The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
At Hezekiah’s request, Isaiah asked God to take the shadow backwards ten degrees as a sign of His healing. And God did it (2 Kings 20:8-11). While it is nothing for the Creator to bend time and reverse solar movement like that, it is a significant demonstration of God’s intent to honor Hezekiah’s request.
The Matthew 6:9-13 Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase “Give us this day, our daily…..
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When I fell and broke my right wrist three and a half years ago, I asked my left-handed daughter if we could trade “handedness” for a while. She doesn’t think it works that way.
When things like broken bones happen, most people bemoan the issue and complain about the crimp the temporary disability puts on their lifestyle. Yes, we are distracted by the pain. But for the Christian…..
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“Feet Wet” is a term I have heard in movies and TV programs involving military flight. It is a short way of saying, “We are no longer flying over land, but we are now flying over water.” We also have a “wet feet” idiomatic expression in the English language that refers to being afraid to do something. In Christianity, however, there is an Old Testament benchmark for wet…..
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You may be wondering why I have been doing re-runs the past few weeks. For one thing, the topic of prayer seemed an appropriate direction given our current chaotic social and political culture. But it was primarily a matter of survival for me. Recently my husband was diagnosed with cancer for the third time. We have been busy with biopsies, doctor visits, and surgical after-care. In other words,…..
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“Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” (Matt. 6:9-13)
In last…..
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The first time I sang “The Lord’s Prayer” in a high school choir rehearsal, I fell in love with it. The soaring melody lines and close harmonies of the song by Albert Hay Mallotte seemed to capture the beauty and sacredness of Jesus’ words in a compelling way. Even though I had memorized the words as a child, the song gave me a new level of understanding of…..
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Picture this: you are driving in heavy traffic in an unfamiliar city. You see your destination but there is not an empty parking space anywhere. You drive farther along, then circle around each block in between. Still no vacant parking space. What do you do now? Get angry? Circle the blocks on the other side of your destination? Have you ever thought about praying for a parking space?
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The envelope arrives in your mailbox telling you that you have “definitely won” an enormous amount of money. Then you read the fine print, “if the number inside is the winning number.” Your interest is piqued and you follow all the directions, send the official entry form back, and pray that the Lord would make you the winner. In the weeks, months, and years to come, you receive…..
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Exodus 25-31 describes the instructions God gave Moses about the building, accessories, and maintenance of the Tabernacle. Moses was told to request willing sacrifices of the people with which to make a dwelling place for God among them: “And this is the offering which you shall take of them: gold, silver, and brass; blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen; goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins; shittim…..
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On Facebook a few years ago, I encountered two posts from “Hope for the Broken-Hearted”. It feels like a good fit for where I am today.
One was a “Prayer of Release” in which the supplicant releases burdens and control to God, requests the promised peace of God, and thanks God for the subsequent protection and sustaining peace. The Bible clearly calls us to humble ourselves before God…..