Jesus didn't die to make the Father love us; Jesus died because the Father loved us.
Dustin Benge
Paul's goal in life was to grow in intimacy with the Lord: He wanted to know the Lord so well that his life would be transformed into "resurrected living" in this spiritually lifeless world. He humbly admitted that he had not yet reached such spiritual maturity. Thus, in light of his own need to grow, coupled with the excellence of the goal, he had a single focus in his life: This one thing was his ongoing quest to know the Lord more and more.
One of the significant issues that keep believers in Christ from knowing the Lord better is their past. Many Christians focus their attention on their past. Failures of the past plague them with condemnation. Wrongs done to them in the past tempt them to self-pity or bitterness. Past successes give false assurance that things must go well today. Past blessings distract them from seeking the Lord's fresh work in their lives now.
Humility is one of the relational realities that God wants to develop in our lives so we can live daily by the grace of God.
"His wounds, horrific as they were when inflicted on the innocent Son of God, are...rich in meaning and significance: wounds that have not vanished on his resurrected body."
Randy Alcorn
On the cross, Christ suffered eternities of hell that we might enjoy eternities of heaven.
Dustin Benge
Christ “gave himself for us, and we are to respond by giving ourselves to him…. We give ourselves to thank and serve him.”
We are to present ourselves to our Creator as “living sacrifices.” This somewhat paradoxical statement emphasizes a total commitment to our Lord.
Good theology is always practical theology, for true faith in the Lord is not mere intellectual assent to the truths of the Bible but a living trust in Christ alone that bears fruit in service to God and neighbor.
The facts never need defending if you are living proof of it. Be the example, not just a mouthpiece. Walk the talk!
Several years ago, Christian author Tim LaHaye wrote, “Christ could come today, and no prophecy of the end times necessary for His coming would go unfulfilled.” In His discourse at the Mount of Olives, Jesus outlined many of the essentials that would precede His return – and He cautioned that the time would be soon. For over 2,000 years, believers have been asking, “How soon is soon?” and the answer the Lord gives today is the same as it was then: “Stay awake!”
A rehashing of the signs of the end times isn’t necessary – you are living it! Ready, on the other hand, does not seem to be an apt description of what was gloriously once called “Christian America.” Readiness first requires repentance and faith…acknowledgment and sorrow for sin and belief that Jesus died and rose again to save sinners. Only then is a person positioned to go about the business of sharing the message of God’s love.
Don’t be an asleep-in-your-comforts Christian. Stay watchful so as not to be deceived or robbed of your faith. But don’t be in a panic, either. Live out your salvation by pursuing the power of prayer for your family, friends, community, and so on.
We remember Your love, O Jesus, as it was manifest to us in Your holy life, from the manger of Bethlehem to the Garden of Gethsemane. ~C. H. Spurgeon~
When we allow the Lord to work in our lives, we grow. But when we are challenged, tempted, and persecuted -- yet continue to seek the Lord is when we really experience the manifold blessings.
We so often find it easier to believe the word of men rather than the promises of God.
Whenever God is about to begin a work or is in the midst of a work, we are brought to a point in our lives in which our hearts are challenged.
Jack Hibbs
You’re smoothly motoring along, being only moderately attentive, enjoying the beauty of the drive, when you hit it – a speed bump. You’re momentarily jarred by the impact, and your forward motion is impeded. You pay more attention as you proceed.
Sometimes the Christian life is like that. You’re enjoying the beauty of time spent with the Lord in prayer, feel you’re moving forward in your relationships with Him and other people, and then along comes an unexpected spiritual prayer bump or trial for better words.
You have a choice to make. You can keep going as you were, allowing your spiritual life to slow down, maybe even come to an abrupt stop. Or you can pay more attention to your relationships with God and others, adjusting as you journey on. Confess to the Father what impedes you. Then work to smooth the road with people, your own walk, then do His will.
The word of God is breath to the Spirit as oxygen is breath to the soul
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
Chapter by chapter, verse by verse, we approach the Bible as God's Truth, to be studied, savored, and lived out.
“Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishments on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer.” –Elisabeth Elliot
A dying Christ is the last resort of the believer. ~C. H. Spurgeon~
“Be a role model, not a critic. Don’t tell your children, your peers, or your subordinates what to do – show them. And when the lesson is over, keep showing them by demonstrating that your actions are part of your character, not part of their curriculum.”
— Denis Waitley
Any man who spits into the wind spits in his own face... Benjamin Franklin
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