There is a way to joy. The key is walking with our gaze set on Jesus, even when the way is dotted with suffering. ~
To be truly free requires the power of personal discipline and the ability to be obedient.
God says that before you were free, you were a slave, in bondage to sin. When you have freedom in Christ, you have the freedom not to sin.
Of all forms of deception, self-deception is the most deadly, and of all deceived persons the self-deceived are the least likely to discover the fraud.
~A.W. Tozer~
Being a Christian is a paradox. We see that which is invisible. We hear what is inaudible. We are taught to humble ourselves so that we can be lifted up. We die so that we may live.
It seems upside down, but I think it’s the world that has turned everything upside down, and walking by faith helps turn everything right side up.
“We live by faith, not by sight”(2 Corinthians 5:7). Ray Bently
Success is best measured by healthy church growth (including new believers), and that requires the teaching of the word. It's funny how it works: where God's word goes church growth appears rapidly. Too often we think programs, slick marketing campaigns, or building projects are what we need to grow. All that's really necessary is to preach and teach God's word. We make it complicated and expensive, but it's really quite simple.
The duty of a pastor is not only to exhibit God's love, but he must first be the recipient of this love. We can never give something away that we ourselves do not possess.
“If you want your life to flow more smoothly—if you want to be more productive, and learn to be more selective, and your prayers to be more effective—then live in the zone: Abide in Christ.”
If we don’t grasp the bad news of our condition outside of Christ, then we won't grasp the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. And if we don't feel the horror of the bad news, we’ll miss the joy of the good news.
Too often these days, Christians downplay the bad news because we don’t want to put anyone off. But, by ignoring the bad news, we diminish the amazing goodness of the good news.
When God denies us something, even when we have the best of motives, it is because He has an even greater plan.
The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task—the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that his final words were, “It is finished!”
The blood of Christ doesn’t cover your sins, conceal your sins, postpone or diminish your sins. It takes away your sins, once and for all!
Opposition is not only evidence that God is blessing, but it is also an opportunity for us to grow. Some of your greatest blessings come with patience. Warren Wiersbe
LIVING IN THE PAST AND DWELLING IN PAST SINS OR CURRENT SINS WILL KILL FUTURE HOPE
“We can’t afford to waste tears on might-have-been. We need to turn the tears into a sweat that can take us to what can be.” — Denis Waitley
“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say..” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“One of the marks of superior people is that they are action-oriented. One of the marks of average people is that they are talk-oriented.” — Brian Tracy
“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” — Anthony Robbins
“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've everything to do, and you've done it.” — Margaret Thatcher
Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and a person can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul.
Instead of searching far and wide, spend some time every day searching inside. Jesus is coming back for people who search out their own salvation with fear.
Comments