“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Be careful of defining yourself by how others perceive you. No one among us knows all of the stories and—thanks be to God!—not a single one of our stories is finished, yet. Of course, no one knows this better than Jesus, who hung on a cross between two thieves, died, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. As far as anyone could tell, this self-proclaimed “Light of the World” had been snuffed out. For good. But you and I both know the rest of that story, and it is so very far from a failure.
A man yells in my window, if I come in there will you shoot me? I said yes! He yells out, that's not grace. I yell back, It will be if you live. I never herd anymore from him. How far will you go to protect you family. Will you choose to be a victim or a victor? Will you say it was God's will you where victimized or choose to have wisdom.
The worst sin people can commit, the unforgivable sin, is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which is the outright rejection of Christ. And as Hebrews 2:3 says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"
We are not to think that where we see no possibility,
God sees none.
~Marcus Dods~
When God dealt with Pharaoh, He first had to inform his mind; then
He had to break his will. Pharaoh's problem wasn't that there was
insufficient intellectual evidence. Instead, his heart had to be
broken and made soft towards God.
Lead people to Jesus, remove your self from the equation
The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came. Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.~ R.A. Torrey
"Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose" ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
Leadership requires the courage to walk in the dark. The darkness is the uncertainty that always accompanies change. The mystery of whether or not a new enterprise will pan out. The reservation everyone initially feels when a new idea is introduced. The risk of being wrong.
Andy Stanley (from Next Generation Leader:
She can deal with stress and carry heavy burdens. She smiles when she feels like screaming, and she sings when she feels like crying. She cries when she's happy and laughs when she's afraid. Her love is unconditional. There's only one thing wrong with her. She forgets what she's worth!
Men ablaze are invincible.
Hell trembles when men kindle.
~Samuel Chadwick~
Don't allow the fear of looking foolish to interfere with your faith. May we have a child-like faith, like Jairus did, where we fall at Jesus' feet and beg for His healing touch. We know that Jesus can, and will, intercede in anybody's life right up to the end; don't let any pride hinder open communication with the Lord.
"God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome."— Oswald Chambers
"God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself."— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus promise to return for His followers was given to bring them heavenly comfort. How comforting to us, in this troublesome world, to know that Jesus will be back for all of us who have followed Him here on earth.
We who belong to the Lord have a great invitation to thoroughly express our hearts to Him in humble, dependent prayer. "Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him" (Psalm 62:8). We also have a great need to speak to Him. "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). We also have great promises of answered prayer. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do…If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
when we learn to regularly say, "No" to the temptations of our stomachs, we will find it easier to say, "No" to all the other temptations we encounter.
Shalom doesn’t mean just peace. It means all of the aspects of God. It means justice, righteousness, faithfulness, unfailing love, and, yes, peace. It’s a peace that passes all understanding.
No matter what goes on today, God can make something good out of it. Do you believe that? No matter what you were born to do, you were created in God’s image to love Him and love others.
Sometimes it’s hard to shine through your own hurts and pain. Ask God daily to fill you with His Holy Spirit and the “light of life,” and your heartache and pain will be eased as you light the way for others.
You can shine with His love and joy and help lead lost and hurting people out of darkness and pain. We are the lamps that light the church, keep the darkness away, and glorify our heavenly Father.
God did not give us vocal cords, a tongue, and lips to tear down and destroy others. Rather, He gave them to us so we can build up others, speak the truth, and worship Him. The highest use of our words is to offer them in praise and honor to God.
Words can chart the course of our lives
Even a person who is strong in their faith can be unduly influenced by ungodly people.
We can’t control everything about our lives and everything that surrounds us. We can’t control who moves into the house next door or who works near us. But when it comes to our free time, we do have a say as to whom we will spend it with.
Are you in a dark valley again? Has shame followed you there? Rather than being stuck, you are precisely in the spot where the Shepherd is coming to find you again. You will be restored. Once restored, you will be a blessing to others in dark valleys. God’s got you!
“There is no such thing as a continuously carnal Christian.”
Paul Washer
Whether to the Church or to the world, the Spirit has no message but the message of Jesus Christ. To the man in the Church, He is revealing the Christ in new beauty & new glory. To the world, He is revealing sin, righteousness & judgment in their relation to Christ.
-GC Morgan
How do believers shine as lights in their vocation?
- be respectful - be honest - be kind - be merciful - be gracious - be forgiving - work as for the Lord - work for the good of others
Gentleness loses nothing, risks little, and gains everything.
Luther
It is all very well to have grace in the heart—that is the first and primary point, but where there is grace in the heart it soon shows itself in life.
