In all our duties, whether giving or praying, the great thing to be kept in mind is, that we have a heart-searching and all-knowing God. Everything like formality, being artificial, or mere bodily service, is abominable and worthless in God’s sight. He takes no account of the quantity of money we give, or the quantity of words we use. The one thing at which His all-seeing eye looks at is the nature of our motives, and the state of our hearts. Our Father sees in secret.~ J.C. Ryle
At times, the Lord asks His people to engage in assignments that seem to make no sense at all. Perhaps, it is a task that we have never undertaken. Perhaps, it is preparation for a problem that we have never encountered previously. One of the most profound examples from such categories was Noah building an ark, by faith. His example is profound both in the circumstances he faced and the impact of his response.
I find it interesting that people say all manor of things on Face Book and then get upset over the comments made. If you are not ready for the comments then don't put it out there for the world. Even things of God don't always have to be shared. The Bible says we can have rejoicing in our self's.
Gal 6:4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
We all go past the judgment seat of
Christ in single file.
~John Blanchard~
I want people to fill their minds with passages of Scripture while they are well and strong, that they may have sure help in the day of need. I want them to be diligent in studying their Bibles, and becoming familiar with their contents, in order that the grand old Book may stand by them and talk with them when all earthly friends fail. From the bottom of my heart, I pity that person who never reads their Bible. I wonder how they expect to draw their consolation in their time of need.
~ J.C. Ryle
The decision to choose what will make our soul well is not always easy. Sometimes it will require us to break from something we love that has become a toxic habit. Often it will ask us to give up our will for the will of the Father.
God is drawn to broken people, choosing the most broken to do His highest work. His light shines best through broken people.
Even though God has won the war and the battle, we must armor up and fight like He is not with us. Faith says I know and trust my Lord got this but I am going to get off the couch and do mine. Not, the Lord got this so I will wait till the war is over, the sea is calm, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Labor hard, consume little, give much—and all to Christ.
~Anthony Norris Groves~
If you are getting extensions on your cell phone bill Every month, it is time to say what I am doing is not working!! -San Morgan
"Purpose is stronger than object. It's the 'What for?' that's even more powerful than the object. And the more you can describe in detail to stir the emotion and the intellect and the spirit and the soul, then the more powerful the 'what for' is." -- Jim Rohn
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
1 Corinthians 3:12-13
We will go past the judgment seat of Christ in single file.
~John Blanchard~
There are times when we become confused and each of us desires not only wisdom but also greater understanding, insight, and knowledge. How do we get those things? Paul tells us the answer is profoundly simple: Wisdom and revelation are found in Him. Both Peter and John were examples of this truth. (Acts 4:13: "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.") The only explanation for what changed in them was their time spent with Jesus.
One remedy for worrying is to actively pursue His kingdom’s priorities.
If we are worried about earthly things we might need to be more involved in spiritual ventures.
In a world filled with dire and desperate situations, with discouragement and despair everywhere, we are called to be people of hope. Through our words and through our works, we reflect and offer the hope of our calling, a hope of a world transformed through Christ.
Going through circumstances we just don’t understand can be incredibly painful.
That’s why I know I need to process life events through three perspective-shifting filters: 1.God is good. 2.God is good to me. 3.God is good at being God.
This is my starting place when looking at circumstances both wonderful and hurtful. These truths help me consider good things God might be doing, even with realities that don't feel at all good. They bring me back to the goodness of God as the starting place for my continued trust in Him. These truths help settle my runaway fears and chaotic emotions when feelings beg me to question, “Why would you let this happen, God?!”
Yes, perspective is the key to trusting God. And so often the clarity we need to see things from His perspective happens in the wilderness experiences we all wish we could avoid.
Maybe the filters which help me can also be a help to you in whatever life circumstances that seem unfair, unreasonable or hurtful beyond what you can bear. Let God whisper His truth that He is good. He is good to you. And He is good at being God.
If we forget our soul hunger can only be satisfied by daily doses of truth, we’ll be prone to snack on deception.
Let’s be sure we’re aligning our words, thoughts, and desires with Scripture today. Otherwise, our desire to ease the ache of our disappointments will lead us right into the enemy’s lies and his grip of destruction.
How much one consumes does not matter as to what is being consumed. The same goes for our Christan walks. Stay focused and in the word!
"Here is the history of the grass: sown, grown, blown, mown, gone; and the history of man is not much more."
~ C. H. Spurgeon
If I could eliminate one belief about Heaven, it would be the heresy that the physical world is an enemy of God’s redemptive plan rather than a central part of it.
Randy Alcorn
God, who already has given His Son for us, is also going to give us everything else we need in this life and the one to come.
