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Celebrating Freedom (Revisited)

We insult the veterans who survived the battles and those who died when we reduce Memorial Day to a day for sales and beginning summertime leisure activities. Even worse, we degrade everything it stands for. By giving more attention to surf and sales than to freedom and sacrifice, we desecrate the blood of our fallen…
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The Truth Will Set You Free

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).
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Children of God and Siblings of Jesus

This Easter, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, let us gain a greater vision of our identity as members of Jesus’ family.
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The Christian’s True Identity
How am I known in heaven? Who do I say I am? Who does God say I am? Such questions about identity guide our lives. A person with a distorted, diminished, or deficient understanding of who they are will act on that sense of self-identity. A person who views himself or herself as a “loser”…
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God With Us, and Us With God
Jesus is “God-with-us.” My mission in 2016 is to be “Mike-with-God.”
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Light of the World
The Gospel according to John highlights seven “I am” statements by Jesus, where He made bold declarations about His divine identity. In John 8:12, He tells us that He is “the light of the world.”
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Faith or Provision
“You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Jesus frequently criticized His hearers for seeking signs…. This crowd had gathered initially because of the signs He performed (John 6:2). However, something else drew them now.
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New Blog Site
I am in the process of transitioning to a new format for my blog, which will include a new name, site, design, and emphasis. Darkened Glass Reflections made its debut this evening, at https://darkenedglassreflections.wordpress.com/. I expect to update this new site more frequently than I have in the past. It will mainly contain brief meditations…
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Give Thanks In All Circumstances
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV). Sometimes, this can be the hardest command in Scripture to obey. Thankfulness can easily drown in a whirlpool of self-pity when life’s circumstances cloud our view. About 15 years ago I was in a meeting where everybody wrote a “gratitude list.”…
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Celebrating Freedom
It might be helpful to consider the true significance of Memorial Day for Americans, and relate it to the spiritual freedom Christ offers us.