Spurgeon
We do not become righteous by doing righteous deeds but, having been made righteous, we do righteous deeds. -
M.Luther
We preach not to fill our churches but to save sinners from hell, and the two are not the same.
—D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Don't love others just because we're commanded to do so; we love others because God first loved us.
The narration of the facts is history; the narration of the facts with the meaning of the facts is doctrine.
J. Gresham Machen
No Christian has ever bought the friendship of this world without disloyalty to Christ.
D.L. Moody
The highest form of selfishness is that of the man who is content to go to heaven alone. -
JC Ryle
"...brethren, let us also always seek divine guidance, let us put ourselves under the protection of providence, especially in making changes."
- Charles Spurgeon
I believe the cardinal ethic of Christianity is sacrifice, — not success! Sacrifice! Five minutes inside eternity I believe every one of us will wish that we’d sacrificed more — prayed more, loved more, sweated more, grieved more, wept more!
Leonard Ravenhill
“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.”
-C.S. Lewis
"If the children of Israel had remained at Horeb, they would never have reached the land of Canaan. We cannot stay in one place and go on to another at the same time. So, shifts and changes are often promotive of growth."
- Charles Spurgeon
The devil would have Christ prove himself to be God, by turning stones into bread; but the Holy Ghost shows his Godhead by turning stones into flesh.
Thomas Watson
Every man loves the mercies of God, but a saint loves the God of his mercies.
John Flavel
I hate sin, not because it damns me, but because it has done God wrong. To have grieved my God is the worst grief to me.
Charles Spurgeon
It is not about you!
"The greater our present trials,
the louder will our future songs be."
— Charles Spurgeon
Where does it say that? show me Scriptures...
Miracles, in both the Old and New Testaments, had only one main purpose, and that was to reveal God.
~Brian H. Edwards~
When we worship we alter the atmosphere as we come into agreement with what God has declared, and change the darkness, oppression, and battle fatigue into victory and triumph! I love Spotify...
When you accept the devil’s lies, you enter into an agreement with him.
You’re going to be okay because God is here for you, just waiting for your call (Jer.33:3). Remind Him that you are poor and needy. Remind Him of all the times He has saved you before. In so doing, you will remind yourself!
At His ascension, our Lord entered Heaven and keeps the door for humanity to enter.
~Oswald Chambers~
Carry with you a list of Bible verses on a wide variety of topics, even though you might have memorized hundreds of verses. Why? Because you want to be ready to give an answer. 2 Timothy 4:2: "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
I am a firm believer that competency comes as a result of both testing and teaching -- not just study. Too often we find ourselves in the role of student only.
The children's ministry is a good place to start!
I am a firm believer that competency comes as a result of both testing and teaching -- not just study. Too often we find ourselves in the role of the student only.
Throughout the history of the church, loving hearts have longed for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostles were inspired by the Spirit of God to bring us comforting promises of His return. "For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This is the promised hope we are to live in day by day: "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
So often when I see Christians protest aggressively, I wonder what they hope to accomplish by doing so. Sometimes I think we've forgotten the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't come out in protest of prostitutes (tax collectors or lepers); he didn't organize marches; paint posters, or coin hateful phrases. Rather, He was a friend to the dregs of society. His ministry was changed, not from the outside in, but from the inside out. One person at a time.
Obey God in all things! Drive out the enemy! Lay the ax to the root of the tree, and the capacity for Jesus Christ will be increased tomorrow.
~Alan Redpath~
There are times when the Christian life is reduced to what it essentially is — a walk by faith. By faith, not by sight or good feelings. God sometimes leads us through a period of dark clouds and we know that He is there only by faith.
~A.W.Tozer~
By worship, we alter the atmosphere as we come into agreement with what God has declared, and change the darkness, oppression, and battle fatigue into victory and triumph!
Ray Bently
Ever notice how many times Hebrews 11 says by faith? If we as believers are to walk by it, being a living written epistle of Christ then why not just do it in silence?
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so many things in vain?—if it really is in vain. Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:1-5
Difficult seasons of life can cause us to want to pull back from God. But we are called to abide with God, not just visit with Him.
It is Jesus alone who saves and our confidence must only be placed in Him. So it's not Jesus plus what we do or anything else.
Where God guides, God provides.
~Chuck Smith~
The only answer for the ills of this country is a Heaven-sent spiritual awakening, a revival.
Greg Laurie
"Success is not measured by what you do compared to what others do, it is measured by what you do with the ability god gave you." Zig Ziglar
A marriage relationship will be energized when couples learn how to motivate each other God’s way.
“Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.” – Jim Rohn
“God has the tough end of the deal. What if instead of planting the seed you had to make the tree? That would keep you up late at night, trying to figure that one out.” – Jim Rohn
Faith is a living, restless thing. It cannot be inoperative.
