Category: Status

7/31/2024 1 Comment

You are His Temple

King David’s vision was to build a temple for God. Previously, God gave Moses specific instructions for the Israelites to construct a tabernacle for Him. Once it was completed and dedicated, “The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34). David, understanding that the Israelites occupied the land God promised them, concluded He should have a temple, a more special place of worship in which to reside. God concurred but would not allow David to build it because of the blood he had shed as a warrior (1 Chronicles 22:8). Instead, the temple was built by David’s son, Solomon.

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5/10/2024 1 Comment

We Are His

Ed* was adopted. Not knowing who his real father and mother are causes him to doubt his self-worth. Rather than see himself as one made by God, he struggles to find value in his identity. Instead of building solid relationships with others and finding meaning in who he is and what he does, he avoids people and floats from one job to another, perpetually dissatisfied with little sense of purpose or calling.

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4/8/2024 0 Comments

Woodchoppers

He doesn’t care about me. If He did, I wouldn’t have all these problems. If He did, He would explain why life must be so challenging. If He did, I would be included and be part of a family instead of feeling alone, excluded, and misunderstood. Ferdi wrestles with a whole lot of insecure thoughts and emotions. His Venezuelan birth mom gave him up to an adoption agency. He’d lived in six different foster homes before his 18th birthday. Without ever knowing his real father, he struggled mightily to trust his Father in Heaven, whose Son he had put his faith in as a 26-year-old single dad. Hard living creates hard questions for the man who chops wood and sells firewood to pay bills and put food on his table. The name Ferdi means to be brave, but that is not always easy when life is a giant question mark.

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12/7/2021 1 Comment

A Faith of Equal Privilege

The antidote to discrimination and racism is Jesus Christ. Pastor E.V. Hill once shared his response to Black Panthers threatening his life for preaching about “that white Jesus.”
I don’t know anything about a white Christ—I know about Christ, a Savior named Jesus. I don’t know what color He is. He was born in brown Asia, He fled to black Africa, and He was in heaven before the gospel got to white Europe . . . I do know one thing: if you bow at the altar with color on your mind, and get up with color on your mind, go back again and keep going back until you no longer look at His color, but at his greatness and His power—His power to save![1]

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10/1/2021 0 Comments

Not By Strength

Zerubbabel by lineage could have been a king of Judah in the line of David. Instead he served as a governor and one who was exalted by God. “‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant’—this is the LORD’s declaration—'and make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you.’ This is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts” (Haggai 2:23b). He was a great leader. Yet God made it clear through the prophet, Zechariah, that it was not Zerubbabel’s human power that accomplished God’ will, but rather God’s Spirit.

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11/7/2020 0 Comments

Ne Plus Ultra

One of my favorite words is the noun ne plus ultra, which also means “the extreme or perfect point or state, the highest point; the most intense degree of a quality or state.” This Latin word literally means “not more beyond (that is, go no further), allegedly a warning to sailors inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules at Gibraltar.”[1]

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11/13/2010

Status II

This year I’m closing in on almost 150,000 air miles—which is like flying around the world six times. I try to have everything laid out the night before I am travel because it speeds up getting ready to go the next day. Recently I had trouble checking in online. I phoned an Alaska airlines agent and found out my ticket was hollow; I was scheduled but the fare was unpaid. So, I called up my deputy and after some research she was able to find out the cause of the problem and fix it. Because she helped, I was able to print my ticket.

5/8/2007 0 Comments

Preoccupation

God was in the room when he showered, shaved and grabbed a quick breakfast while reading the headlines and the entire sports section.
God was in the car when she drove to school. He saw the traffic jam and her fluster. He listened to the DJ jabbering. He heard her sing KLOST’s latest pop songs.
God was in the office while he labored on his sales presentation. He felt the worry on his face. He read his thoughts about his coworkers.
God was in the hospital and noticed her lingering obsession with the handsome receptionist; the rationalization that flirting was not the same thing as cheating.
God was in the family room Monday to Friday when they gathered to watch their favorite evening television programs. He was at the theater Saturday for the afternoon matinee.
God was at church and listened as they sang how much they loved Him. He observed their tepid interest in the message and eagerness to depart the building for other activities.

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10/26/2006

Precious

Daniel and Joseph are two of my greatest Biblical heroes. I admire their impeccable character, inspiring faith, strong understanding of God’s sovereignty and consistent obedience to God’s will. Both of them excelled as leaders. Daniel was so highly esteemed by God that when he asked Him questions the Lord dispatched Gabriel, one of the most powerful angelic beings, to answer his concerns. Imagine praying and then having an angel walk in your room with God’s response!

9/4/2003 0 Comments

Status

The air is heavy in John’s study. His youngest son is not happy with his tennis racquet. He wants a new one or to use his dad’s oversized racquet for his upcoming tennis class. John presses David repeatedly on why the racquet he has is not good enough. Tears began to form and tumble down his son’s cheeks. David wrestles with an inward battle John struggles to comprehend. “Son, if you won’t tell me what is wrong, how can I meet your request?” David, with a quivering voice tells him that kids would make fun of his old racquet just like they make fun of him for being short. And then his father, also a short man, understands.

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5/4/1999 0 Comments

Pride

There are moments in life we never forget—life-changing encounters. One of mine came as a “firstie”, a senior at West Point. I asked an older friend known for his wisdom to meet with me to discuss the topic of serving. On the day we met, he looked me in the eye and said, “Danny, we don’t need to talk about serving, we need to talk about pride.” He then lovingly shared three specific examples of pride he observed in my life from one dinner conversation in his home.

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