At times, the Lord asks His people to engage in assignments that seem to make no sense at all. Perhaps, it is a task that we have never undertaken. Perhaps, it is preparation for a problem that we have never encountered previously. One of the most profound examples from such categories was Noah building an ark, by faith. His example is profound both in the circumstances that he faced and the extent of the impact of his faithful response.
Bob Hoekstra
Billy Graham said,
“What a moment to take the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other and watch and watch the unfolding of the great drama of the ages. This is an exciting and thrilling time to be alive. I would not want to live in any other period.”
Before Enoch was taken to heaven, he walked with God in a manner that pleased the Lord. Enoch's faith in God is what was pleasing unto Him. "Before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith, it is impossible to please Him." Pleasing God, as Enoch did, should be our desire.
Many people waste their lives by aiming to please themselves. Their lives are choked with self-indulgence. "And the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14). They have ignored the fact that pleasing self cannot lead to spiritual growth and Christlikeness. "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves… For even Christ did not please Himself" Bob Hoekstra
"If we are to gaze into the face of God, we must look beyond our present circumstances."
AW Tozer
A defining characteristic of the church in previous generations is that they wholeheartedly believed in the power of prayer.
Dustin Benge
A lack of boundaries invites a lack of respect.
When we offer worship sacrifices to the Lord, He is looking at our hearts. Are we trusting in Him? Are we yielding to the righteous paths that His word has set forth? Whether we are offering praise, giving thanks, doing good deeds, or sharing our resources with others, we are to do it all by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our salvation is all of grace. The one thing necessary is the one thing we ourselves cannot perform!
~Sinclair Ferguson~
People are desperate for compassion. Ask the Lord to open your spiritual eyes to see others’ needs—
and see what’s following you!
Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.
~Billy Graham~
A church that is truly unified will not only make sure the needs of its members are met, but their love will extend to those who need it most.
DON'T BE THAT PERSON THAT'S MORE LIKELY TO PRAY TO WIN THE LOTTERY, THAN PRAY TO WIN THE LOST!
BE IT FAITH OR FEAR...IF YOU FEED IT, IT LIVES, IF YOU STARVE IT, IT DIES...CHOOSE YOUR APPETITE WISELY!
JESUS LEFT THE NINETY-NINE TO GO GET THE ONE, SEEMS ILLOGICAL, IRRATIONAL, AND SENSELESS...UNTIL THE ONE LOST IS YOU!
I'M GLAD GOD LOVED ME ENOUGH TO ALLOW MY WORTHYNESS TO CATCH UP WITH MY CALLING! HOW ABOUT YOU?
Contrary to the tone of the world today you can disagree with someone and still love them. You can have differing views and still be kind.
Why do some ministries have dozens of students coming to Christ every year while others struggle in evangelism? Are there best practices for building a movement of relational evangelism among students in your ministry?
A whole generation is being told the lie that sexual liberation equals happiness and freedom. However, the truth is that sexual sin causes a lot of depression and oppression. It enslaves your mind, your heart, and your soul.
“Out of Christ, God is a Consuming Fire. But in Christ, a Reconciled Father. This is the sum of the gospel.” — Matthew Henry
“Pastor-elders owe it to their people and to the name of Christ—and to model it for their people—not to lose their witness with the triviality and frivolity of online behavior that is unworthy of their church's respect.” — David Mathis, Workers For Your Joy, 202.
