Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep");
document.writeln("your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their");
document.writeln("consciences, as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.1
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document.writeln("
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document.writeln("Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel the Hunchback of Notre Dame,");
document.writeln("also wrote a story called Ninety Three. It tells of a ship caught");
document.writeln("in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the");
document.writeln("frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at");
document.writeln("once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the cargo on the ship, that had");
document.writeln("broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship,");
document.writeln("crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could");
document.writeln("cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous");
document.writeln("attempt to retie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the");
document.writeln("loose cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.2
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document.writeln("
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document.writeln("Life can be like this. At times, it is not the external storms that cause us the");
document.writeln("most problems, but the storms that rage within us. Bitterness, jealousy, pride,");
document.writeln("greed, and other loose cannons like unresolved hurt, anger, a lack of");
document.writeln("forgiveness, guilt, amongst several other feelings and internal problems can cause");
document.writeln("much damage. If we do not confront and work to resolve these, they can cause a shipwreck");
document.writeln("within our relationships, our faith, or even our life. People with loose");
document.writeln("cannons in their lives can also cause damage within the churches or other");
document.writeln("organizations they are a part of. In order to reach the full potential God has");
document.writeln("for us and be a productive part of His Kingdom work, let us take care of the");
document.writeln("loose cannons we may have in our lives and be ready and willing to be used by");
document.writeln("God.
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document.writeln("
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document.writeln("Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank You for Your Word that continuously reminds");
document.writeln("me of how I should live. Please confront me with any issue in my life that");
document.writeln("needs to be resolved, so that I can avoid any shipwrecks within my faith,");
document.writeln("relationships, and life in general. I want to be free of any bondage and be");
document.writeln("used by you. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
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document.writeln("
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document.writeln("1. 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT).
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document.writeln("2. Brett Blair, Cited on www.eSermons.com");
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document.writeln("
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document.writeln("The Encounter for today was written by: Crystal B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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