pain (91)

Ian

To Live As Sacrifice

Psalm 105:1–11, 37–45 Genesis 22:1–19; Hebrews 11:1–3, 13–19 Post-traumatic stress is a real thing. There are many sources of trauma. We generally think of violence as the only source of trauma, but damaged relationships are equally the source of trauma for many individuals. Just like…

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Ian

Storms in Store

Psalm 77; Job 4:1–21; Ephesians 2:1–10 I recently l read a pointed quip (one could call it an insult) at a man who had chosen to remain celibate rather than have a relationship with another man. The person wrote, “…This guy needs [religion] as an…

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Ian

Prophetic Testing

Deuteronomy 13:1–5 Prophetic words are very common in times of unrest. Much of the Old Testament are prophetic words during times of unrest. The times of unrest were because the people of Israel didn’t follow God. Since their focus was on the world, God became…

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Ian

Burning Light

As the more reclusive type (i.e., sitting alone, or with my wife, quietly in a space without other people), it is easy to fall into a rhythm of not interacting with people. In fact, it’s too easy. These times of non-interaction, however, can produce new…

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Ian

Prepare to Prepare

Psalm 80; Zechariah 13:1–9; Revelation 14:6–13 If you’ve ever watched a professional chef (besides the competition ones), they will often have pre-cut and -measured ingredients so that when a customer orders a dish, most of the time-consuming work is completed. If you’ve ever ordered a…

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