tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50433351689966948602024-03-14T06:45:13.518-05:00Beard, Brew & BibleJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-85001938922688756282023-12-23T16:00:00.001-06:002023-12-23T16:00:00.137-06:00Christmas Commission<p><span style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica;">Last time I wrote about the Christmas Crisis, which immediately followed the birth of Jesus. This time I will be writing about OUR role in the Christmas story.</span></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Luke 2:10, we read about the angels announcing the birth of Jesus, saying, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people…” Fast forward about 33 years, and Jesus uses a very similar phrase when speaking to His disciples. In Mark 16:15, Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”<br />
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The word the angels used for “good tidings” in Luke 2:10 is the same word Jesus uses in Mark 16:15 for “gospel.” The good news of Jesus was for all people over 2,000 years ago, and it is still for all people today.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As Christians, we are told by Jesus in Mark 16:15 to go and preach the Gospel (good tidings) to all people. The same news given to the shepherds at the birth of Jesus and what the Magi experienced when meeting Jesus is what Jesus instructs His disciples to do as well. Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all people. If you are a disciple of Jesus, then you are commissioned by Him to go and share good news.<br />
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Matthew 28:19, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” “All people” and “every creature” are clarified even further to “all nations,” which means all ethnic groups. According to the United Nations, there are 195 recognized countries globally. There are <b>several thousand</b> different ethnic groups in the world. The largest country by population is China, with almost 1.5 billion people. The second largest country by population is India, with about 1.4 billion. Can you guess what the third largest country by population is? It’s the USA, with about 330 million people!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sBpyYgTbMbAWi2qdwC4DspGU6PmwDTqSOZ6bA25llAgz-iNC__RjL8JEdHaFXp7OxYmqU-1lcSRHQQ0X1jJvP0HpyIxFeNnQu9ro4u3IPx4e06cJtRe7KTI3NfiWNKJ9-9S7OohiNnzFycPyhYq0adUHM_BPSvRRgegtXiNRldrOvFDdKvyI95uUT0Q/s1598/map-of-the-world-1444920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1598" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sBpyYgTbMbAWi2qdwC4DspGU6PmwDTqSOZ6bA25llAgz-iNC__RjL8JEdHaFXp7OxYmqU-1lcSRHQQ0X1jJvP0HpyIxFeNnQu9ro4u3IPx4e06cJtRe7KTI3NfiWNKJ9-9S7OohiNnzFycPyhYq0adUHM_BPSvRRgegtXiNRldrOvFDdKvyI95uUT0Q/w400-h211/map-of-the-world-1444920.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Most of us reading this article are living in the third largest populated area for sharing the Gospel. For going! For loving! We are to go and bring good news of great joy to all people:</p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to the shepherds and the Magi,</p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to the Republicans, the Democrats, the politically homeless, and the indifferent,</p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to the vaxxers, anti-vaxxers, and everyone in between,</p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to the rich, the poor, and the middle class,</p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to the citizens, the refugees, and the illegal aliens,</p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to every nation, every tribe, every tongue, and every ethnic group!</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My encouragement to anyone reading this is to begin to bring the good news of the Kingdom of God with you wherever you go. Jesus is good news that will bring you and others great joy! Experience Jesus for yourself and then share Him!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">The time is now; shake the earth!</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-89929644077848048142023-12-22T16:00:00.001-06:002023-12-22T16:00:00.136-06:00Christmas Crisis<p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Last time I wrote about the Christmas communication from the angels to the shepherds of good tidings of great joy for all people. This time I will be writing about the crisis that later followed the birth of Jesus.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In examining the Christmas story, we understand that the conception and birth of Jesus are both miraculous. The days and weeks immediately following His birth were fairly standard. Eight days after the birth of any Hebrew boy was their circumcision, and a couple of weeks after the birth of any firstborn Hebrew was their presentation to the Lord in the temple. (Luke 2:21-24) After they fulfilled their religious duties, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph traveled back to their home in Nazareth. (Luke 2:39-40)</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Several months or even a year or two later, the Magi, wise men from the East (most likely Arabia or Persia), came to find Jesus. The Magi were astrologers and noticed an important star in the sky. Knowing about prophecies written of a King being born, they traveled for many months to find and worship the new King.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Not knowing exactly where the new King was, the Magi asked around and got in touch with the people who should know of a new leader being born, the political authorities. Herod, the Roman king/governor of Judea, told the Magi to find this King and let him know where the King was living so he too could worship Him. (Matthew 2:1-8)</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">After visiting Herod, the Magi see the star again and follow it until they find King Jesus. They are filled with joy and give gifts to Jesus and worship Him. The Magi are another excellent example that the birth of Jesus was good tidings of great joy for ALL people. The Magi were not Hebrews; they were astrologers and magicians from the East. They would have most likely been followers of a different religion, but they were now worshippers of Jesus. (Matthew 2:9-11)</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">After meeting King Jesus, the Magi were told by an angel not to revisit Herod, so they traveled back home a different way. An angel also told Joseph of Herod’s anger and evil plan, and he, Mary, and Jesus escaped and lived in Egypt. Herod, not wanting someone to take away his job as king/governor, ordered the mass genocide of all children two and younger. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were refugees in Egypt until the death of Herod, and then they moved back to Israel and lived in Nazareth. (Matthew 2:12-23)</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Next time I will wrap up the Christmas story and write about the most important part of all, the Christmas Commission.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">The time is now; shake the earth!</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-22573836042065605882023-12-21T16:00:00.003-06:002023-12-21T16:00:00.183-06:00Christmas Communication<p><span style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/12/christmas-commands.html" target="_blank">Last time I wrote about the many difficulties of Mary and Joseph as they obeyed the commands to travel to Bethlehem while pregnant.</a> This time I will be writing about the communication of the birth of Jesus.</span></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Luke 2:8-14 we read of angels appearing to shepherds and communicating to them the birth of Jesus. The only event as important as the birth of Jesus (the Christmas story) is the death and resurrection of Jesus (the Easter story). The news of Jesus being born is world-changing, history-changing, and life-changing for any person who chooses to listen! The angels chose to tell this incredible news to, first of all, lowly shepherds.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">If it was my job to tell of the birth of the Savior of the world then I would have picked someone to tell other than shepherds. Shepherds were out in the middle of nowhere and often alone. Who were they going to tell other than their livestock? Why tell shepherds? I think this would be news you would want to announce to the most important and well-connected people you know, people who could spread the news the furthest and the quickest. God had a much better plan.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Luke 2:10 says, “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people...’” The first thing the angel said was, “Do not be afraid.” If any of us ever have an angel encounter like this then I’m sure they will need to tell us to not be afraid as well! The second thing they said was “behold.” They were telling the shepherds to pay close attention. The angels were bringing “good tidings” of “great joy” for “all people.”</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbyJmyJzTm5MyH2NGpCI2GaKh9f4WhK5A4a0dwMwFrfBzOXykNi8r3WpDVUIs3FdbdbesIwW8kIvRwvXZ3A0ZK5e61AE__gyV9EaQPvvDBrAtwGYcJdHGCZ9Wx9ioUQOUGUyljA0yzLNASVGKvF-k4oO4LujvRgjVAS-vdH3xNYNPhStNYkw5JKc-rYc/s1600/herd-of-sheep-syria-1405933.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbyJmyJzTm5MyH2NGpCI2GaKh9f4WhK5A4a0dwMwFrfBzOXykNi8r3WpDVUIs3FdbdbesIwW8kIvRwvXZ3A0ZK5e61AE__gyV9EaQPvvDBrAtwGYcJdHGCZ9Wx9ioUQOUGUyljA0yzLNASVGKvF-k4oO4LujvRgjVAS-vdH3xNYNPhStNYkw5JKc-rYc/w400-h300/herd-of-sheep-syria-1405933.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>“Good tidings”</b> is where we get the word evangelism from. The angels were sharing good tidings or good news with the shepherds. These good tidings were of <b>“great joy”</b>. Up until that time, there had never been such an occasion for as great of joy or gladness as the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. This good news that brings great joy was to be for <b>“all people.”</b> The good news of Jesus was for everyone, everywhere, for all time. This is demonstrated immediately as the angels choose to tell people of low economical and social status.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Immediately after hearing the wonderful news from the angels, the shepherds go and visit Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and praise and glorify God for what they experienced (Luke 2:15-20). The next post about the Christmas story will be on the topic of the Christmas Crisis.</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">The time is now; shake the earth!</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-14386689380786016422023-12-20T16:14:00.001-06:002023-12-20T16:37:58.240-06:00Christmas Commands<p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">A couple of Decembers ago I </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">had the opportunity to write devotionals once a week for the local newspaper in Park Rapids, MN. I wrote </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">Since they were already written, I figured I would share them here as well for anyone interested.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Most of us are probably familiar with the Christmas story, but I want to examine the story a little more closely and pull out a few key points. In Luke 1:26-38 we read about Mary being visited by an angel of the Lord and being told who her Son will be. She is confused and has questions, as any of us would, but she responds in such a beautiful way I pray we can all emulate. Mary says to the angel, “Let it be to me according to your word.” May we all respond to the commands and words of the Lord in a similar fashion!</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, Luke mentions there being a decree or command by the political leader Caesar Augustus. This command forced Joseph and his soon to be wife, Mary, to go to his hometown to be taxed. (Luke 2:1-5) This would have been a several day walk for Joseph and ride by donkey for Mary. All while Mary is VERY pregnant. I can’t imagine how difficult and uncomfortable of a journey this would have been for the couple! Unfortunately, disobedience to the Roman Empire would have been even more difficult.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLi9pdPTcZ4RVuJ-dFwTmTbDDhKV-JANd8sB4X7gF2RhMq_l11uPkSmUoP1gT5tELzwve9ZcAEaVRL4nCi0Hbkhr0aX9aGDOAbbTWjtUhJEDxJBWBiWW-zpG_KzmB42fJaVqhyfqjhwxy7pnT-JaR_lEBwSyv1qaaTMnnDCALLiSDf4e6vQzFK3f1gE4/s1199/donkey-1391079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="797" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLi9pdPTcZ4RVuJ-dFwTmTbDDhKV-JANd8sB4X7gF2RhMq_l11uPkSmUoP1gT5tELzwve9ZcAEaVRL4nCi0Hbkhr0aX9aGDOAbbTWjtUhJEDxJBWBiWW-zpG_KzmB42fJaVqhyfqjhwxy7pnT-JaR_lEBwSyv1qaaTMnnDCALLiSDf4e6vQzFK3f1gE4/w266-h400/donkey-1391079.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Conquering nations in the ancient world worked in various ways. Some brutally destroyed and plundered, some conquered people as slaves, others allowed the people to remain in their land and work as before, but with one major change: the conquered people had to pay taxes to their rulers.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In addition to the political and physical adversity Joseph and Mary faced, there were also cultural and religious complications. Mary was pregnant by someone other than Joseph, and this would have been difficult to deal with and explain. Joseph had the right to divorce Mary and probably would have if he had not received a visitation from an angel of the Lord. (Matthew 1:18-25) The angel let Joseph know Mary’s virgin birth story was true.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Joseph had to face the awkwardness of relatives and friends knowing his wife was pregnant by someone other than him. I believe this is the reason they didn’t find anywhere to stay while in Bethlehem and were forced to sleep with livestock in a stable. (Luke 2:6-7) While completing their civic duty in Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus, all while receiving no help or support from their extended family. <span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">The next post will be about the communication of the birth of Jesus.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">The time is now; shake the earth!</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 20); color: #0d0d14;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-2508228269985609112023-02-14T11:55:00.001-06:002023-02-14T11:55:44.528-06:00Little Margin for Error<p><span style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica;">Last time I wrote about the importance of creating love margins for others. This time I will write about the importance of us doing what we are created to do- to love God and love others. In some cases, there is little margin for error.