Category: Christian

Your Kingdom Come

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“Your kingdom[*] come….” (Matt. 6:10) Jesus instructed his apostles, and therefore his followers, including us, to pray for God’s kingdom to come. That is a curious instruction, as many Jews at the time believed that the Messiah would overthrow the Roman occupation of Judea and return the land to Jewish rule. They were bitterly disappointed when that did not happen.

Did the disciples not pray hard enough? Did God fail to answer the prayer Jesus instructed them to pray? What does that mean for us today? We need to look back at the First Century for the answer. Continue reading “Your Kingdom Come” →

Cross Purposes

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Three Crosses & Rays of Light

“Your will[i] be done[ii]….” (Matt. 6:10). This statement that is part of the way Jesus taught us to pray is not just a onetime proclamation, but an ongoing imperative cry for an emerging and growing reality in the life of the believer and in the world. Continue reading “Cross Purposes” →

My Help Is Not Within Me

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Sun Thru the Woods

“[I]s it that my help is not within me….?” (Job 6:13)

That is a rhetorical question of course. We all know the story of Job. He was a man of wealth, influence and great blessing, and then it was all taken from him in a short time.

We like to think that we have the ability within ourselves to overcome any obstacle, even ourselves. Let’s face it: many of our obstacles in life are the result of our own doing, the flaws in our own character.

Continue reading “My Help Is Not Within Me” →

Our Father

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“Our Father…” (Matt. 6:9) begins the only prayer that Jesus taught.  God the Father, the maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen, the God who exists before and beyond time and space Continue reading “Our Father” →

Lose Your Life for God

There is an element of self-centeredness even in our generosity and the good deeds we do.

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“Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:24)

Let’s be honest. People are self-centered. It starts from the moment we leave the womb. Babies cry when they are tired, cry for food, cry when they want something: their world is focused on their own needs. As we grow and mature, we (hopefully) become more attuned to others and begin thinking about meeting their needs, at least when they do not conflict with our own needs; but we are still primarily self-centered. Continue reading “Lose Your Life for God” →