~Martin Luther~
"Lack of direction, not lack of time is the problem. We all have 24-hour days."- Zig Ziglar
Relationships are not formed in computers, it is a tool never to replace you and I.
the Christian life isn't about being famous, rich, or having a huge reputation. God wants to use "certain people" to accomplish His goals.
Do you feel stagnant? Does your faith feel strong but not vibrant? Perhaps you need to spend more time with the Lord, setting aside time every day (at specific times or whenever you have a free moment) -- not with an agenda, but just to enjoy fellowship with Him.
APART FROM THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD, THERE IS NONE.
You, who have but a 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, have yet a 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵. —Puritan John Owen, Works 9:29
Grace is glory begins, and glory is grace perfected.” — Richard Sibbes
We must discipline ourselves to believe all that God says is true of us, of who we are and what we possess in Christ, regardless of how we feel. — Albert N. Martin
“Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving.” ― B.B. Warfield “There will be conflict in every holy duty.” — Richard Sibbes By some men’s too much learning, others are brought to understand nothing at all. —
John Owen, Works 9:21
Our way to mortify sinful affections and lusts must be, not by purging them out of the flesh, but by putting off the flesh itself and getting into Christ by faith and walking in that new nature that is by Him. Walter Marshall, (GMoS, p.353) “God chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe." -Augustine “Christ’s advancement hath not made Him forget His own flesh; though it has freed Him from passion, yet not from compassion towards us.” - Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed, Works 1:45.
“To read much and practice nothing is to hunt much and catch nothing.” — Thomas Brooks
5 Benefits of Justification from Romans 5 1. Acceptance by faith in God (v. 1) 2. Access to the grace of God (v. 2) 3. Afflictions toward perseverance in God (v. 3) 4. Assurance from hope in God (v. 4) 5. Abiding in the love of God (v. 5)
“Man is not the product of the times, but of the fall.” –– Iain Murray
What the heart liketh best, the mind studieth most. Richard Sibbes The difference between true and false repentance lies in this: the man who truly repents cries out against his heart; but the other, as Eve, against the serpent, or something else. John Bunyan
No scene in sacred history ever gladdens the soul like the scene on Calvary. Charles Spurgeon
We’re not at liberty to rewrite the Bible to accommodate godless perspectives. Alistair Begg
"One man with God on his side is in the majority." — Charles Spurgeon
"God save us from living in comfort while sinners are sinking to hell." — Charles Spurgeon
"If we believe in God, nothing can be too hard or too heavy for us." — Charles Spurgeon "Who would attempt to limit our trust in God?" — Charles Spurgeon
"Nothing can ever break the bond of love between God and those who are in his Son." — Charles Spurgeon "When the devil is most angry, God is most pleased." — Charles Spurgeon "Many people have burned their fingers by taking hold of the world." — Charles Spurgeon "If I was purchased by Son's blood, I cannot be lost." — Charles Spurgeon
A little faith gives a whole Christ. —John Owen, Works 9:29
I say that I will not judge a person to be spiritually dead, whom I have judged formally to have had spiritual life, though I see him at present in a swoon as to all evidence of spiritual life. —Puritan John Owen, Works 9:388 The atoning blood of the Son of God is the grand exhibition of God’s love toward sinners. —JC Ryle,
I remind you that Satan was always a liar. One time he told you it was ‘too soon’ for religion: and now he tells you it is ‘too late.’ I tell you confidently that Jesus Christ is ‘able to save to the uttermost all those who come to God by him’. —JC Ryle, Old Paths, Pg. 164 “Preachers, be yourself but don’t preach yourself. Be like John The Baptist: prepare the way, declare the way, and then get out the way” -Alistair Begg
“There is a danger of forgetting what one has to say while working out a clever way to say it.” - Augustine of Hippo
“From the first reading of the text to the final words of the sermon, we are entirely dependent on the gracious work of the Spirit, in preacher and hearers alike, to bring understanding, to generate faith, and to empower obedience.” – David Jackman "The virtue lies in the gospel, not in the gospeller; in the exposition, and not in the expounder." -John Eadie "Pastors, our ultimate aim isn't the conference circuit, but the counseling room, the hospital bed, the graveside, the local church, being faithful in the daily little things, the ordinary life of a servant." -Burk Parsons
“The preacher does not make the gospel. If he makes it, it is not worth your having. Originality in preaching, if it be originality in the statement of doctrine, is falsehood. We are not makers and inventors; we are repeaters, we tell the message we have received.” -C.H. Spurgeon
“Preaching is not exclusively a church activity, but it is central to the church’s life together” -Chase R. Kuhn “Preaching is essentially a merging of the gifts of teaching and exhortation, prophecy has the primary elements of prediction and revelation.” -F. David Farnell
