Bullets for the Battle

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285029642012-02-16T05:44:28.282-08:00Bullets for the BattleBullets for the Battle shares thoughts from Dr. H.D. McCarty to help you be fully armed for the battle of the Christ life.Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.comBlogger3471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-17774759817744603032011-12-22T15:17:00.000-08:002012-01-05T14:50:54.350-08:00

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Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-43173447388056450432011-11-21T13:37:00.000-08:002011-11-21T13:46:46.072-08:00

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Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-23108354010366779952011-05-05T14:04:00.001-07:002011-05-23T14:34:13.896-07:00

Father, Forgive, Fools: The Redeemer's Three Foundational Concepts I suppose I am as grateful for the words of the Lord Jesus as He hung on the cross as any other words He spoke … if that is possible. Review them again. He made seven magnificent statements about reality while He was “hanging there”! Ponder them well and deep. In the Savior’s first statement, while enduring the abject,

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-46621888190209736882011-01-05T14:26:00.000-08:002011-01-05T14:47:09.514-08:00

Welcome to 2011Dear Reader, the following was brought to my attention when a former member of my congregation sent me an e-mail back in December. He has really grown in Christ, and I am grateful for my little touch on his life. He is now a very successful top administrator with a prominent Florida university. These words by Ben Stein (quoted here from the original transcript) are so outstanding I

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-85346064761420724552010-12-22T13:25:00.000-08:002010-12-22T13:27:07.585-08:00

Spiritual Symbolism of the Cardinal Numbers* Dear Reader, I have been “much pushed” on finishing my book and my blogging has suffered. Hence, I hope this little offering will be an encouraging touch at Christmas. Our Lord was a “Perfect 10”! He was born at a perfect time, in a perfect way, in a perfect place to become a Perfect Savior! No one would have guessed it so unless they possessed the

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The Path to Self-Strength and Self-Significance I Samuel 30:1-31 I call my sermon on this passage “The Ziklag Zenith.” The lessons are many and life changing. So many of us miss David’s grasp of these simple yet radical truths. We can’t seem to digest the reality of them even if we have heard of them! Ziklag was a small town in southern Judah. Its location is unknown to us, but it matters

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-2611420693525707932010-11-11T16:19:00.000-08:002010-11-11T16:21:32.967-08:00

Our Hunger for Quick Relief One of my goals in writing is to bring immediate help to every hungry Disciple who knows they want more and need more of Jesus … fast! It is to those who have the spirit and urgency of David that I write. Listen to his words, “Hasten to save me Lord, come quickly to help me … I am poor and needy.” (Psalm 70:1, 5) There is a depth, release and brilliance to the Christ

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-2861817208501166202010-10-14T15:10:00.001-07:002010-10-14T15:15:38.508-07:00

Faith: A Precision Definition Let me offer one more precise working definition of “faith.” Most Christians I have known … including myself … are slow to grasp the inherent power of this word. Faith is used in Scripture as both a verb and noun. Sadly, we use it mostly as a noun to think about. The higher reality is to yield to its intent as a verb that leads to our cross. Faith is not simply

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-12710699157619865802010-08-26T13:51:00.000-07:002010-08-26T14:06:00.756-07:00

All That Mary Found …The very best of us are exceedingly dense about the truth, wonder, depth, energy and delights that could be ours in Jesus. Even doctrine, effectiveness, honor, brilliance, advancement, adventure, etc. … are all secondary to the reality that comes when we are filled with praise and experiencing the Presence of our Redeemer! This transcendent oneness with Christ will penetrate,

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What Is Authentic Abundant Life, Part II The Abundance of Jesus in John 17 The “thing” our Lord seems most insistent about concerning His life and ministry was to complete His high mission of revealing the Father to the people of His choosing(17:6). He emphasized giving away “the words” of the Godhead (17:8, 14)! He made it clear that He was sending us to share the truth with others as

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-27940301907694441972010-06-10T15:00:00.000-07:002010-06-10T15:06:17.645-07:00

What Is Authentic Abundant Life, Part I 10"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10, NAS In John 10:10 the Lord Jesus made a promise that is rarely grasped by most of His followers. We assume we know what the Savior means and use His words often in our sharing, teaching, preaching and thinking. But we still

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-81360585513361291942010-05-20T14:23:00.000-07:002010-05-20T14:29:05.911-07:00

The Bullet of Community: Who Packed Your Parachute But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Philippians 3:7 The following is based on an e-mail I received some time ago. It triggered a deep response of gratitude in my mind and heart for Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:7). I have added my personal reflections as an Air Force pilot at the end of Charles Plumb’s story.

