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That night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it . . .” Judges 6:25 Long before I wrote Freedom in the Fight, I wrote another book.…
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And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:12 I grew up knowing that Christians didn’t drink or smoke and that those who did were bound for hell. I developed this idea that being a Christian meant forgoing all…
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Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” But the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” Judges 6:22-23 My wife was out of…
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And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.” Judges 6:17 When I write, I sometimes used phrases like, God told me to follow him. Now I’ve never heard an audible voice from God, but still, I’ve…
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And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Judges 6:15 When I was young, but old enough that my peers were tying their own shoes, I stubbornly refused. I was just fine with my…
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And Gideon said to him, “Please, my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us . . .  But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6:13…
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And I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed my voice. Judges 6:10 In wrestling, which I competed in years ago, you’ll often see a referee give a verbal warning to a wrestler for…
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And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD. Judges 6:6 In moving recently, I came across an old notebook which I used for journaling while in treatment back in 2014. I miss my family. . . Shame and guilt . . .…
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Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Judges 4:9 In my addiction, I abdicated a lot of my responsibilities as a husband and father. It’s not that I wasn’t there. I was present, but in my…
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And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the LORD go out before you?” Judges 4:14 Like most of you, I have an alarm that I set before bed every night to wake me up every morning. If I didn’t…
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