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blessed is she who believes
What was it, exactly, that Mary believed? Her actions here confirm her belief in God as Promise-Maker, Promise-Keeper. She believed that He is both willing and able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (see Ephesians 3:20). And she believed that He is the Giver of all good gifts and the rewarder of those who seek Him (James 1:17; Hebrews 11:6).
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spotless
Huddled in their homes, seeking shelter from the chaos that threatened to tear their world apart, families waited anxiously for word that all was well outside. There had been murmurings of a Redeemer who had come to set them free, but the idea seemed ludicrous, especially in light of present circumstances. For just as rampant were the rumors that Death stalked any who ventured beyond their front doors … nothing new under the sun Conditions surrounding the first Passover were not all that different from today, in some ways. Let’s slip on their worn sandals for a moment, and see what the plight of these ancient Hebrews might have to…
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Shattering Strongholds (part 2)
Finding Freedom, part 4 Read part 1 here: Releasing Secrets Read part 2 here: Reclaiming Hearts Read part 3 here: Shattering Strongholds In the first part of this message, we learned about the first of three types of open doors that allow the enemy access into our hearts: personal sin. We discovered how making choices to cultivate life rather than death weakens the enemy’s hold on us. We also looked at how the pattern of repentance and belief can begin to demolish enemy strongholds in our hearts. Now we are going to wade into even deeper waters. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to pray our Lord’s protection…
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Shattering Strongholds
Finding Freedom, part 3 Read part 1 here: Releasing Secrets Read part 2 here: Reclaiming Hearts Every time I come back to telling this story, I am freshly reminded that I have started somewhere in the middle. I begin to write something and then hesitate, remembering foundations I haven’t laid, connecting tissue that doesn’t connect. For a moment, I doubt myself and my message. Perhaps I should start over … But then I realize this is just part of the messy wildness of it all. Honestly, there aren’t “Five easy steps to finding freedom” or any “Take your life back in an hour and a half” guarantees. There are patterns and…
