Bible
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Slightly Obsessed #118: Who Is the Devil, Part 2
God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. – Genesis 1:31 Popular culture paints the devil as a slick-talking rascal in a red suit, sporting horns and a pointy tail. He supposedly lives in hell and relishes each new addition to his cauldron of boiling souls. In movies he…
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Slightly Obsessed #117: Who Is the Devil, Part 1
And give no opportunity to the devil. – Ephesians 4:27 (ESV) There are only two kinds of snakes in our yard: One-rock and Two-rock. The big ones take two rocks. That’s been my credo for years, much to the chagrin of my reptile-loving nephew. I always figured snakes have the whole river valley near…
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Slightly Obsessed #116: What Do You Battle?
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. -1 Peter 4:17 One flag comes down. Another goes up. And everyone has an opinion. Battle lines are being drawn everywhere as the States formerly known as United become a nation polarized by competing ideologies. Christians have, understandably, felt threatened by the…
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Slightly Obsessed #114: The Color of Forgiveness
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. – Matthew 26:28 (NIV) The plan was simple and evil. When a racist opened fire on members of a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, he hoped to ignite…
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Slightly Obsessed #113: Are You Feeling Weak?
The joy of the LORD is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:10 Is life pressing in on you lately? Have you been feeling weak in your faith? Are you tired of the daily onslaughts on your family, your faith, and your work? You’re in good company. But how do believers find strength for a…
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Slightly Obsessed #108: Living in Laodicea
The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. – Revelation 22:17 Facilitating small fellowships in rural areas can be challenging. As the only facilitator for the…
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Slightly Obsessed #107: The Mark of a Believer
If someone says ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one whom does not love his brother who he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. – 1 John 4:20 He sat perched on the examination table, his gangly legs hanging over the side.…
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Slightly Obsessed #106: Easter, a Time for Hope
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. -1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Today…
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Slightly Obsessed #105: Stardust
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. -2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV) I awaken groggily to a bright light in my face as morning announces itself with fanfare. The sun invades the blinds covering our large downstairs bedroom window…
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Slightly Obsessed #104: Falling Snow Geese and Why It doesn’t Pay to Worry
I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened. – Mark Twain The headline read, “Thousands of snow geese fall dead from sky in Idaho.” According to the report on msn.com, at least two thousand migrating geese were recently found dead in eastern…