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-22952653292789238352010-05-06T12:08:00.000-07:002010-05-06T12:08:55.581-07:00

A Mother’s Day Example Dr. McCarty and I discussed an appropriate post for this week. We decided that wishing our readers a meaningful Mother’s Day celebration was perfect. He asked me to write the following based on Luke 10:38-42. Ruth Ann This beautiful little account tells how Jesus stopped in his travels about the country teaching, preaching and doing miracles to dine at Martha’s house in

Ruth Ann Stiteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622421297275561655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-44894706791820672612010-04-29T15:24:00.000-07:002010-04-29T15:32:30.212-07:00

The Passion of Praise: The Seeds of Truth, Part 1 My first quest in life … now that I have accumulated some wisdom from knowing Jesus over 60 years … is not to find more answers and reasons to satisfy my mind! Though I have had many questions answered, I still seek the one thing greater … that one thing I would dare call the greatest! I seek foremost the power of a heart that rapidly and

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-91606106476879014522010-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:002010-04-22T13:55:06.015-07:00

Spiritual Combat Alert # 3: Preaching and the Face of JesusI have already spoken of the three levels of content preaching … what, why and Who. The what and the why preaching are necessary to the growth of a Disciple, but the payoff and goal of transforming vision is Who preaching. “Sir, we would see Jesus!” (John 12:21). There are also, in my view, three levels of method preaching. Some

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Spiritual Combat Alert # 1: Preaching the Who of Jesus Having listened to hundreds of sermons for over 65 years, having been a preacher myself for 50 years, having read scores of sermons and having taught classes on communication and preaching, etc., I have come to the conclusion there are three types of preaching as to content. Measuring the results of sermons will always depend more on the

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-25000360653540491762010-04-08T14:17:00.000-07:002010-04-08T14:18:27.177-07:00

Spiritual Combat Alert # 2: Preaching the Face of Jesus There is nothing wrong with “what preaching” and “why preaching” except that “it” usually doesn’t go far enough. Many preachers are too immature to go beyond “it” and hearers are too self-satisfied to know they need more than “it” gives them. The “it” they are missing, of course, is “Who preaching”! The “whats” and “whys” of faith are

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-29229901921939182222010-03-25T13:33:00.000-07:002010-03-25T13:45:41.563-07:00

I Need Healing for My Dis-Ease 33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-4515470172961944722010-03-18T14:19:00.000-07:002011-06-13T15:38:18.465-07:00

The Bullet of the Christ Life (Part 2) When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and

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The Bullet of the Christ Life (Part 1) A Rationale for LivingThe Lord Jesus sadly declared that the incredible life He offered to mankind would be found by only a few (Mat. 5:13-14)! To discover the small gate and narrow path to His Light demands precise following (John 8:12). My vision for Ventures is to be a ministry “to the few” in hopes they will “impact the many” with the “precision

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When I Am Weak … Hallelujah! 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly

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Wake Up! Be Comforted and Encouraged But we have this treasure (our possession of Christ Life potential) in jars of clay (our sinful earth bodies) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; knocked down, but never knocked out. We always carry around in our

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The Bullet of Breath and Sound: Let the Wind Get You If I were to name the dozen greatest sermons I’ve ever heard, there is no doubt I would include what I call “The Wind Sermon.” This isn’t the title given by the preacher, but it will always be my title. The speaker was a short, little black pastor from out-of-state; about 400 white preachers sat before him at one of our Little Rock

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The Bullet of Breath and Sound: Another Look at the Power of Breath (Part 3) The breath created by our Godhead infuses His creation with the reality and possibilities of His purpose. He confers spiritual living with His Spirit energy on who or what He chooses. Breath is one of His ways to control the sound of Who He is! Remember how Adam and Eve heard “the sound” of the Lord as He sought

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The Bullet of Life and Life Shared: With Breath Comes Power (Part 2) In our last post, we tried a few experiments to see some of the ways we use breath to create sound. We also noted how the Lord Himself uses sight, sound and breath to reveal His mind and heart to those who listen and watch! While there are many physical and cultural lessons to be learned from the way we speak, we can also

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-14485939305404163412010-01-14T15:02:00.000-08:002010-01-14T15:09:04.501-08:00

The Bullet of Life and Life Shared: Breath and Sound (Part 1) Breath and sound are neither accidents nor secondary to life. They were created by our Lord for His significant purposes … to give life (breath) and to share life (sound)! Let’s engage in an experiment: breathe out and without breathing in, close your mouth, hold your nose, now, try to hum. You will probably be able to make one

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-69893039537562394052009-12-30T11:51:00.000-08:002009-12-30T12:08:48.899-08:00

