God's Spirit works in every believer. He does not limit Himself to pastors and missionaries. If you've received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then residing within you is the same great power that raised Christ from the dead (Rom 8:11) The Holy Spirit pours His energy into creating godly character in all who follow the Lord.
Dr. Charles Stanley
Theological truth is useless until it is obeyed. The purpose
behind all doctrine is to secure moral action!
~A. W. Tozer~
God’s Image, Male and Female
The world looks for happiness through self-assertion. The Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment. "If a man will let himself be lost for My sake,' Jesus said, 'he will find his true self.' A Christian woman's true freedom lies on the other side of a very small gate -- humble obedience -- but that gate leads out into a largeness of life undreamed of by the liberators of the world, to a place where the God-given differentiation between the sexes is not obfuscated but celebrated, where our inequalities are seen as essential to the image of God, for it is in male and female, in male as male and female as female, not as two identical and interchangeable halves, that the image is manifested. -- Elisabeth Elliot
In business I served to get ahead. I serve Christ not to gain favor or special privileges, but out of love. I love Him because He first loved me. The result is I choose to submit to God's righteousness. Not because I have to. I want to.
Having a right heart before God gives you so much liberty and freedom to make right decisions. If you can open up the flood gates and just start laying it out to God, you would be amazed at what will happen inside of you. That is why the Bible says "Let no root of bitterness spring up within you" (Hebrews 12:15). Your bitterness ultimately defiles other people around you. And today, lurking in the corners of our hearts, there are sins that we have held onto.
A pastor was walking with his son along the beach. His son questioned his father's sermon from Sunday. "Dad, I can't understand how Christ can live in us and we can live in him at the same time."
The father noticed an empty bottle laying on the beach with a cork in it. He picked up the bottle, put some water in it, stuck the cork back in, and threw it into the ocean.
As they watched the bottle bob up and down in the ocean, he said, "Son, the sea is in the bottle and the bottle is in the sea. That's a picture of Christ being in you, and you being in Him."
Jesus–Born Crucified
Jesus’ death was not the result of a panicking, cosmological engineer. The cross wasn’t a tragic surprise. The death of the Son of God was anything but an unexpected peril!
Jesus’ death was part of a plan. A calculated choice.The cross was written into the script. It was no accident. Jesus was born crucified. Whenever he became conscious of who he was, he also became conscious of what he had to do. It explains the resoluteness in his words: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” (John 10:18). So call it what you wish. An act of grace. A plan of redemption. A martyr’s sacrifice. But whatever you call it, don’t call it an accident. It was anything but that! From God Came Near
It is the way of truth that real peace is found.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
There is no downtime for a leader; they never stop leading.
The educational process must inspire you and bring out your genius, not punish you for poor performance on a test.
"Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people succeed because they are determined to.
"Since my times are in Your hands, I am not tossed about on the ocean of chance." -Alistair Begg
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles. It is always the secure who are humble. There are a billion people in China. It's not easy to be an individual in a crowd of more than a billion people. Think of it. More than a BILLION people. That means even if you're a one-in-a-million type of guy, there are still a thousand guys exactly like you. Nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected.
If you stood alone, it would be presumptuous to hope. Because you are not alone, it is offence to tremble.
~Henry Law~
We ourselves... groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23
This groaning is common among God's people: To a greater or lesser extent we all feel it. It is not the groan of murmuring or complaint: It is a note of desire rather than of distress. Having received a deposit, we desire the rest of our portion; we are sighing that our entire manhood, in its trinity of spirit, soul, and body, may be set free from the last trace of the Fall; we long to discard the rags of corruption, weakness, and dishonor and to be clothed with incorruption, immortality, glory—the spiritual body that the Lord Jesus will bestow upon His people.
Alistair Begg
As Christians, we must rely on each other; we are to love and serve each other so that we can function as a unified body for the glory of God. But Satan thrives on separating us from each other; he is the ultimate divider of our relationships, our families, our communities, our nation, and our world. So, while we're here on earth until Jesus takes us home, don't allow Satan to separate you from your spouse or family. Satan is angry with you and will attempt everything he can to divide your home. Trust in the Lord and in His Word. Keep your time in prayer and in His Word the highest priority for your family. While a house divided cannot stand, the opposite is true: a house united, together with Christ Jesus, stands forever!
When we come home from a conference or retreat and the Lord has spoken to us so tremendously, Satan is waiting at our homes with some problem to discourage us and make us get our eyes off the Lord. Nothing promotes the activity of the devil more than the Christian’s proximity to God.
~John Blanchard~
When God uses a person, there is a sacrifice to make. It won't be an easy path, but it will be a fruitful one—and you will look back later in life and be glad that you took it. ~ Greg Laurie
Did God say,"When these things begin to happen. . FREAK OUT?"
No,He said,"When these things begin to happen LOOK UP for your redemption draws near."
We strive for many (good) things in marriage: happiness, unity, perseverance, and more. While those are all great things, they should never be our main pursuits.
