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Showing posts from December, 2015

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck   Romance Zondervan In a day when marriage seems incredibly disposable, USA Today best-selling author Rachel Hauck weaves a story rich in symbolism that reminds us of timeless truths about love. Hauck is captivated by the 1940s, and in The Wedding Chapel , she juxtaposes two story lines: one capturing the simple romance and commitment to family embodying the earlier era and another showing the challenges and complications of romance in a modern world. For sixty years, a wedding chapel sat silent, waiting for love. But times have changed and the hour has come when it just might be too late. Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy "Coach" Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love---the wedding chapel he built for Collette Greer, the woman he fell for back in '49. But now an offer has come to turn the chapel into what it was meant to be---a place for love---and Jimmy sees no reason to hang on

My Identity in Christ #9 - I have Christ’s righteousness

Now that my Bible Study group has finished Priscilla Shirer’s Armor of God study, I need to keep moving in the right direction.   Continuing this series of blog posts taken from the list Priscilla included in her 6 th week of Bible study regarding our identity and inheritance in Christ.   I pray these reflections will open your eyes to how much God loves you.   Read them as if you wrote them.   Meditate on them.   God bless you. I have Christ’s righteousness I am humbled and so grateful that I can approach my Heavenly Father and not be ashamed or concerned that He will reject me.   He looks me straight in my eyes and gives me His undivided attention even though my best deeds are like filthy rags to Him.   He welcomes me, a sinner, into His divine presence which cannot be in the presence of sin!   There is some supernatural stuff going on here.   It’s called “Christ has clothed me in His righteousness”.   Christ’s sinless virtue covers me because He died on the cross to save me a

Homiletics: Revelation 4

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture ):   Where?                                                                 Who? 1 1a After this, before me door stding open in hvn. 2 1b Voice I 1 st heard like trumpet: come up, I show u what must take place after this. 3 2 At once I in Spirit, before me throne in hvn w/someone sitting on it. 4 3a The one who sat had appearance of jasper & ruby. 5 3b Rainbow that shone like emerald encircled throne. 6 4 Surr throne, 24 thrones & seated on them: 24 elders dress in wt, crowns of gold on heads. 7 5a From throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings & peals of thunder. 8 5b In front of throne, 7 lamps blazing = 7 Spirits of G. 9 6a Also in front of throne what lookd lik

At Love's Bidding by Regina Jennings

At Love's Bidding by Regina Jennings    Historical Romance Bethany House  Join Litfuse, Bethany House, and Regina Jennings for the tour of At Love's Bidding , the second Ozark Mountain Romance. She sells priceless antiques. H e sells livestock by the pound.  Is he really the man to make a bid for her heart? After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she's accidentally sold a powerful family's prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the people who could ruin them forever, they track it to the Missouri Ozarks and make an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house and all its holdings before the painting can move again. Upon crossing the country, however, Miranda and her grandfather discover their new auction house doesn't deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its frustratingly handsome manager, Wyatt Ballentine, is annoyed to discover his fussy new bosses don'

My Identity in Christ #8 - I am justified

Now that my Bible Study group has finished Priscilla Shirer’s Armor of God study, I need to keep moving in the right direction.  Continuing the series of blog posts taken from the list Priscilla included in her 6 th week of Bible study regarding our identity and inheritance in Christ.   I pray these reflections will open your eyes to how much God loves you.   Read them as if you wrote them.   Meditate on them.   God bless you. I am justified Justification is a spectacular thing!   I had to look up the word in the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.   If you’ve never used this dictionary, please take the time to check it out.   It will blow your mind.   There is an edition of this dictionary for online ( www.webstersdictionary1828.com ) and mobile use. According to the 1828 Dictionary, the word “justify” comes from the Latin Justus (just) and facio (to make).   In Christ, I am justified.   I am made just.   Because of Christ I am conformable to law…conformable to The Law!   I am pardo

Homiletics: Revelation 3:7-22

Divisions ( run-on sentence OK, direct verbiage from Scripture ): 1 3:7-13 The words of the holy and true to Philadelphia:   I’m coming soon; hold onto what you have so no one takes your crown. Principle: Every believer produces evidence of hearing what the Spirit says to the churches through obedience. 2 3:14-22 The words of the Amen to Laodicea:   I rebuke and discipline those I love so be earnest and repent. Principle: Every believer produces fruit that reveals his temperature for Christ.   Subject Sentence ( 10-word sentence with proper structure ): John writes Jesus’ words to Philadelphia and Laodicea.   Aim: TCMAT obey the command to endure patiently and know that Jesus rebukes and disciplines those He loves, so we should see that discipline as a blessing not a punishment.   Application: 1 How have y

My Identity in Christ #7 - I am not condemned by God

Now that my Bible Study group has finished Priscilla Shirer’s Armor of God study, I need to keep moving in the right direction.  Continuing the series of blog posts taken from the list Priscilla included in her 6 th week of Bible study regarding our identity and inheritance in Christ.   I pray these reflections will open your eyes to how much God loves you.   Read them as if you wrote them.   Meditate on them.   God bless you. I am not condemned by God I’ve struggled with meditating on this truth that I am not condemned by God.   It’s not difficult to believe.   My problem is that I usually approach this from the other direction:   I am saved by God.   These ideas certainly have commonality, but the concept of not being condemned by God makes me mindful that I deserve to be condemned by God.   I forget this sometimes and that leads me to thoughts of entitlement.   Ick!   So here’s my meditation:   even though I absolutely deserve to be condemned by God, I am not.   This is com

Homiletics: Revelation 2:12-3:6

Divisions ( run-on sentence OK, direct verbiage from Scripture ): 1 2:12-17 Pergamum: where Satan has his throne and people hold to the teaching of Balaam – Repent! Principle: Your response to God’s Word identifies who is sitting on the throne of your life. 2 2:18-29 Thyatira: you’re doing more than at first, but tolerate Jezebel – to overcomers I give authority over nations. Principle: Our behaviors are rooted in our hearts and minds and should be pleasing to Christ if we belong to Him. 3 3:1-6 Sardis: wake up and strengthen what’s about to die – overcomers will be dressed in white. Principle: We should seek regular spiritual awakening and strengthening in order to follow though in our service to Christ.   Subject Sentence ( 10-word sentence with proper structure ): John writes Jesus’ words to Pergamum, Thyatir