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We tend to forget how much spin goes on in Hollywood and Washington. Both communities are awash in public relations specialists and image consultants who work hard to form public perception about their clients. When a senator’s poll numbers start getting shaky, these professionals jump into action. Whether they’re leaking a couple pics from the […]

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1 John 4:20:  If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

 
 
I’ve realized Christian believers have to know how to love well because it is essential for true spirituality. 

I hope to always have the ability to recognize that I have to love, respect, and value people; also taking into consideration that I am not perfect and I’m not always right. Peter Sazzero references a Jewish theologian by the name of Martin Buber who wrote a great book called “1 and thou”. This book talks about two kinds of relationships, one of them being the best kind of relationship to have. Buber described the most mature healthy relationship being an “I-Thou” relationship. “ In such relationships I recognize that I am made in the image of God and so is every other person on the face of the earth. This makes them “Thou” to me. Because of that reality every person deserves respect that is; I treat them with dignity and worth. I do not Dehumanize or objectify them. I affirm them as having a unique and separate existence apart from me.

God, You have created each and everyone of us fearfully and wonderfully. I’m so grateful that you looked at us and said “it is good.” We are created in your image

~Seny
 
 
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One of our dearest friends is our Aunt Bea Ogle. Her husband, Elroy, has been sick for the past few years, and has gone to be with the Lord this month. Although this is quite sad, we know he is in his eternal home.
Perry has known Bea and Elroy since …

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 One of the most discussed topics in the Jewish and prophetic world at this time is the tragic, although not shocking, death of Ariel Sharon.
Sharon was a highly admired Israeli for numerous reasons.  His military career began early, fight…

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Conferences at the OCI Building
Winter Ramp
At the conclusion of December, Karen Wheaton ministries hosted the 2014 winter ramp at the new OCI Facility here in Cleveland. A production team arrived, hanging lights and preparing the stage with colorful…

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1 Peter 5:6-11 “So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.”



I’ve been thinking lately, and God is so good to us. Though we don’t deserve it! It doesn’t matter how many times we mess up, He’s still there to pick us back up and brush the dirt off;  Even if we think he should just turn his back on us.

In my own walk with Christ, I can’t tell you the countless times that I have messed up. All I can think about is his GRACE and MERCY, that follows me, even into the darkest places of my life.  My life use to be about getting my next fix or when I was going to be able to get the next ‘solo cup’ in my hands.

I thank God that I am no longer bound to those bondages and can say with an honest heart that I have NO intentions on ever going back to my life before God! He has brought me too far to look back. With my testimony it’s my desire to help people know that there is more to life than the fix they need. I want to be able to look back and say that I helped numerous people with their addictions and through Christ bring them out of those addiction. With God’s help all things are possible.

~Haley

 

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2 Corinthians 5:17-19, 21 | NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them… God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What an incredible passage about what God has done for us in Christ Jesus!

St. Paul writes that those of us who are “in Christ” are new creations – the old has gone! We’ve been reconciled to God in Jesus. Even the whole world is being reconciled to God in Jesus! God is not counting our sins against us, because Jesus became sin so that, in Him, we could become the righteousness of God.
The response is simple: Be reconciled to God! How? By trusting that Jesus has paid the penalty for sin, by turning away from that sin, and by following Him.
I’m thankful that I’ve been reconciled to God in Christ Jesus. I’m thankful for the salvation that Jesus has made available to me.
I’m thankful I’ve been reconciled to God.
In the garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. But, when they chose to sin, true fellowship with God was broken. Through Jesus, however, I’ve been reconciled to God. I can again have the fellowship with Him that my heart longs for. And one day, in eternity, that perfect fellowship found in the garden of Eden will be restored again!
I’m thankful my sins have been forgiven.
Col. 2:13, 14 | NLT | You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
How forgiven am I? The Psalms speak of my sins being removed “as far as the east is from the west.” The blood of Jesus forgives and purifies my heart and life, and my sin is remembered no more. Jesus substituted Himself for me, taking my punishment, so that in Him I could become righteous in the sight of my Heavenly Father.
I’m thankful I’ve been delivered from the power of darkness.
Col. 1:13, 14 | NIV | For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The power of our spiritual enemy, Satan, was broken by the blood of Jesus. Victory was won as our King rose again. The snake that had bitten the heel of our ancestors in the garden has been crushed by the power of our King Jesus!
I’m thankful I’ve been granted access to God.
Our High Priest, Jesus, has made intercession for us by his blood! The fellowship that was broken in the garden, has been restored!
Heb. 4:16 | NIV | Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
When I’m hurting, I have access to my Heavenly Father. When I’m sick, when I’m broken, when I have a need, when I’ve sinned and messed things up, I have access to Him. There aren’t any special stipulations, I simply call out to Him.
I’m thankful that my Christ Jesus is here to save, to heal, to deliver, and to give peace. I’m thankful that I know He hears us when we pray.