The Blessing of Living a New Year: Walking with the Savior! 2010 is upon us! In the midst of celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of another, we often pause to reflect on the old and make resolutions for the new. In short we consider how we have walked the past twelve months and where we would like to walk in the ones ahead. The Scriptures have quite a bit of advice on walking

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Making the Old Story Come Alive “To meet with God in the story is to be changed.”* One of the greatest ways to fully appreciate Christmas is to “put” yourself into the story of the Nativity of our blessed Lord. To “put” ourselves in Christ is to see His Cup, His Cross and His Commission in every experience of life … be it the best or worst! Both joy and sorrow can be windows to enter the

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We Must Recognize the Power and Purpose of Relationship Failures All people, Christians included, experience continuous relationship failure. It especially happens in the family … marriage, children, in-laws, parents, etc. … and then trickles or gushes out to friends, employers, fellow employees, professional relationships, casual acquaintances, service personnel, members of “your church,”

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Relationship Failures: The Reality That Fuels Authentic Faith It is a rare thing to build God’s kind of relationship with another person. Most relationships in life are no more than functionary, casual, pretense or self-serving. Rare are those connections with other human beings that are bonded in authentic love, spiritually significant and God compelled. Yet we should always be seeking to

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-18807414705594647042009-11-25T11:24:00.000-08:002009-11-25T11:27:19.267-08:00

War, Peace and the Pinnacle: Part 3 This post is from a response I made to a former member of my congregation after he e-mailed me a question. One of our fine Baptists, Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, made a statement concerning a position on war and foreign policy determined by President Bush on Iraq. The issue of

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War, Peace and the Pinnacle: Part 2The following post is from a response I made to a former member of my congregation after he e-mailed me a question. One of our fine Baptists, Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, made a statement concerning a position on war and foreign policy determined by President Bush on Iraq. The

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-21686284391327435092009-11-12T13:42:00.000-08:002009-11-12T13:46:04.542-08:00

War, Peace and the Pinnacle: Part 1This post is from a response I made to a former member of my congregation after he e-mailed me a question. One of our fine Baptists, Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, made a statement concerning a position on war and foreign policy determined by President Bush on Iraq. The issue of

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-22186490107296821592009-09-17T11:59:00.000-07:002009-09-17T12:20:21.121-07:00

The Bullet of Dependence: The Combat Pilot’s Greatest CallingThe heroic warrior is an ancient and enduring figure in our cultural imagination –David pitted against the physically imposing GoliathAlexander the Great astride Bucephalus,Joan of Arc at the head of the French armyNelson aboard his flag ship at TrafalgarWashington shivering at Valley ForgeJim Bowie defending the AlamoGrant taking Lee’s

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The Bullet of Meaning: What Do You Expect from Life?Let us recap the things we should seek to get, see and feel from an “expectant life” while living our “life expectancy” in His gentle Hands:We should be stretching to see His wonder – the Living Word – JesusWe should be skilled in understanding His Mind – the Written Word – ScriptureWe should be striving to express His Presence – the Witness

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The Bullet of Meaning: The Expectant Life and the Godhead’s Three WordsIt is far more important to be focused on our life expectations than our life expectancy. Wise Disciples first discern what our “Jesus’ Truth” is for the day rather than be a slave of culture’s mantra to extend our days! This distinction is critical if we are to turn our lives into something more than a repetitious count of

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The Bullet of Meaning: Life Expectancy“Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.” Job 14:5The CIA Factbook for 2008 offers the following estimate of life expectancy for citizens of the United States, 78.06 years. It ranks US longevity 30th in the world behind such countries as number 1, Macau, at 84.379, Japan, 82.07, Switzerland,

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The Bullet of Hanging There: I Want to be More Ready for More Cross!“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.” Luke 23:32-33Yes! Let us, too, learn “how to hang” with His praise on our lips and His promises in our heart …

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The Bullet of Hanging There: Let Us Hang With Him!“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’" Luke 23:42-43To those of us who truly want to “hang with Jesus” … on our own cross next to His … this promise to a crucified criminal is still in warranty … even after 2000 years. But many

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The Bullet of Scripture: Speaking to Future ManThere are many people today, as always, who are in panic mode, decrying the fall of Civilization with the introduction of our remarkable, fast paced revolutionary technology and the information overload it has birthed! To some extent they are appallingly, frighteningly right! Have you ever heard someone called a Luddite? The term is used to refer to

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The Bullet of Scripture: More Than Just the Facts …Reading a book can be merely a practical exercise undertaken for utilitarian motives … “I have to!” or “I need to!” Ask any student cramming for an exam pouring over his or her textbook. Some people take pride in reading only for information. Philip Martin, in his article entitled “Reader’s Remorse,”* paints a picture of the “Captain of Industry”

