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BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD

In this life, there are many obstacles that confront us on a regular basis.   Some are simply small irritants that we all must deal with, like the kids spilling chocolate milk on the new carpet or getting a flat tire on the way to work.   Others seem larger than life like losing a loved one or being fired from a job.   Still others test the limits of our faith like being wrongfully accused, being persecuted for our faith, or being sorely tempted to sin.   All of these things may seem like detours on the path of life, but in truth they are the very things that can help us to live a more abundant life - one that is lived through the grace of God and not by our own feeble attempts to overcome.   The Apostle Paul went so far as to say, "I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV).   Delighting in our hardships may seem like a stretch for most folks, ...
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THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

"For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey." (Matthew 25:14, 15).   In the parable of the talents, Jesus addresses one of the principles of servanthood as it relates to the Kingdom of Heaven.   Because of the use of the word "talent" in this parable, many English-speaking folks confuse what Jesus is trying to convey and interpret it to mean the God-given talents that we are each given at birth.   While it is true that people show certain affinities for music, science, art, language, etc., and these affinities can manifest themselves at an early age, this is not at all what the Lord was teaching about here.     The talent that the Bible refers to was a standard unit of weight that was applied to a variety of co...
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GOD'S VINEYARD

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him.  And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed ." (Daniel 7:13, 14).   " And the Kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High , Whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him ." (Daniel 7:27).   It is God's intention to establish His Kingdom on the earth, and it is also His will that Jesus, His only begotten Son, should reign as King of kings over that Kingdom.  This is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in...
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