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  The Hound of Heaven by William Kurelek "Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am He Whom thou seekest!" – Francis Thompson "I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted… " 2 Corinthians 4:13  We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore…

"eli eli lama sabachthani" Psalm 22:1 – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? We have the retrospective luxury of knowing the messianic significance of this psalm for the church. It is messianic because the Messiah took…

" The wicked shall return to Sheol,all the nations that forget God.For the needy shall not always be forgotten,and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever." – Psalm 9:17-18 (ESV) First – The "return" to Sheol? That makes me think that wickedness originates in the realm of death and death leads to death.…

  Jesus is our high priest and he does three things for us in that function: 1. He cleans us up, cleanses our consciences and creates us anew. 2. He secures our inheritance through sacrifice. 3. He saves us from sin … and all of its repercussions. Complexity that amplifies simplicity is illustrated vividly.

Jesus was moved to compassion because the people were: (1) Harassed (2)Helpless, (3) Left without leadership (sheep without shepherd). As heartbreaking as it was, He saw it as an opportunity to cast a vision of harvest and call for laborers. Context suggests how we understand & address the three areas of need help define our mission…

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” – Matthew 24:36 We knew she was coming sometime, just not when. We knew that every day brought the visit closer, but we were not certain exactly what day. We cleaned the house once, twice, and…

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”  -Matthew 24:35  When I was a child, I believed that our house was the most solid reality in my life. I could not conceive of a time when it did not exit. I certainly could not imagine it ever ceasing to exist.…

God the Father by Cima da Conegliano, c. 1515 “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.” -Psalm 18:1 How might we ever presume to love God? Psalm 18:2 – The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of…

Alone in the Journey  “Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.”  - Psalm 12:1 Do you feel alone in your spiritual journey? Do you imagine that you are the only person in your school, workplace, or neighborhood that desires the things of God or seeks after His…