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The Bullet of Scripture: The Story, The Medium and The MessageThere are many ways to convey information: spoken words, written words, electronic words. There are even words as knots on a web of cords. The Incas of Peru used a complicated pattern of knots to write their records of empire. This is one of the most interesting and unusual “written languages” in the world. By their very nature, the

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The Bullet of Scripture: Story Telling, Old and NewLet’s travel back in our imagination a couple of thousand years. You are one of the followers of Messiah Jesus. It is a clear evening. The sun has just set and you and your friends make yourselves comfortable around a brightly flickering camp fire. It’s been a long day. You’ve had a good meal. Everyone is ready to relax for awhile before

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-35166744549589564832009-07-01T12:40:00.000-07:002009-07-01T12:52:23.372-07:00

The 4th of July: Freedom, Independence and Interdependence for All“It is no small thing to build a new world, Gentlemen.” These are Benjamin Franklin’s words in John Adams, the powerful historical mini-series chronicling the birth and infancy of our nation. Truly it was no small thing when the members of the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Knowing

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The Bullet of New Life in Christ: Our Great TestimonyWe should welcome all of our little “death circumstances.” “We who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake” (II Cor. 4:11). The Father wants us aware enough of death (despairs) so we will wake up to our life (delights) in Jesus. See every job loss, broken relationship, family crisis, personal rejection, depressed moment,

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The Bullet of New Life in Christ: LIFE in His Presence“I am always being delivered from everything” are some of Paul’s greatest words! (II Cor. 2:14). They describe how the Christ Life is possessed, experienced and expressed by the Cross Disciple who keeps on seeking, asking, knocking, thinking, praying, studying and finding his or her death to “the self life.” It is a tragedy to live the kind of

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-41106243997964390042009-06-09T10:25:00.000-07:002009-06-09T11:15:47.912-07:00

The Bullet of New Life in Christ: Eating the Meal that Lasts ForeverWhen we eat from the Lord’s Table we experience the joy of increasing strength even though the process of “digesting” spiritual energy is too complex to fully understand. Very few people come even close to comprehending all that constantly goes on in the human body. Even fewer rarely recognize the complexities of our spiritual

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The Bullet of New Life in Christ: Learn How to Eat – Digestion is AutomaticOne of the necessities of our physical existence is eating. A person who does not eat will die … it may take some time but it is inevitable. Eating is essential for energy, joy and health! How wonderful that one of the things it pleased the Creator to do was to make eating pleasurable. Think of some of the great meals you

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-50396715361476941492009-06-02T10:14:00.000-07:002009-06-02T10:18:03.341-07:00

The Bullet of Peace: The Peace that Counts MostIsaiah’s response to the loss of his leader, King Uzziah, should pave the path for our own losses of strong principled leaders! “In that year I saw the Lord!” testified Isaiah. He also confessed the reality that he was “… a man of unclean lips living in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Is. 6:5). In other words, the world is a hopeless mess!

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-70367998370427847532009-05-28T10:54:00.000-07:002009-05-28T10:55:06.270-07:00

The Bullet of Peace: The Vision and Courage of the PeacemakersIn the Eighth Century B.C. Isaiah, the prince of the prophets, spoke of the death of Israel’s great leader, King Uzziah (Isaiah 6). Two thousand eight-hundred years later another great leader died not many miles away in Egypt, Anwar Sadat.One leader died from natural causes and the other by assassination. All leaders die one way or

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-26059297244016803652009-05-21T10:47:00.000-07:002009-05-21T10:53:59.390-07:00

Memorial Day 2009: Heroes Carry the StainKing David was a man after God’s Own heart; the Lord Himself selected him to rule Israel. The Lord approved of David and sustained him. But the King was a man of war. That left the stain of blood and combat on David’s hands, a necessity for anyone who is called to fight for his country and his people. When the day arrived that his throne was securely

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Memorial Day 2009: The Price We PayWith the election of Barrak Obama as President of the United States, the CIA, FBI and other agencies found they were under scrutiny over the issue of torture as a means of extracting information from the “bad guys.” One of the key discussions in this debate is the degree to which torture can be “morally” extended and is effective in eliciting information. Even

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-15700752528476515162009-05-14T10:36:00.000-07:002009-05-14T10:40:58.378-07:00

The Bullet of Purpose: His Mission for Us AllThe courage and determination of Seyi, the young Nigerian believer I recounted in my last post inspired me to think about all the kinds of purposes the Father has for His children. It makes no difference if you are a young Nigerian beaten and left for dead by persecutors of Christ or an American unseasoned by violence against Believers. The Lord has a

