10
Nov '18
Discrepancy Thinking
10
Nov '18
Written by: Mark Culp
If you ask most Christians if they deserve hell, most would answer “yes”. It has kind of become a standard answer you give to your fellow believing friends. In fact, most believers could not even imagine answering any other way. It’s the belief we must come to, to be truly saved. That being said, here is the question. If we truly believe that we are deserving of hell, why do we believe at the same time, and get all bent out of shape, and cry and whine, and demand justice when we don’t get treated fairly (or maybe someone disrespects us).
I’m trying to point out a discrepancy in our thinking.
Saying I am deserving of hell and then getting so angry when I’m not being treated right reveals a disconnect. I need to daily remind myself of the infinite mercy and grace that was bestowed upon me at the cross. Doing that puts everything else in the proper perspective. I have to remember that whatever wrong I perceive may have happened to me, it was nothing, and I mean nothing compared to what I did to a perfect Holy God.
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Mark
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I’m currently 51 years old and live in Saline with my wife Melinda. We each have 2 children, and together we have 12 grandchildren (including 2 still in the “oven”). I have walked through various hardships in life and it’s my prayer and desire to share some of the things I’ve learned walking through these hardships. I pray that God uses something in what I share to spark in you a thought that may have needed to be lit. I don’t presume to have it all worked out, and much of what you will read is currently being worked out in my own life. I would like to thank my precious Lord for this “voice” and pray that what I say will bring honor to Him. – Mark
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15
Sep '18
When it’s a Lego Life
15
Sep '18
I remember when my nephew was younger, he was very much into Lego’s. He’d so badly want a Star Wars ship, a Batman car, or any other various Lego set. The picture on the box looked so cool and he was excited to have this item, but once it was brought home, and the box was opened, it surely didn’t look like the picture on the box! As the little plastic packages inside would come out of the box one by one, there instead of a ship or a car were a bunch of little block pieces in bags – and when I say a bunch, I mean no less than 1000 pieces!! For fun, I researched and found the largest Lego set of all time:
Source: Lego. It’s 7,541 pieces. That’s the number of Lego bricks in the newly updated Ultimate Collectors Series Millennium Falcon set that Lego announced today. August 31, 2017 Read more…
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15
Sep '18
Timing is Everything
15
Sep '18
In today’s world we live for immediate gratification. We have everything right at our fingertips. We want the next best thing even though what we currently have is perfectly fine. There is always something bigger, better and more powerful. Instant feedback is great, and the internet and social media help keep us connected to important issues when used properly. We don’t have to wait for a response, we simply type in a question (or use our voice control option), and we instantly have answers. We have what we want when we want it, no waiting.
Being impatient tends to get us in trouble. We make bad decisions that we regret later. We make mistakes Read more…
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15
Sep '18
Love Game
15
Sep '18
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love truly does overcome everything. It is not something that has not just been words. It is something God has proven repeatedly in my life. The story below is an example of how God moves in man’s heart and soul even against what worldly belief he has.
There was a squash instructor (the sport, not the vegetable :)) at one of Boston’s most exclusive and prestigious schools. He did not understand much about being prejudice let alone his own prejudices. God decided it was time that he confront it head on. One year, a freshman started at his school as the Read more…
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15
Sep '18
First Step: What is Love?
15
Sep '18
Dearest Reader:
There are so many words I want to share with you… so much I want to say. Whenever a new adventure is started, sometimes it’s unclear where the first steps should be taken. So perhaps, my friends, we can grow and walk together.
Let me preface our journey with this: I pray that in these blogs you hear my heart. I pray the words touch a piece of your soul that hasn’t been reached in quite some time. I pray that you are moved to conversation and to ask questions or just simply to share a piece of yourself.
I’ve found that God uses vulnerability and transparency to bring growth and understanding that simply can not be discovered in any other way. So without further ado, allow me to tell you the beginning of my story.
For the majority of my life, I have lived without the heart knowledge of how much God loves me. I may have known this truth in my mind but it never truly settled into my heart. I’ve witnessed many experience the same struggle. And by no means can I come before you today and claim to understand the wonders and depths of His love, but I Read more…
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