah’s faith is unique in the sheer magnitude and time span of the task God gave him to do. He didn’t argue with God or deviate from his assignment. Is that true of you? Are you pursuing your ministry as faithfully and persistently as Noah did his? Is your faith a faith that works?

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for the ministry He’s called you to. If you sense there’s more you could be doing, ask Him for guidance. Pray for added faithfulness and tenacity in serving Him.

For Further Study

Read the account of Noah in Genesis 6:1—9:17.

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Overcome Evil with Good

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Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.

— Romans 12:21 (AMPC)

As a Christian, you can resist the enemy and overcome evil by having an aggressive, power-packed attitude. You can release positive spiritual power that will always conquer negative power. But it doesn’t happen automatically. You must take a spiritually aggressive position and stand your ground.

Dealing with people requires a different approach, however. You are to treat people with dignity, respect, and love. For myself, I had to learn how to be a “lion-hearted lamb”—spiritually strong in dealing with the enemy and meek and gentle in dealing with people.

Being good to people will require that you walk in love, which is an effort that always costs you something. But people who are spiritually powerful always walk in love. It is God’s way of overcoming evil with good. And it is well worth the effort.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I come to You today asking that you help me muster the spiritual strength to stand firm against evil as well as the heart and compassion to show love and respect to others.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg –Committed to Truth

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I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

Revelation 2:2-3

The 1980s British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was nothing if not determined. Whatever view we take of her politics, she was certainly a woman of conviction, famously declaring at a moment when many of her political allies were telling her to change course, “You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”

That kind of fortitude and conviction was also evident in the first-century church in Ephesus. When Jesus commended them, it was primarily on account of their principled dedication. They were committed to the task, persevering in it and dedicated to the truth.

The word used for “works” is the complete opposite of idleness and inactivity. Jesus recognized that these Ephesian believers weren’t intimidated by the challenges that came from living out the faith of the gospel. They were prepared to extend themselves again and again for the name of Christ.

Twice in the space of just a few words, Jesus also speaks of their endurance or enduring—their perseverance. The Ephesian church wasn’t afraid of hard work, but they were also sticking with that work and seeing it through, steadfast and immovable. As William Barclay writes, their toughness was “the courageous gallantry which accepts suffering and hardship and loss and turns them into grace and glory.”[1]

Further, these believers were also committed to the truth. They weren’t susceptible to every passing wind of doctrine but were prepared to test those who came with new claims, willing to reject them if they proved to be spurious. They stood steadfastly for the truth even against a heretical group that attempted to offer religious experiences that wouldn’t impinge upon self-indulgent lifestyles (Revelation 2:6).

What would Jesus say about us today? How committed are we as a 21st-century church? Are we strong, steadfast, and persevering? Do we have enough courage and conviction to stand for the truth and say, I hate these practices, for I know that Jesus does too? Or are we in danger of growing “weary of doing good” (Galatians 6:9)? When others suggest compromise in our commitment or obedience to Christ, are we willing to say, “You turn if you want to. I am not for turning”?

As Jesus looks upon you, as He does, may He have much to commend in you as a follower who models spiritual conviction, perseverance, and a determination to live in the real world with a dedicated love for Christ.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

2 Timothy 3:1-9

Topics: The Church Perseverance Truth

FOOTNOTES

1 Quoted in Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Eerdmans, 2002), p 59.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Beg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – Who Really Counts?

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“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

God cares about big things. After all, He made the universe and the sun and the planets! He cares about the important things; not little things like haircuts and ballgames and birthday parties. Right?

But wait – the Bible says God sees little birds falling to the ground. How many birds do you think have been hatched since time began? God had His eye on every single one of them. Not just the eagles and the owls and the pelicans, but the sparrows – plain little birds of no great importance.

If you have a close friend, you might think you know your friend pretty well. Maybe you know what he wants for Christmas, or his favorite food. But no matter how well you know your friend, you know more about yourself. So, how many hairs do you have? You don’t know, do you? Besides, it changes from day to day! You wash your hair, brush it, fix it – and maybe you even twist it or pull it when you’re thinking hard about something. It really is impossible for you to know the exact number of hairs you have on your own head.

God knows. If He wanted to, He could tell you the exact count of your hairs. And if God knows that tiny little detail about you, you can be sure He knows the rest of the “little” things that are of big importance to you – your family problems, your best friend’s moving away, your pet dying, your team’s losing, your bad grades at school. Not only does He know – He cares. The Creator of the universe cares about you.

God has kept track of even the sparrows. Which one is more valuable – you or a bird? Which one did He die for? Whose prayers does He hear? “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Take your problems, both big and small, to the One Who knows, the One Who cares, and the One Who can do something about it. God is that One.

God knows about and cares about even the smallest details of our lives.

My Response:
» Is it easy for me to forget that God knows and cares about the “small” things that are a big deal to me?
» How can I show by my life that I believe in a God Who is aware of everything and able to do anything?

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