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Start Where You Are
The past is in the past. You can’t change what happened. This may be a painful truth to accept but if you won’t let go of the things that you experienced, then you will find yourself living in misery. This is why the first step for you to move forward is to accept things as they are. Learn the lessons, and then allow God to walk with you along the journey. Fix your eyes on Him, and He will teach you how to start with the things that you have. He will give you the wisdom that you need for you to overcome the situation that you are in. Just…
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Persevering through Persecution: Paul and Silas in Berea
As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Acts 17:10, NIV Paul and his companions visited Thessalonica and shared the good news in their synagogue. A great number of people followed them, but a certain group of Jews persecuted them. That’s why they went to Berea since the believers in Thessalonica wanted Paul and Silas to be safe and escape persecution. However, in the second part of the verse, Paul and Silas went to the Jewish synagogue and weren’t afraid of persecution. They continued to share the gospel despite what they experienced in Thessalonica. If I…
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Dear God, Why Is It Hard To Receive Your Perfect Love?
I never really know what it means to receive perfect love. It seems like it doesn’t exist. How could someone love me unconditionally? I can’t fathom the idea that someone is willing to surrender his life just for me to experience healing and find freedom. It’s hard to believe someone wanted to give me everything I needed without expecting anything in return. This world somehow treats this idea as foolish. People will treat me as stupid or unwise if I do such a thing. This is why it’s hard to believe in your perfect love. Part of me is wondering if it is real or not. The more I focus…
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When We Envy Other People, We Tend To Think Of Bad Things Towards Them
But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. Acts 17: 5, NKJV When Paul came to Thessalonica, he went to the synagogue to share about Jesus. A great multitude of devout Greeks, including a few women, were persuaded. But there was a group of Jews who didn’t agree with what Paul was sharing. It was said that they were envious of what Paul and the other believers had experienced. After that, they gathered some…
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Sometimes, God Will Use Unexpected Circumstances To Fulfill His Purpose
God’s ways are sometimes unpredictable. We never really know the things that He will allow us to experience. As much as we wanted to escape from the problems and challenges that we are in, God would somehow lead us to uncomfortable places. This is not to condemn or harm us; He just wanted us to grow and fulfill His purpose. This truth may be hard to swallow because we tend to think that if God loves us, He will always lead us to comfortable places. But there are important lessons that we need to learn along the way. Most of the time, the best lessons are learned when we experience…
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Jesus Is The Hope That You Need
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18-21, NIV Jesus read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and then proclaimed, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in…
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One Day, You’ll Be Able To Face Your Greatest Fear And Your Deepest Pain
The time will come when fear will no longer dominate your life. Someday, you will be able to do the things that you haven’t tried to do. You will smile without any hidden doubts and worries. You will find yourself singing happy songs without any questions or frustrations. One day, you will experience a life much better than what you have right now. There may be things in your life that you can’t understand, and you may struggle because of the pain that happened in the past, but keep this in mind: One day, you will be healed. The Lord will move in your life, and He will lead you…
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When God Allows Us To Go Through Struggles
When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” Acts 16:35-36, NIV Paul and Silas were in prison and experienced a supernatural thing while they worshipped God there. The chains were broken, and the prison doors opened. They could’ve escaped during that moment, but they chose to stay and share the love of God with the jailer. The next day, the magistrates ordered them to be released. If God planned to release them a day after they were beaten, then…
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Remember This Every Time You Feel Like Nothing Has Changed Despite All Your Efforts And Sacrifices
Sometimes, we treat change as a fruit of our efforts and sacrifices. But the truth is that growth is not always visible. That’s why you need to hold on, especially when you can’t see any changes yet. Know what season you are in. If, by chance, you are still in the season of sowing, then expect that the seeds you planted will bear fruit if it will go through the process. Accept the truth that important things in life take time. A seed won’t immediately bear fruit after a few days of planting it. It needs to build its roots below the ground and establish its foundation. So, if you…
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God Also Wanted To Save Our Entire Household
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. Acts 16: 31:34, NIV Paul and Silas were in prison when they met a jailer who also wanted to be saved. After the man…