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-72622991501505302792009-05-12T12:38:00.000-07:002009-05-12T12:53:54.765-07:00

The Bullet of Purpose: Bravery to Suffer for ChristFear of a gang of thugs roaming our streets looking for Christians to beat up, maim, even kill is thoroughly foreign to Disciples in America. Not so in other parts of the world. A Voice of the Martyrs publication tells the story of Seyi, a 22 year-old Christian who lives in Jos, a city of northern Nigeria. In November of 2008, a riot broke out in

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-74805167411519989182009-05-07T11:33:00.000-07:002009-05-07T11:39:57.018-07:00

The Bullet of Forgiveness: ENOUGH“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-88225178179902396392009-05-05T13:12:00.000-07:002009-05-05T13:27:36.470-07:00

The Bullet of Forgiveness: The Dying Thief“But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’…" Luke 23:34Let us all recognize with proper sobriety and humility that we, too, “don’t know what we are really doing”! We squander our resources, abuse our privileges, exalt the trivial, chase the easy, hurt others, diminish our communities, destroy our own

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-91534109264144522552009-04-30T13:19:00.000-07:002009-04-30T13:20:12.319-07:00

The Bullet of Scripture: Certitude is More Than EnoughThose of us who have experienced the reality of knowing Christ through “re-creation” have found that the Scriptures are simply His “love letter” to us through His chosen writers. Although God’s truth passed through the small capacities of these flawed, partial people, who cannot give us “certainty,” and because of our own ignorance, denseness

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-73940977713180610182009-04-28T13:49:00.000-07:002009-04-28T13:53:55.406-07:00

The Bullet of Scripture: The Preponderance of Evidence It is impossible to be completely certain about life’s most significant questions … especially the big ones! Is God real? What is the purpose of life? How do I find and give meaning to my life? We have more certainty when dealing with factual data: the boiling point of water at sea level on planet earth is 100 degrees Celsius or 212

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-59110373313475909102009-04-23T10:47:00.000-07:002009-04-23T10:54:25.847-07:00

The Bullet of Direction: The Complex Confusion of Mankind’s Language!When we consider how God has revealed Himself in language, using the complex and amazing skills He created for humanity, we began to grasp why the Holy Spirit’s Presence is so critical to guide and teach us what true revelation means. Almost all words, depending on context, can have a multitude of meanings. People can speak

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-6743580157980729132009-04-21T10:58:00.000-07:002009-04-21T11:06:37.744-07:00

The Bullet of Direction: Describe That Bridge!The more scientists study language the more we discover the complexities of thinking involved in just one single word. Furthermore, language makes a startling impact on our selves and our culture. One recent study explored the relationship between the gender of a word in different languages and the descriptions assigned to the object the word

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-5068538729805056312009-04-16T10:12:00.000-07:002009-04-16T10:18:32.470-07:00

The Bullet of Repentance: Don’t Judge the Message by the SignAs a college student I can still vividly recall being lost on the mountain roads of Colorado. None of us in the car knew the way. We were running late and it was getting dark. The map of how to reach the retreat center was so clear when we first read it in Texas. Now, we were confused! The panic of lostness and the frustration of

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The Bullet of Repentance: Treasure Among the ShardsWhen we give judgment into God’s hands, what remains for the rest of us is simple. Quit focusing on the other person’s obnoxiousness and failures and start seeking the lesson of truth for yourself. I recall watching a televangelist on TV one morning some years ago I had a hard time accepting. As I watched him again for a few minutes, I was

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-34351935493878658022009-04-09T11:04:00.000-07:002009-04-09T11:13:20.997-07:00

The Bullet of Forgiveness: The Easter Miracle!Most people want to be forgiven when they fail! Yet they often find forgiveness is difficult to give to others, especially when the “crime” against them is horrific … to their minds if not also to an objective observer. There are some events that anyone would agree are horrible in the extreme. How does one forgive the unforgivable? Consider the

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-1893217932490034422009-04-07T11:18:00.000-07:002009-04-07T11:20:11.248-07:00

The Bullet of Repentance: Watch Out for the Tepid LifeA great tree can be destroyed by sudden lightning or a slow decaying disease. The Christian who lives many years without obvious “outer sin” can still be guilty of a marginally effective Christian life. In fact, their “lukewarmness” could do greater damage to the cause of Christ than an earnest believer who stumbles! (Revelation 3:15-16).The

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-66881545149962760642009-04-02T12:57:00.000-07:002009-04-02T13:04:16.358-07:00

