Barnabas Powell's Blog, page 162
February 6, 2018
Plain Talk Saves Lives!
Do you mind if I get on a soap box today? Thanks! Someone can be truly sincere AND sincerely wrong. It doesn’t help good people to be more concerned about their fragile feelings and ignore the danger they are in by heading in the wrong direction. Sometimes, speaking the truth in love is unpleasant and unwelcomed. But love DEMANDS I care more for the other than their opinion of me. Look at…
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February 5, 2018
Who Is The AntiChrist?
Ever since Christ came, we’ve been asking who the anti-Christ will be! To be sure, we humans are a speculative bunch. Our minds are wired to “fill in the blanks” of information we don’t know. We are curious. We are gripped by sensationalism. We want to be “in the know.” I was so concerned about myself once because my Social Security number equaled 666 and I remember praying “Lord, don’t let me…
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February 2, 2018
Temporary Vs. Forever!
Philosophy fascinates me! I don’t get most of it, but it makes me feel smarter just reading about it! One particular fascination is the classic argument between Plato and Aristotle. These Greek philosophers differed in their formulation of their philosophies of being. And Raphael captured their disagreement perfectly in his masterpiece called Plato’s Academy. So, why bring this up? Because our Lesson today uses language that points to a wisdom that draws…
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February 1, 2018
Never Rejected!
She was always cheery. It seemed no matter what, she had a smile on her face. I could count on some inspirational quote or some uplifting phrase every morning as we worked together. And then, the bottom fell out of her life. I watched as her smile began to fade and her words of encouragement became fewer and fewer. You see, her life and disposition had never been tested like this before…
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January 31, 2018
The Dead End of Comparison
“Excellence” is a term we hear a lot in sports and in business. And that ties the word to an idea of achievement or progress. But there is also an application of “excellence” when it comes to your relationship with God, and that has little to do with achievement or progress and everything to do with growing in love for God and others! Look at our lesson today in 1 Corinthians 12:27-31; 13:1-8…
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January 30, 2018
Watered Down Faith
“It’s like trying to take an aspirin for cancer!” OK, that got my attention! The speaker was talking about the dangers of watering down the clear message needed for our group so that it wasn’t so discomforting. But his illustration really drove the point home that some problems need the fully potent dose of truth to be corrected. I admit, it hit home with me, especially as I thought about how just…
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January 29, 2018
He’s Not One Of Us!
I remember as a boy dreading recess at school. You see, I was a bit of a bookworm and not very athletic, and so when it came to be picked for teams, I was usually the kid who got picked last. Ugh! I hated that. It was embarrassing and it made me feel like a loser! Of course, when report card time came, all the jocks wished they were me! We humans…
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January 26, 2018
Effective Or Not?
I admit it, I can be a workaholic. One of my greatest, personal, fears is being “ineffective” so I work really hard to “produce;” to “get results;” to achieve. Now, that isn’t necessarily bad as long as our definitions are correct! Ah, and there’s the rub! What do I mean when I say “effective” or “successful” or “productive?” Forgetting to do that hard work means there is a high likelihood of truly…
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January 25, 2018
5 Priestly Truths
The whole notion of a high priest is so foreign to we egalitarian Americans and moderns. We are centuries removed from a time when hierarchy and royalty were the norm. But it’s helpful to remember that, for the vast majority of Christians who have ever lived, the notion of a hierarchy and even monarchy was the norm. Frankly, the jury is still out from my perspective if our modern way is any…
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January 24, 2018
You Are Not Far From the Kingdom
“Missed it by THAT much.” OK, I know I’m dating myself and all my consultants and advisors always warn me when I do this I’m not communicating well to the younger generation. But, seriously, shouldn’t everyone know Maxwell Smart? Well, perhaps not. But I do know that all of us know the feeling of being so close to something that we can almost touch it! I remember the frustration of getting lost…
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