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The Distance Between Blessed and Blessing by Phil A popular phrase over the past several years is "Pay it forward." According to Google's AI overview, "Pay it forward" means to repay a kindness you receive by doing a good deed for someone else, rather than paying back the original person, creating a chain reaction of generosity. Instead of returning a favor directly, you pass on the goodwill to a new person, often a stranger, with the hope that they will do the same for someone else. In our "me first" world, this concept seems shockingly out of sync and overly virtuous. I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but this has been part of the Christ-following life since the beginning. We are called not only to live by the "Golden Rule," (do unto others as you would have them do unto you - Matthew 7:12), but also by what has been called the "Platinum Rule," (do unto others as Christ has done unto you - John 13:34). When we realize that Christ forgave our sins by paying the ultimate price on the cross, how could we not pass that forgiveness on to others? It seems the least that we could do, and yet we all fall short, even with our brothers and sisters in the church. We’ll soon journey through Holy Week: the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the teaching at the synagogue, the garden prayer, the Last Supper, the arrest and trial, the crucifixion, and ultimately, the Easter morning resurrection! So many examples of Christ’s love for us are packed into such a short time. My challenge to all of us this year is go beyond the “me” mentality and let His love and blessing not just flow to us, but through us to others. There’s no way we can repay Christ for all He’s done for us, but our entire life can be an opportunity to “pay it forward,” not out of obligation, but overwhelming gratitude. Several years ago, my dear friend Helga Kaefer and I wrote a song I’d like to leave you with today. We are surrounded by people who desperately need to feel God’s love; there is no shortage of opportunity. The amazing thing is - the more we pour out to others, the more God keeps pouring into us. We will never run out of God’s blessings, no matter how many we give away! Consider the cross, where Christ gave it all Give out the blessing, don't keep it inside, Go love ‘em! If you’d like to listen to “Give Out The Blessing,” it’s right here - https://philandpammorgan.bandcamp.com/track/give-out-the-blessing Click Here to Check our Concert Schedule! Check us out on Facebook! - http://www.facebook.com/PhilandPamMorgan |
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It's Personal by Phil This Sunday we celebrate the apex of the Christian year - Resurrection Sunday, also known as Easter! Most of the year we strive to remember that "it's not about me." We are not the center of our universe, God is, and everything revolves around Him. The message of this season is the exact opposite - "it's all about me." God's love for us is so great, even if you or I were the only person in need, Jesus would have still died on that cross. The crucifixion is the ultimate...
Authentically Irish? by Phil Happy St. Patrick's Day! Last year we celebrated by taking a closer (and somewhat disturbing) look at St. Patrick himself, who wasn't Irish or even a saint. (Yes, he is recognized as the patron saint of Ireland, but was never formally canonized by a pope, because he lived before the modern, official canonization process was established. Oh, the things you learn in these devotions!) As I said, we already covered that ground, so this year I thought we'd investigate...
Do As The Romans Do by Phil In their heyday, the ancient Romans had several military formations for soldiers going into battle. One of these was called the Testudo (or tortoise). The soldiers would march in rows in the shape of a square, with the first row holding their large shields in front. The sides and back would also hold their shields to the sides and behind, while the inner soldiers would hold their shields overhead. In this formation, each soldier was not only covering himself, but...