"Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."
"God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves." — A.W. Tozer
The" promise of all promises that God has made is the gift of everlasting life. "And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life" (1 John 2:25).
The gift of eternal life is to be possessed now, not just awaiting us in eternity. "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life…Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life…Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life" (John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47). Those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus already have eternal life here on earth.
"When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
—John H. Sammis, 1887, from the hymn, "Trust and Obey"
Remember this: because the Lord loves you, because you are His child, He will do what is necessary in your life to make you the person He wants you to be. His plans and thoughts for you are good.
We tend to interpret life by how it looks to us at the moment. And if it’s a little uncomfortable, if it’s a little difficult, we might think, “Obviously God’s thoughts toward me aren’t good.” Or we might falsely conclude that God isn’t thinking of us at all.
"Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Your fuel, Flame of God."
—Amy Carmichael
Take a breath. Anxiety and fear can cripple you and literally make you sick. What are you doing with the anxiety? Trust the Lord! Breathe and know that He is holding your hand.
"Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Your fuel, Flame of God."
—Amy Carmichael
The tongue is the ambassador of the heart.
~John Lyly~
Sexual desire is natural and marriage is provided for its fulfillment.
~Norman Hillyer~
And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”—Exodus 33:14
There is nothing like the Holy Spirit Living in you to lead you, guide you and teach you and because He does the work, we have rest. It kills me to hear a brother or sister say they are burned out serving the Lord.
God’s not running from your mess. He’s climbing in it to be right there with you.
And while what happened yesterday can’t be changed, it can be forgiven.
Truth your heart can find rest in tonight.
God's work, done in God's way will never lack God's supply.
~James Hudson Taylor~
Christ is our hope of glory and the glory of our hope.
~Author Unknown~
We are not responsible for conversion, but we are
responsible for contact.
~A. T. Pierson~
Jesus Christ as the foundation of His church is a fulfillment of one of the great prophetic promises the Lord made long ago. "Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation'" (Isaiah 28:16).
Divine love is no abstract theory; it is a living Person.
~Harry Foster~
A Christian is not his own man. ~Richard Sibbes~ Divine love is no abstract theory; it is a living Person.
~Harry Foster~
A Christian is not his own man.
~Richard Sibbes~
Today, if you feel stressed, perhaps you are distracted. It could simply be that you're out of the Word and you're out of touch with what God desires for you. Turn your attention to Jesus, and He will comfort you. If your heart feels heavy, "set your mind on things above" (Colossians 3:2, emphasis added). Indeed, where your mind goes, your heart will follow.
There are no rewards at the end of life for wealth, fame, accomplishment, or beauty. There is A reward for faithfulness.
"The truly successful person inspires others to do more than they have thought possible for themselves." -- Denis Waitley
What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love, give it the best there is in you, seize your opportunities, and be a member of the team. - Benjamin F. Fairless
Tip of the Day: Adopt an attitude of flexibility. If there's one emotion to cultivate to guarantee success, it's the ability to change your approach. Throughout your life there will be situations you won't be able to control. Your ability to be flexible in your rules, the meaning you attach to things, and your actions will determine your long-term success or failure, not to mention your level of personal joy.
I think I am always faced with is balance, we live in a society where people are either on the right or left. There is no balance. One will say be humble, the other will say run to win. One shouts accountability and above reproach, the other says if there is a question ask? In everything we do, first, let it be for the glory of God then let there be balance.
We can grow as much as we want to grow. The only hindrance is--guess who--ourselves. In Jesus' parable of the sower (see Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke some seed fell on good ground and produced fruit, and some fell on bad ground. I am convinced that we regulate our own growth. We can grow, or we can hinder the growth by saying no to the Lord.
You may have failed in the past, but keep going. 2 Peter 1:4 says, "By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature." Not only has God given you His power, He has filled His Word with promises--for your salvation, for your growth, to nurture you, and to provide for you. ~
No matter what you're going through today, remember, "Nevertheless the Lord." When you feel at your worst, "nevertheless" He is at His best. When you feel distant from Him, "nevertheless" He is closer than your skin. He's there to rescue you. He's there to bring you back. He's given you His Word, the Bible, to keep you in tune with His desires for your life. And just as He gave the Israelites leaders to point them back to Him, He's bringing people into your life to point you into His loving arms. It's all part of His divine pursuit of your soul, the demonstration of a heavenly love so strong that no one is beyond its reach.
spend time in the written Word, the Bible, so you can more deeply understand The Word Himself and His message for your life.
