"Listen to a daughter cross-question her dad in public and you have an inkling of the approach taken by her mother in the home. If the most important thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother sacrificially then the most important thing a mother can do for her children is to respect their father."
As Thanksgiving fast approaches and Psalm 100 echos in our ears, there is no doubt we can find reasons to be thankful for even in the mist of our trials and tribulations but the one thing that is always asked by others is what is God's will for us and as we look at 1 Thes.5:18, we clearly see being thankful is God's will for our lives.
Remember your priorities. Why are the holidays important to you? For many people, it’s all about spending more time with loved ones. So cut out as many social engagements as possible—you can’t go to a school musical when it’s more convenient. Give yourself a break from your standards of the “perfect” holiday. Kids appreciate happy and relaxed parents more than flawless decorations.
Sanctification isn’t a religious car wash. Pass through a grinding, scrubbing washing machine and the mud comes off. The car comes out on the other side glimmering. Sanctification, however, is the process by which God sets things apart for the use He intended. He created all things to fulfill His purposes.
No man obeys God truly who does not endeavor to obey God fully.
~Thomas Brooks~
God rewards those who seek Him! Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus Himself.
The father is a debtor to his child, and owes him love,
provision and nurture.
~William Gurnall~
Sometimes the way God works is mysterious; other times magnificent; but one thing we know for certain -- He is always right.
We all slip into sin from time to time. God knows our nature and He is always waiting with grace, mercy, and forgiveness for us to turn toward Him.
“Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once and a while, or the light won't come in.” — Alan Alda
“Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt
“Wealth is built...one thought at a time...” — Doug Firebaugh
“Your state of mind creates your state of results.” — Mark Victor Hansen
“All improvement in your life begins with an improvement in your mental pictures.” — Brian Tracy
Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues because upon it, all others depend."
"Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think." -Albert Einstein
Today, you may feel like just another Christ follower facing a hostile culture, but remember Esther! God has a plan for America and, while you may not see how all the pieces fit together, be assured at the right moment your faithful prayers will hit their target. He has chosen you and will be glorified through you as you obediently intercede. Every believer has been chosen for such a time as this!
It was the belief in the accountability of a man to His maker that
made America a great nation.
~A. W. Tozer~
As Christians, we are held to a greater standard of accountability––to whom much is given, much more is required (Luke 12:48). If we do not obey God’s Word, we shall have greater consequences, because we have known the truth and have chosen not to follow God’s commands.
Attitudes of Gratitude!
Thanksgiving was established as a national holiday in the United States by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The roots of the holiday can be traced back to 1621 when the Pilgrims offered a prayer of thanks before their meal with members of the Wampanoag Tribe. The Pilgrims were grateful for their first harvest in the New World—and for their Native American neighbors who helped make it possible. The momentous occasion is often referred to as “the first Thanksgiving.” That would likely come as a surprise to certain Bible characters who gave thanks to God in memorable ways thousands of years before the Pilgrims arrived in the New World. These men and women demonstrated the kind of gratitude that pleases God.
If our heart is searched out by God then He knows why you do what you do before you do it. Nothing gets past the Lord, He sees all, hears all, and knows all.
Reminders for those in ministry:
1. Ministry will be hard; persevere. 2. People will be difficult; endure. 3. Sin will haunt you; kill it. 4. Joy will elude you; fight it. 5. Christ will always love you; rejoice in it.
You don’t HAVE to go to church.
We GET to go to church.
There’s definitely a difference.
Sin can overflow lives until there seems to be no hope. Yet, the Scriptures boldly declare that the grace of God is greater than the most terrible, the aggravated sin of man. Yes, even when sin is abounding, grace can eventually abound "much more."
Give me one hundred preachers who fear God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.
~John Wesley~
We live at the time in the only time in human history in which it is possible for a universal ‘mark’ to identify every person on Earth. That by itself should stun you.
Man's problems are a result of his relationship with Adam, who fell into sin and rebellion. God's remedies are found in a new relationship with Jesus Christ. As we have seen, all of humanity begins life ruled by a tyrant dictator called death.
God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible – what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves.
~A.W. Tozer~
True saving peace loves to be examined, is willing to be examined, it loves to be tried.
But false peace, cannot endure examination, it flies from the light, and it does not love to be tried.
