bojackson54

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Habakkuk Tells Us to Rejoice When Everything Fails. Really??

Have you read Habakkuk lately? (That’s what I thought.) His book seems to have everything backwards. He warns us that things can fail. THEN, he tells us to rejoice in failure. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the…

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Stuck in a Negative Cycle? Then STOP! And Get on a NEW One

Life hits us sometimes with a cycle of suffering. (I know I’ve heard it said that “everything comes in threes”, so maybe that’s it.) But there are times when something goes wrong, or little things mount up, and circumstances seem to come at us in waves. We feel beat up, and what had felt like a smooth journey is suddenly a rocky road. It’s sometimes all we can do to hang on when we experience…

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Flesh is Flesh, and Spirit is Spirit. Can You See It? Do You Hear It?

In one of the pivotal conversations in history, Jesus told Nicodemus something really quite amazing. He said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6 KJV) Do you ever notice the spiritual dimensions of life? Out of all the animals on the planet, only man concerns himself with spiritual things. Ever wonder why that’s so? The Forgotten…

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Advice Means More Coming From People Who Practice What They Preach

King David was old. He had reached that point in life where he knew his time on earth was short. He wanted his son, Solomon, to succeed, so he offered him the fruit of a long, challenging life. He reflected on the wisdom he had acquired, some of it painful and hard-earned. Doing what old men are best equipped to do, he gave Solomon a gift of priceless value. He looked Solomon in the eye, and gave…

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On Reflection, You Could Say the Son is the Spitting Image of His Father

When you look in a mirror, what do you see? Unless you’re in a carnival funhouse, the reflection there will only do what you do, and say only what you say. The toddler in this image is in the process of discovering what you and I already know: our image reflects us. Paul said that the toddler in this picture is the key to a pretty amazing revelation about God. “The Son is the image of the…

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A Soldier, Athlete, and Farmer Set (Not Walk Into) the Bar For YOU

What do a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer have in common? And, what on earth do they have to do with YOU? A Threefold Exhortation “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown…

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Jesus said, "Greater Works Than These Shall You Do." Wait, WHAT?!

Jesus makes an astounding assertion in the Book of John that you and I should think about. After all, the assertion he makes is about US, about anyone who follows him. He actually says those who follow him, will do greater works than He did. Here’s his statement: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,…

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Condemn the Guilty, or Not? The Trial With a Shocking Conclusion

“And Jesus lifted himself up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no man condemn thee? And she said, ‘No man, Lord.’ And Jesus said, “‘”Neither do I condemn thee. Go thy way; from henceforth sin no more.” (John 8:10-11, ASV) The woman caught in adultery is one of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible, and it has a number of interesting elements to it. A Chance for Jesus to Condemn First…

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Good Leaders Lead. Moses Discovered That Great Leaders Equip Others to Lead

The Bible contains some pretty good advice for leaders. Moses was wearing himself out trying to do all the work, and his father-in-law, Jethro ( NOT the Beverly Hillbillies Jethro!), gave him some wise counsel. “Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you;…

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Jesus Said, "Peace, Be Still." Maybe He Was Looking at YOU

With all that is going on in the world, there is much to be fearful about. Peace is in short supply between governments, races, and political parties. Some pundits even refer these days to “the Divided States of America” because political and social orientation run so deeply along party lines. When it comes to having peace in this world, it’s not so much mastery over circumstances, but mastery…

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The Tour That Was More Than a Tour, With the Guide Who Was More Than a Guide

If you are going to travel in another country, it helps to have an interpreter or guide to help you find your way. When you travel in Israel you are challenged by the diversity of cultures, by the multiple layers of history dating back to ancient times, by the influence and juxtaposition of three major world religions and by the volatile political climate. In order to navigate such a complex set…

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Great Worship Is Better Than a Trip to Walley World!

How often do you experience the thrill of true worship? In the Psalms there were references to anticipation, joy, and gratitude: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.” (Psalms 100:4-5 KJV) The 100th Psalm was probably part of the…

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Standing Leadership on its Head: the Man Who Led the Wrong Way

There are lots of definitions of leadership, and many different ways to lead. Wikipedia says, “Controversial viewpoints [on leadership] are present in the literature, among Eastern and Western approaches to leadership, and also in the West, on US vs. European approaches.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership) The article discusses Monarchy, the Mandate of Heaven, Patriarchal, and Autocratic…

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How Can We Have Eternal Impact in a Temporary World?

In every generation, men strive for greatness. Every generation wants to be known forever, to have eternal impact. From King Ozymandias, to Hitler, to Mohammed Ali, men have wanted to be immortalized as (and use your best Ali voice here, or at least, Billy Crystal DOING Mohammed Ali) “I am the Greatest… of ALL TIME!” Athletic contests are said to be “making history”, and athletes are called…

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ABBA is Better Than a Rock Group: Discover the Warmth of a Loving Father

You may think ABBA was a Swedish Rock Band, but wait, there’s MORE! Yes, they harmonized and looked good, but before they ever charted their first pop music hit, the Bible used Abba in a completely different context, one that’s kind of the opposite of “Mama Mia”. “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we…

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The Guide, the Tour, the Tell: What Shlomo Taught in Israel

 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV) God’s statement to Solomon reminds me this week that current events are linked not only to political and military acts, but to our Creator and his plans. We…

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How Can the Only Be One Way? Don't All Paths Lead to the Same Place?

In college I had a bumper sticker on my red ’68 Ford Mustang picturing an index finger pointing upwards that said, “One Way”. Today, many people would dispute that claim as preposterous! Is there only one way to heaven? Do Christians have any right to be exclusive about heaven? The Bible says this: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among…