God wants to use you in a mighty way. Whether that is in your family, your city, your nation, or across a border, Face Book, God has limitless opportunities for you to fulfill the great commission to make disciples.
When you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, Colossians 1:13 says you were delivered from the power of darkness. The word power is literally translated as “authority.” You have been delivered from the power, or authority, of darkness and placed into God’s kingdom. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore...” (Matthew 28:18-19). That power was given to you as part of your inheritance in Christ Jesus. You have entered into this position of authority because you are in Him.
Real repentance is complete when we wholeheartedly pledge to turn from our old behavior and move toward righteous ways.
So much unhappiness comes from people no longer knowing how to share and give.
When you think you have given your all, give some more. If you have two give one to somebody who does not have one...
Man is most free when controlled by God alone.
~Augustine~
But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Gal.6:4
I rather be blind and have Vision, than have sight with no vision!!!- Helen Keller
Unsaintly saints are the tragedy of Christianity.
~A. W. Tozer~
Today, as followers of Jesus Christ, we have a purpose because He has empowered us. He does not hoard control over us like a dictator -- He gives us free will to serve Him and walk with Him. And He didn't have to. Do you realize that the very people to whom Moses delegated power would become the Sanhedrin -- the court body that would, centuries later, deliver Jesus to Pontius Pilate to be crucified? No doubt, God knew from the beginning that by empowering His people, they would make mistakes -- even the ultimate mistake of rejecting Him. But His love is so great for us, that He was willing to pay the ultimate price. He was willing to give us free will, even if it meant He must die to fix our mistakes. That's true leadership
At the end of each day, you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you.”
— Jim Rohn
"You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." -Zig Ziglar
True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark.
N. T. Wright
A man can only win his wife's heart once Christ has captured his.
How can we say such a strong and absolute statement? Let's clear the air. Yes, non-believing husbands can love their wives–just as they can breathe fresh air and enjoy seeing a beautiful landscape. One theological term for this is "common grace". All are free and able to enjoy the goodness God gives in various forms because He is good and His goodness spills over onto all humanity (see James 1:17). But for believers, there's so much more...particularly for marriage. A husband whose heart has been captured by Christ has a deeper, truer understanding of love and grace. He understands that he is saved and loved only by God's grace in Christ and is therefore compelled to love his wife similarly. He knows a different, heart-changing love and he extends the same to his wife. He is patient, kind, and gentle. He is faithful.
A wife who is a believer will be profoundly impacted by a husband led by Christ. That's how marriage was designed to work. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." ~ Eph 5:25.
There is nothing more relieving to a wife than a husband who loves her well and leads as he himself follows Christ.
Husbands, let's be that brand of men. Let's be men who follow Christ relentlessly and win our wives' hearts consistently. As husbands, we can only lead as far as we are being led; and only Christ can show us how to love truly.
OUR VISION IS JESUS / OUR MISSION IS PEOPLE / OUR CAUSE IS LOVE
The message does not end after service is over...
Is your prayer a prayer of peace or a prayer to get even and gain the better hand?
Meekness means ME- EK. Set your self aside, set your will aside, turn the other cheek, and serve Jesus and people and grow
The tree of revenge bears no fruit at all
To be forgiven is such sweetness that honey is tasteless in comparison with it. But yet there is one thing sweeter still, and that is to forgive. As it is more blessed to give than to receive, so to forgive rises a stage higher in experience than to be forgiven.
Charles Spurgeon
The mind of the unregenerate man can easily hear and mentally comprehend the facts set forth in the gospel, but only the Spirit of God can make the inward man experience the spiritual power of those truths.
~John G. Reisinger~
Blessed are the flexible they shall not break!
Chuck Smith
God brings about reformation when his people return to the Word of God as their sole source of doctrine and practice.
~John H. Armstrong~
Our calling includes bearing witness in word and deed, in our practices and our relationships, to the saving, unifying grace of God in Christ.
The calling of God requires an actual “get going,” as people are summoned to a different place, a different job, a different community. But, for most of us, heeding God’s call doesn’t so much mean radical relocation as it does a radical renovation. Though we might very well live in the same place and work at the same job, we do so with new vision, new motivation, new values, and a new way of living.