</span></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I don’t intend this article to be too heavy, but I want us to be aware we are essential and that what we do or don’t do can have eternal significance and consequence. Life and death are not solely in our hands, but we may play a part or crucial role in certain circumstances. We are no one’s savior, but there are times when we do play a part in introducing them to the One who can save them!</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I’m currently 35 years old, and there have been several life-or-death circumstances I’ve been involved in during my lifetime. I’ve answered several calls over the years where people were contemplating suicide, and I was able to pray with them and get them the help they so desperately needed. I once led a man in a salvation prayer while he was in the hospital, and he passed away later that evening. Recently, there was an eight-month span where I was one of the first people to come upon a severe vehicle accident.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In November 2021, I was driving just outside Denver, CO, around 1 am, and we saw a vehicle flipped on its side on the interstate. My friend and I helped two people get out of their SUV and prayed with them while others called 911. In February 2022, I saw a van flipped upside down in a snowy ditch near Ottertail, MN. I stopped my car and yelled to see if anyone was in the van. Several seconds later, the horn started honking! I called 911 and struggled through stomach-deep snow to find an elderly man upside down in his vehicle. Thankfully, he only had minor injuries!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTj9EY6gG3RomR8A8tIpWpwp8EBn9Yzs68M0QYdMgvU8CpoESSW5i6VojD08mKqKjcyRrJj7w039Fe_kxjRhK_jLHRPxjjLKeXyF1kZSOJUhAyToXa6yt1oihs4gxzY-jqcYjI2-3QAa-EMQh5tDSXasOzvFUFb5T-ltEeuAs_SHuwfiIVJyigKqXM/s4032/333E00D5-D1DA-4FED-862E-55F62BF0DC6C2021-11-08_01-30-31_972.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTj9EY6gG3RomR8A8tIpWpwp8EBn9Yzs68M0QYdMgvU8CpoESSW5i6VojD08mKqKjcyRrJj7w039Fe_kxjRhK_jLHRPxjjLKeXyF1kZSOJUhAyToXa6yt1oihs4gxzY-jqcYjI2-3QAa-EMQh5tDSXasOzvFUFb5T-ltEeuAs_SHuwfiIVJyigKqXM/w300-h400/333E00D5-D1DA-4FED-862E-55F62BF0DC6C2021-11-08_01-30-31_972.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My friend and I are standing in the group of four people to the right of the Uhaul trailer.<br />In front of us you can see the SUV laying on its side.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In July 2022, I witnessed a motorcycle accident near Bemidji, MN. One of the bikers was unconscious and had very labored breathing. Another lady and I began praying for him, and soon he began to breathe normally, and a few minutes later, he regained consciousness. He was life-flighted to a nearby hospital and spent several weeks in the ICU. He had a miraculous recovery and was the talk of the hospital!</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">God wants to use us. God chooses to use us.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Lord, please help us open our eyes, hearts, and lives to You and our neighbor. May we be carriers of Your love, Your glory, and Your goodness! Amen!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The time is now; shake the earth!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">- Joel</p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-74001824028088313622023-01-31T14:11:00.000-06:002023-02-03T17:41:35.503-06:00Create Love Margins for Others<p><span style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/01/create-love-margins-for-yourself.html" target="_blank">Last time I wrote about the importance of creating love margins for ourselves.</a> This time I will write about the importance of creating love margins for others.</span></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus answered the question of what was the greatest commandment in the Bible. He tells them to love God with everything they have and to “<i>love your neighbor as yourself.</i>” Once we love ourselves, we can love our neighbors well. Once we see ourselves the way Jesus sees us, we can see others the way Jesus sees them.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We must have time and love margins created in our lives, so we aren’t so pressed for time and space that we don’t even consider helping others when we come face to face with need. How often do we drive by someone stopped on the side of the road without stopping? How often do we walk past the homeless or hungry without looking at them? How often do we ignore our spouse, family, or friends because we have better things to do?</p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbKJ-rVLp5S--z44NpmUs5RlfzIyM9NQ2HeOTu8Pk1Vj5w6CSs-EQoIYkHPcmkdJu9SqVZg8pT_WWtFz9zxtY3cjSpJXUEWxKDDkghdBQ22N5dxv5y9WyWcmNCfS3cDlhPY6WrImCALJ79BAmjNoRSv4pqm0G9lFfOAlx6RYdmEFM7nYYD_Gsvthh/s1600/homeless-1428820.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbKJ-rVLp5S--z44NpmUs5RlfzIyM9NQ2HeOTu8Pk1Vj5w6CSs-EQoIYkHPcmkdJu9SqVZg8pT_WWtFz9zxtY3cjSpJXUEWxKDDkghdBQ22N5dxv5y9WyWcmNCfS3cDlhPY6WrImCALJ79BAmjNoRSv4pqm0G9lFfOAlx6RYdmEFM7nYYD_Gsvthh/w400-h264/homeless-1428820.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I’m not suggesting we help so many people that we run ourselves into the ground. It is essential we have good boundaries, so we don’t burn ourselves out, but many of us use boundaries and overfilled schedules as excuses for not showing the love of God to our neighbor. This shouldn’t be the case! We shouldn’t be so busy that there are no margins for others available in our schedule.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Every human is loved by God and has infinite value. We often ignore the people outside the margins of social norms. Would we ignore Jesus if He was in the same situation? If Jesus was naked or hungry, would we ignore Him? If Jesus was stuck on the side of the road, would we drive past Him without a second thought?<br />
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus explains to His disciples, “<i>inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me… inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.</i>” This is a difficult truth to hear, but it is coming from Jesus, so it is most definitely the truth.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We are called to receive and treat every person as if they are Jesus. Wow, that changes things! Whether friend or stranger, we should receive, treat, and love them like they are the person Jesus. What would our world look like if we lived in such a manner?! May we begin to increase our love margins and find out!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The time is now; shake the earth!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">- Joel</p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-23070851003696116512023-01-20T15:35:00.001-06:002023-01-30T16:51:43.942-06:00Create Love Margins for Yourself<p><span style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/01/no-margin-of-time.html" target="_blank">Last time I wrote about the importance of creating margins of time and using your time wisely.</a> This time I will write about the importance of creating love margins for yourself.</span></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The other day a good friend called me out for not taking good care of myself. He encouraged me to ask God why I was willing to help others but not willing to help myself. Why was I ready to sacrifice, serve, and love others but not ready to do it for myself? It was a great question, and I appreciated his loving correction. After prayer and introspection, I realized I don’t value myself as much as I value others. I see others as more important than I am. This mindset and heart posture of self-criticism, another form of pride, is not where God wants me or any of us to be.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus answered the question of what was the greatest commandment in the Bible. He tells them to love God with everything they have and to “<i>love your neighbor as yourself.</i>” Before we love others, it is vitally important we understand how much God loves us.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">God is unconditional love. Jesus is unconditional love personified.<br />
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We cannot love others well if we don’t first love ourselves well. We will love our neighbor in a similar way and fashion as we love ourselves. Jesus loved others well because He knew who He was and Whose He was. We can love our neighbor in a similar way as Jesus if we first experience and know the love of God.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">A verse in the song “Jireh” by Maverick City Music says, “I’ll never be more loved than I am right now. Wasn’t holding You up, so there’s nothing I can do to let You down.” What if we all truly believed that phrase? We can never be more loved than we already are! There is NOTHING we could ever do to earn more love from God or to lose love from God! We are loved. We are His beloved.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">YOU are loved. YOU are His beloved.</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqT76zQklWFqWajZod8J8KKomRGbtCFQak1jY-EaSLwLgnIk0CuUUThjdTyWZlay5iLWv97yPlUnSQscq0pLhrfcGpHqpLv9Jyyo6HGYvI9A7OEpujawsBeTt-Kiytij4AyydxMyGbyWDd3Hp6ofuJKASERkiXouL_5DRaUt05w1yQOFLMEE1DX2H/s1600/wooden-heart-2-1173100.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqT76zQklWFqWajZod8J8KKomRGbtCFQak1jY-EaSLwLgnIk0CuUUThjdTyWZlay5iLWv97yPlUnSQscq0pLhrfcGpHqpLv9Jyyo6HGYvI9A7OEpujawsBeTt-Kiytij4AyydxMyGbyWDd3Hp6ofuJKASERkiXouL_5DRaUt05w1yQOFLMEE1DX2H/w400-h300/wooden-heart-2-1173100.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">God’s love has nothing to do with what we do or don’t do. How we love, think, treat, and speak to ourselves should have nothing to do with what we do or don’t do.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I encourage all of us to ask the same question my friend asked me. Why don’t you value yourself? Why don’t you love yourself? And what does Jesus want to show you about those lies you believe to be true about yourself? Ask and be ready to hear the voice of Love and Truth give you an answer!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The time is now; shake the earth!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">- Joel</p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-11940076655706279492023-01-18T10:56:00.000-06:002023-01-18T10:56:21.108-06:00No Margin of Time<p><span style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times;">Yesterday my printer malfunctioned and was printing out all kinds of letters, numbers, and symbols, and it wouldn’t stop. After printing several pages, I finally unplugged the power cord. The printer was filling up nearly the entire page. There were no margins on the top, bottom, or either side. It was stressful to look at it and gave me low-grade anxiety.</span></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">One of Webster’s dictionary definitions for margin is “<i>a spare amount or measure or degree allowed or given for contingencies or special situations</i>.” Many of us live such busy lives that we have no time margin whatsoever, and we have little to no time buffer or spare time between appointments, to-dos, and the busyness of our lives.</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4c3OwaqkAe4ySiqlKRishkTmDBkXDcXI-7dNHAjW3v5bNgDMMHRxbCZW2-C446-sYaOtqlQ-Fk2gdDDlRCEi63_Xa8M09pGuEFMe8EsU2e-mCK7yKXFmy9vfuSPipdLpNRvfxGuftMF2WOPUsaFkvEI0RkdLmr5GbQ47C68thGyI9n2xTevO-JWaI/s4032/IMG_6771.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4c3OwaqkAe4ySiqlKRishkTmDBkXDcXI-7dNHAjW3v5bNgDMMHRxbCZW2-C446-sYaOtqlQ-Fk2gdDDlRCEi63_Xa8M09pGuEFMe8EsU2e-mCK7yKXFmy9vfuSPipdLpNRvfxGuftMF2WOPUsaFkvEI0RkdLmr5GbQ47C68thGyI9n2xTevO-JWaI/w300-h400/IMG_6771.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the piece of paper. Please excuse the coffee stains ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Many of our lives look a lot like that piece of paper. No extra time. No extra space. No extra in our margins. We must widen our time margins.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In Ephesians 5:15-17 Paul writes, “<i>See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is</i>.”</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">According to this passage, wise people will redeem and use their time wisely, understand the will of God, and they will live this way circumspectly- with accuracy and diligence.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Several months ago, I decided to stop playing video games. I enjoy playing them, but I tend to get hyper-focused on my interests, and they can eat up a lot of my time if I’m not careful. I will often cut myself off from social media for a month or more at a time as well. We need to be mindful of our interests to keep things in balance.</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">No more video games was challenging at first, but after a couple of weeks of using my time more wisely and creating new habits and it wasn’t too difficult. Soon after making these new habits, I was hired to help start a men’s soccer program at Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji and could take that on without having to find or create much more time in my schedule. I was thankful I had already taken the Ephesians passage to heart and had more time!</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Psalm 90:12 says, “<i>So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.</i>”</p>
