you are the image of your creator!
Ask fifty people to finish the statement "Live As If" and you are likely to get fifty different answers. For Christians it will mean something different than for non-Christians. Incorporated into the top graphic are the answers given by friends of mine. It is our desire that your answer will be different each time you visit.
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As Near as Life
'The Way' from Kevin Pauley
What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? – Deuteronomy 4:7
God tells us in Amos chapter 5 “I hate, I reject your festivals. Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like
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Say On (1-4-11)
'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington
“But when they [Paul and Barnabas] departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, 'Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.'” (Acts 13.14-15).
Regardless of what chronology one believes, the journey of Paul and Barnabas into the mission fields of the Jews and Gentiles was not one second too soon. Needless to say, they were not well received in all ports, but that
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The Picture Here Is Similar to Our 2025
'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw
In Isaiah Chapter 57, we are reading of things, which Israel did before they were carried off captive into Babylon. Society had decayed before the Exile. Israel had become idolatrous and unfaithful, and to this people God has sent Isaiah.
They are now going back to their own land - they are
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Difference between rocks and stones?
'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess
My very first inkling there was something magnificent in Scripture when God used the word rock was in a youth retreat study comparing the Israelites trek through the wilderness and the Christian lifestyle. There I came face to face with the notion of strict obedience to God’s word because He has special meanings for that obedience. At the time, I had no real idea of the kind of spiritual truth God was portraying with the physical illustration. When He told Moses to strike the rock for water at the first place of contention, Moses did and sweet, fresh water came pouring
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Playing With Eternity
''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs
“The edge of eternity”!, “from here to eternity”!
Movie makers have used the word eternity to create movies to illustrate the finality of actions taken in stories of everything from western gunfighters to supplicated speculations about the destruction of the earth and even the universe. Why this play on the word eternity?
The Bible holds a clue:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the
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I See Dead People
'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro
It's true. I see dead people.
It's not a daily occurrence but, on average, every couple of weeks or so. I have to wonder why I am privileged to see them. I didn't ask for this, and I certainly didn't expect it to happen. When it first happened, I was quite shocked and moved emotionally.
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Give The Gift Of You!
'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell
I was sitting at home this past Saturday morning, thinking of several ways to spend the day. I needed to do some things: a grocery run, dry cleaners, write, lay by the pool and soak up some rays, catch up on correspondence. But, rather than making the day about me, I decided instead to drive across town and visit someone who I’ve known my entire life. A man whose approaching ninety five years old, one of my dad’s best friends, a gentleman who showed interest in me ever since I was able to walk, a guy whose given far more to the world than it’s given him,
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Our Cloud of Witnesses
'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such
a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance
the race marked for us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
Our Cloud of Witnesses, who is in it? The writer of Hebrews tells us the heroes of the faith from chapter 11 are there. We believe that people who walked with God and whom we have known when they lived are interspersed throughout.
Can we imagine being in that cloud of witnesses
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Bible and Quote - April 7-11
'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns
O sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory. Psalm 98:1 We may break ourselves off from all that is sinful in our past lives, and begin afresh, saying, ‘God helping me! I will write another sort of biography for myself for the days that are to come. Alexander Maclaren, 1826-1910, British Baptist expository preacher
Serve the Lord with gladness.. Psalm 100:2a Be not an eye-servant or a man-please; serve God with singleness of heart and the Lord who gives you grace to serve, will
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One Big Bug
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley
I have always found nature fascinating, even frightening at times. Lightening and thunder storms have been able to keep me riveted for their duration. I have sat and stared at tornadoes in the distance from the front porch of my ancestral home in Ohio. But what has kept my attention more than anything else are the critters that populate nature. Not the big ones that big game hunters bag for wall decorations, but the little ones under our feet that collectors obtain for...uh...er...wall decorations. You know, insects.
Many of the people I know are shorter than me while some
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Wrestle Not?
''Winging It' from Stan Smith
It seems to be a common idea these days. We ought to avoid conflict. The mentality of earlier America, for instance, when "Live free or die" was an actual motto and people thought that fighting for freedom was noble is no longer "in". We prefer now a "kinder, gentler" perspective. Do not take up arms. Do not go to war. There isn't anything worth fighting about, at least not seriously. Well, at least not Christians. Christians are not supposed to fight. You know, like the Bible says: "Wrestle not."
Except that's not what it says. Here's what
Every morning I get up and shower in the upstairs bathroom right next to my office. Both of our bathrooms have rather large mirrors in them; something around 40 inches high by 60 inches long. They have no mounting frame surrounding them. They are mounted on a wall. How they are mounted is what is fascinating. During the day the evidence of how they are mounted is well hidden. But after a shower is a totally different story.The first time
Daily Refractions
Words to Ponder
I have told you before what I sometimes dream shall be my lot in glory, to stand not here, and preach to a handful of people, though it be verily a large handful; but to stand upon some starry orb, and preach of Christ to whole constellations at once, and thunder out my remembrances of his sweet love to myriads of beings who have never heard of him as yet, for they have never sinned, but who will drink in all the tidings of what Jesus did for sinful men. And each of you, according to your training for it, shall make known to angels, and principalities, and powers, the manifold wisdom of God. There is plenty of room for you all, for God's universe will need millions upon millions of messengers to go through it all, and tell out the story of redeeming love. And we, I believe, are here in training for that eternal work of making known to illimitable regions of space, and countless myriads of intelligent beings whom God has created, but who have never fallen, the story of this little planet, and of the God who loved it so that he came here, and died that he might save his people from their sins. - Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-92)
'Daily Reading Plan'
from StudyLight.org
Bible-in-a-Year NAS
1 Kings 1; Hosea 4:11-5:4; Mark 11:1-14:
So his servants said to him, "Have them search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and have her attend the king and become his nurse; and have her lie on your chest, so that my lord the king may keep warm." So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did