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Uncertain Times
Perhaps it is not well known, but by one count France has had 16 different constitutions since its initial writing in 1791. The Chilean government recently amended their governing document for the sixtieth time. By one calculation, the average lifespan of a Latin American constitution lasts 16 years, while western Europe averages a change every…
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Time
This past week a small notation was made regarding the highway system of the United States. Route 66 was decommissioned some 59 years ago. Other lesser known routes have also been replaced by the more bustling interstate systems. The older routes went through small towns; paused at intersections and stop signs. There were diners and…
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When We First Began
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. The book of Hebrews is conventionally thought to be…
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Lessons of a Father
If truth be told, the keeping of tradition has enormous benefits. The Jewish culture has provided a wealth of customs which have sustained them through the centuries. There is a passage in the Talmud which explains what a father should do. It reads: “A father is obligated to do the following for his son: to…
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Unleashed Spirits
Paul’s prophetic word to Timothy two thousand years ago resonates as if it was yesterday. He wrote of spirits unleashed in the world. 1 Tim 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;…
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The Last Word
Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Hebrews 11 is often called the Hall of Faith. The greats are mentioned in this chapter: Abraham, Moses, Enoch,…
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Plant The Seed
Acts 8:5-6 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. There is a great challenge given to the 21st century church. It refers to the seed of…
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Demas Hath Forsaken Me
The final greetings sent by Paul to Philemon reveals a tragic scene. Paul is concluding his letter when he offers a sendoff from those he considered “fellow workers.” These were apostles, preachers, and fellow prisoners of Christ. They were among the elite of their time. Phil. 1:23-24 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends…
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Behold Thy Mother
John 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. In one of the handful of statements Jesus spoke from the Cross, He made sure that Mary, His mother, was included. Jesus was concerned that she would be cared for after His…
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The Grind
In a rather obscure scripture, Elijah paused at what the Bible calls a broom tree and went to sleep. The emotional impact of Jezebel’s threats overwhelmed him as he collapsed in this nondescript place. An angel of the Lord came to feed him; his body was wasted from the prior event. The prophet fell back…