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<p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The Lord wants to teach us and help us manage our time and schedules in order to gain wisdom and do all He created us to do. Many things demand our time, so we must be intentional in our choices, so our time is filled with what matters most!</p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0d0d14; font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The time is now; shake the earth!</p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-42400951677540398512023-01-13T16:00:00.001-06:002023-01-13T16:15:55.059-06:00Don't Give Up On the Vision<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/01/do-vision.html" target="_blank">Last time I wrote about doing the vision. Doing the vision</a> is where we act on our previous praying and planning. Habakkuk 2:3 says, "'</span><em style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.'"</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> After we begin to <a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/01/do-vision.html" target="_blank">Do the Vision</a>, we must understand the vision will come to pass if we Don't Give Up On the Vision.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Lord tells Habakkuk the vision will speak, it will not lie, and encourages Habakkuk to wait for the vision because "</span><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It will surely come</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">." It's possible to become discouraged when our vision, plans, or dreams don't go according to our timeline. The vision will rarely if ever, go according to our timeline. We will have the choice to keep running with the vision or to give up on the vision. Patience is key. Continually going to the Lord with doubts, fears, discouragements, etc., is essential and will help us grow during the waiting period(s).</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A new vision from the Lord will most likely take a lot of time, a lot of work, a lot of resources, and a lot of prayers. We see this truth in the business world. According to the U.S. Small Business Association, only 70% of new businesses survive the first two years. After five years, about 50%. After ten years, about 33%. These statistics speak to the fact it's sometimes easier to give in and give up on the vision than to keep working, praying, and trusting in the Vision Giver.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Don't despise small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). Rejoice in the small steps and the small successes. Learn from mistakes and failures. Bring these failures to the Lord and receive His input and plan. After all, if the Lord gave us the vision, we are not alone.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My brother and I inherited our childhood home after our father passed away in 2017. We rented it out to make some passive income, just as our father had done. The Friday before Memorial Day in 2021, while working on our house in DL to get ready to sell, I received a phone call about our childhood home in Willmar, MN. The caller said they planned to call the city to get the house condemned because of the property's condition.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Shock. Discouragement. Fear. Anger. Tears.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I soon realized this was an opportunity to be distracted from the vision God had given us. I brought my pain to the Lord, who gave me peace and vision to continue forward. We worked many hours with friends and family to begin cleaning the home. The house was not condemned. We lost tens of thousands in damages and lost rent, but we did not and would not give up on the vision, "It will surely come."</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A few months after this incident, we sold the home to family friends. It was a good deal for us and good value for them. God worked it toward our good even though it was an awful situation, to begin with (Romans 8:28).</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We were in the process of packing, preparing to move, and fixing our home in DL for nearly a year before it finally sold. It was a long process with many opportunities to give up and throw in the towel.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7Zw8CtEDl3yrL4mNlX8e3BLRxwEYVQgaZdpNGe7wgCU83gsTJLDBTqKndIs4YGg8cJT9KNnWV8ixiCBNLfhBp-GIECekE2I4MfHKOSib-F4SIjYMAzxxmn1BiHHSFf7PdUQY1J-H-r8mFqGtp3F6Q9mv1E__D_z-_5Xjf1lGS9WQoQhwt8b6gGUG/s1800/273738938_10227342684974374_6462880507876047968_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7Zw8CtEDl3yrL4mNlX8e3BLRxwEYVQgaZdpNGe7wgCU83gsTJLDBTqKndIs4YGg8cJT9KNnWV8ixiCBNLfhBp-GIECekE2I4MfHKOSib-F4SIjYMAzxxmn1BiHHSFf7PdUQY1J-H-r8mFqGtp3F6Q9mv1E__D_z-_5Xjf1lGS9WQoQhwt8b6gGUG/w320-h400/273738938_10227342684974374_6462880507876047968_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final picture at our house before moving in February of 2022.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In February of 2023, it will be two years since we first started preparing for our move and one full year since the sale of our home. As of writing this, in January of 2023, we still have not purchased or moved into our new place. We are without a home, but we are not homeless. We have lived with several different friends and family and have several other offers of places to live/stay if needed. God provides, and we are so thankful to those who helped us during this weird season!</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We have been given more opportunities to give up on the vision or continue to run with the vision. God has been so good and so faithful during this super-odd and long season of life. We are confident He will continue to work it all together for good.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">If you're going through a difficult season, please be encouraged by our story and don't give up on the vision! God will take care of you and work things together for your good as well!</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The time is now; shake the earth!</p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-5439317785841485132023-01-10T18:00:00.002-06:002023-01-13T14:04:51.895-06:00Do the Vision<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/01/write-vision.html" target="_blank">Last time I wrote about the importance of writing down our vision, dreams, and goals.</a> Habakkuk 2:2b-3a says, “‘</span><em style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time;</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">’” <a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/01/write-vision.html" target="_blank">After we Write the Vision</a>, we must Do the Vision.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Lord tells Habakkuk those who read the vision should then run with the vision. Vision and dreams are wonderful, but they will have little value or impact if never acted upon. If God has given us a dream or a vision, then it is up to us to begin to carry it out. The exciting fact is once we begin to Do the Vision, the Lord will join us in the process! St. Augustine once said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” St. Augustine’s thought process is a very helpful and effective way to live.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Lord also told Habakkuk the vision was for an appointed or specific time. There are certain dreams and visions God created you to do within the particular time you are alive. The Lord is counting on YOU to do them. Ephesians 2:10 says, “</span><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">” God prepared good works and then created YOU with those specific works (vision) in mind. You are not an accident; you were made for this.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">An essential aspect of beginning to Do the Vision is filtering the vision through the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The Great Commandment is loving God with everything you have and everything you are, as well as loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). The Great Commission is going while doing (Matthew 28:18-20). If we receive our vision from the Lord and include Jesus in the process, then we will simultaneously be fulfilling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission at the same time.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">As my wife and I were preparing our house to sell, we made a conscious effort to include the Lord in the entire process. We wanted to leave the house better than we found it ten years ago. We prayed for the future owners. We wanted our home to be a blessing to the next family that lived here, even if it cost us a little more money, work, or time. Our vision wasn’t to make the most money possible. Our vision was and is to build the Kingdom of God.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy_piyqmeE1jZqkyKZGKhYHqGdQ7AAtt9PgDc6wshb6ck4e28QEml5awFQHMWj2gmS1UE5bws4olqyWtoI-BNgaa70ZGAFik5C_yE49ftruo3zg7Smix9gajdGHuUps7LyqDiK0_FETviCyicF59ysdPxLGqDdlgIhrbnUnSqJnrkUvLppCCIhBqu/s1800/273274332_10227342685174379_707182167106924543_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy_piyqmeE1jZqkyKZGKhYHqGdQ7AAtt9PgDc6wshb6ck4e28QEml5awFQHMWj2gmS1UE5bws4olqyWtoI-BNgaa70ZGAFik5C_yE49ftruo3zg7Smix9gajdGHuUps7LyqDiK0_FETviCyicF59ysdPxLGqDdlgIhrbnUnSqJnrkUvLppCCIhBqu/w320-h400/273274332_10227342685174379_707182167106924543_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did a bunch of work over several months, including painting every room in the house.<br />Every. Single. Room.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Next time I will write about what happens after we begin to Do the Vision. It’s important we Don’t Give Up On the Vision.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The time is now; shake the earth!</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-74536055816000656152023-01-07T11:11:00.002-06:002023-01-13T14:03:15.626-06:00Write the Vision<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2023/01/receive-vision.html" target="_blank">Last time I wrote about the importance of receiving our vision, dreams, and goals from the Lord. After we Receive the Vision</a>, it’s essential we Write the Vision. Habakkuk 2:2 says, “</span><em style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">.’”</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The seemingly small and mundane act of writing something down causes multiple parts of our brain to light up and start working. When we write, it causes our brain to focus and pay close attention to what we are doing. Not only does the Lord encourage us to write things down in Habakkuk 2, but science can back up the importance of this practice as well!</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">There are a couple of important pieces to take note of in Habakkuk when we Write the Vision. First of all, the vision needs to be made plain. It needs to be clarified and concise. We need to know the vision inside and out, so we can explain it to others well. A quote often attributed to Albert Einstein says, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Vague vision is no vision at all. Our vision and plan must be clear and concise. It’s vital we make the message simple and clear so most everyone can understand it.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4un3tH0k2ISQGjQVaQNUbORzDSZqwBmxJSgorc3Bi0suEcpcDKIW-rR_WwxXjKM8BrXsTccHZ7Vtg2BC3bG06_Mndj1_cC-SL2BF1zOfOdaRatdjxFUmtcBsA1lMtxcf3lEm4tjJwMeVXnHpM5b3vZ5hoZ3Jme2TrrXvaay6IuXb9q3xzwePUWV_O/s1196/Screen%20Shot%202023-01-04%20at%2011.53.22%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1196" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4un3tH0k2ISQGjQVaQNUbORzDSZqwBmxJSgorc3Bi0suEcpcDKIW-rR_WwxXjKM8BrXsTccHZ7Vtg2BC3bG06_Mndj1_cC-SL2BF1zOfOdaRatdjxFUmtcBsA1lMtxcf3lEm4tjJwMeVXnHpM5b3vZ5hoZ3Jme2TrrXvaay6IuXb9q3xzwePUWV_O/w400-h265/Screen%20Shot%202023-01-04%20at%2011.53.22%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo courtesy of freeimages.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The second part of writing the vision is sharing the vision. When God puts something on our heart, it is important to include others. If we can fulfill our dreams on our own, then our dreams aren’t big enough. If we can complete the vision without others or without God, then it’s too small. It’s helpful to both notarize and verbalize our vision and plan. It will keep it at the forefront of our thoughts and attention. Sharing and making the vision public gives the opportunity for others to join and assist in running with the vision as well.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">During those two months of going through a prayer journal together back in 2021, my wife and I were also getting our home in Detroit Lakes ready to sell so we could move. We were very excited about the next season of our life, but selling a house was a LOT of work! We are so thankful we shared our vision and plan of moving with our church, family, and friends. Many came alongside us to assist in many different ways throughout that long process. Nearly impossible to do on our own, but a joy to do together. We are so thankful.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Next time I will write about what we do after we Write the Vision; we must Do the Vision.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The time is now; shake the earth!</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-61238042056929142362023-01-04T11:20:00.001-06:002023-01-04T11:20:07.861-06:00Receive the Vision<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Having vision, dreams, or goals is a super important part of life. Vision gives us something to aim for and something to work towards. It is extremely important we choose to receive our vision from the Lord. Habakkuk 2:1-2a it says, “</span><em style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">…’”</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QHd55jmlQTST3mSipl65vQ6KUi4Z2OUaX5kl5wP56RasFVKXVdeiVf5skMjQ9xUd0VI2a3d_bGKoEKKFAS2gbuHmh8aizZ1DGlfxlA5kmO_vovhc8VXSO6MPx9-3492JWoASPbZGLTHNcz0f6p0HG-PBcZzVnWtzDL9SUaqK5YnrAsne6IcFsuWj/s1590/along-the-watchtower-1187433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1590" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QHd55jmlQTST3mSipl65vQ6KUi4Z2OUaX5kl5wP56RasFVKXVdeiVf5skMjQ9xUd0VI2a3d_bGKoEKKFAS2gbuHmh8aizZ1DGlfxlA5kmO_vovhc8VXSO6MPx9-3492JWoASPbZGLTHNcz0f6p0HG-PBcZzVnWtzDL9SUaqK5YnrAsne6IcFsuWj/w400-h229/along-the-watchtower-1187433.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">photo courtesy of free images.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Habakkuk was a prophet in the Old Testament. One of the jobs of a prophet during that time was to hear from the Lord and then share what they heard, the vision, with the entire nation. Talk about a lot of pressure! The word vision in this verse means “a revelation, a divine communication, a direct and specific communication between God and people.”</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We read that Habakkuk put himself in a physical place and space to receive from the Lord. He stood, set, watched, and then waited. Something interesting can happen emotionally and spiritually when we physically act upon our faith. His physical act of obedience put his heart in a place to receive from the Lord. And what happened? “</span><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">…”</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">On March 25th of 2021, my wife and I started a 40-day prayer devotional together… and it only took me about 60 days to complete! We had some significant life changes coming, and we wanted to ensure we had God’s vision for our family and future. Not our vision but God’s vision. Like Habakkuk, we set ourselves in a place physically to get our hearts in a position to receive spiritually.