Maybe God isn’t as interested in saving us from our hardships as he is saving us from ourselves. What if God was in no rush to rescue you from your pain, because he knew that in the midst of it, he could shape you to become more like him? Maybe he knows that the blessing doesn’t always come at the end of the struggle, but maybe the blessing is found in the middle of it.
DON'T LET YOUR DESIRE FOR AN AUDIENCE, CAUSE YOU TO ACCEPT INVITATIONS GOD NEVER APPROVED ON HIS AGENDA FOR YOUR LIFE. PROTECT THE ANOINTING APPOINTED TO YOU!
aith is not trying to manipulate God to do what you want Him to. Faith is trusting God, even when He doesn’t do what you want Him to.
his weekend faithful leaders will stand with God’s Word in their hands boldly teaching it to God’s people. Many of them you’ll never hear about on a podcast, see them on a Conference stage, or read an article about their ministry. Often, these are the leaders I admire the most.
“Oh, the closest walk with God is the sweetest heaven that can be enjoyed on earth!” — Jonathan Edwards
We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus. Mike Reeves
Call a beloved female “preacher” a false teacher and await the wrath of their followers. Notice, not followers of the truth of God but of the women who twist and butcher the Word of God.
Have to be blunt: if you harbor hatred in your heart for Muslims (please recognize the difference between the Muslim people and Islam as a religion) you are sinning. Period. Full stop. As a follower of Christ, hatred is NOT an option, and if your "theology" gives you a place for it, you have been led astray. Repent.
Anything that’s over your head, is under His feet.
Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way. A.W. Tozer
A Christian is the last person who ought ever to speak disrespectfully or unkindly about the Jews. Charles Spurgeon
One drop of the sweetness of heaven is enough to take away all the sourness and bitterness of all the afflictions in the world. Jeremiah Burroughs
You can never make a truce with false religion. John MacArthur
If you neglect to instruct [children] in the way of holiness, will the devil neglect to instruct them in the way of wickedness? No; if you will not teach them to pray, he will to curse, swear, and lie. If ground be uncultivated, weeds will spring. — John Flavel
"Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be.” — A. W. Tozer
“Why are our expectations of physicians of the soul devastatingly lower than our expectations of physicians of the body?” — E. D. Burns
“Never forget that the end of a sermon is the salvation of the people.” — Robert Murray M'Cheyne
… a Facebook group, a live-stream video feed, and listening to Christian radio is no substitute for assembling together as a covenant community of faith under the proclamation of the Word.” — E. D. Burns
“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” - C.S. Lewis
“To walk out of his will is to walk into nowhere.” - C.S. Lewis
"We ought to work as if all depended upon us, and then we are to trust God knowing that all depends on him." — Charles Spurgeon "Because God is infinitely happy, he delights in the happiness of his creatures." — Charles Spurgeon "We may always go to the precious blood of Jesus and once again be washed clean." — Charles Spurgeon
"What a blessed God is ours in Christ Jesus! A sea of never-failing delights, a river of boundless joys, forever flowing on." — Charles Spurgeon "If the Lord shall break your heart, consent to have it broken; asking that he may sanctify that brokenness of spirit to bring you in earnest to a Savior." — Charles Spurgeon "He that cannot be safely imitated ought not to be tolerated in a pulpit." — Charles Spurgeon
"The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end." – Charles Spurgeon "The justice of God can bring no account against the believer, for he is completely forgiven." — Charles Spurgeon
None are so full of remorse of the presence of the least sin as those whose love for Christ is increasing." —William Gurnall (1616-1679), CICA 1:250 [Objection] “But I have reason to be discouraged, for I have no sense and feeling of God’s love.” [Answer] We do not live by feeling, but by faith: it is the duty of a Christian to begin with faith, and so to rise up to feeling. —Puritan William Bridge, Works 2:55
"Let the preacher aim at the heart, and preach the all conquering love of Jesus, and he will by God's grace win more doubters to the faith of the gospel than any hundred of the best reasoners who only direct their arguments to the head." - C. H. Spurgeon
Persons may be truly believing who nevertheless are sometimes doubting. —Thomas Brooks, Works 1:96
There are two kinds of leaders: those who serve themselves and those who serve others. The greatest serve others (Matthew 20:25-28)." - Brandon Hilgemann
How to handle the Bible: Read it. Study it. Apply it. Do it. Memorize it.
