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Do you believe in miracles?

An article in Parade Magazine affirms the belief in miracles by members of the Beam family after their daughter survived a fall that her doctors declared would take her life. “Today, more than four years after the December 2011 incident, Annabel still takes no medication and has no symptoms."

My beginning exposure to faith was in the mainline Protestant church world with its dignified ways, formal worship, doctrinal statements and age-graded Sunday School.

A critical spirit damages one’s life. Unfortunately, the Bible is full of examples of how a critical and negative spirit has hindered God’s word among his people.

It was almost time for worship to begin in the local Baptist church. The church was a typical small town church with a center aisle dividing the congregation into two groups facing the pulpit. Two brothers, whom we shall call Bill and Joe, were long-term members of the church.

Last week's study showed Solomon at the pinnacle of success. The exotic Queen of Sheba characterized him as the most amazing man she had ever seen, his wisdom greater than any other king on earth, with people offering him lavish gifts just to get in line for an audience and the possibility of winning Solomon’s attention.

Have you ever had a decision to be made that seemed absolutely impossible for you in your particular circumstances? If so, you can understand Abram’s dilemma when he entered into conversation with God.

Today’s text concludes with ominous undertones, describing “King Solomon far exceeded all the earth’s kings in wealth and wisdom so the whole world wanted an audience with Solomon…to hear his God-given wisdom…year after year they came with their extravagant gifts” (1 Kings 10:23-25).

In 2002 Rick Warren captured the nonprofit hardcover market with The Purpose Driven Life. It was and is a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey to enable readers “to discover the answer to life’s most important question: What on earth am I here for?” and know God’s purpose for the your life (p. 9).

The building of Solomon's Temple, while impressive, is not the apex of the unfolding of God’s grace. Yet this is a very significant milestone in the ebb and flow of our spiritual history.

In the midst of the multitude of conflicts and acts of violence in our world, the need for peace crowds in upon our consciousness. Recently in Brussels, suicide bombers killed 31 persons and injured hundreds with their extremist actions.