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We didn’t and don’t want to follow our hearts. We want to follow the heart of God.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We didn’t and don’t want to follow our truth. We want to follow Jesus, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We stood, set, watched, waited, and just like Habakkuk, the Lord answered.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Those two months or more of intentionally setting our hearts to receive from the Lord were incredible! I want to encourage you to set yourself in a place so you can also receive vision for your life from the Lord!</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Next time I will write about what we do after we Receive the Vision; we must Write the Vision.</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The time is now; shake the earth!</span></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">- Joel</span></p>Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-16581159694750030332020-04-04T12:40:00.000-05:002020-04-04T12:40:13.607-05:00Hold Onto Hope<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">With everything going on with COVID-19, I want to share the importance of holding onto hope. Biblical hope is much more than the idea of “hoping” or “wishing” something might happen. True hope is much deeper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” And 1 Peter 3:15 says, “…always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The definition for the word hope in these verses is: “desire of some good with expectation of obtaining it, full of hope and confidence.” The Amplified Bible calls it “joyful and confident expectation.”</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Hope is not crossing our fingers. Hope is not superstitious, luck/chance, or a roll of the dice. Biblical hope is the confident and joyful expectancy of the good things we believe for and put our faith in.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Hope is a very necessary ingredient in normal living. If we stop and think about it, we will realize hope has served as a great power and motivation to drive many people into achieving many of the world’s greatest accomplishments!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">All of us staying in our homes and not meeting publicly is driven by our collective hope that this pandemic will be over with sooner than later. The hope that fewer people will get sick and die from this virus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope is very important. Hope keeps us going. Biblical hope expects good things to happen. The expectation is so confident and sure that we can even receive joy as a byproduct!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Hope sustains people when they face difficult situations and hard things in life. It is hope things will get better that we can continue to fight and go on. Hope helps us when we are down and discouraged.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">I am sure there are some of us who may be close to losing hope in certain areas of life right now. I am also sure there are others of us who could exercise the power of their hope and do more for themselves, and for those around them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Instead of asking “what is the purpose of all this,” I am finding much more hope and life in asking “what is my purpose in the midst of all of this?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jesus is with us. Jesus is with YOU. We can still find hope, meaning, and purpose during these times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the book, <i>Man's Search For Meaning,</i> Viktor Frankl (a psychologist and holocaust survivor) writes, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hope is contagious, but so is fear. What are you choosing to spread?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">My prayer over you is Romans 15:13, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”</span></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-11210252361489087242020-03-31T10:51:00.001-05:002020-03-31T10:51:38.152-05:00Storms of Obedience<div style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">In my last blog, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">I wrote about Storms of Association. This time we will be looking at a third and final type of storm, a Storm of Obedience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Toward the end of Mark chapter 4, we find the disciples facing a Storm of Obedience. Jesus instructs the disciples to get into a boat with Him and cross over to the other side of the body of water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Not long after setting sail, the disciples are facing an ever-increasing storm and the boat begins to be beaten by the wind and the waves. The storm is so bad that it begins to fill the boat with water. I’ve never been in this type of situation, but I’m sure it could be terrifying! Remember that a number of the disciples were fishermen by trade. They were accustomed to being in boats. They were used to a little bit of wind and water in the boat. Even so, they became fearful and ran to Jesus for help!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When the disciples go to Jesus to seek help, they find Him fast asleep in the midst of the storm. Being fearful of their lives they decide to wake Jesus up. Immediately, Jesus rebukes the wind and tells the sea to be peaceful and still. (Mark 4:38-39)</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The disciples were awestruck by the actions of Jesus. Jesus used this moment as a lesson for them and they soon continued on their journey to the other side where they later ministered to a demon-possessed man.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The storm of the disciples arrived in the midst of their perfect obedience. The disciples did exactly what Jesus told them to do and they still faced a storm. There will be certain storms we face in life that are caused by our obedience, by being in the perfect will of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When Jesus woke up, He didn’t ask who was sinning or in disobedience. He also didn't say it was sent by God. Jesus never addressed why the storm happened, He just rebuked it. In fact, if the storm was sent by God, Jesus wouldn’t have rebuked it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The word for rebuke used in this passage is the same word for when Jesus rebuked demons and evil spirits. Jesus overcame this storm by spiritual authority.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We usually know where our destination is supposed to be or where we are heading when we face a storm like the disciples. They got in the storm by obedience and got out of the storm by spiritual authority.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Every time there is a storm on the outside, there is usually an even bigger storm on the inside of us. Once we overcome the internal storm, the external storm can be taken care of. Jesus had authority over the storm He was able to sleep through and stay peaceful in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We have now looked at 3 different storms, 3 different reasons, and 3 different solutions. Repent like Jonah, persevere like Paul, and speak and be at peace like Jesus.</span></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-689584495456021462020-03-25T11:04:00.000-05:002020-03-25T12:21:05.529-05:00Storms of Association<div style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14px;">In my last blog,</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14px;"> I wrote about Storms of Disobedience. Now we will be looking at </span>another<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14px;"> type of storm, a Storm of Association.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">In Acts 27 we find Paul experiencing a Storm of Association. Paul and a number of other prisoners were under the care of a centurion soldier and were being sailed from Asia to Rome. (Acts 27:1-8)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">After they were sailing for quite some time, Paul had a bad feeling about what was to come. Paul brought his concern about the possibility of losing the ship and their lives to those in charge. Unfortunately, the centurion went with the advice of those with more experience. (Acts 27:10-11) Paul was a religious man, a tent-maker, and in this case, a prisoner. Paul knew very little about sailing in comparison.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">I’m sure most of us would have gone with the wisdom of the more experienced voices if we were put in a similar situation as the centurion. We can’t fault the centurion for ignoring Paul, a prisoner. But, this would later prove to be a nearly fatal mistake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">If Paul wasn't a prisoner then he would've had a choice, but he was forced to go with the choice of those in charge of him, those he was associated with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">Not long after they set sail they find themselves in a violent storm. They were stuck in this horrible typhoon storm for 14 days and nights. It was so bad that the sun and stars couldn't even be seen! After being stuck in an awful storm for 2 weeks, the crew were helpless and had lost all hope. (Acts 27:20)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">It can be a challenge to hold onto faith and hope when we are in the midst of a difficult storm, especially when it lasts a very long time! It's one thing to experience a storm, but it's another thing for that storm to go on and on and on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;"><b>We don’t have to be worn down by a persistent problem.</b> Instead, we can have faith and patience like Paul. We don’t have to lose faith and hope, instead, we can choose to persevere like Paul!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">Paul notifies the crew that he was visited by an angel and all 276 of them would survive, but in order to survive, they would need to be shipwrecked. (Acts 27:21-26) After a short period of time, they find a place to crash the ship and they were all saved! (Acts 27:44)</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;"><b>Paul got into this storm because of somebody else, and Paul got out of this storm by perseverance.</b> He had persevering faith even when everyone else had given up and had no hope. <b>If we find ourselves in a Storm of Association, we need to persevere.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">We can't assume all storms are caused because of disobedience or because of people we are associated with. Next time we will look at another type of storm, Storms of Obedience.</span></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-30394051981551915842020-03-18T12:22:00.001-05:002020-03-25T12:13:49.956-05:00Storms of Disobedience<div style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Recently, I had the opportunity to write devotionals once a week for the local newspaper in Park Rapids, MN. I wrote about three different types of storms we may face in life. Since they were already written, I figured I would share them here as well for anyone interested.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The first type of storm we will look at is a Storm of Disobedience. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We can find a Storm of Disobedience in Jonah in the Bible. God instructed Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh in order to tell them to turn from their ways and serve God. Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire. At that time, the Assyrians were</span> violent<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> and vicious people that the Israelites were extremely fearful of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Instead of heading to Nineveh as God had instructed, Jonah jumped on a ship to head to Tarshish. Nineveh is the modern-day city of Mosul, Iraq, and Tarshish was located in southern Spain. Jonah was supposed to make a short journey east to Nineveh (Iraq), but instead, he sailed west across the Mediterranean Sea to Spain. Jonah was heading in the opposite direction the Lord had told him to go. He couldn’t have been much more disobedient to the Lord. (Jonah 1:1-3)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Not long after they set sail for Spain, a huge storm interrupted their journey. Jonah ends up telling the crew to throw him overboard and then the storm would stop. The crew throws him overboard, the seas calm, and Jonah is swallowed by a giant fish. After spending three days and nights in the fish, Jonah finally prays to the Lord. (Jonah 1:4-17)</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I don’t know about you, but I think I would have prayed before three days of being stuck in the belly of a fish had passed! I say this… but how often do we get stuck in hardships, or life’s storms and wait three days, three weeks, three months, or even three years before we pray to the Lord and get Him involved? It shouldn’t be so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>The Lord is always listening and ready to get involved in our lives. Many times all He needs is an invitation.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After Jonah finally prays to the Lord, the Lord delivers him and the fish spits him out on dry land. (Jonah 2:1-10) Jonah obeys and speaks to the people of Nineveh. After hearing about the Lord from Jonah, the people of Nineveh turn from their ways and the city is saved! (Jonah 3:1-10)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jonah experienced unnecessary and needless pain because of his disobedience. All of us will face Storms of Disobedience at some point in our lives. <b>All we need to do to start our way out of a Storm of Disobedience is reach out to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.</b> It’s that simple!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We can't assume all storms are caused because of disobedience. Next time we will look at another type of storm, Storms of Association.