"The flesh is weak' is a warning. Not an excuse to sin" John MacArthur "Christ is worth all, or he is worth nothing." - George Whitefield
Without being constantly reformed by the Word the church becomes something very different. We must always keep the church under the Word. —Martyn Lloyd-Jones
No amount of activity in the King's service will make up for neglect of the King Himself. Robert Murray M'Cheyne
"Exposition alone is not preaching. A minister who only presents the grammatical and historical meaning of God’s Word may be lecturing or discoursing, but he isn’t preaching. The Word must also be applied." - Joel Beeke Some preachers ought to put more fire into their sermons or more sermons into the fire. -Leonard Ravenhill - There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. -C.H. Spurgeon -
"Each generation of the church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought-forms of that setting." - Francis Schaeffer "The virtue lies in the gospel, not in the gospeller; in the exposition, and not in the expounder." - John Eadie
Grace does to the soul, as a virtuous wife to her husband, 'She will do him good all the days of her life' (Prov 31.12). - Thomas Watson
There are, in truth, but two denominations upon this earth: the Church and the world -C.H. Spurgeon - If the Word does not dwell in power in us, it will not pass in power from us. -John Owen -
We do not know the value of Christ, if we will not cleave to Him unto death! -Robery Murray McCheyne - His decree determines what shall be done-For there is nothing higher than his will. -William Perkins -
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” — C.S. Lewis
He acts the grace we have received by constant fresh supplies. - John Owen "If I cease becoming better, I shall soon cease to be good." -Oliver Cromwell.
When we’re at our worst, God’s love is at its best.
Aren't you glad that you don't have to survive on your own power? We wear out and we are weak, BUT GOD! We can't, but He can!
Every one of us believers can live the message of the Gospel with our lives. We don’t have to be a pastor or a theology professor to share the Word of God and His love with those around us.
stillness is not the goal. It’s merely the door through which we fellowship and commune with the Lord, Spirit to spirit. Quiet yourself and be still; let God look at you.
It’s not just men who struggle with work-life balance, but this Bible is specifically for men! Guys, this is your challenge to take a hard look at your schedule through the filter of your values. You want to exhibit Godly character and faithful living, so adjust where you need to!
In an Insta-famous world, going viral is a top pursuit for many. But is fame all it’s cracked up to be? Get fresh insights on the topic when you read Fame: Fortunes, Failure, and Faith.
C. H. Spurgeon said, “It is a very blessed thing to be on the watch for Christ. . . . You can be poor without murmuring; you can be rich without worldliness; you can be sick without sorrowing; you can be healthy without presumption. If you are always waiting for Christ’s Coming, untold blessings are wrapped up in that glorious hope.”
If watching is the evidence of faith, then working is the evidence of faith in action. Watching for the Lord’s return will help us prepare our own lives. But working will ensure that we bring others with us to Heaven.
If you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you can have hope. Don’t put your hope in technology or in material things. Don’t put your hope in politicians. And don’t even put your hope in religion. Hope has a name, and it’s Jesus Christ. He is ready to change the course of your life.
Heaven is a real place for real people to do real things. It is not a watered-down, diluted version of earth. Many of us have a strange concept of Heaven that movies and songs have reinforced. We assume that we’ll sit around in Heaven on big, fluffy clouds and take long naps.
C. S. Lewis said in The Problem of Pain, “There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else. . . . It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want.
Faith comes into our lives through the work of Jesus Christ: "Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Faith develops in our hearts when the name of the Lord is revealed to us (that is, an understanding of who Jesus is and what He is able to do). "And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong…Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness" (Acts 3:16). We grasp to some degree how great He is, so we trust Him to do great things. Thereby, faith comes into our spiritual experience through Him. Our present verses are related to this development of faith, for they depict Jesus as faithful and true.
