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Radical Forgiveness

http://bible.com/116/mat.6.14-15.nlt
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Observation
Am I standing proud? The mountains will be laid low and pushed into the sea.

Am I kneeling at the foot of the cross? Seeking His will in my life,  surrendered to the Lord, repenting of my sins, loving Him above all, denying myself and in doing so – finding my new life that is renewed and alive and blessed.

Am I kneeling before my brothers,  washing their feet,  serving them and loving them? Paying attention to their needs on the same level as my own?

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Prayer or Liar

http://bible.com/116/mat.6.7-8.nlt
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

http://bible.com/116/1jn.1.8-10.nlt
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Observation
Why am I praying? Am I praying because I think that I know what I need and I’m telling God what I need?

Really?

Really?

Do I even hear what I am saying if that is my perspective?

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We aren’t playing peek-a-boo

http://bible.com/116/mat.5.14-16.nlt
You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Life Application Devotional
Can you hide a city that is sitting on top of a hill? Its light at night can be seen for miles. If we live for Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. We hide our light by (1) being quiet when we should speak, (2) going along with the crowd, (3) denying the light, (4) letting sin dim our light, (5) not explaining our light to others, or (6) ignoring the needs of others. Be a beacon of truth-don’t shut your light off from the rest of the world.

Observation
We are on vacation this week with family.  We are talking a break from our normal work and circles of people. We get to play games with our daughter, all kinds of new games. But she’s 4 and a half now,  so no more peek-a-boo. It’s all new games as she grows and learns new things each year,  the vacations change little by little. And it’s very different from the precise schedule of our busy week of life at home.

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Prove It

Today’s Manna – Our Daily Bread
http://bible.com/116/mat.3.8.nlt
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

Life Application Devotional
John the Baptist called people to more than words or ritual; he told them to change their behavior. “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins” means that God looks beyond our words and religious activities to see if our conduct backs up what we say, and he judges our words by the actions that accompany them. Do your actions match your words?

Observation
More often than I like to admit, I share my lessons, and at some point in that very day, an opportunity arises and I realize that the lesson was written on my heart but that I am being sanctified but that I am not yet perfected. Because on the very day that I shared a message, I examine my own life and see how I missed the mark in a certain situation. But I also recognize there were times where it made a difference.

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My Father’s Way

http://bible.com/59/mat.20.25-28.ESV
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,  even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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He knows you, you are set apart

He who has ears,  hear what the Word of God says –

http://bible.com/116/jer.1.5.nlt
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

You are special and unique. Everything in creation has a purpose and is of use in fulfilling God’s purpose.

And you, friend are set apart and appointed.

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Love each other in all you do, and you will not sin.

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http://bible.com/116/jhn.15.13.nlt
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

When I see young men laying down their lives in service to their fellow citizens to defend them…

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We all chase something

Today’s Manna – Our Daily Bread

Ecclesiastes 2:11 NLT
But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Today’s Observation
Each day,  we find ourselves chasing something.

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Am I the nagging bride?

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PRO 27:15-16 MSG
A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; You can’t turn it off, and you can’t get away from it.

You know, I see this less as a discussion about the relationship between my wife and I, and more about my relationship with God. It speaks to a lack of gratitude and a sense of entitlement that can creep into our lives when we face challenges.

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We need to eat if we are going to have strength for the day

Proverbs 18:5 NLT
It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent.

Yes, some are guilty and some are innocent,  and there is a distinct difference between the two. We should expect judgement for the guilty and expect acquittal for the innocent. Mercy and forgiveness does not do away with the need for justice and truth. It is our path to finding truth while we are yet lost.

So one might ask, how do we know if we are lost?

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