</span></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-39133435771066884272020-03-03T00:13:00.000-06:002020-03-03T00:13:04.452-06:00Poem- The Soul Winner's Reward<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wrote this poem the day before my father's funeral back in December of 2017. It just kind of came to me. It didn't take much work or time which was pretty cool! I shared this during his funeral service on that December 22nd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Soul Winner’s Reward</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus died and rose for all women and men,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But they must believe in the Easter story to see heaven.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Believe in your heart and speak with your mouth,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And heaven will be yours instead of going south.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you are saved your job is clear,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tell others about Jesus and may they have ears to hear.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Go into all the world and preach,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speak to every single one and each.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The world must realize they are in need,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of a Lord and Savior and friend indeed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The harvest is plenty and the laborers are few,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So pray there would be harvesters anew.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do not entertain any excuses you may feel or hear,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whether they be clothed as shame or ignorance or even fear.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hear and read and feed on the Word,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And you will learn how to be a good steward.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A steward of your time and treasures and your life,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A member of the Church body known as Christ’s wife.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you lead one to Jesus you will see light and hope,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But remember it is their decision and you can’t push a rope.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some plant some water and some harvest the seed,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All parts are vital and necessary in the process you see.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are rewards in heaven for us when we live this way,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we point people to the One and only true Way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus is the way the truth and the life,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And no one comes to the Father except through Him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you need an example of a soul winner to look up to,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look no further than a man named Thomas Juni.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He never preached or evangelized from a large stage,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But he had a great impact even though he died at a young age.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He lived with passion and conviction and zeal,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even if in his later years his body did not heal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He shared Jesus boldly for years without excuse,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So if YOU think YOU have excuses you are being obtuse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tom lost much of his balance his eyesight and his voice,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But that could not stop him from sharing the Light of his life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dad did not stop sharing the Gospel at the end,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He continued to pass out dozens of tracts even from his death bed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My dad proved that being a soul winner has little to do with physical strength,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But it has everything to do with your heart and doing it by Christ’s strength.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I ask of you today to help me with my father’s mantle,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And to continue to share the Gospel as he lived and taught.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that he is gone we will all need to pick up his slack,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So that the souls being won for the Lord do not begin to lack.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Evangelism was his passion and his legacy,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And now he is in heaven receiving the soul winner’s crown as his reward.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be assured that now whenever you share Jesus or give out a tract,</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">That my father Thomas Juni will be in the cloud of witnesses cheering you on- and that’s a fact!</span></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-16720958973285590022018-08-24T15:24:00.001-05:002018-08-24T15:24:54.939-05:00Mark Off Your ChecklistIn Matthew 28:18-20 it says, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. <b>Go therefore and make disciples</b> of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."<br />
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This Scripture in Matthew is referred to as The Great Commission. This is one of the main commissions that every Christian believer is called to perform. <b>It is our job, our task, and our duty to go and make disciples of all nations.</b> Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons take this command by Jesus more seriously than most Christian believers. This shouldn't be so!<br />
<br />
The phrase "make disciples" in Matthew 28 means:<br />
to disciple,<br />
to help someone to progressively learn the Word of God,<br />
to become a matured disciple (literally, "a learner," a true Christ-follower);<br />
to train (develop) in the truths of Scripture and the lifestyle required,<br />
a believer learning to be a disciple of Christ in belief and practice.<br />
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<b>Being a disciple of Jesus isn't easy, but it is worth it.</b><br />
<br />
Notice that Jesus didn't say, "Go therefore and make converts of all nations..." Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." Also notice we are not only supposed to make disciples IN nations, we are supposed to make disciples OF nations!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuGMCWX-rH6XkhXp9k7ZzmWgCFYtwZ5854cZT7QG4OWaiEN98ykfRUIx6ZQtkfric3GsclDOV4WUUFZuH0-kSKMJM8nVZKNbvDAVe4Vp1m8WYzxrAHsZnIGAO1J4amBNJUiY-i8xQR-c/s1600/fisherboat-on-the-ravi-river-a-1527556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1599" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuGMCWX-rH6XkhXp9k7ZzmWgCFYtwZ5854cZT7QG4OWaiEN98ykfRUIx6ZQtkfric3GsclDOV4WUUFZuH0-kSKMJM8nVZKNbvDAVe4Vp1m8WYzxrAHsZnIGAO1J4amBNJUiY-i8xQR-c/s400/fisherboat-on-the-ravi-river-a-1527556.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr>
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<b>We aren't supposed to make converts, we are supposed to make disciples.</b><br />
<br />
A conversion is necessary, it is the first step to become a disciple of Jesus, but it is only the beginning of becoming a disciple. <b>Jesus doesn't want us to make confessing Christians. Jesus wants us to make confessing Christians that walk and talk like He did!</b><br />
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We don't want to be the people Jesus spoke of in Matthew 15, "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me." We want to be people that are known for our love (John 13:34-35).<br />
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The phrase, "Go therefore and make disciples" holds even more meaning than we have already looked at. This phrase is in the Greek aorist imperative. <b>That means this phrase commands mandatory action to be completely done or checked off.</b> It focuses on the first or most immediate task to be done if a series of tasks is needed. It orders action that must be done decisively and immediately.<br />
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For example, when I prepare for a long road trip there is a small checklist of items I look at it and complete before I start driving. I don't just jump in the car and start driving across the country. I check the oil. I check the gas gauge. I check the brake fluid, coolant, and other fluid levels. I check the tire pressure. I check the GPS to see what routes will be the best to take. I make sure I have water and snacks. I check my trunk to see if I need to bring any random tools in case of an emergency. I make sure we have a phone charger. I think you get the idea!<br />
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If I were to jump in the car and start driving right away I may not make it all the way across the country. There are some things I need to get done right away and check off my list and complete. These things have to get done or else my trip could be cut short.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCa5acFRNrONn6-Fe4ZntEWSE9pEaekAVVgdmSm0iqrQzy3C6qas289gGROiOlyOeDZh34QTu8XI3CoawmE1vnhKkLwZBUhfeU3HgrecnWrONsqjTGobkFNmmnFfg2mDSgub4kikMf6o/s1600/check-list-1150080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCa5acFRNrONn6-Fe4ZntEWSE9pEaekAVVgdmSm0iqrQzy3C6qas289gGROiOlyOeDZh34QTu8XI3CoawmE1vnhKkLwZBUhfeU3HgrecnWrONsqjTGobkFNmmnFfg2mDSgub4kikMf6o/s400/check-list-1150080.jpg" width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr>
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<b>According to Jesus going and making disciples is supposed to be the first priority on all of our checklists!</b><br />
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We are to decisively and completely get it done. We are to "just do it" each time the need arises! This calls for decisive and often urgent action on our part. This is what Jesus has called us to do, to go and make disciples.<br />
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<b>Today I want to encourage you to go and start making disciples. Check it off, get it done! Focus on the first opportunity to complete it!</b><br />
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If you want a little more in-depth view of what it means to be a disciple then <a href="http://www.beardbrewbible.com/2017/08/yoke-of-peace.html" target="_blank">click this link and check out this blog</a> about the specialty teaching that Jesus wants all of His disciples to follow.<br />
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The time is now, shake the earth!<br />
- JoelJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-51619747826835867672017-09-25T15:42:00.000-05:002017-09-25T15:42:32.246-05:00I Pledge AllegianceI will begin this post by stating I am extremely blessed to be an American citizen. It is an honor and a gift to be a part of this great country and the freedom that accompanies it. I have many family members and friends who served or are still serving in our armed forces. I myself have never served our fine country, but many of my loved ones have. And to them, their families, and all who have served and are currently serving I say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"<br />
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While growing up I attended a Christian school from kindergarten through 8th grade. Almost every day in grade school we would recite three separate pledges. We would recite one to the American flag, one to the Christian flag, and one to the Bible.<br />
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Here are the pledges if you've never heard or read them before:<br />
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Pledge to the American Flag:<br />
<b>I pledge allegiance</b> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.<br />
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Pledge to the Christian Flag:<br />
<b>I pledge allegiance</b> to the Christian flag, and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands, one Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again, with life and liberty for all who believe.<br />
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Pledge to the Bible:<br />
<b>I pledge allegiance</b> to the Bible, God's Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwqD5M0zCKPKgpki6-bXTrNJBKGGKoMc3-KP3vNe7qFya4eIRmD5wejTLDGOgt6m2ClCJR-RSsvQmjs5_b55Ukxu9JKgWrAd4zQn6i19tnoBNyQ6kjVXdx-74vU2X9dcgjP9u7DM2txQ/s1600/american-flag-1421357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1599" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwqD5M0zCKPKgpki6-bXTrNJBKGGKoMc3-KP3vNe7qFya4eIRmD5wejTLDGOgt6m2ClCJR-RSsvQmjs5_b55Ukxu9JKgWrAd4zQn6i19tnoBNyQ6kjVXdx-74vU2X9dcgjP9u7DM2txQ/s400/american-flag-1421357.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of freeimages.com</td></tr>
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Over the last 8 years or so I have thought about the phrase "I pledge allegiance" quite a bit.<br />
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Merriam Webster defines allegiance as:<br />
1. the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lord<br />
2. the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government<br />
3. the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides<br />
4. devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause<br />
5. allegiance to a political party<br />
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<b>So if I pledge an allegiance to something, I am making a binding promise, agreement, and obligation to be devoted and loyal to that cause or person or group.</b><br />
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I have pledged allegiance to my wife. It's not illegal for me to cheat on my wife according to the law of the land, but it is against the Word of God for me to cheat on my wife (Exodus 20:14). <b>So my allegiance to my God overrides my allegiance to my country. </b>And God's law overrides the law (or sometimes lack of law) of my country. This is a silly and extreme example, but you get my point.<br />
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<b>I have decided to pledge allegiance to my country. BUT, I pledge allegiance to Jesus first and foremost.</b><br />