What a marvelous, awesome message of LOVE Jesus communicates to us!
Jesus’ message is written not with His hand, but with His blood. On a cross. Let Him stand beside you. Listen carefully. He’s speaking. “Not guilty!”
Even Satan and his demons, the authorities ("gates") of death and darkness ("Hades"), would be unable to prevent the fulfillment of His promise to build His church: "and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
“I AM BLESSED. I AM PROSPEROUS. I WILL LEND AND NOT BORROW.” “I MAY HAVE HAD SOME SETBACKS, BUT I KNOW THOSE MINOR SETBACKS ARE JUST SETUPS FOR A MAJOR COMEBACK! THIS IS STILL GOING TO BE MY BEST YEAR YET. THE FAVOR OF GOD IS TURNING THINGS AROUND IN MY FAVOR.”
SOME OF YOU ARE BATTLING SITUATIONS THAT HAVE LASTED FOR SO LONG THAT YOU FEEL DRAINED, DEPLETED, AND DISCOURAGED. I DECLARE OVER YOU RIGHT NOW BY FAITH THAT THE FINGER OF GOD IS TOUCHING THAT SITUATION, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, AND THAT MOUNTAIN IS BEING FLATTENED TO A MOLEHILL!
IF YOU DON'T NEED HELP, YOUR VISION ISN'T BIG ENOUGH!
GOD IS PREPARING YOU FOR THE NEXT LEVEL. IT'S GOING TO BE EPIC, AND WILL HAPPEN SUDDENLY!
MY ANNUAL SALARY WILL BECOME MY MONTHLY INCOME! EVERYTHING I TOUCH PROSPERS. I'M A KING'S KID AND WEALTH AND RICHES ARE MY INHERITANCE! I'M GOING FROM NOT ENOUGH TO MORE THAN ENOUGH! I WILL WALK UPRIGHT SO THERE'S NO GOOD THING MY GOD WILL WITHHOLD FROM ME!
"GOD IS STILL A GOD OF MIRACLES! EXPECT HIM TO DO SOMETHING SUPERNATURAL IN YOUR LIFE BEFORE THIS DAY IS DONE!" #UpgradeYourFaith "YOU DON'T GET TO CALL IT TEMPTATION WHEN YOU WENT LOOKING FOR IT." BEFORE YOU ASK GOD TO REPAIR YOUR RELATIONSHIP, MAKE SURE HE'S NOT THE ONE WHO BROKE IT TO FIX YOU! I CAN'T DO YOU LIKE YOU DID ME. I NEED ALL MY BLESSINGS.
YOU PROBABLY WON'T EVER GET THAT APOLOGY...AND STILL I SAY FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY AND MOVE ON! YOUR FUTURE BLESSING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY PAST BRUISE!
"GOD IS NEVER INTIMIDATED BY WHAT INTIMIDATES YOU."
"QUIT RUNNING AFTER FOLKS THAT WALKED AWAY FROM YOU."
"THE APPLAUSE OF THE CROWD IS NOT ALWAYS THE APPROVAL OF THE LORD!"
"IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU CAN QUOTE THE BIBLE, IF YOU THINK, SPEAK, ACT AND LIVE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER OPENED IT."
"JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT FEATURED, DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT FAVORED. WORK IN THE BACKGROUND (FAITHFULLY, OBEDIENTLY, AND CONSISTENTLY) UNTIL GOD BRINGS YOU TO THE FOREFRONT."
