The invasion, occupation, and oppression was self-inflicted, a result of the leaders and peoples rebellion against God. Their depressive state and experience, the gloom and distress, was self-imposed, and born out of choices that opposed their God and His Way. The result, a humbling.
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Ever found yourself pounding your chest, leaning in hard, mouth wide open, barking, "I'm RIGHT!" You're WRONG! I think that certainly describes the times we are in as a people and as a nation. All the finger pointing in the world won't rescue a single "Lost" soul. Jesus' answer to this finger pointing, is striking, challenging and potentially, life altering for the ones who choose it.
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Trapped by indecision, fear, a looming sense of failure; there is a Way Out, the psalmist calls it sweeter than honey. Want a taste...? A followers way through the mess, simple, seemingly insignificant, YES, but real. How to endure temptation, from a simple fool.
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"That Hits!" I've heard and seen this expression used a ton on social media lately. But really, does it HIT?! "My eyes shed streams of water..." This expression that "HITS," why? Tears because we DO NOT KEEP Your law.
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When God's people cry-out with hearts bent low, seeking forgiveness, He responds to their earnest prayers according to His will! At the cross we see the ultimate act of intercession, in both the action and words of Christ, SAVIOR!
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Turning to God, pleading for His forgiveness out of our sorrow filled confession, because we as a people have gone our own, destructive, way draws the heart...the ear...the gaze of God towards us.
Keep Reading Daniel pleads with God, who is merciful and forgiving, to bring His people back home from their enslavement Babylon. Daniel's prayer challenges us today, to get real and pray for God's divine intervention. Today in America we need God, if we don't get RIGHT with Him, we as a people are in deep trouble, just like Israel in their rebellion.
Keep Reading Everybody needs Do-Over moments in their lives! No matter how good your estimate is of YOU, if you're honest, they're some NOT so good things in your thinking, your feeling and even your actions. We all would love to have a do-over.
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“The Way Up, is Down,” a phrase one of my favorite pastors, Derrick Prince, used to describe the act of “Humbling Yourself.” Over the next several weeks we’ll focus our attention on the theme of, Repentance. Specifically, “A Living Repentance,” meaning, you’re proximity to the Light, exposes your darkness and demands you’re turning from darkness to light!
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What tool is available to ALL, when put into play, eliminates the dominating RULE of the destructive forces that are always working: in our hearts, heads and the world to take us DOWN, and OUT?
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A son of Korah, in Psalm 85:4, makes a plea before His God, "Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us." His nation, it's leaders and therefore it's people had turned their backs God. Reminding all, God recuses, one of the sons of Korah, makes this plea, ultimately, a cry from a hope filled heart, an act of faith, an intimate overture towards God, please HELP!
Keep ReadingIndependence from oppression, this theme, the foundation stone of the American Rebellion against Great Britain is a chief purpose of Christ coming, life of service, sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. He came to set us FREE!
Keep ReadingMay 9
2018
As humans, because of our capacity to reason, because of our physical strength, because our ability to create we think we are enough to make thinks RIGHT. But is that true, are we enough to make things right? And more importantly, are we enough to keep things right? What about you, is a life well spent, spent on the making and keeping things right?
Apr 4
2018
When, in moments of silence, we finally facedown ourselves with no audience to impress or to fool and let the mask ,we’ve been hiding behind down, we are reminded that we are broken!
Mar 17
2018
The paralytic and the four that went to great lengths to deliver their friend to Jesus for forgiveness & healing, digging and lowering him through a roof, we see a picture of desperation.
Apr 27
2017
Meet a God who is ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED to you and powerfully demonstrates His commitment, not just in words but deeds! He SHOWS UP, guaranteed!
Apr 12
2016
The verdict is in NOT GUILTY! We are invited to step into Christ’s Righteousness and exchange our: Sin, Guilt, Shame, Brokenness and Death because of Christ’s finished work at the cross "Change" is a REAL possibility. It is time to EMBRACE the life that you are living regardless of what it seems to throw at you. Remember if God is For YOU, then who has the power to really stand against God and His will in your life? NO ONE!
Feb 9
2016
A REAL LIFE look at sex, love, marriage, singleness, culture, family and YOU! It's going to get REAL and HONEST. So choose to join the conversation and bring who you are into the journey!
Dec 29
2015
In a letter to Followers of Christ living in the city of Colossai, Paul implores his fledgling church to cling to Christ and Christ's way which is absolutely superior to their old way of doing life. Paul also, challenges you and me, as modern day Followers to be dependent on Christ alone and His power to transform our lives!
Nov 20
2015
As we explore this Letter of Paul’s to the Colossians lets not forget the back drop, that Following Jesus and sharing the Gospel just might cost you everything, even your life. The times were serious, the church in Colossae was being attacked from within, a group called the Gnostics were bringing a New Gospel, fundamentally different from Christ’s Gospel. The Gnostic Gospel focused preached a new, but old way to salvation; a salvation NOT through Faith in Christ, but a salvation obtained through acquiring special knowledge, and the practice of superstitious rituals, and astrology and angelology; this salvation was a mystical and magical experience to become a “Gnostic” or a “knowing one.” They believed the material world, including the flesh was evil, and therefore, attacking Christ’s Incarnation and his Deity, Christ could not be both God and Man, because the two could never co-exist. Paul as a counter, to their teachings/philosophies challenges the Colossians to remember the Gospel of Christ that originally won their hearts, minds and souls...The Real Gospel...evidenced by the changed lives of the Colossians!
Aug 20
2015
The "Truth" bites! All of us have tangled with truth, if your human that is, and it most often is NOT EASY, but if we deal with it we change, life gets simpler!
May 26
2015
Our new series, based on John Burke's, book, "Mud and The Masterpiece" will take us on a journey into our own mess, and God's deep desire to bring restoration at the Master's hands and it will help us to be more like Christ in how we demonstrate the love of God in a broken and messed up world.
Mar 30
2015
Holy Week...Many of the details that surround Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the most holy place on earth, his last days with those dearest to Him, His arrest, trials, suffering, crucifixion and resurrection were foretold by prophets of old. The evidence is overwhelming pointing to Jesus as the promised Messiah.
Jan 7
2015
26 years later, I'm still grateful for God's gift! Not only a partner in day to day life, but a partner in the highest priority any life can have...
Dec 10
2014
I did a bit of work today on website redesign. Working through the brief description of Matt's House Church I wrestled with the word REAL. Being REAL is one of the values that our church planting Core Team believed was critical to people feeling welcome at Matt’s House, a safe place to be who you...