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The Bible encourages us to obey our leaders, those in authority, and the laws of the land (Romans 13:1-7, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13-14, Matthew 22:21). Yet we read stories of MANY followers who disobey the empire and the religious authorities and then they are persecuted, imprisoned, and martyred for their disobedience. All throughout the Old Testament and New Testament we read of people being defiant and disobeying the laws of the land and governing authorities.<br />
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Why is this so? Is the Bible contradicting and inconsistent? Were these people in sin?<br />
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<b>They did these things and disobeyed laws and authority because their allegiance was pledged to God first.</b> In Acts, Peter and John were warned on numerous occasions to stop speaking of Jesus and preaching the Gospel or else there would be consequences. But Peter and John did not obey the authorities or religious leaders. <b>In Acts 5:29 they said, "We ought to obey God rather than men."</b><br />
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<b>There will be times where we need to choose which kingdom we are going to serve and pledge our allegiance to.</b> Will you choose to obey the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of America? Will you pledge allegiance to the Kingdom or to the empire?<br />
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In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to choose between the two, but <b>there are many times where the two kingdoms will be at odds.</b> So please do not be confused with the idea that pledging allegiance to America or standing for a national anthem is synonymous with being a Christian OR vice versa.<br />
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In the book <i>Jesus For President</i>, Shane Claiborne compares the language used to describe Jesus and God's Kingdom and the language used to describe Caesar and the Roman empire. They are one and the same. (King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of peace, Son of God, etc.) This is no accident. The language used in the Gospels was an incredibly political statement, and the Roman empire did not like it!<br />
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<b>Jesus embraced ideas that were contrary to the ways of the Roman empire, the religious authorities, and the culture of the time. And Jesus was hated and ultimately killed for the views He held and the Gospel and Kingdom He preached.</b><br />
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Taking a knee for a national anthem does not automatically mean someone is being dishonorable and disrespectful. At times has it been dishonorable? Yes. At times has it been done in an incorrect and even unhelpful way? Yes. But the reason(s) many of these athletes are taking a knee is to bring something to light. <b>They are trying to help people groups that are oppressed and hurting. Jesus had a similar calling on His life.</b><br />
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In Luke 4:18 Jesus said, <b>“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;"</b><br />
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Maybe some of us are blind and need a recovery of sight so we can open our eyes and see certain systems and ways our country operates that causes people and specific people groups to be poor, brokenhearted, made captive, and oppressed. If that is so, then <b>Jesus has come to heal us of that blindness. He has come to help those hurting people, and He has called Christians to be involved in that healing process.</b><br />
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Is kneeling for a national anthem popular and enjoyable? No, not at all! It opens people up to be ridiculed and name called. So this is not enjoyable for the athletes, but it is bringing attention to an issue that needs to be addressed. <b>They aren't protesting our country, our soldiers, or our flag. They are protesting inequality, injustice, and oppression. It's important that we make a distinction between the two.</b><br />
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The point of a peaceful protest is to make people uncomfortable. To make them uncomfortable enough to question things and to begin to be a part of the conversation. A peaceful protest is a good way to bring things to light. People are paying attention. It's making waves and that's a good thing!<br />
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<b>Many times the views held that are contrary to culture are not popular ones to hold AT THE TIME. But in hindsight, we can only look back and shake our heads in sorrow and disbelief.</b> <a href="http://www.crmvet.org/docs/60s_crm_public-opinion.pdf" target="_blank">Click here for a link to some different polls done about the civil rights movement back in the 1960s.</a> Some of the polls include:<br />
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May 1961- Do you think 'sit-ins' at lunch counters, 'freedom buses,' and other demonstrations by Negroes will hurt or help the Negro's chances of being integrated into the South?<br />
57% Hurt, 28% Help, 16% No opinion<br />
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June 1963- Do you think mass demonstrations by Negroes are more likely to help or more likely to hurt the Negro's cause for racial equality?<br />
27% Help, 60% Hurt, 4% Make no difference<br />
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October 1964- People have different views about the Negro demonstrations. With which view do you agree? <b>Some people say the Negroes should stop their demonstrations now that they have made their point even though some of their demands have not been met. Others say they have to continue demonstrating</b> in order to achieve better jobs, better housing, and better schooling. (With which view do you agree?)<br />
<b>73% Negroes should stop demonstrating</b>, 19% Have to continue, 8% Don't know<br />
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March 1965- How would you feel about clergymen in your own church taking part in protest marches on civil rights issues. Would you approve or disapprove of this?<br />
33% Approve, 56% Disapprove, 12% No opinion<br />
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October 1966- <b>All in all, do you feel the demonstrations by Negroes on civil rights have helped more or hurt more in the advancement of Negro rights?</b><br />
<b>85% Hurts Negro, 15% Helps Negro</b><br />
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December 1966- Tell me for each man if in your opinion you think he is <b>helping or hurting the Negro cause of civil rights... Martin Luther King?</b><br />
36% Helping, <b>50% Hurting</b>, 14% Not sure<br />
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Looking back at these poll numbers is very telling. Many of us can agree that these protests were not only helpful, but necessary. And many of us would choose to be involved in peaceful protests to help our oppressed brothers and sisters, our fellow Americans. Isn't it likely that we will look back at this time we are currently in and make the same conclusions?<br />
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I would venture to say that <b>these athletes taking a knee are much more similar to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in Babylon in Daniel 3 choosing to take a stand and not kneel than they are a "son of a bitch"</b> that needs to be fired. Although Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did pretty well when they were "fired" by the king of Babylon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwukt_2s40PvCHdXyu8eujiDZPwebsWZderasFutl4_uEr4uYLTYDBAcLnP6C8jY4NkjEaHKy-LMIcoE8TM7i2x7u0baoeY7KcNkfva-5rE0aYfbWBjmYOsHuEJOJjrLTQKQVf9UgYId0/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwukt_2s40PvCHdXyu8eujiDZPwebsWZderasFutl4_uEr4uYLTYDBAcLnP6C8jY4NkjEaHKy-LMIcoE8TM7i2x7u0baoeY7KcNkfva-5rE0aYfbWBjmYOsHuEJOJjrLTQKQVf9UgYId0/s400/images.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In an article I recently read, author Preston Sprinkle wrote, <b>"When governments pitch themselves as the hope and savior of the world, Christians must expose the fraudulent claim, not celebrate it."</b><br />
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It is more important now than ever that we are united as a Church, a country, and a people. <b>Our country and our president will not be the changemaker. It will be Jesus and the people that choose to be used by Him.</b><br />
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My allegiance is pledged to Jesus before any allegiance to my flag or to my country. I am a citizen of heaven. I am a citizen of God's Kingdom before I am a citizen of the United States. And therefore, I want to live and speak accordingly. I hope you will choose to do the same!<br />
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Once that happens and we are united, I'm sure our America can continue to be "the land of the free, and the home of the brave" as our national anthem states.<br />
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Shake the earth!<br />
- JoelJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-7406108417822749382017-08-14T13:06:00.000-05:002017-08-14T13:49:57.935-05:00Blessed Are the Peacemakers<div style="font-family: helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the last few blogs I have been writing about peace. First of all, I wrote about how we can be at peace with God and have a relationship with Him. Secondly, I wrote about the yoke or specialty teaching Jesus taught His disciples, which is peace for our souls. Then I wrote about the importance of being led by peace and also the importance of pursuing peace in our relationships. For this final article, I will write about how people that make peace will be blessed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Matthew 5:9 Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” <b>One of the characteristics of a son of God, or a mature and developed Christian, is that they will be peacemakers.</b> And when you are a peacemaker, you will be blessed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I like the way the Amplified Bible says it, “Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>The makers AND maintainers of peace will be blessed</b> <i>regardless</i> of their outward conditions. As Christians, our peace should not be solely determined by our outward circumstances. We can be at peace AND help others be at peace no matter what we are going through. This is possible with the help of Jesus!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we <b>commit to being a peacemaker, peace keeper, and peace maintainer</b> in our own life, in our own family, and in our close relationships; then that peacemaking will begin to spill over into other areas of our life and into other relationships as well. We need to practice peace and peacemaking in our own lives first and then we can make peace and help others experience peace in their lives. Being a consistent peacemaker will give us opportunities to continue to help others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Notice in Matthew 5:9 that Jesus didn't say, “Blessed are those who enjoy peace,” or “those that want peace.” He said, “Blessed are those that make peace.” <b>Making peace means there is a situation where peace does not currently exist. Making peace in a situation where there is no peace can be hard work</b>, but this is what we are called to as Christians!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: richmondfreepress.com/news/2017/apr/21/charlottesville-city-council-votes-sell-lee-statue/</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Peacemakers are not merely people pleasers. <b>At times, peace making may actually stir people up and cause them to become upset because they are comfortable with where they're at and they don't want to change.</b> But those are the kind of situations we are specifically called to help make peace in. That's the way Jesus lived and we are called to live in a similar fashion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So sometimes we need to call people out (in love) if they are acting out in a hurtful and childlike manner. I speak to my 3 year old son when he throws a tantrum and I correct him. He needs to know what kind of behavior is not acceptable and he also needs to know that such behavior is not supported by myself, explicitly or implicitly. We need to do the same when it comes to social issues and standing up for our neighbors. We need to help make peace where there is no peace. Like in Charlottesville right now, we must hold our white brothers and sisters accountable and attempt to help make peace in a peaceless situation. It's not easy, but it is the Gospel Jesus told us to bring to the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now, I would call Jesus a peacemaker but I definitely wouldn't call Him a people pleaser! People attempted to kill Jesus on numerous occasions because of things He said or did! So don't get peacemaking confused with people pleasing, they are not the same. And don't be surprised when our peacemaking causes people to sometimes react negatively. If people got offended and angry with Jesus, then they're probably going to do the same to us as well! (John 15:18-21)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">James 3:18 says, “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Those who make peace, the peacemakers, will sow in peace the fruit of righteousness. Being a peacemaker and living in peace gives us the ability to live a righteous life. To live life connected to God, life as it should be, life as God originally intended it to be. But it is impossible to live that way if we don't know how to be people of peace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">One third of the Kingdom of God is peace (Romans 14:17). <b>If we aren't living lives full of peace, then we are missing out on 1/3 of the Kingdom that Jesus came to proclaim and let us be a part of!</b> The peacemakers are to become peace diffusers. Peacemakers recover the peace when it is broken, and they are blessed for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jesus has given us the gift and the tools to live in peace, but He won't make us use them. We need to choose to live in peace and make peace and use what He has already given us. It isn't up to Him, it's up to us. The ball is in our court. The choice is ours. <b>So I encourage you today to be a peacemaker in your own life and then be a person that can bring the Prince of Peace—Jesus—into the lives of those who don't yet know Him!</b></span><br />
