If We Say

Posted by on 2.25.11 in Devotional

Three times in 1 John 1 the apostle repeats the phrase “If we say”:"If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,’ and walk in darkness” (v. 6)."If we say, ‘We have no sin’” (v. 8)."If we say, ‘We have not sinned’” (v. 10). The worst lies we tell are the ones we tell to ou…

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Can We Shorten Our Life?

Posted by on 2.16.11 in Devotional, Questions

I received an email from someone troubled by the death of a good friend. Here is the issue put simply:My friend abused himself by eating junk food and excusing it by saying God made all good food to eat and He would live just as long as God intended him to live. To make matters worse, he had already had several heart attacks and couldn’t walk…

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Eating a Frog

Posted by on 2.15.11 in Devotional

A few days ago my friend Paul Ward shared a bit of wisdom with me. In the course of a conversation, we were talking about how some things are hard to do. That’s when he shared something that he said Zig Ziglar told him a few years ago."If you’ve got to eat a frog, looking at it doesn’t make it any better."That’s …

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Painting the Sistine Chapel

Posted by on 2.6.11 in Devotional

I received an e-mail from a friend writing to another friend with a carbon copy sent to me. These words from a new Christian contain enormous spiritual insight:"When you said, ’Let Jesus fill you up with Joy,’ I re-read that line about 100 times. I would love that. I will do it. I say now ’Jesus, if joy is to …

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Don’t Rush the River

Posted by on 2.5.11 in Devotional

I know several people who are contemplating job changes and major career moves. Given the shaky economy, making a move can be a scary thing to do. Sometimes it means moving to another part of the country; sometimes it means leaving a job with no certainty about a future paycheck. Since I’ve been in both situations myself, I know how unsettlin…

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Sovereign Serendipity

Posted by on 1.30.11 in Devotional

On Friday my son Mark and I had the unique privilege of eating lunch with Dr. Mark Bailey, president of Dallas Seminary. When he asked where we wanted to go, I suggested going to a sandwich shop. So instead of some fancy place, we ended up at Lenny’s Subs. In that most relaxed atmosphere, we laughed and talked and shared a lot of stories.When…

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Preparation

Posted by on 1.21.11 in Devotional, Quotes

God never seems to be in a hurry in preparing an instrument. He submitted His Son to a thirty-year training, in obscurity, for a ministry of three years. He so ordered events that two-thirds of Moses’ life-span was spent in preparation. We are in a desperate hurry to get on with the job, and would like to eliminate some of the tra…

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Boasting: The Loud Sound of an Empty Mind

Posted by on 1.16.11 in Devotional

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).This is one of the most famous verses in the book of Proverbs and one of the most often quoted. In tones that are darkly ominous, it reminds us of a truth no one can escape. Life is uncertain. No one knows what tomorrow will bring.Think of what…

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Give Him No Rest

Posted by on 1.15.11 in Devotional, Prayer

“You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isaiah 62:6-7)."Give him no rest."Give who no rest? God.The Lord invites his people to pray, asks them to pray, commands them to pray, begs them to pray. And then he says, “When…

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The First Rule of Holes

Posted by on 1.11.11 in Devotional

A friend was talking with his son about the importance of sound financial principles. What do you do when you are already in debt? The answer is not hard to find: Get out of debt as quickly as possible. My friend shared a pithy aphorism that he called the First Rule of Holes: When you’re in a hole, stop digging. It makes sense, doesn’t …

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