Jul 27
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brad added a link contribution A Fence Around GodGod had a high-powered electric fence built around him at Mount Sinai. Well, hard to tell if it really was a fence, it was not electric, but it was some kind of boundary that if you crossed it or even touched it YOU WOULD DIE. We read about this in the Old Testament. Three months after leading the Israelites out of Egypt Moses is told, by the Lord, to prepare for his arrival at Mount Sinai. This seems strangely extreme to me from strictly a human perspective. To put this in proper perspective a… Read more »
Jul 10
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brad added a link contribution The Battles Against DarknessDo you believe in evil spirits? Do you believe there is a devil? Do you believe there is a battle going on behind the scenes, in the spiritual world? Have you witnessed the results of a specific battle between good and evil? Are you in the battle? How can you defend yourself? What is your defense? How can you go on the offense against the powers of the dark world? Paul reminds us here that our battle is not with other people but the Evil One. God has given us both a defense and an offense. Defe… Read more »
Jul 8
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brad added a link contribution Jesus Identified with UsNow we know from scripture that Jesus was without sin. (1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5, John 8:46) ... So why was Jesus baptized? I think there are several reasons why, but I would like to focus on just one: Identification. Jesus came to earth, in part, to identify with us humans. He came down from heaven to walk on this earth in a body like ours. God came down to earth to live like us and with us. (John 1:14) Jesus willing submitted himself to a ceremony that was designed to signify a change in on… Read more »
Jun 10
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brad added a link contribution I Don't Want to Focus on My FearI have fears. I worry about things. Most people do. Some of us perhaps conceal our fear better, but if we are human it's there. It may be of extreme weather or natural disasters. It may be a fear of sickness or disease. We may worry about our families safety or our children when they are way at school. We may be afraid of car accidents or flying on airplanes. Some can't be in tight closed in spaces with out being overcome with fear. Some are afraid of water and drowning. Fear can overw… Read more »
May 22
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brad added a link contribution Keep it Simple Keep it JesusFaith in God seems complicated today. Religion even more complicated. So complicated we often avoid the conversation or discussion. In Acts 15 we read about a council meeting in Jerusalem where a complicated discussion was taking place about religious customs, rules, and laws. There were those not long after Jesus came who wanted to attach rules and requirements to his message. Humans love to set up hoops for others to jump through. God has made it too simple so we must make it more complex to… Read more »
May 11
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brad added a link contribution Intersection of Belief & LifeWhy didn't Jesus' parents understand? Of all those who knew Jesus they should have seen it pretty clearly. How could they not understand that he was the son of God and when he was speaking of the Father he was speaking of his father - God Almighty. Not only had Joseph and Mary, at this point, spent 12 years raising Jesus as their son, but they were visited by angles before his birth informing them of the greatest news ever given: the Son of God was coming to earth to save his people.… Read more »
Apr 30
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brad added a link contribution Undeserved FavorThe second definition in The American Heritage Dictionary for the word favor states "Friendly or favorable regard; approval or support: won the favor of the monarch; looked with favor on the plan." This announcement made to Mary was the beginning of a new era. The era of favor. A time period marked by the mercy and grace of God. This new era would begin with a pregnant unwed teenager in Galilee. Just as God found favor with Mary, God would find favor with us through the baby Mary woul… Read more »
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brad added a link contribution In Reverse it All Makes SenseIn Old Testament times before Jesus was born when someone heard a prophet speak or read from a scroll of scripture they may have found some of the information about the coming Messiah confusing. The small nuggets of information reveled about where the Messiah would come from and live probably seemed random and just a little conflicting. One prophet would say the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, then they would hear He would be a Nazarene, and then that He would come from Egypt. Through the co… Read more »
Apr 26
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brad added a link contribution sound of a soft breathOther translations: ... a still small voice ... a soft whisper ... a sound of a gentle blowing ... a gentle and quiet whisper ... a sound of sheer silence ... sound of a soft breath The oldest brother of Jesus, James, wrote "Come near to God and he will come near to you." (James 4:8) His glory is overwhelming but his voice can be small, gentle, quiet, and soft in order to draw us in close to hear his words intimately and clearly. This passage from 1 Kings was the inspiration to the… Read more »
Apr 25
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brad added a link contribution Unremarkable and Authentic GrowthWe read about many seemingly unremarkable people in the Bible and their response to seeing Jesus. Here in Luke's account we read about a few unnamed shepherds, a man named Simeon, and a women named Anna. What were their responses? Tell others... When people saw Jesus their response was to tell others. It is amazing to me that not only does God desire to come to earth in such a seemingly unremarkable way he desires to use unremarkable people to spread his vital and life changing message to… Read more »
User Info
Name: brad
User Since: April 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
Website: www.myBibleDevotional.…
Contributions: 10
Tags: 23