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In John 13:35 Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."<br />
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<b>If we have been with Jesus and been taught by Him, then we will look and act like Him as well.</b> It's about time we Christians start being who and Whose we claim to be! Make a difference. Make peace and be love to those you come in contact with!<br />
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Shake the earth!<br />
- Joel</div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-46382324593579873872017-08-12T15:49:00.000-05:002017-08-12T15:49:08.803-05:00Pursue Peace<div style="font-family: helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Romans 12:18 says, <b>“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”</b> Notice the two qualifiers in this verse. First, it says “if” it is possible, not “it is possible.” Second, it says “as much as depends on you.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s not always possible to live at peace with every single person. There are some people who, no matter what we do, are still going to choose to be angry and hurtful. In those cases, it doesn’t have anything to do with us, it has to do with their pain and their hurt. We are still to love them and pray for them and attempt to be at peace with them. But it takes two in any relationship, and sometimes being at peace with someone is out of our hands. We all have to make our own choice and decision to be at peace with other people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So Paul says, if it is possible or if others will let you, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably or be at peace with ALL men.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We are to pursue peace with ALL people. No matter their belief, religion, personality, past, criminal record, social status, etc.</b>, we are to seek to be at peace with them. There's no asterisk here disqualifying certain people groups or personalities. <b>God doesn't let us off the hook just because it might be difficult or take some hard work. He wants us to attempt to live peaceably with everyone we come in contact with.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesty of freeimages.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Romans 12:18 in the New Living Translation it says, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” Am I doing <b>ALL that I can—everything within my own power and ability</b>—to live in peace with EVERYONE? We are to do our best to live in peace! We are to do nothing on our part to prevent peace!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Very few people operate in the “as much as depends on you”, but instead the “as long as it’s easy and comfortable.” We can’t make someone live at peace with us, but we can be a reflection of Jesus by forgiving and loving them, no matter what their response may be.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When circumstances do arise where it's not possible to be at peace with someone, we need to make sure we aren't the reason it's not possible. We should have already made our choice to attempt to be at peace with them. We can always look to the life of Jesus, for He is our perfect example and the standard we are to compare ourselves to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We can be at peace with others even if they choose not to be at peace with us. It's very similar to choosing to forgive someone instead of holding a grudge. We can forgive people even if they don't ask for forgiveness or show remorse. That's what Jesus decided to do even while dying on the cross. In Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jesus chose to be at peace with His executioners and to love them, even if they didn't react or respond in a similar fashion. It would be a very different story if Jesus instead was cussing them out and cursing them! <b>How often is peace lost in our lives and relationships because of the words we say?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Titus 3:2 in the Voice Bible it says, “Don’t tear down another person with your words. Instead, keep the peace, and be considerate. Be truly humble toward everyone”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Hebrews 12:14 it says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” That word “pursue” means to follow after, run after, seek after eagerly and earnestly, and to strive for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>If we don't pursue peace and holiness in our lives, people won't see the Lord! If we aren't living lives full of peace, joy, hope, and love then why would people want to hear from us?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If we are known as the mean or angry person at work or in our family, then why would people ever come to us for help or for spiritual guidance? As followers of Jesus, we should be different! It should be apparent that we are Christians! It was apparent in Jesus' life and in the lives of His disciples.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>You will not be an effective witness for Jesus without living a consistent life of peace.</b> So I want to encourage you today to be like Jesus, be someone who does everything in your own power and ability to pursues peace with ALL people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Until next time, shake the earth!</span><br />
<span style="font-kerning: none;">- Joel</span></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-7749839131617226292017-08-08T12:52:00.003-05:002017-08-08T12:52:41.290-05:00Led By Peace<div style="font-family: helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">In my last blog I talked about the specialty teaching or yoke of Jesus, which is peace for our souls. <b>One part of following Jesus and being His disciple is becoming a person led by peace</b> instead of being controlled solely by our bad feelings and outward circumstances. Today I want to talk about being a person that is led by peace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In Colossians 3:15 we are told to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. The phrase “to rule” means: to be an umpire, to decide, to determine, to direct, or to control. So we are to let the peace of God rule, umpire, decide, determine, direct, and control our hearts and our lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What does an umpire do in a baseball game? He calls the shots. He calls whether a pitch is a ball or a strike. He determines whether someone is out or safe. Peace is supposed to do the same in our lives. <b>The peace of God should be calling the shots in our lives.</b> We don't have to be controlled by other feelings if we don't want to be!</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>How often are the decisions we make in life determined by feelings other than peace?</b> Feelings of frustration, worry, anger, stress, fear, peer pressure, work problems, money problems, family or relationship problems, etc. The list goes on and on, but we aren't supposed to be controlled by (and we don’t have to be controlled by) those feelings and situations. In Colossians 3 Paul encourages us to let God’s peace control our actions and our words.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">While growing up I had a father who was abusive and after 13 years of marriage my parents got divorced. I was in 5th grade at that time, and as a result of growing up in a dysfunctional home I became a very angry young man. For a time I hated my dad and wanted little to do with him. <b>I definitely wasn't letting the peace of God rule in my heart. I was letting anger, bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness rule in my life.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When I was about 19, Jenny (now my wife) and I first started talking and one time she asked what my middle name was and I told her it was Thomas. She said, “Joel Thomas Juni, I like that.” I responded, “That's the first time I've ever heard someone say my full name and I liked it. I hate my dad and his name is Thomas.” (Maybe not one of the best conversations to have with a brand new promising relationship haha!) But thankfully Jenny was loving and gracious enough to look past my baggage and see the man I could become.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Around the same time as meeting Jenny, <b>I learned a type of prayer where I was able to truly forgive my father and trade those bad feelings for something much better, the peace of God.</b> I learned through <b>experience</b> what 1 Peter 5:7 in the Amplified Bible says, “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>I learned to forgive my dad and trade all of those feelings of worry and stress and cares once and for all for the peace of God.</b> I experienced the peace that surpasses understanding and doesn't make sense to onlookers (Philippians 4:7). <b>I knew and experienced truth for myself and the truth from Jesus set me free from my past</b> (John 8:32).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I now have a great relationship with my dad and love him very much. Jenny and I even named our son Andrew Thomas, after both of his grandpas. I am at peace with my dad even though he has never asked for forgiveness for what he did. The bitterness and anger I held all those years harmed me just as much or more than it harmed him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I now look up to my dad and can see many great things I can learn from him.<b> I don't see him through my filters of unforgiveness and anger any longer, but instead through a lens of love and the way our Father sees him.</b> I don't write this blog to dishonor him in any way, but instead to point to the goodness of God and the reality of the redemption and making things right again Jesus is able to do in our lives! (Even in, or especially in, unhealthy and difficult situations we may face.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We can either let peace rule our hearts and our lives or let the cares and burdens of this world rule our lives. We have the choice.</b> And from experience, I can guarantee the peace of God is a much easier, healthier, and more fulfilling way to live!</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">P.S.</span><br />
<span style="font-kerning: none;">The man that taught me how to hear from God and deal with my issues in a healthy way is Larry Low. He is a great pastor, friend, and man of God from rural Iowa. I truly believe I owe my life to this man and his teachings. I really don't know where I would be without the truth he shared with me about 10 years ago! He has some great resources on his website including books, dvds, and teachings at www.larrylow.com</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Until next time, shake the earth!</span><br />
<span style="font-kerning: none;">- Joel</span></div>
Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-80085212805457263582017-08-05T02:16:00.000-05:002017-08-05T02:16:32.671-05:00Yoke of PeaceIn my last blog I talked about the importance of understanding that we can be at peace with God, meaning we can choose to have a relationship with God. This week I want to talk about Jesus’ specialty teaching, the yoke of peace.<br />
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When we read the Bible it is important to understand that it was written during a particular time period, to a certain people group, and within a certain culture. The Bible is still for us today and the Truth within transcends time and culture, but we still need to read the Bible through the lens of its historical context if we want to understand it fully.<br />
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In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”<br />
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When we read the word yoke, most of us would think of a wooden beam that connects two animals together, like oxen, in order to pull some sort of heavy load or wagon. While this is one definition of a yoke, this is not the yoke Jesus was talking about in this passage.<br />
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During Jesus’ time the Jewish religious leaders were called rabbis. These rabbis were the best of the best—the cream of the crop. In Hebrew culture, becoming a rabbi was every boy’s dream job. If you made the cut after years and years of study, hard work, education, and memorization you could become a rabbi. If you didn't make the cut, you would take part in the family trade or family business.<br />
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If you became a rabbi you were allowed to begin to teach others about God and the written and oral Hebrew traditions. The student would become a teacher. The rabbis were able to choose the people they wanted to teach. When asking someone to become a disciple, the rabbis would say something like, “Come follow me.” The students the rabbis chose were then called disciples.<br />
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Matthew 4:19-20, “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”<br />
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The disciples Jesus chose and asked to follow Him in Matthew 4 were fishermen. They were in the family business of fishing. <b>They hadn't made the cut to become rabbis or disciples, but Jesus still chose them!</b> This is why they dropped their nets and everything else they were doing and left their lives and livelihood to follow Jesus. Their dreams had come true, they didn't have to be fishermen any longer, they could become disciples of a rabbi!<br />
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Once a rabbi chose some people, they would have their own specialty teaching or focus to pass on to their followers, their disciples. <b>This specialty teaching of a rabbi was called a yoke.</b><br />
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In Matthew 11 Jesus told us to learn from Him and take on His yoke, His specialty teaching, and then we would find rest for our souls. <b>Jesus offers ALL who follow Him the gift of peace and rest for your whole person- spirit, soul, and body.</b><br />
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Are you worn out, stressed, exhausted, or tired? Or are you content, at peace, and rested? The answer to that question will tell you whether you're carrying the yoke of Jesus, your own yoke, or someone else’s yoke.<br />
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<b>If you've been with Jesus and been taught by Jesus, then you will look and act like Jesus.</b> Luke 6:40 says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”<br />
