Finally

Finally, the hot line is answered; the traffic is moving; home again; supper is ready; I’ve graduated! ; the project is done; employer done; touch-down, landed; moving done.  Any final thoughts for today? 

Pastor Paul writes to end his letter, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, be cheerful.  Become mature, be encouraged, spirits up! , be agreeable, of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Father, what more could we finally want fo

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Answers

Even now we expect our AI bots to answer within seconds.  From flipping light switches to regulating our environment, we are well into expecting the immediate, way beyond a microwaved lunch or reheated coffee.  So when we ask God our questions, how do we hear His responses?  Ahh.  The first step is in the asking.

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways.”  We know from records He did this through angels, dreams, prophets,

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How

We once studied the five love languages, a good study, and we’ve considered “how” before.  But how does God of Angel Armies, Father, Son and Spirit love me?  So many times when I ask others “how” I get “what,” a definition. So, “how?” 

From His words, being legal transcribed testimonials, I can know how!  There are two starter categories, being, by His doings and by His non-doings, do-nothings.  His doings begin by giving, as in Grace, which is not deserved or earned; and H

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R.S.V.P.

How kind of you to reply, being invited.  It was not a government being overthrown, nor a backroom gathering to discuss a rebellion.  Jesus had ascended, weeks after His resurrection. A crowd gathered. Peter, the very one who had stated Jesus is the Son of God, Messiah, and! had denied Him three time in the night before His crucifixion, said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive th

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Vectors

“Just keep going down the road a bit, then left, right, you can’t miss it.”  So they say.  I confess, I seldom arrive at my destination based on their description.  Following GPS today has a much higher probability of arriving our destination.  Even so, these vectors, left and right, are occasionally inaccurate.

But there’s great comfort, assurance, knowing that God Himself is aware of my, our location and, direction, even as He has recorded, 

“God charts the road you take;

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Bankrupt

NOT a condition any of us want to experience!  Bankrupt.  Legally insolvent.  We would never plan to be in this condition, but we could certainly get there quickly without a plan, a condition where our deposits have been depleted.  So, what’s your plan? 

“If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere.  So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”  Agains

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Law and Grace

“Two doctors,” as one old Texas preacher has said, Law and Grace.  They didn’t much match, meaning, you couldn’t pick and choose.  Dr Law could pinpoint your ailment, but it took Dr Grace to fix you up.

Apostle Paul (even older preacher!) would say similarly, “For you know all the ins and outs of the Law—how it works and how its power touches only the living.”  God laid out His Law for personal and corporate, and governmental good.  Jesus would simplify for us the multitude

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Basic Training

Along with honesty and integrity, truth is a virtue, part of a collection of character traits that converge into moral excellence, pleasing unto God.  Perhaps you’ve studied the very 12 men Jesus prayed for and assembled.  Like Military Basic Training, they were not a finished product, not even; just assembled.  One was a mouth, thought-to-mouth.  Another was all about truth, truth regardless.  And another was a liar and thief.  You might have wondered why did God-come-to-

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Because

Because begs a beginning, a reason; it does not stand alone.  We are and do and become because of where we live, work, associate, and because of our rooted values.  We Americans have a list of freedoms because of the foundational documents of our country.  Fought for and died for.  Free because, not just free. 

Similarly, we might become good, righteous in God’s eyes, because of what?  Certainly nothing of our own being or doing.  Is it us that reaches out to God, asking Hi

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Turns and Tidbits

Spring and fall, life and death, war and peace.  Sweet and sour, good, righteous, light, virtuous, and bad, evil, dark, vile.  Back and forth, on and off, open and closed, hard-hearted and soft, like putty in the hand of the artisan.  Getting and giving, distant, far and near, close, wealth and poverty, sickness, pain and healing; yelling, barking, whispering.  Ignoring and denying, yet provisioned with belief, faith and trust.  Grudge and forgive, even mood swings from sa

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Report!

We are often called to, report, give an account of ourselves and the projects or conditions at hand.  It could be as simple, informal, as “How’s it going?” Or “What’s up?”  Report! It could also be a pop quiz or a judgement hearing.  What a range! “Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself, the spirit within you?”  A penny for your thoughts? Report! 😊

“The same with God—except that He not only knows what He’s thinking, but He lets us in on it.  Go

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Flip Flop

From the victories celebrated by Easter, life resurrected, opening the door for us to go beyond death, we may this day or season flop into trials and challenges, truly part of life.  But here’s a different and engaging approach from what I often hear. 

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything

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Characterization

Taking on the troubles of the troubled, “Jesus waded right in and helped out.”  Example set, truly from on high, a fresh vision and visitation of God’s engaging character.  Although Scripture was written long ago, and much before Jesus visited His Creation, God confirms for all generations, “You can be sure it’s written for us.  God wants the combination of His steady, constant calling, and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert fo

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Missteps

You may be thinking, “Oklahoma! Is the place for me🎶 and O what a beautiful morning🎶.  And because of me, myself and I, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”  This thinking is a “misstep,” no different than a wrong step in a cow field.

It matters not the location, Oklahoma, Dallas, L.A., Tennessee, or Salzburg.  It matters not our plans and goals, objectives, awards, ambitions, accolades, or other successes whereby, “Everything's going my way🎶

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What's Next?

I love hearing the stories of all that is going on with you, and with your families; working on this, another activity, “so many tests,” trip, dreams, adventure, or scenario, with children (including you) saying, “What’s next, Papa or Moma?” Always something!  And yet, you may be chin-deep in what’s going on, with “next” being imminently inbound!

It so reminds me of these thoughts.  “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life.”  That sou

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