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Avoid the Post-Holiday Crash
We love the holidays because of course, we adore our blessed Savior, and Jesus IS the reason for the season. In fact, he’s the reason for every day, and that’s why the holidays should be a time for some serious joy. We wait the whole year to pull out all the stops and ought to…
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Dare to Hope!
Sometimes you meet a person and you just click. You can’t really explain why, but the friendship develops quickly, and you feel as though you’ve known each other for years, even though you’ve only just met. That’s how I felt about a friend that I recently learned had passed…
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Run to Win!
When you peel back all the layers and get down to the core of your identity, if you’re in Christ, there will be some components that drive you in this race we call life. Three of those are major, and must be present if you want to remain on track to win. There are no…
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A Message to Heavenly Father
God’s instructions to the prophet in Habakkuk 2:2 (KJV) was, “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” This was a particular Word given to a particular complaint made by people that questioned the cause and longevity of their oppression. Heavenly…
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When Something Doesn’t Feel Quite Right
In John 14:6, Jesus Christ tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can get to the Father except they come through him. We can read this verse a thousand different times, and each time that we do so with a heart open to receive from heaven,…
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Cut’em Loose
The Word of God is a very practical book of life and wisdom. Among many, many, many other vital pieces of spiritual wisdom, it tells us what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. One of the major reasons for errors is that we either…
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Don’t Lose Another Opportunity
Jesus Christ said in John 15:8 (NLT), “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” Many scholars believe that the spiritual lesson that Jesus taught in John 15 was at the last supper. It was the night he was betrayed, so we can gather that this…
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Best Thanksgiving Ever!
When I was in grade school, I remember the excitement around celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. There was a student contest every year in art class, and the best and most elaborately decorated turkey poster would be chosen. I have very fond memories of those times, but it does seem odd that a turkey is the…
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Dealing with a Spirit of Discouragement
I’d like to bend the spiritual ear of those that have been waiting on the Lord to do something in their lives for a long time. It’s those individuals for whom a few very important requests have been the central theme of their prayers, but the manifestation of results has not yet come through. You…
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Lord, Trouble My Water
Through the Apostle John, in the Gospel of John, Chapter 5, God is adding another brush stroke to the portrait in His Word of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Our beloved Savior left the city of Cana where he had spoken a word while being some twenty miles away from a nobleman’s son, and…
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Plenty Leftover to Share
That precious time of year when the practice of giving comes front and center is right around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I have friends that begin shopping for Christmas gifts at the start of the new year. I might not be as organized as they are, but it is always a…
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Give Him All of You
Have you ever taken the time to meditate on Genesis 1:26? It tells us that we are made in the image of God. We’ve taught about this quite a bit in previous teachings and publications, so of course you know and understand that the Godhead is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Created in His image,…
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More of God
Some years ago, before the Charismatic Renewal, some Christians were severely chastised because they felt in their hearts that more is available from Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, and they sought to receive it. Because of their seeking, they experienced God’s glory in a very dynamic way. They couldn’t keep it to themselves, and as…
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God Allows U-turns
Hiccups and missteps in life are distractions of the enemy, but they can also be signals that we are close to veering away from the path that God desires us to stay on. We’ve stated this often, but it’s such an important statement that it needs to be repeated as much as possible. We have…
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God’s Goodies
God is up to something good in your life, on this you can most assuredly depend. One of the greatest things that you and I can do with our time is to seek Him until we understand exactly what He has in mind. The truth is that sometimes we just don’t know what He has…
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God’s Hedge of Protection
Sometimes, without even realizing it, we can begin to drift backwards. I don’t know about you, but for me this is one of the most alarming realities of spiritual life. In the beginning, when a new Christian is spiritually immature, and the hiccups of life catches them off guard, God surrounds them with what can…
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Divine Secrets to Success
We can learn so much about the ways of life and living through God’s Immutable Laws. These laws cannot be broken. They will not yield to our whims; they will not bend to our prerogatives. Take the Law of Gravity for instance. Gravity is a force, and we don’t have to understand the dynamics of…
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Trust the Blood of Jesus Christ
John 14:6 is one of the most popular and known verses in the Good News of Jesus Christ. In it, he tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life; and that the only way to come to the Father is through him. We are living in a time in human history…
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We Are God’s Prized Possessions
A relationship is a two-way street. Just try maintaining one with someone that isn’t the least bit interested in it. The communication is poor because you don’t fully understand the other person, and they don’t care to understand you. Trust is an issue because there’s no foundation to build it. So, you have a situation…
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Brace for Impact!
True story: Two Christian friends from the same neighborhood, in the same town, graduated from high school at the same time. They both applied for similar jobs at the same company and began working there. There’s a lot of ‘sameness’ in this real-life scenario, except after ten years, one person had been promoted to an…
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The Empire You are Destined to Birth
To our faithful members who read our offerings each week, some of you have been with us since we began online some 16 years ago, and we so appreciate you. We pray for you often, and we endeavor to encourage you to grow higher and greater through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You’ve partnered…
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“Must Have” Affirmations of Faith
God’s divine order should and can be maintained in our lives to such a degree that we are continually and blissfully fulfilled. When His order becomes our true focus, we will see the most magnificent blessings come into fruition; be assured of this! It should serve as motivation to continue stepping in alignment with the…
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Reclaim What Has Been Stolen!
The Fall Issue of the SMS Magazine is entitled, “Taking It All Back.” In it we explore the spiritual requirements to enter the battlefield and take back what has been stolen from us. We know that the enemy is a dastardly evil thief, and we are often surprised by the degree to which he steals…
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You’re Almost to the Finish Line!
Life is a journey, and we’re on it! Each of us is in a race that God has placed before us, and no two are alike. Right this very moment, you’re in one of three lanes: 1# You’re waiting for a specific prayer request to come to fruition in your life; 2# You’re transitioning to…
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Don’t Get Weary: Holding On When It Gets Hard
Sisters, we hear you! Your responses to “Keep Pressing, Don’t Get Weary, Let the Haters Hate” came in loud and clear. Understandably, the aspect of the teaching regarding getting weary struck a chord, particularly with those of you that are single and facing the challenges of life without a partner in your right-now circumstances. You…
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Dealing With Depression
In Psalm 143, David was praying and crying out to God, as he had done many times before. I don’t know about you, but David reminds me of a brother who has a very desirable and exquisite combination of being both sensitive and strong. He was no doubt a great and brave warrior, and boy…
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Keep Pressing, Don’t Get Weary, Let the Haters Hate
As Christians, we all try and put on a happy face every day. There are many who count on us to be that shoulder to cry or lean on, and there are others in our corners who are rooting for us and just want us to succeed in life. They are watching and trusting that…
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Is Your Family Living Under A Curse?
I’m originally from a small rural community in the south. I grew up in a Christian home, and I thought everyone else did as well. It wasn’t until I was an adolescent that I began to notice some things that caused me to question this. There were a few families in this small community that…
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That Which Flows from God
We’ve heard it said, particularly in this age of the outpouring of God’s Spirit, that Christians should now be at a stage of spiritual maturity where we operate out of the overflow. We’ll talk about operating out of the overflow a bit more, but even if we do not understand all the facets of it,…
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A Deeper Knowledge of Yourself
A sister-friend of mine is notorious for retreats. I can get with that. I need to take them far more than my schedule allows. The thing with her is that her preference is to take retreats alone. When I first learned of her sabbatical-hunger for alone time, I thought it was strange, a tad bit…