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redeemed into Life
While I wish I could remember the sight of the exotic blooms that surely filled the greenhouse, or summon the warmth of the humid air that must’ve beaded droplets on the glass, all I really remember is the eternity I spent locked inside the metal and cement of a bathroom stall, sick to my stomach and aching for home.
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endurance and expectation
The world as we know it is being shaken. People are scared. But we know what comes next. We know there is Light to be had. We were rescued to give thanks and to triumph in His praise, so that hope is made known and that faith might spring from it to those around us.
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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…
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Reclaiming Hearts
Finding Freedom, part 2 Read part 1 here: Releasing Secrets For a solid chunk of years, I lived out a faith that was devoid of power. I loved Jesus, but I wanted more than experienced His words to be true. I modeled my lifestyle after much of the church: I tried to be good, I tried not to offend, and I had next to no impact on the world around me. I would’ve been embarrassed to admit that my sincere belief lacked the power to change me, but that was my sad reality. No wonder I was a reluctant evangelist: I had little worth sharing. The problem wasn’t Jesus, though.…
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Releasing Secrets
Finding Freedom, part 1 **The posts in this series include sensitive content. Please read with discretion and preview before sharing with younger readers.** There are some topics within the body of Christ that are rarely touched. They might be seen as too divisive, extreme or eccentric; or they may simply be left alone out of ignorance, or perhaps fear. One of these is the concept of deliverance. Defined simply, deliverance means to rescue, or to set free. In a spiritual context, deliverance is the act of setting a person free from the grip of the enemy, free to love and worship and walk with God in a full and unhindered…