The Bullet of Repentance: Big Fish, Little Fish … All SinQuestion? What is your attitude toward the religious leader who is exposed in some hypocritical action! Looking back over the years, the “scandals” of several TV preachers are only highly publicized reflections of similar, yet less well known failures. Unfortunately and tragically, the sins of the flesh have ensnared, weakened and even

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-21264749222102138042009-03-31T12:04:00.000-07:002009-03-31T12:09:16.408-07:00

The Bullet of Truth: The Power of the Word in Troubled TimesThe following words appeared in a newsletter from Dr. Billy Graham ten years ago … in 1999! The reference to the computer crisis of 2000 is not a misprint. Hear the words of Billy Graham about man’s continual dilemmas:In our world, we see mighty, cataclysmic possibilities as we approach the 21st century. Small wars are being fought, and

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-45719686599369980042009-03-26T12:09:00.000-07:002009-03-26T12:17:52.871-07:00

The Bullet of Purpose: The Only FIX That Works!We are always trying to fix things! In fact, we live in the naive arrogance that all things are fixable. There is always an answer or solution to the “things” that complicate, confuse and conflict our little plans of well being. This is a fake assumption apart from Christ.The Father has fixed things on earth so that they can never be fixed by man’

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-22179023661541374212009-03-24T12:07:00.000-07:002009-03-24T12:11:07.274-07:00

The Bullet of Wisdom: A Few Well Chosen WordsSome time ago a friend sent me the following words of wit and wisdom from church signs. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did:Free Trip to Heaven. Details Inside!People are like tea bags – you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are.Fight truth decay – clean with the Scripture daily.Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives.It

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-36654057363804231432009-03-19T10:41:00.000-07:002009-03-19T10:42:13.098-07:00

The Bullet of Joy: Let It Overflow!Our Ventures For Christ office is a happy place to work. Odd happenings and entertaining stories make us laugh quite often. We also have a serious side … working with people always exposes us to the painful, traumatic, agonizing, distressing and depression-filled situations of life in a fallen world.I asked our office staff to try to think of some of our

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The Bullet of Joy: Laughter Is Good For YouLast week, we considered the relationship between happiness, joy and praise. This week, let’s look at these three from a different point of view … humor and the role laughter can play in making us productive citizens of the Lord Jesus’ kingdom here on earth.The following observations about laughter come from my dear friend Larry Walker of Visionwalk

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The Bullet of Praise: Giving Up Without a Fight?There are many bad things in this world … there can be no argument about that! But … are we letting the Evil One gain an easy victory when we allow the bad to SUFFOCATE the wonder and curiosity, the praise and thanksgiving the Lord created us to have? Let’s place that thought against the beatitudes: “Oh, the happiness of the man or woman….” Our Lord

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-22749069497052653992009-03-10T12:39:00.000-07:002009-03-10T12:46:30.572-07:00

The Bullet of Praise: Are You Excited About Life?Eighty-one-year-old Harry "Hawk" McGinnis is walking around the world – actually he has been doing it for years (since 1992) having visited 80 countries and traveled some 80,000 miles. He is excited about what he is seeing and doing. McGinnis said about his adventures, “The secret of life is to experience life. Life is about living life.”*I

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-48397473625214824582009-03-05T10:31:00.000-08:002009-03-05T10:32:08.407-08:00

The Bullet of Truth: Good Works Matter MoreExamples of great folks who did their duty regardless of their feelings are legion. The lives of those pitiful souls who excuse their weak wills under the guise of not wanting to be hypocritical never bring impact on anyone or anything. Their pretense pales into insignificance beside the lives of those who disdain their feelings and act on love and

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-37540643479667905972009-03-03T11:29:00.000-08:002009-03-03T11:32:36.996-08:00

The Bullet of Truth: Feeling Verses ObedienceThe extremes that we humans go to in order to avoid truth is amazing. Take the old bit that says, “I’m not going to do something for God when I really don’t feel like it because I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”This pretense of truth is sickening. Example: “I’m not going to pretend to love her when I can’t stand her!” or “I don’t go to church unless

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-72466891651421425982009-02-26T12:06:00.000-08:002009-02-26T12:10:25.126-08:00

The Bullet of Reckoning: Tough on LoveBut back to our first question, “Is the Good News of Jesus Christ more negative or positive?” Really it’s some of both, for one has to know there’s “bad news” before “Good News” can be good. My contention is that honest people know there is something wrong with them that needs spiritual fixing. They are not looking for problems but for answers. A

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-74505560022127036732009-02-24T12:50:00.001-08:002009-02-24T12:50:54.780-08:00

