Category Archives: ‘CHOP Talk’ Blog
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Call to Corporate Prayer
Posted on June 17, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogA friend of mine made this observation. “When Jesus gave the disciples the Lord’s Prayer, He said – ‘When you pray, pray like this…’ (Luke 11:2). The pronoun ‘you’ is plural. Jesus expected His disciples to pray together. When Jesus ascended to the Father, 120 disciples remained together in prayer. When Peter was arrested, [...]
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The Question of Holiness
Posted on June 10, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogAmong the articles on my USA Today iPad app, one took me aback. It posed the question, “Can a Christian watch ‘Game of Thrones’?” Not having read the books or seen the show, I’m not in a position to answer the question one way or the other. But what struck me was that the [...]
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Connecting the Dots
Posted on June 3, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogIt’s easy for us to miss unless someone points it out. How many times have we rejoiced over good news and forgotten that was something we had prayed about? Or perhaps God has worked something in our lives and we have not recognized it as relating to our plea to Him, perhaps a job [...]
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When Tornadoes Twist Our View of God
Posted on May 27, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogNatural catastrophes like the F-5 tornado outside Oklahoma City and human atrocities such as the murder of the British soldier in London or shootings of school children in Connecticut shake us to the core. We reel at the pain and horror of it all. Our hearts break at the suffering shown us by the [...]
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I Am Prayer
Posted on May 20, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogThe English Standard Version includes a footnote to its translation of Psalm 109:4. The text reads: “In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.” The psalmist cries out to God, whom He calls “O God of my praise” (v. 1), for relief and retribution against the wicked who [...]
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The Luther I Can Relate To
Posted on May 13, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogI am reading a book manuscript on spiritual warfare. The authors quote me on the subject and asked if I would read the book and provide a comment for publication. After hearing their perspective on the topic, I readily agreed. I believe the area of spiritual warfare is greatly neglected in discipleship today, despite [...]
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Lesson at the Lake
Posted on May 10, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogTwice a year I get away for a two-day personal pastoral retreat. I use the time for projects or planning, but always for prayer. The place I go to is wooded, with several hiking trails. These paths are ideal for reflection and prayer. A few of the trails are well worn by me. I [...]
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Discovering the Fountain of Life: the gospel for the ages (5)
Posted on May 6, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogAdapted from Chapter Nine, “The Vanity of Strength and Beauty” from Making Sanity Out of Vanity: Christian realism in the book of Ecclesiastes by Stanley D. Gale (EP Books, 2011) We can note another way God presents this contrast of sources of life. Most of us are familiar with the shepherd of the twenty-third [...]
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Discovering the Fountain of Life: the gospel for the ages (4)
Posted on May 3, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogAdapted from Chapter Nine, “The Vanity of Strength and Beauty” from Making Sanity Out of Vanity: Christian realism in the book of Ecclesiastes by Stanley D. Gale (EP Books, 2011) A passage I often share with those whose bodies are failing and racked with infirmity carries this same perspective. “So we do not lose [...]
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Discovering the Fountain of Life: the gospel for the ages (3)
Posted on April 29, 2013 by sdgale in 'CHOP Talk' BlogAdapted from Chapter Nine, “The Vanity of Strength and Beauty” from Making Sanity Out of Vanity: Christian realism in the book of Ecclesiastes by Stanley D. Gale (EP Books, 2011) Pursuing the Fountain of Life Finding our pursuit of the fountain of youth a dead end, we now turn our attention to another fountain. [...]
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