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We can be like our Teacher. We can be like Jesus. A teacher can not force the student, the disciple, to learn. We have the choice to learn and to obey. We have the choice to do something with what we are taught by Jesus. Jesus' yoke, His specialty teaching, was peace and rest for our souls. We can live life in a pain filled world and still look like Jesus!<br />
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If a peace filled life seems out of reach or unattainable, then I would love to chat with you sometime. Peace is available and it is wonderful! Remember, Jesus chose fishermen to be His followers. So you don't have to be anything special in your eyes or in other people’s eyes in order to follow Jesus and be chosen by Him. <b>You are already special in His eyes, and He is saying to you today, “Come follow Me!”</b><br />
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Shake the earth!<br />
- JoelJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-57650607771512836912017-08-02T23:49:00.000-05:002017-08-02T23:49:14.771-05:00Peace With God Last month I was given the opportunity to share a devotional once a week in a local newspaper. I figured since the articles were already written, I would also post them here on my blog. During July I shared 5 articles about the importance of being a person of peace. Here is the first article I wrote, which speaks about the fact that we are able to be at peace with God and have relationship with Him.<br />
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We are all capable of being a person of peace. No matter what we have done, we are not too far gone. God used people in the Bible that were murderers and adulterers. By today’s standards, Paul would have even been considered a terrorist, and he ended up writing 13 books of the New Testament! So don't you dare think you're a lost cause! God still wants to be in relationship with you. Don't count yourself out!<br />
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To begin, I want to introduce the idea that we can be at peace with God. God wants to be at peace with us. God wants to be in relationship with us. We were created to have relationship and fellowship with Him. In Romans 5:1 it says that we can have peace with God through Jesus Christ. So, peace with God is possible because of Jesus!<br />
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When my wife and I have an argument, we are no longer at peace with one another. The argument isn't resolved by avoiding it or sweeping it under the rug, that only allows it to fester and get worse. Instead, we need to come together and speak with one another in order for peace to be reinstated.<br />
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In First Corinthians 1:9 it says that we were called into fellowship with God. That word for fellowship means “communion, communication, joint participation, and intimacy.” So we are all called to be at peace with God. Part of our purpose in life is to be in an ever growing intimate relationship with God. We need to be at peace with someone before we will want to have a relationship with them. And we need to have a relationship with someone before we begin to share our lives with them and our deepest secrets and most intimate moments.<br />
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When I first met my wife I didn't air out all of my dirty laundry right away, I would have scared her away! But over time, as we built trust and intimacy, I shared all of my life with her. The good and the bad. My wife and I know everything about one another. That is intimacy. But that kind of relationship doesn't just happen over night. It takes time and it takes work. It takes commitment.<br />
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<b>There are no shortcuts in getting to know someone, including God. Fellowship is vital to relationship.</b> Building a relationship takes quality time AND quantity of time. My wife and I spent MANY hours on the phone as we got to know one another and as we built our relationship. And within those many hours we shared our hearts. We shared our dreams and hopes and desires. <b>We understood that we would never have a deep relationship until we knew deep things about one another.</b><br />
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The same goes in a relationship with God. <b>We know God only by having fellowship with Him.</b><br />
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I enjoy learning about WWII history. I've read some books, watched some movies, and attended some classes that taught on the subject. Because of my studying and the time I've put into the topic, I know some things about Adolf Hitler, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, and Douglas MacArthur.<br />
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History talks about what these men did and about some of their character traits. But reading all the history books in the world on the subject does not mean I know these men personally. I could even be an "expert" on the subject without ever knowing the real people. Even though I know some of the history and some of what is recorded about them, I DO NOT know them.<br />
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Just because I read a biography or watched a movie about someone doesn’t mean I know them personally. Getting to know someone comes from spending quality time with them. If all you ever do is read your Bible and never fellowship with God, then you will know a lot ABOUT Him but you still might not KNOW Him.<br />
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How many religious people are so called "experts" about the Lord, yet have never had a genuine real experience with God!? This shouldn't be the case!<br />
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So I want to encourage you to be at peace with God. Pursue a relationship with Him and grow in intimate fellowship with Him. Get to know Him and join a community of believers (a church family) that can join you on that journey. You will not be disappointed!<br />
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Until next time, shake the earth!<br />
- JoelJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043335168996694860.post-65874363883871277962017-04-17T17:33:00.002-05:002017-04-17T17:33:51.774-05:00Turn AsideIn Exodus 3:1-6 it says,<br />
<i>Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.</i><br />
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Moses was a shepherd. He was in the desert by himself tending to his father in law's flock of sheep. He was doing his every day normal routine, but this day was about to be much different! <b>God should be able to find us being faithful in the place(s) where He has called us.</b> We need to be good stewards of the little and not despise small beginnings!<br />
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In verse 2 it says that Moses looked and saw a burning bush. This was most likely not an uncommon occurrence, but there was something different about this burning bush. So Moses decided to <b>turn aside</b> and look at it again. Moses decided to inspect it and examine it more closely. God notices that Moses turned aside and that's when the Lord speaks to Moses.<br />
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<b>Just looking and seeing the bush burning isn't what caused God to speak to Moses. It was when Moses turned aside and continued to look that He spoke to Moses.</b><br />
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God didn't shout from the bush to get his attention. God waited until He saw Moses turn aside to see and look again. That's when God spoke. Many times we don't hear God speaking because we aren't listening. We aren't taking the time to seek Him and turn aside and listen.<br />
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In verse 6 it says Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look upon God. I want to take us on a quick journey through Exodus and Moses' life in order to see the progress and change in his relationship with the Lord. Remember that in chapter 3 Moses is fearful and hiding his face from the Lord.<br />
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After this defining moment at the burning bush, Moses continued to hear from the Lord and obey and grow in closer relationship with Him. Moses saw the plagues in Egypt, he saw God deliver Israel out of Egypt, he saw the Lord split the Red Sea, and he saw the Lord deliver Israel from pharaoh and His army pursuing them.<br />
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Moses saw Israel provided for miraculously while in the wilderness. They followed a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night. They were provided with manna while in the wilderness. They were provided with water from rocks. They were delivered from numerous enemies on multiple occasions.<br />
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Now skipping ahead to Exodus 20, in verses 18-21 it says,<br />
<i>Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.</i><br />
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Moses is no longer fearful and hiding his face from the Lord like he did at the burning bush in chapter 3. Now he is drawing near to "the thick darkness" where there is thunder, lightning, trumpet sounds, and smoke. <b>The same happenings that were causing the rest of Israel to pull away, tremble in fear, and only be bystanders was causing Moses to behave in a completely different manner These things were causing Moses to turn aside and draw closer, not pull away in fear.</b><br />
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"Even if God speaks audibly from Heaven, some people would only hear it as the sound of thunder. The difference between the deaf and the hearing is not how loud God speaks, but how open we are to hear Him speak." - Kris Vallotton<br />
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Moses went up on the mountain many times to be with the Lord and receive instruction and direction from Him. Moses dedicated time to being with the Lord. There were at least two separate 40 day stretches where Moses was on the mountaintop with the Lord, besides the many other shorter periods of time. <b>He did this out of hunger. He did this out of necessity. Moses continued to turn aside and seek the Lord.</b><br />
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Moses changed from being a man scared of the Lord and hiding his face to a man that spent incredible amounts of time with the Lord. In Exodus 32 he talked the Lord out of killing all of Israel after they made the golden calf. <b>The same guy who was scared to talk to pharaoh was now bold enough to speak to God and change God's mind! </b>That's a HUGE change, but that change didn't happen over night! It was a long process. This change came out of an ever deepening intimate relationship with the Lord.<br />
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In Exodus 33:7-11 it says,<br />
<i>Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.</i><br />
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<b>Moses pursued the Lord. Moses worshipped <i>before</i> something happened or <i>until</i> the Lord came. The people of Israel only worshipped <i>after</i> the Lord had already come.</b><br />
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<b>Moses was proactive and the people were only reactive.</b> All but Joshua. And who took over as leader once Moses was dead? Joshua! <b>The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a friend.</b> Joshua hungered for the same kind of relationship as Moses. Joshua was desperate and hungry as well!<br />
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<b>A good question we can ask ourselves: Am I a true worshipper or am I only a reactor?</b><br />
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Later in this same chapter Moses prays an amazing prayer, and this prayer shows just how much he has grown in relationship with the Lord and how truly dependent he was on the Lord. In verse 15 Moses prays, "Then he said to Him, 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.'" And in verse 18 he says to the Lord, “Please, show me Your glory.” And in chapter 34 we read that Moses was spending so much time with the Lord and in such close relationship that his face was actually shining!<br />
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What if we lived in such a way!? Moses wouldn't leave a place unless the presence of the Lord left first. It sounds very similar to the way Jesus lived. Jesus only said what the Father told Him to say and only did what the Father showed Him to do. <b>They were completely connected in relationship and dependence. We were created to live in the same fashion.</b><br />
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Moses spoke face to face with the Lord as a friend. Moses wouldn't leave a place unless the presence of the Lord left first. Moses wanted to see the glory of the Lord and the Lord honored his request and passed before Him! And finally, the face of Moses was shining with the glory of God. <b>But I believe that <i>none</i> of those things would've happened if Moses had not first <i>turned aside</i> at the burning bush to see the Lord.</b><br />
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<b>Seeking precedes finding.</b><br />
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Deuteronomy 4:29 says, "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."<br />
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<b>We will find Him IF we seek Him with everything we have!</b><br />
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In A.W. Tozer's book <i>The Pursuit of God</i> he writes, "Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted."<br />
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2 Chronicles 16:9a says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."<br />
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The Lord is searching for those that love Him and want Him. He's looking for those that are hungry! He's seeking those that He can show Himself strong to.<br />
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<b>I want to encourage you today to take the time to stop and turn aside and diligently seek God with your whole heart. He waits to be wanted!</b><br />
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<b>He's waiting for those that will choose to turn aside.</b><br />
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Shake the earth!<br />
- JoelJoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641756063251786631noreply@blogger.com0