The Bullet of Reckoning: Am I Soft on SinThrough the years I’ve taken a lot of hits from people because, they said, I was too positive. Comments would run like this, “You talk great about love, but you need to say more about sin.” Or again, “You’re soft on sin!”Just for the record I hate sin, both for what it does to people and what it’s done to me. Every bit of hurt, agony, loss, suffering

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-77572548837303793072009-02-19T10:44:00.000-08:002009-02-19T10:47:07.868-08:00

The Bullet of Compassion: A Ministry Open to AllWe resist, if not resent, anyone who tries to penetrate the fog of our private world, our self-centered thoughts and activities. The apostle could not have been more accurate when he said, “In the last days … men shall be lovers of their own selves” (II Timothy 3:2a).What will we tell God on Judgment Day? I can hear us now, “… When saw we thee

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-15043893593085408492009-02-17T15:00:00.000-08:002009-02-17T15:02:48.994-08:00

The Bullet of Compassion: A Modern Day Good Samaritan?Have you heard the true story of an experiment a small band of seminary students carried out on the fellow members of their class? The class was given an assignment on Luke 10:30-37, the familiar account of the Good Samaritan. The assignment was due the next day. Most of the men in the class traveled along the same pathway leading to the

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-62641403866423863582009-02-12T13:31:00.000-08:002009-02-12T13:32:30.573-08:00

The Bullet of Choice: Becoming God’s ChampionsAll of us are adding and subtracting things, ideas, directions, etc. from our lives every day. The choices of what we keep or discard make us what we are.The definition of sin I like most is, “refusing to accept the good gifts of God.” The Heavenly Father wants us to experience joy, meaning, satisfaction and worth. As Joshua put it, “Chose today

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The Bullet of Choice: Strength Through Gain and LossDuring his tenure as Head Coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Lou Holtz made a great statement at one of his daily practice talks to the football team. I’d like to pass it on.He said, “Men, you grow stronger in two ways. You gain strength by adding something you need or getting rid of something that is hurting you. Understanding that

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The Bullet of Thanksgiving: The Glorious Word of GodWhen I stop to count my blessings one of my top items for gratitude is the opportunity I have to possess, study and hear the Father’s Voice through the Scripture.Written by over forty authors, about many subjects, in three languages, over a period of 1,500 years … the wonder is that the Bible exists at all! Yet for centuries it has been

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The Bullet of Truth: Freedom in God’s LimitsWhile He was on the earth, Christ Jesus could have done it all! He could have done everything possible for a human to do – but He didn’t! This is even more true of us! We can’t begin to do it all … even think it all … and we shouldn’t even try. Let’s leave that to the religious fanatics and/or the self-acclaimed political saviors. For me, and I pray for

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-30400403778244481982009-01-29T12:16:00.000-08:002009-01-29T12:19:39.305-08:00

The Bullet of Truth: Know It, Live ItI am committed to doing as much as I can about all the issues facing our world but only inasmuch as I determine God is leading me to respond. Although I know my life is to be the answer to many problems, I also know my life isn’t the answer to all problems. I go with King David here when he said in Psalm 131:1, "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-71448667644908444622009-01-27T11:14:00.000-08:002009-01-27T11:21:49.603-08:00

The Bullet of Truth: "What Can I Do?"We live the best life possible when we base our decisions only on what is authentic – the truth. We live the worst life possible when we base our thoughts and actions on what is false – the lie. The person who experiences the maximum positive meaning for these years on earth is the one with the most earnest and unrelenting passion for truth … Christ’s truth.

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-32605494128418515522009-01-22T10:52:00.000-08:002009-01-22T10:57:47.523-08:00

The Bullet of Satisfaction: True FulfillmentThe world in which we live judges almost everything by the dollar sign and by what one possesses. This subtle spirit has permeated the Christian world as well. We need to radically heed the warning of our Lord and beware of greed, of always wanting “more.” But for many of us, resisting this temptation is difficult because we don’t want to discourage

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-56335030383143615552009-01-20T10:42:00.000-08:002009-01-20T10:43:07.603-08:00

The Bullet of Satisfaction: Insidious GreedA certain Quaker, in order to impress a lesson upon his neighbors, put up a sign on a vacant piece of ground next to his house which read, “I will give this lot to anyone who is really satisfied.” A wealthy farmer read the sign and said to himself, “Since my Quaker friend is going to give this piece of land away, I might as well have it as anyone one

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The Bullet of Truth: The Perfect Model – JesusIf our source of knowledge is a “satanic lie,” then we faith-act on illusion, that, ultimately, with the passage of time, diminishes and destroys us. If our source is “human wisdom” that reflects only our culture, we experience a mixture of good and bad consequences. Even if one’s earth experience is mostly good, there remains a growing spiritual