"God, who is sovereign over all things, even controls the roll of the dice." —Alistair Begg
Wisdom involves knowing God and the subtleties of the human heart. More than knowledge, it is the right application of knowledge in moral and spiritual matters, in handling dilemmas, in negotiating complex relationships. oswald sanders
"In a moment of foolish passion, we can alter and diminish, or even destroy, our lives forever." —Alistair Begg
"God is sovereign over all affairs, including the ebb and flow of the tides." —Alistair Begg
“Satan is an angry and discontented spirit, and finds no rest but in restless hearts.” — John Flavel, “Keeping the Heart”
"The big deals of the world, whether they're from the 5th century or the 21st century AD, will eventually bow before Jesus' authority. He is the real deal—and yet He invites us to come and meet Him!" —Alistair Begg
Here is a grand cure for loneliness (as the writer has many times proved: to meditate in God's Law day and night. A.W. Pink
Man's religion is to build up the creature. God's religion is to throw the creature down in the dust of self-abasement... -J.C. Philpot -
We are never done with the cross, nor ever shall be. Its wonders will always be new, and always fraught with joy. -Horatius Bonar -
This is true religion: to approve what God approves, to hate what God hates, and to delight in what God delights. —Charles Hodge
The Holy Spirit does not drive and demand. It is the devil who puts you in a rush and demands that you act immediately. You will feel that if you take time to pray and wait that you will miss something. Do not listen to that spirit. It is not God but the devil. - Conrad Murrell
It's a fact: whatever we sow, we reap. Our minds are fertile fields into which we plant seeds each day. If we sow to the flesh, we can't expect to reap a spiritual harvest. Garbage in; garbage out. Chuck Smith
"By nature, our eyes are closed to the truth of God. Therefore, they need to be opened." —
Alistair Begg
I have not softened down the Bible to suit the carnal tastes of men -C.H. Spurgeon - It must not content us to take our bodies to church if we leave our hearts at home. -J.C. Ryle -
“Never, never be ashamed to let men know that you derive all your comfort from the atoning blood of Christ, and from his substitution for you on the cross.” —JC Ryle, Old Paths, Pg. 166
Jesus is the real thing. He is the fulfillment of all the laws. He is “the fullness of the Godhead.” He is the alpha and omega. He is everything we need to know the depth of God’s love and the key to abundant living—and He is available whenever we pray. Ray Bentley
"The reality of darkness and evil in our world that is expressed at a very baseline level is representative of the cosmic drama that takes place in the heavenly realms." —Alistair Begg
"Spiritual delight in God arises chiefly from his beauty and perfection, not from the blessings he gives us." —Jonathan Edwards
The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. Whereas the groanings of the righteous are but short, and their jubilee and triumph shall be everlasting. - Ebenezer Erskine
The full inheritance promised is the fullness of the Spirit in the enjoyment of God. —John Owen
"There is no hope for peace on earth except in He who is the Prince of Peace." —Alistair Begg
The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted. —Jonathan Edwards
The first link between my soul and Christ is not my goodness but my badness, not my merit but my misery, not my riches but my need. Charles Spurgeon
In our prayers, we talk to God, in our Bible study, God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking. Dwight L. Moody The more you read the Bible; and the more you meditate on it, the more you will be astonished with it. Charles Spurgeon
Satan’s target is your mind, and his weapon is lies. Wiersbe
Praise is the outflow of a heart that finds its satisfaction in God. -A.W. Pink - Thankfulness is a flower that will never bloom well except upon a root of deep humility. -J.C. Ryle
"Since the Lord keeps his promises by fulfilling them, we ought to keep them by remembering them." - Charles Spurgeon
“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” - C.S. Lewis He that would be saved by Christ, and not ruled by him, shall not be saved by him at all. —John Owen, Works 9:25
There are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’” - C.S. Lewis
"God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile."— Max Lucado
A true friend, a true man or woman of God, will tell you the truth and try to keep you from hurting yourself.
The great British preacher C. H. Spurgeon said of this verse, “He prefers the bitters of gracious company to the dainties of the ungodly. He would rather be smitten by the righteous than be feasted by the wicked. He gives a permit to faithful admonition, he even invites it.”
Cheering for someone who gets what you want changes you for the better. Sometimes it’s easy because the stakes are low. But, other times it’s so very hard because someone else gets what is our deepest desire, the thing we’ve been waiting for and setting our hearts and hopes on. Learning in that moment or through that circumstance to truly be glad for the other person is life-changing, especially when we thank God on their behalf! Has that been true in your own life?
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