you serve a risen Savior!
Ask fifty people to finish the statement "Live As If" and you are likely to get fifty different answers. For Christians it will mean something different than for non-Christians. Incorporated into the top graphic are the answers given by friends of mine. It is our desire that your answer will be different each time you visit.
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Whatever Happened to Prayer Meetings?
''Winging It' from Stan Smith
In Acts 12 there is a kind of fun story about Peter in jail. Herod had James, John's brother, beheaded and found out the Jews liked it. So he had Peter arrested and planned to further the fun by killing him after Passover. Well, God had other plans. In the night an angel came in, kicked Peter and told him to get up and go, and they walked out. Peter didn't even know it was real until the angel left him outside the prison. Imagine that! So he went to where he knew Christians would be gathered and knocked on the door. Sure enough, there was a group inside praying for Peter, but when
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Helping the Grieving, Part 1
'The Way' from Kevin Pauley
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. – Romans 12:15
According to Paul, part of God’s will for your life is that you learn empathy. We are to rejoice with others when good things come their way. But we are also to grieve alongside them when the dark times come. Notice that Paul didn’t say we are to comfort them? That’s because comforting them would be in large part impossible.
There is no easy way to help. There are no clear-cut, three-step answers. There is no pill that can be taken, nor wonderful counsel that can be given
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Snow II (1-19-11)
'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington
During the sunny but cold days that followed last week’s snowfall in Atlanta, I found it necessary to wear sunglasses when driving for any length of time. I had seen snow before, but not like this. Immediately after the snow fell, a slow and extremely cold rain began to fall and formed a crust of ice on top of the snow. The grass, trees, bushes and everything close to the surface of the earth reflected light from all directions; the indirect light literally hurt!
For centuries, the word snow has been used to describe objects that are extremely white. In fact, the Bible uses
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For Many This Battle Is Unknown
'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw
Luke 18 verses 1 to 8 – It is all about Jesus and the lady who bothers the judge – and she is persistent – and she is relentless.
Jesus invites his disciples to pray – but we must never think we can have a good Prayer Time. What does God think if it?
One of the hardest
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Exhibiting the sanctity of life
'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess
Do you ever wonder why David cut the corner off Saul’s robe rather than killing him in that cave? (1 Samuel 24). Then David’s heart was troubled after he did that. That word troubled is a very strong word in Hebrew that means to strike (as the KJV translates it) but also means to kill, slaughter, murder, stripes, wound.
David felt that for just cutting off the corner of Saul’s robe. Yet, he took the life of Uriah (1 Samuel 11-12). One would think that David would remember how his heart wounded his soul for taking the robe’s corner, but
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Twas Anything but Silent
'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro
Twas the night before Christ was born
and all through the barn,
all the creatures were stirring
wondering who these two were.
Mary was frightened and Joseph unsure
of what the heck God was doing.
It seemed like a blur.
They had to leave home
to give birth in a barn.
It didn't make a bit of sense.
The Redeemer born in a barn!
And it was anything but silent.
The person who wrote "Silent Night Holy Night" apparently didn't have kids. With restless animals and Mary in labor it was not silent. Joseph had to be on edge and unsure what to do. And who
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What Is Going On...?
''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs
Why are events in the nations of the world happening as they are? It seems that the world as we knew it has been turned upside down. Events seem to be out of control worldwide. Is there something going on that the world in general does not see? Most details about world conditions are too complicated to be completely understood. However, the source of the condition of the world can be known and understood. There are only two major realities that we need to know in order for world events to be understood. World conditions are changing by the hour. Even by the minute. There are many
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Focusing On The Good
'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell
Seeing the positive in people is far easier than only seeing the negative.
No matter who you work with, marry, be-friend, date, parent, or live beside, sooner or later there’ll be personality traits which you don’t agree with, or find uncomfortable to be around. We’re all created differently, are an original masterpiece created by God, and like any living thing, there are no two of us exactly alike. It’s what makes the human race such an incredibly diverse body of souls. But, how we interact, and appreciate each others positive and negative qualities
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Bible and Quote - November 23-25
'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns
The LORD has heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer. Psalm 6:9
Rather than repeated repetitions; reexamine, realign and revise prayer until there is a resolve that it is within God’s preferred will.
Let all my enemies be ashamed (confounded) and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly. Psalm 6:10
For what good can thy neighbor's ill do for thee? If he had no ill, he would not even be thine enemy. (Pray) that he may end his ill, and he will be thine enemy no longer. St. Augustine
You will be made rich in every
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Think on These Things.
'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester
Journal entry April 14,1997
Today’s scripture reading, Philippians 4:8-9, causes me to stop and think.
“Whatever is true:” I shared some information ‘as I saw it’ yesterday evening about two different situations that I was aware of. One concerned an elderly lady who kept violating confidences and reacting to her surroundings. The other lady only came to God on her terms and as long as it didn’t hurt her to worship God, if she felt she had to change then she {stayed away and} came back in times of crisis and only on her terms (looking
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His Purpose
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley
A newspaper that is curculated in the Louisville, Kentucky area ran a story on Kentucky basketball in this week's rag. They tied the idea of "passion" into it, which, in and of itself, was not a problem. However, the front cover showed Jesus holding a basketball with the story's caption emblazoned in print reminiscent of the move, "The Passion of the Christ", just below the picture of Jesus.
The owner of the paper said that he was not mocking the Lord in any way. One of his deliverers saw it differently. David Wine refused to deliver the paper saying it was, indeed, a mockery
A week ago, a very dear man passed away in Bellville, Ohio. Lewis K. (Jack) Snavely was a fascinating man. He was one of the more brilliant people I have ever met in my life. But even I didn't know everything about Jack. His family filled in the cracks for me when I met with them This past Tuesday evening to prepare for the funeral the next day. What I was told was mind-blowing for a man who lived in
Daily Refractions
Words to Ponder
That is the differences between repentance and remorse. The man who has not repented, but who is only experiencing remorse, when he realizes he has done something wrong, avoids God... The man who has not been dealt with by the Spirit of God and has not been convinced and convicted, tries to get away from God, to avoid Him at all costs. He does not think, he does not read the Bible, he does not pray; he does everything he can not to think about these things. But the extraordinary thing about the man who is convinced of sin by the Holy Spirit is that though he knows he has sinned against God, it is God he wants... He wants to be with God - that is the peculiar paradox of repentance, wanting the one I have offended! I put it therefore in this form. The impenitent avoids God: the penitent knows that no one but God can really satisfy. - Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)
'Daily Reading Plan'
from StudyLight.org
Bible-in-a-Year NAS
1 Chronicles 5-6; Zephaniah 2; John 1:1-18:
Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, and Hezron and Carmi. The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, and Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria took into exile; he was leader of the Reubenites. His relatives by their families, in the genealogy of their