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BP 85 - Sin and Sinfulness

The whole concept of sin and sinfulness can be confusing. Our sinfulness is a condition of being that’s commensurate with our being sinful (that is, filled with sin). Adam and Eve became sinful (that is, they were stricken with the disease of sinfulness) when they committed their first sin in The Garden of Eden. This is historically (and commonly) referred to as “original sin.” A sin is a specific act or instance of falling short of God’s Glory (that is, falling short of being fully alive and Fueled by The Abundant Life of God). When Adam and Eve committed that first sin, they immediately contracted the sickness of sinfulness. Because they really had no idea what was happening to them, they were, in a very real sense, raped (or molested) by sin/evil/sinfulness/evilness. A sinful person is a sick person, who has the disease of sin (aka sinfulness). A sinful person behaves sinfully and cannot help but behave sinfully. That person is, quite rightly, “a sinner”—by identity. When I w...
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BP 84 - Who I Am

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Even though I was born into sin and, thus, born “a sinner” (by identity), such an identity is no longer the case for me.  Because of Jesus, I’m Not a Sinner.  No.  I’m A Son of The Father, I’m Jesus’ Baby Brother, and… I’m A Temple Oasis for The Holy Spirit. In addition to this, I am and am becoming The Rightwiseness [see definition at the end of this post] of God. THIS is who I am.  Because of Jesus. Rightwiseness, a defintion:  The Wise-, Just, and Harmonious-ordering of Oneself in and by The Trinity.
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BP 83 - The Announcer's Test

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Almost ten years ago, veteran Raleigh-Durham news anchor Larry Stogner (of ABC 11) passed away from ALS.  I first met Larry in the spring of 2014.  At the time, I didn't know he was a news anchor (as I don't have or watch TV).  When I met him, we were both part of a team preparing for a mission trip to Kenya, Africa.  I asked Larry if we could be prayer partners on the trip.  We, almost immediately, developed a friendship (and prayer partnership) that continued until his death in October 2016.  Anyway, early on in our friendship, Larry shared with me what has long sense been called "The Announcer's Test," which was first developed in 1940 for radio and TV announcers.  (I understand Jerry Lewis practiced it a lot.)  Larry encouraged me to practice it, too, as "You never know when you might need to speak publicly.  It helps me as I prepare for my nightly news broadcasts.  Someday, it might help you as well." Provided below is "The Announce...
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BP 82 - Enter... The Generalist

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Generalism is the art and practice of becoming reasonably proficient in multiple skills and knowledge-disciplines. Generalists are those who live lives characterized by a deep sense of generalism. We see generalists in nature, such as the coywolf, who, in their territories, sit near the top of the food chain, and whose ability to adapt to and thrive in almost any environment is unrivaled in the animal kingdom. We see generalists, too, in all arenas of humanity. Some sectors, though, tend to attract and produce greater percentages of generalists. As an example, I point to the U.S. Navy SEALs. Because generalists seem to be interested in almost everything—from engineering… to skateboarding… to writing… to botany—the generalist’s approach to life inevitably results in their ability to do “almost everything reasonably well.” Rather than focusing exclusively on just one or two arenas, generalists tend to develop a base-level competency in diverse collections of skills, disciplines, ...
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BP91 - A Prayer Asking God to Help Me Slow Down

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Greetings... Provided below is a prayer I crafted many years ago.  In this prayer, I ask God to help me slow down so I can be with Him more The Way He Is With Me.  Consider adding a prayer like this to your life shared with God.  In all arenas of my life, I've begun to consciously aim at moving at "Godspeed."  In my experience, it would seems God moves at a pace that more resembles that of a turtle, sloth, or snail than any other creature.  If you feel distant from God, perhaps the best way to catch up to Him is to slow down. Below the prayer is a link to video I've been watching at least once a quarter for the last ten years or so. Peace to you, Friends... -- Holy, Glorious, and Gracious God… I know that when I speak, You Always Hear me. In fact, I know that every time I say (or try to say) something to You, You’re Always Far More Ready to Listen to Me than I Am to Speak. I know, too, that every time I listen (or try to listen) to You, You’re Always Far More ...
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BP 90 - Your Worth and Purpose

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NOTE:  THIS WILL BE MY LAST BLOG POST UNTIL AFTER AUGUST 1ST.  I'M TAKING MY SEMI-ANNUAL BLOGGING AND PODCASTING SABBATICAL. -- What has eBay taught us about the value of something? It’s taught us that something’s inherent worth is what someone is willing to pay to acquire it. In The Church, we, as Lovers of Jesus, love to fixate on being A Person of Service to Others. We also love to fixate on how “unworthy” we are for God to Do anything for us. Beloved, you are of infinite worth. To Purchase you, Jesus (that is, God The Eternal Son) Paid for you with H-his Own Life. Read that last sentence again! God Paid for you with H-his Own Life. That’s how valuable you are. You.. were “worth it” to God to Pay the ultimate price to win you back. My Friends… You were NOT Saved to serve. No. You were Saved to love—to be and become Love Incarnate—Love Itself. Your “service” is intended only to be an expression of you, as Love, loving God and others. As I’ve indicated countless times b...
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BP 89 - Make Exercise (and Movement) a Part of the Culture of Your Life

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While most everyone knows physical exercise (and just moving a lot) is important, few of us exercise, move well, or move enough on a consistent basis. The verbalized reasons for this are varied, but I think they can all be paired down to just one: At the point of choice, those who don’t exercise chose something else. If this is you, be kind to yourself, and take responsibility for the choices you’ve made. It’s not that you don’t have the time, space, money, or energy to exercise. These are all smoke-screen lies we tell ourselves and other people to keep us from taking responsibility for how we feel (and look). As difficult as this might be to swallow, the body you have at 50 is 99.999999% your fault. What I mean is this: How you feel, move, and look is directly the result of the millions of day-to-day choices you’ve made in your 32+ years since becoming an adult. This is a fact. Of course, you can pretend it isn’t so, but that doesn’t make it any less true, applicable, or releva...
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