Do not be disappointed if your faith is not strong enough to save you from all fears. Remember that it will save you from hell. —William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, 3:65
No one loses God except the man who is willing to part with Him. —William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, 3:220
God loveth: not that He derived this love from any other source, but from Himself the fountain of love; and therefore His love is the more intense, not so much because He hath love, as because He is Himself love. —Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Cant. Sermon 59 “Gospel preachers have sufficient warrant to press upon all men the duties of faith, repentance, & obedience, tho they know that in themselves they have no ability for their due performance. [We are] not to consider what man can do or will do, but what God requires.” John Owen
The legitimate use of the law is, that men should not attribute to it what is not contained in it: the hope of justification therefore does not stand in moral precepts, but in faith alone. —Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), cited by Davenant (1572-1641) in his Colossians Commentary
"God used 300 men to defeat the Midianites because the weakness of the army put His might on display. In the same way, He uses our weakness, suffering, and fumbling efforts to demonstrate His gracious power." —Alistair Begg
Community in the Christian life is not an idea; it's a reality." —Alistair Begg
"Your real citizenship is to be found in the heavenly places, whatever your ethnicity or passport may say." —Alistair Begg
"Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain. God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain." —William Cowper, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way"
When tragedy strikes the world—or your personal life—the resulting chaos can knock you off-balance. So where can you find comfort and stability? And how can your response to disaster assure others? Hear the answers on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg:
"The cross is the trysting place of God's love, and in the cross, from the perspective of God, heaven's love and heaven's justice meet." —Alistair Begg
Nobody is more surprised than me by the path God has taken me down during my nearly 90 years of life. 'Only God!' That’s the best way to explain it." —Pastor Chuck Swindoll
"We not only ought to pray more but we must." — Charles Spurgeon
"An expository sermon as that which requires that it expound Scripture by deriving from a specific text main points and subpoints that disclose the thought of the author, cover the scope of the passage, and are applied to the lives of the listeners." -Bryan Chapell
"We need more Jesus-centered, Gospel-shaped, doctrinal, theological preaching and teaching. Theology and doctrine are practical! God desires his people to live doctrine and theology practically in our lives." -Derwin L. Gray
The glory of the gospel is that when the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. —Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Lord has a way of entering the heart, not with a crowbar, like a burglar, but with a master-key, which he gently inserts in the lock, and the bolt flies back, the door opens, and he enters. - Charles Spurgeon
Any attempt to approach God without the mediator is an insult to his Son." — Charles Spurgeon
"Sanctification in myself, and the ingathering of God's elect, was all my desire." -David Brainerd.
Men R never impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God -John Calvin - Affliction promotes holiness: The more the diamond is cut, the more it sparkles. -Thomas Watson -
No one was ever saved because his sins were small; no one was ever rejected on account of the greatness of his sins. Where sin abounded, grace shall much more abound. -
Archibald Alexander
Nothing but the Lord’s love could have delivered us." — Charles Spurgeon Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be. -
A.W. Tozer - Between here and heaven, every minute that the Christian lives will be a minute of grace.
-C.H. Spurgeon -
"Jesus is gathering people, and WE are gatherers, preaching is gathering, that is what it is...." - Ray Ortlund
Justification is the highest, the grandest, the most glorious doctrine because it leads us to adoption. The whole of the Christian life is an ongoing discovery of both the glory and the power of justification! This is the Christian foundation and the higher thing! — Joel Beeke “Christ bore a cross, and the servant (Scripture) is not greater than its master. Scripture is the handmaiden of Christ. It shares in His defamation and arouses the hostility of sinful humanity.” - Bavinck. Reformed Dogmatics, 1:440
Though God is infinite love, he is also infinite justice." — Charles Spurgeon
n contrast to the priests of old, who could never sit down on account of the fact that their work was never done, Jesus was able to say 'It is finished' and sit down at God's right hand." —
Alistair Begg
There is no love no more reasonable than love to Christ, -Jonathan Edwards - The broadness of the grace and mercy of God in Christ will poise and stay the soul. -John Bunyan -
I admit that I deserve death and Hell What of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also! Martin Luther
True change is impossible without the work of the Holy Spirit.
Believing in this precious Saviour, you would find peace in life or death, and possess something truly satisfying.” — Hudson Taylor
Sin forsaken is one of the best evidence of sin forgiven. -J.C. Ryle - When I'm on my feet I'm trembling, but when I'm on my knees I'm secure -John Calvin -
“What conditions were met in us in order for God to send his only Son into the world to die for sinners? None. Indeed there can be none.” — Sinclair Ferguson
Comments