Month: April 2019

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 Fifteen years ago, if you had asked me how I wanted to be known, if I’d been honest, I’d have said that I preferred to be known as a good doctor. Being a physician is respectable. At the…
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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:7-9 My family recently had the opportunity to go for a hot air balloon ride, which excited three of us, but which evoked…
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Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:5-6 In late winter, we took a trip south, for which I visited the local department store to pick up some shorts. I wasn’t sure of what size, so I headed…
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They brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. Matthew 4:24 While enslaved to my addiction, I knew I was on a collision course with disaster. I desired recovery, but I struggled with translating that desire into action and…
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He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Matthew 4:23 I must confess, this blog isn’t my first attempt at writing. Several years ago, during one of my early cracks at recovery, I wrote a book. I’ll spare…
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Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:22 In my early attempts at recovery, I pursued sobriety . . . most of the time. From the start, I planned on indulging occasionally. I knew I needed to cut back, but I thought I could take little vacations from sobriety, using every…
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Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:20 I attend an evangelical church, which places a high emphasis on the act of sharing our faith. In such an environment, it’s not uncommon at the end of a service for everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes while the pastor recites the sinner’s…
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Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17 Recently, while in the city, my wife was navigating us to our destination, when she told me to change lanes. Her lane had a lot of cars in it though, and my lane was empty, so I chose the path of least resistance . .…
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All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Matthew 4:9 We all have an inherent desire to know joy, pleasure, and satisfaction. I’m no different. My life problem is that I’m just lazy, always looking for the shortcut. Sure, I want to know the fulfillment of being in good shape,…
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He will command his angels concerning you . . . Matthew 4:6 Many winters ago, when I was maybe 12, my five-year-old sister and I were playing out in the snow. I was attempting to make a boy scout shelter and cookstove, but my skill was too little, and the wind was too much. I quickly…
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