One of the most heart rendering experiences I've ever had occurred on a mission trip to the south pacific. My niece came with me along with a dozen other workers. We arrived at the airport in Manila Philippines for our return flight to America. My niece reached for her passport...and it wasn't there. One thing for certain, you're not getting on an international flight without a passport. It was lost on the bumpy ride to the city. She had everything, but not quite! Everything.. but the most important item... which gave her right of passage. At that point, nothing else mattered. I recall her weeping on my shoulder, "Uncle John, there going to keep me here forever". How God bailed us out of that jam was amazing and a great devotion for another time. What I'm reminded of from this is the story of the rich young man that came to Jesus in Matthew 19. He had everything and had kept all the law. He would have been like the Bruce Wayne of Palestine. He had money, ...
"When we pray the heart of God and man align." Because of our humanity we are not shielded nor able to escape the issues of pain, hardship, and suffering that awaits every mortal being. The beauty of our relationship with God, and I would even say the purpose, is how His grace and power works through the frailties of our life; displaying His manifold power in the deepest and darkest valley's of our human experience. People who live outside of this alignment constitutes the majority of mankind. It is among the masses in which we derive a vocabulary of words with seemingly universal application. For example; the word bad, in the sense of badness, is the opposite of good. Bad is bad. If I say to you that I am good you would not think bad. Good is good; bad is bad. However, the carnal words; used by man; often universal in use; are irrelevant and pale to a spiritual lexicon and perspective. Only in alignment with God; through the lens of faith; do we regard our life ...
A true story was told by Jim Henry former pastor of Two Rivers Baptist in Nashville TN. It was about a WWII infantry unit that was scheduled to lead a decisive push in the famed Battle of the Bulge . The night before the fight, soldiers were gathered around the fire in a somber, reflective, and intense atmosphere. The Colonel instructed the chaplain to assemble the men and conduct some form of chapel service. It was apparent for most of the men that the battle for freedom and liberty would soon require the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. Needless to say the air was thick with a veil of darkness and fear of death. Cautiously the chaplain approached the men and spoke of their call to duty and the value of their sacrifice. The men were silent and downcast as he spoke. The chaplain then asked if any had a favorite hymn, if any had a poem, or perhaps a letter from home. He then asked if anyone had a word . One soldier broke the silence and said… "C...
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