"The blood of Christ is of infinite value, the Spirit of Christ of infinite efficacy, and faith must rely on these." - Thomas Boston. The Christian Warfare
“Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.” - C.S. Lewis
There is the [sinful] pride of [having] a library… when men secretly please themselves to think it is known what a stock of books they have, or when they take more pleasure in the number of, than the matter contained in, their books. —John Bunyan, Works 2:537 A man is never more fit to comfort, to relieve, to satisfy others in their fears, than when he hath been in fears, and doubting himself. —Puritan William Bridge (1600-1670), Works 2:128 That of all persons in the world, the redeemed of the Lord are most obliged to be holy; most assisted for a life of holiness; and that God intends to make great use of their lives, both for the conviction and conversion of others. —John Flavel, Works 1:537 About the day of judgement: “Pilate and the High-Priest, that judged him at their bars, shall now stand quivering at his bar.” —John Flavel, Works 1:531 Let me be friendless, let me be childless, let me be poor, let me be any thing, rather than a Christless, graceless, hopeless soul. —John Flavel
Unholiness ought not to stop a sinner from coming to Christ, more than a disease ought to hinder a man to take the physician’s help. —Thomas Boston, Works, 2:14 He that runs from God in the morning will hardly find him at the close of the day. —John Bunyan, Works 1:537
It is better to have no books, and depart from iniquity, than to have a thousand, and not to be better in my soul by them. —John Bunyan, Works 2:537
The church is like a river. If it gets wider instead of deeper it will lose its power. —Puritan Thomas Manton Election is as much to a holy life as it is to eternal glory. —John Bunyan, Works 2:512
"You could make up a theology out of your own vast brain; but the Holy Spirit is not with you there." — Charles Spurgeon
"Nine times out of ten, falling away from God begins in the neglect of private prayer." — Charles Spurgeon
"Death is no punishment to the believer: it is the gate of endless joy." — Charles Spurgeon
"Prayer will ensure you strength equal to your day." — Charles Spurgeon
Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God. Jerry Bridges
"Pride is at the bottom of most unbelief." — Charles Spurgeon
Salvation is not making a good person better, nor making a sick person well. It is making a dead person alive in Christ. Steven Lawson
"It's possible to love your theology, to love your ministry, to love your blessings, and not necessarily be consumed with the love of your Savior." – John MacArthur
"Every individual believer is precious in the sight of the Lord." — Charles Spurgeon
HATE SIN! Instead of loving it, cleaving to it, excusing it, playing with it, we ought to hate it with a deadly hatred. -J.C. Ryle - Habitual sins often stupefy the mind, so that sins that once pricked the conscience begin to seem harmless. -Jonathan Edwards -
Jesus come down in visible form as he went up (Acts 1.11), and he will appear to all with the unspeakable majesty of his kingdom, with the light of immortality, an the infinite might of deity, accompanied by his angels. John Calvin By his ascension into heaven, the Lord Jesus has made an opening for us which had been closed because of Adam. John Calvin
"Christ bids you come to him that he may make you whole." — Charles Spurgeon
Christians who neglect the Bible simply do not mature. John Stott
"As sure as the Bible is true, God will not leave you." — Charles Spurgeon I find the best way is to press forward, and to look up to Jesus Christ. - George Whitefield
"To follow your Savior, you must derive your life from him every day." — Charles Spurgeon
"The Bible will often refuse to reveal its treasures until you open it with the key of prayer." — Charles Spurgeon
How valuable is the Word of God! Without this weapon we should be overcome and lost. -Matthew Henry - When the storm breaks it isn't so much that we fail under it as that our habitual lack of leaning upon God is made evident -A.W. Pink -
Adoption is the highest privilege of the gospel. The traitor is forgiven, brought in for supper, and given the family name. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater. J.I. Packer
"All desire for God and all delight in him, die out where sin reigns." — Charles Spurgeon
Why do we think preaching is but the central act of Christian worship? As a matter of fact, everything else ought to build to the preaching of the Word, for that is when the God of whom we have been speaking and singing speaks to us from His eternal and perfect Word. -Al Mohler
"It is cruelty to distrust the ever truthful Jesus. He has done nothing to deserve distrust." — Charles Spurgeon
"May you forget, once for all, all ideas of doing anything to win the love of God." — Charles Spurgeon "Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan." John Bunyan
"There are rare Christians whose very presence incites others to be better Christians. I want to be that rare Christian." (A.W. Tozer)
"There is nothing like faith in the sinner's Friend. He overcomes all evil." — Charles Spurgeon
God doesn't need our good works, but our neighbors do. -Martin Luther - It is God alone who saves, and that in every element of the saving process. -B.B. Warfield
"The cross is a resplendent display of unmerited, unexpected, unexampled love." — Charles Spurgeon "What’s required for salvation isn’t walking an aisle. It’s repentance from sin and belief in Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15). Initial repentance and belief – conversion – can happen anywhere, in the pew or in the pub." -Paul Alexande
“I am not a Bible-believing Christian in the fullest sense simply by believing the right doctrines, but as I live in practice in this supernatural world.” — Francis Schaeffer
"The very act of prayer is a blessing." — Charles Spurgeon
If God truly converts a man, He will continue working in that man, through teaching, blessing, admonition, and discipline. He will see to it that the work He has begun will be finished.
"All backsliding begins within, begins with the heart’s growing lukewarm, begins with the love of Christ being less powerful in the soul." - Charles Spurgeon
A church that does not discipline sinning members (including the most prominent members) loses its credibility, because it does not take seriously its own doctrines and standards. —John MacArthur
"The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up, nay, you have to cut every step with an ice axe; only with incessant labour in cutting and chipping can you make any progress[…]" - Charles Spurgeon
"O fool and slow of heart to slide from wealth to poverty, from health to disease, from liberty to bondage, from light to darkness; from the love of God, from abiding in Christ, and from the fellowship of the Holy Ghost into lukewarmness, worldliness, and sin." - C.H. Spurgeon
"Sin, in any degree, will bear its own fruit, and that fruit will be sure to set our teeth on edge[…]" - Charles Spurgeon
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