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| Reflections for Your Journey |
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Fearing the God of Judgment
People are frequently anxious about how God is going to judge
them for what they have done or what they are doing in their
lives.
In the worst-case scenario, they attribute the bad things
in their life to an angry God who is punishing them for their
sinful behavior.
But, it?s difficult to square that thought with the concept of a
God whose very nature is love.
It is true that God is a just God. But, it is also true that we
are more likely to punish ourselves than to receive punishment
from that just God.
The reason for this is simple. God is just.
But God?s justice is not our justice?it does not conform
to our
narrow limitations of judgment, and it is never meant to cause
us harm.
Scripture tells us that God does not desire to bring us
grief and pain. Over and over throughout the Bible, God?s
forgiveness outweighs God?s judgment.
by
Renée Miller
Fear
of God's Judgment
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| What Would Jesus Do...with our prisons? |
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According to newspaper reports last week, Taiwanese judges
have recently begun sentencing drunken drivers to choose
between paying a fine and playing mahjong with the elderly.
...
There are other examples of early-release programs and
alternative sentencing here, closer to home. A year ago a judge
near Louisville, Kentucky, began offering church attendance as
an alternative sentencing option. ...
But where are the church-sponsored early-release programs?
...
by Jon Sweeney
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| Hurry Up and Wait |
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Have you seen that commercial? The one with the guy who is
in such a great hurry that nothing?s fast enough for him?
One Hour Photo - Too Slow!
10-minute Oil change - Too Slow!
Fast Food - Too Slow!
Although humorous, it's also a sign of the times.
In today's world, everything seems speeded up, as if an old 33
has been turned up to 78 rpm.
- Hectic schedules and fast-paced lives,
- the need for instant contact and replies,
- high speed Internet, cell phones, text messaging, and
faxes.
They are all part of our gotta-have-it-now world.
And with all that rushing comes the demand for solutions - Now! ASAP! Instantly!
As in yesterday.
Yet some of life's most important decisions cannot and
should not be made hastily, impulsively or under the gun.
...
by Earle Donelson
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Searching for God |
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REFLECTIONS FOR
THE SIX WEEKS OF LENT
Second Reflection
Faith is yet another avenue to knowledge; it is not an
alternative to knowledge. ...
by The Rev. John Claypool
--from "The Reality of Faith"
Fifth Reflection
This season is meant to remind Christians and anyone else
who will listen, that it is never too late to start over again.
It is never too late to turn things around.
by Rabbi Micah Greenstein
--from "A Sign From God"
Searching for God
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