—William Bridge
Over 400 times, the Bible affirms, “thus says the Lord.” We cannot improve upon what God has said.
Ignorance of the Bible is the root of all errors. Knowledge of the Bible is the best antidote against modern heresies. -
JC Ryle
Jesus doesn’t promise you an easy life, He promises you eternal life.
"Let the Bible be your standard classic— your last appeal in matters of contention." — Charles Spurgeon "The longer you live, the more powerful you will find the gospel to be." — Charles Spurgeon
"The Bible is the writing of the living God; each letter was penned with an Almighty finger." — Charles Spurgeon "The worldly man believes all philosophy except the true one." — Charles Spurgeon "Nothing can satisfy the entire man but the Lord's love and the Lord's own self." — Charles Spurgeon "Many hours are spent with men, how many with your Maker?" — Charles Spurgeon
"Cast yourself simply on Jesus; let nothing but faith be in your soul towards Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon "I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen him." — Charles Spurgeon "Are you heavy of heart? Let God's sweet love lighten the burden." — Charles Spurgeon
"The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end." – Charles Spurgeon "Of two evils, choose neither." — Charles Spurgeon
What prayer most often changes is the wickedness and the hardness of our own hearts. R.C. Sproul The greatest weakness in the church today is that the servants of God keep looking over their shoulder for the approval of men. R.C. Sproul
“Unless we deny our own will, we shall never do God’s will.” — Thomas Watson
“We’re not doubting that God will do the best for us; we’re wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” - C.S. Lewis
“The Spirit who prepared the way under the old covenant for the coming of Christ and supplied Christ in his incarnation with the gifts necessary to fulfill his office as Mediator, also applies to the elect the salvific benefits that Christ earned for them.” — Brown and Keele Justification and sanctification are not the same. Yet for all that, they are never separated! — Thomas Watson
“We must recognize with Scripture that faith works through love, which means that the fruit of love and obedience flows from saving faith (Gal. 5:6). But we must also acknowledge faith alone saves, not the fruit of faith.” Fesko
“As a member of the triune Godhead, the Holy Spirit always acts in concert with the Father and the Son, and the Father and Son never act apart from the Spirit.” — Michael Brown and Zach Keele “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matt 6:9) “Our eyeing him as in heaven speaketh his power, our considering him as our Father speaks our faith in his goodness.” - Matthew Poole “Christ shall be the centre to which all the lines of my ministry shall be drawn.” — John Flavel
"DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME GETTING EVEN WHEN YOU CAN INVEST YOUR TIME INTO GETTING HEALED."
STOP WISHING FOR WHAT'S NEXT, AND ENJOY WHAT'S NOW! TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED TO ANYONE, ENJOY YOUR TODAY!
"BEFORE YOU ASK GOD FOR HEALING, MAKE SURE YOU'RE FINALLY READY, WILLING AND ABLE TO GIVE UP THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS THAT KEEP MAKING YOU SICK."
I KNOW IT'S A HARD DECISION, BUT IT'S ONE YOU MUST MAKE. SOME OF YOUR FRIENDSHIPS ON LIFE SUPPORT...ARE PAST READY FOR YOU TO PULL THE PLUG!
DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE, GOD WAS THE ONE WHO SERVED THEM THEIR EVICTION NOTICE!
GOD GAVE YOU A GIFT OF 86,400 SECONDS TODAY. HAVE YOU USED JUST ONE OF THEM TO TELL HIM "THANK YOU?", OR ARE YOU WAITING UNTIL THURSDAY?!
THERE'S NEVER A REASON TO BE JEALOUS OF YOUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN CHRIST. WHAT OUR FATHER GIFTED ONE OF US WITH, HE DIDN'T INTEND TO GIFT THE SAME TO ALL OF US. SO, LEARN TO BE CONTENT
“If the gospel is old news to you, it will be dull news to everyone else.” ― Kevin DeYoung
When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude. G.K. Chesterton "Take no truths upon trust, but all upon trial." -Thomas Brooks.
Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. —Psalm 119:11 Either a man forgets the words or hath lost his affection to it, before he can be drawn to sin. —Thomas Manton, Works 6:102 I, being a great sinner, comfort myself in a great Savior. When I look upon myself, I see nothing but weakness and emptiness; but when I look upon Christ, I see nothing but sufficiency and fullness. —Westminster Divine William Gouge (1575-1653), Lives of the Puritans , 3:169
The Truth has not changed. Do we believe it, have we been gripped and humbled by it, and then exalted until we are 'lost in wonder love and praise'? - Martyn Lloyd-Jones
There is no lack of power in God, to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. -Jonathan Edwards - The more we are given to discern the ineffable glory of the Lord, the more will our self-complacency wither. -A.W. Pink -
Joy is the serious business of Heaven. C. S. Lewis
“If I do not see my way through a text, I cannot preach on it, because I know I cannot be simple; and if I cannot be simple, I know I had better not preach at all.” - J.C. Ryle
"Don't let Satan make you overwork - and thus put you out of action for a long period." -Charles Simeon.
Let my name die everywhere-let even my friends forget me-if by that means the cause of the blessed Jesus may B promoted -George Whitefield - Martyrs are men who know what they believe. -Martyn Lloyd-Jones -
"Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God."— Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
"Abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections."— Sinclair B. Ferguson
"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."— Peter Marshall
"Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon."— John Piper
the need for intercessory prayer for one another. "Therefore we also pray always for you." The following terms remind us of what to pray about: "that our God would count you worthy of this calling." God counts us worthy to be His children and His servants on the basis of faith, not performance: "not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:9). The following words from our present text also indicate that true faith in the Lord results in proper performance: "and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power." God wants to develop in us the good things that His own goodness desires for us. Of course, He desires godliness for us. He accomplishes this by "the work of faith with power."
The grace of God here is connected with the phrase "much more." What a grand description of His grace-the "much more" grace of God! God's grace is "much more" than forgiveness. It is "much more" than new birth. It is "much more" than we have yet understood. It is "much more" than we have ever yet experienced. Here, we see it is "much more" than sufficient to deal with the devastating effects of sin in the lives of the children of Adam.
Man's problems are a result of his relationship with Adam, who fell in sin and rebellion. God's remedies are found in a new relationship with Jesus Christ. As we have seen, all of humanity begins life ruled by a tyrant dictator called death. "By the one man's offense death reigned through the one." However, when people become related to Jesus Christ through faith, they can learn to reign in life by the "much more" grace of God.
Sin can overflow lives until there seems to be no hope. Yet, the Scriptures boldly declare that the grace of God is greater than the most terrible, aggravated sin of man. Yes, even when sin is abounding, grace can eventually abound "much more."
Dr. Caroline Leaf cites studies that prove, “DNA actually changes shape according to our thoughts.” She explains that the harmful effects of destructive DNA codes were “reversed by feelings of love, joy, appreciation and gratitude!”
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”— G.K. Chesterton
Forgiveness is for us as much as it is for our friends who hurt us.
Jesus not only forgave us, He gave us the road map for forgiving others. Do you have a broken friendship or one burdened with injury and offense? Who do you need to forgive? Who needs to forgive you? Pick up the phone today, ask the Lord for help, and ask that friend, “Can we talk?”
Feed your fears, and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will.
What anxious thoughts do you need to release today? Are you worried about tomorrow? Worried about your kids? Worried about work? Don’t be afraid. Just take His hand!
Holding onto the promises of God and reminding yourself of them is a sweet form of self-care. Give yourself the gift of remembering God’s goodness, what His Word says, and how much He loves you. Take a few moments today and practice the presence of God. Just enjoy Him, tell Him your heart, listen for His voice. He loves you!
What do you think about God being neither male nor female, but having the glorious attributes of both? Does the thought of God being like a loving mother comfort you? Come share your thoughts with us.
God wants to be our hiding place. This means that God will protect the believer. What may happen to nonbelievers as they reap the consequences of their sin won’t happen to believers because they are seeking to live godly lives.
We need to obey God. We need to commit the nonbelievers in our lives to the Lord. If they’re going to come to Christ, they won’t come to Him through our compromise. In fact, it will drive them away.
Some people have believed in Jesus, but they haven’t gone very far from their old lives. They’ve stayed close enough for the enemy to still have a foothold. They are still influenced by ungodly friends and things that have dragged them down. They are still engaged in a lifestyle they should have repented of long ago.
Comments