"In God's eyes, you were known, loved, and purposefully designed before the world ever saw you." — Augustine of Hippo
Jesus is the faithful and true witness, who gives us the reliable truth that we must have in order to find life and live life as God intended. "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness…the Faithful and True Witness…And He…was called Faithful and True" (Revelation 1:5; 3:14; and 19:11). Faith toward Him develops in our lives, as we see His faithful and true character. His word is a vital part of this process, since it has the same character that He has (faithful and true). "Write, for these words are true and faithful… These words are faithful and true."
If we are to grow in grace, we must live by faith. "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace" (Romans 4:16). If our faith is to develop and mature, we must know where faith comes from. Jesus (and His word) is the source of our faith. "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Hebrews 12:2 and Romans 10:17). As we get to know our Lord better and better, as we get into His word more and more, our faith grows. As our faith grows, we experience the grace of God more and more. One of the blessings of God's grace is assurance of salvation through faith.
“Where Love is, God is. He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God. God is Love. Therefore love.” — Henry Drummond
“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
Gen Z is the least-religious-overly-entertained generation in history. So, the primary role of College Pastors and student Pastors is not to be entertainers or event organizers. Their primary role is to be evangelists, missionaries, and disciple-makers. That is the greater need!
A hopeless world needs hope. A joyless world needs joy. A world full of death needs life. A world full of conflict needs peace. Hope has a name. Joy has a name. Life has a name. Peace has a name. It’s the name above every name: JESUS!
“We should work hard and obey the Scriptures, but at the end of the day, we have the sweet privilege of laying our head down and thanking God that He is sovereign over the seed and the soils.” — E. D. Burns
“There is safety and wisdom in beginning with a theological foundation reflecting the tried and proven faith of a large body of God's people rather than the relatively untested opinions of private individuals.” — Stan Reeves
“Let him make anything out of me, so being he be glorified in my salvation: for I know I am made for him.” —Samuel Rutherford “Study Christ more…” —John Owen, Works 9:371
“We do not preach with the Word, by the Word, about the Word; rather, we merely preach the Word—courageous to say everything it says, humble to say no more and no less.” — E.D. Burns
"STAY FOCUSED! NEVER ALLOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH TO CAUSE YOU TO LOSE SIGHT OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO!"
THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEADERS CARRY MORE TOWELS THAN TITLES. WE ARE HERE TO SERVE, NOT BE SERVED.
THE GOAL IS TO BE CLOSE TO CHRIST, NOT A CLONE OF MEN —
IT'S SPIRITUALITY, NOT POPULARITY THAT MATTERS MOST.
FILL YOUR LIFE WITH PEOPLE WHO LOOK MORE LIKE YOUR FUTURE AND LESS LIKE YOUR PAST.
Repentance is a characteristic of the whole life, not the action of a single moment. Sinclair Ferguson
The dominion that sin has over us is according to the delight we have in it. —Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, 6:837
"If I hate sin because of the punishment, I have not repented of sin; I merely regret that God is just." — Charles Spurgeon
Be it never forgotten that Jesus was a Jew." -Charles Spurgeon. "The chief business of a Christian is to follow Christ." - Charles Spurgeon
My trials are great, my comforts are greater. - George Whitefield
We’re not at liberty to rewrite the Bible to accommodate godless perspectives. Alistair Begg
"...terrible as is the power of sin by which we are dead, the power of these influences is far greater, even sufficient to awake the dead." -Nathanael Burwash (1887):
"[…]if it should come to pass that, to be a Christian required of you imprisonment for Christ’s sake, you must be willing to lie in prison and to die for him." - Charles Spurgeon
"You cannot sin as much as God can forgive. If it comes to a battle between sin and grace, you shall not be as bad as God shall be good." — Charles Spurgeon God was in Christ reconciling sinners, not sin. Fire and water may sooner agree than God and sin, than a peace with God and a peace with sin. —Stephen Charnock, Works 3:496
"Tell your child of the punishment for sin, and warn him of its terror. Be tender, but true." — Charles Spurgeon
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