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THE WILL OF LOVE

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    I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.   Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 It was a gorgeous day, and I was looking forward to meeting with my friends in front of our church for our weekly hour of prayer together. As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a stranger pacing back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the building. She walked with her head down so that her hair concealed her face, and she leaned heavily on a sturdy cane as she walked with a considerable limp. Her clothing was clean and in good condition, so I doubted she was one of the homeless people who often come to our sanctuary for help. I won’t describe her in any more detail so as to preserve her dignity.   I greeted her a
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PRACTICE STANDING

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For we walk by faith, not by sight. 1 Corinthians 5:7 I love to use a silly example when I’m teaching women’s Bible study groups. Often, the ladies to whom I’m privileged to share God’s Word live extraordinarily more challenging lives than mine, so laughter is always a good way to bring a dose of joy into the lessons. One activity I’m fond of asking all the gals do is to stand up and follow my lead. Next, I ask them to carefully try standing on one leg, warning that it can be tricky to balance; thankfully I’ve never had anyone fall yet during this exercise! Finally, I ask them to close their eyes, and remain standing on one leg. Most of us really struggle with maintaining equilibrium once we have no visual reference unless we’ve practiced this skill over time. I challenge you to try it, but make sure you have something nearby to grab in case you start to topple. 😊 There is so much spiritual truth in this demonstration, and most in attendance grasp it quickly, as I’m sure you may have
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ARE YOU READY?

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Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matt. 16:24 I just finished a remarkable novel by Randy Alcorn, entitled Safely Home. While it is a work of fiction, it is based on real-life situations faced by Chinese Christians as well as other persecuted Christians worldwide. A fictional character in the book states, “ If you are looking for a religion centered around yourself ... I must agree that Christianity is a poor choice.” Oh, that we would all grasp this! It is ALL about our LORD Jesus Christ, and His is the way of suffering—for a moment—in preparation for a glorious eternity. Religious persecution is real. For many of us it seems far away, but the Bible warns us all that if we are followers of Christ, we will endure hardships. Things are changing in my home country of America, and as Christians we need to be alert. With all this on my heart, I was reading one of the final chapters in th
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  You shall give due honor and respect to the elderly, in the fear of God. I am Jehovah. Leviticus 19:32 I found this lovely creature on our patio. He (she?) was obviously towards the end of his or her life and could no longer fly. I didn’t resist the impulse very long to pick the critter up and to gently place the still-live body in some bushes where at least he/she wouldn’t suffer the indignity of death-by-trampling from our gentle but clumsy Great Dane. I don’t make it a habit of rescuing insects, but I somehow sensed that God wanted me to learn something from this fragile being He’d placed in my path. About the same time as I was graced with this encounter, I received a call from the company that provides for my ninety-one-year-old mother to have a caregiver 40 hours each week. I very much appreciate the service they provide, which enables her to live semi-independently in her own home. However, I have repeatedly insisted that they quit asking me about what should be done for her
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FRUITFUL TO THE END

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Those who are planted in the house of the Lord s hall flourish in the courts of our God.  They shall still bear fruit in old age; t hey shall be fresh and flourishing. Psalm 92:13-14 For the first time in my life, I have a fig tree in my yard. It was already here when we moved into our current home five years ago, and to be honest, I was far more excited initially about its buddy, the orange tree growing nearby. I hated figs as a child and figured not much had changed. For the first few years, I was content to observe through my window as the bunnies and birds enjoyed the fruit. Finally, my curiosity got the better of me, and I sampled one. I wasn’t bowled over, but I wasn’t totally repulsed, either. In time, I’ve learned to really enjoy them, as well as to pass them on to my few fig-loving friends. I still allow the bunnies to munch on the really low branches, and the birds to indulge in the fruit on the branches too high for me to reach, an arrangement that seems to be agreeable to u
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WHAT IF?

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 This Christmas, what if… • Instead of grumbling about those who no longer say “Merry Christmas,” we demonstrated to them the reason for our joy? • Instead of looking at others through the lens of “us” and “them,” we remembered that we are ALL sinners in need of God’s grace? • Instead of complaining about the state of our nation/world, we took action by sharing more freely about the King of Nations, the Light of the World? • Instead of whining about the high price of goods, we thanked Jehovah Jireh, the Provider, for all He has given us?  • Instead of living in fear, we chose to trust our Creator who came to earth to save us? • Instead of dwelling in despair, we determine to abide in Hope? • Instead of counting Christmas gifts under the tree (or lack thereof), we worshipped the Gift Giver, Jesus Christ, Messiah, the tiny baby in a manger who came to Earth to die on the cross, God in the flesh, Emmanuel, God With Us?  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for beho
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INCONVENIENCE

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    “I don’t feel like it.” It’s not convenient (for me).” “I’d rather ______.” “What’s in it for me?” Hmmm. All of these statements contain the words “I” or “me.” While most of us consider ourselves to be nice people, full of kindness, and helpful to others, we often act out of our excess. What I mean by this is, we give of our resources and time when it’s convenient, when we have more than enough, or, sadly, when there is public accolade for doing so. We do what feels good rather than pursuing what is hard or uncomfortable. In contrast, I’ve witnessed my neighbor quietly exhausting himself for over a year now providing full-time care to his wife who had a stroke and cannot even go to the bathroom by herself in the middle of the night (or during the day.) I observe my husband humbly choosing to love me enough to stick with a difficult and frustrating job to ensure that I have good health care. I recall our former pastor’s wife who repeatedly cared for elderly and dying relatives and
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