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-28543590674863708802009-01-13T10:34:00.000-08:002009-01-13T10:39:15.605-08:00

The Bullet of Truth: Sources of KnowledgeScripture seems to indicate three sources of knowledge. First are the lies of Satan; second, the fruit of human wisdom; and third, the truth of a living God. Only these three choices are open to us. They alone are the sources that feed the knowledge banks of our minds.It is readily apparent why we become what we think. It’s because we can faith-act

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The Bullet of Truth: The Groundwork of GrowthSeveral years ago I was speaking to a group of pastors on “Staying Fresh in the Ministry.” The committee evidently viewed my thirty-five years, no-quit, non-surrender ministry at one church a valid credential. Certainly, to endure, to persist, to keep playing in spite of pain is one of the most powerful attributes of living. The Greek word for

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Three Christmas Angles: The Third AngelAugustus Creaser was a canny man. He came into power out of the civil war following the assignation of Julius Creaser, his great-uncle and adoptive father. Carefully and intentionally he laid the foundation of an Empire out of the crumbling Republic. Being a strong administrator, he conducted a census in what was to become the birth year of Mary’s Son.

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Three Christmas Angles: The Second AngelTime passed. It became apparent that Mary was “with child” (pregnant). Now, everyone knew Mary was a “good girl” but she was also a married woman and apparently she and Joseph had anticipated their wedding a little. What a shame; young people were much too impetuous these days; no respect for tradition, that is what it is, these and similar opinions must

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Three Christmas Angles: The First AngelIn today’s world a marriage is made when the officiating minister or clerk pronounces a man and woman husband and wife. That was not so in the first century in the land of Israel. When a woman entered into a marriage arrangement, a betrothal, she was OFFICIALLY married even before she was claimed by the bridegroom and the dowry paid to her family. In modern

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The Bullet of Marriage: A Powerful Solution to Relationship WoesJust living together evidently doesn’t free one from legal responsibilities either. The California Supreme Court famously ordered actor Lee Marvin to pay “alimony” to the woman he had lived with for six years. Couples who live together “as though married” may be asked to divide their property “as though divorcing.”Lacking a

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The Bullet of Marriage: More Than Living TogetherTwo things must be made clear about the Biblical teaching on sex and marriage. First, marriage is the general will for most men and women but many are called to a single state, equally blessed by God (I Corinthians 7:7). Second, sex is intended for pleasure and not procreation only (I Corinthians 7:2).The Bible view of marriage is being lightly

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The Bullet of Marriage: One Man and One WomanJesus Christ said, “A man should leave father and mother, cleave (be permanently faithful) to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. What God joins together let no man separate!” (Matthew 19:5-6).Clearly, God’s major purpose with the sexes is for one man and one woman to become one. Two men can’t become one! Two women can’t become one!

Dr. H.D. McCartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710211963227064791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502964.post-27945021634238803232008-11-25T11:02:00.000-08:002008-11-25T11:06:48.008-08:00

ThanksgivingThe following was sent to me by a friend.Love is never wasted!It may not be the results or the reaction which is expected …But it is never wasted!In fact, love that expects positive reaction or results is something less than love.Love never makes demands …Love only gives …And it does not cease when there is no reciprocity.The true lover does not require the beloved to meet any

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The Bullet of Truth: Jesus IS TruthSocrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, said, “Know thyself.” Jesus says, “Right on!” But the only way for a man to really know himself is to know God. Jesus added, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). Men are prisoners to their own limited information. They are victims of the invisible. In rejecting Truth they become slaves to

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The Bullet of Truth: What Truth?The marble dedication stone on the library of my alma mater is engraved with the words, “The Truth Shall Make You Free.” As a bewildered freshman I thought to myself, “That’s really a great thought. I wonder who said it?” About a year later I ran across the statement in its full context. I was shocked. Jesus said it in John 8:31-32. I had been a Christian for

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The Ultimate SacrificeOn April 14, 2004, two young Marines learned what it means to owe someone for your life. On patrol near the Syrian border with Iraq their unit, including Corporal Jason Dunham, engaged the enemy. Dunham found himself in hand-to-hand combat with an insurgent who dropped a live hand grenade. In a split-second decision the corporal covered the deadly bomb with his helmet,

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Veterans Day 2008Here are a few quotes that remind us of the courage and sacrifice it takes to live in freedom both of body and spirit. Let us set our hearts to live as the heroes of our nation who know that freedom is never free. Even more significantly, let us join our Master in living as He did so that in Him all men and women may be free indeed (John 8:36).Courage is almost a contradiction in

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