They are not ends to be sought, but rather consistent by-products of a Christ-centered marriage.
May your primary affections be for Jesus, and your desire be to glorify him in all you do.
As you learn the depth of his love for you despite your imperfections, you'll have a glimpse of the grace that will forever transform how you love your spouse. This is the kind of grace we all need: grace that is unwavering, unshakeable, and inexhaustible. This is exactly the grace God gives us in Christ. This is the brand of love we all need: love that is sacrificial, selfless, relentless, and unconditional. That's the brand of love Christ showed us on the cross.
May the chief pursuit in your marriage be Christ, and may you flourish as his love and grace overflow into every area of your life.
When people are truly godly, they never boast of their devotion. They will not speak of what they have done for God. Rather, they will always speak of what God has done for them.
The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.
~Ralph W. Sockman~
Let the Christmas season remind you that God knows you completely and wants you to get to know Him.
Phrases such as, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” gives “good intentions” a bad connotation. “At least they had good intentions” usually isn’t a compliment. But good deeds begin primarily with a heart and mind set on doing God’s will. Despite the evil crime Joseph’s brothers committed by selling Joseph into slavery, the Lord intended it for Israel’s deliverance.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Intend to do good this holiday season by planning acts of kindness.
Jesus hung from a cross until He died. He came from the highest place of glory to one of the lowest points of humiliation possible.
Christ left the magnificent domain of heaven to come down to earth, to become a man, to suffer the death of a criminal – all for the benefit of others.
Patience is better than wisdom: an ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains… The disciples of a patient Savior should be patient themselves. Grin and bear it is the old-fashioned advice but sing and bear it is a great deal better… Impatient people water their miseries and hoe up their comforts.
-Charles Spurgeon
If you can't say, Yes, my sins are forgiven. Yes, my name is written in Heaven. Yes, my death has been defeated. And yes, my God has entered your world. Then except Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Are you in the place of saying, “God, this doesn’t make sense”? He is with you.
The picture may not be clear, but He is with you. He is calling you to be a Joseph today, an obeyer of His Word and His purposes for your life.
Confusion mustn’t rob our obedience.
I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.
~Isaac Newton~
No matter how dark the night is, you are never without hope when you trust in the Light of the World.
God's grace characterizes His word: "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace." This permeating presence of grace in the Scriptures is what makes God's word so able to effect godly changes in our lives:
"Faith is seeing light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness."
BE THE CYCLE BREAKER IN YOUR FAMILY AND YOU'LL CHANGE FUTURE GENERATIONS FOR GOOD AND FOREVER!
TELL YOURSELF DAILY: NO MATTER HOW HARD IT IS, OR HOW HARD IT GETS, I'M STILL GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH!
BE PATIENT WHILE THIS ALL PLAYS OUT. SOME OF YOU ARE LOSING YOUR MINDS OVER THINGS GOD HAS ALREADY WORKED OUT! HE'S GOT A PLAN, YOU JUST NEED TO TRUST HIS PROCESS!
First time Jesus came to earth, a few wisemen bowed before Him. When Jesus comes back again, every knee will bow before Him. First time Jesus came to earth, a few people in a town called Bethlehem knew about it. When Jesus comes back again, every tribe, tongue, and nation will know about it. First time Jesus came to earth, He payed for sin. When Jesus comes back again, He will do away with sin. First time Jesus came to earth, He came to make peace between God and mankind. When Jesus comes back again, He is coming to make war against all of those that oppose God. First time Jesus came to earth, He chose to receive a beating. When Jesus comes back again, He is coming to give a beating. First time Jesus came to earth, it was because He loves you. When Jesus comes back again, it will be because He loves you.
Sometimes, “hurt feelings” is actually the Holy Spirit convicting you. Don’t blame others for what God might be doing.
The same Bible that talks about God’s love is the same Bible that calls things sinful. We can’t boldly proclaim God’s love, then cower down on calling out sin. We don’t pick and choose what we believe about the Bible. We are called to trust all of it.
Every Christian may know that the day of his death is going to be his best day. Derek Thomas
Christianity is not about how to escape from the difficulties of life - it is about how to face the difficulties of life. Alistair Begg
Nothing in the Christian life is more important than forgiveness-our forgiveness of others and God's forgiveness of us. John MacArthur
The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived - not always looked forward to as though the "real" living were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow. Elisabeth Elliot
"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
"A stuttered gospel is no less powerful than an eloquent gospel, for the power lies not with the manner but with the message." - Jared C. Wilson
“The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self — all your wishes and precautions — to Christ.” - C.S. Lewis
“The gospel is declared in a sweet manner. 'I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God' (Rom. 12:1). The law comes with curses, but now in the gospel Christ is preached with sweet alluring.” — Richard Sibbes
The glory of the incarnation is that it presents to our adoring gaze not a humanized God or deified man, but a true God-man—one who is all that God is and at the same time all that man is: on whose mighty arm we can rest, and to whose human sympathy we can appeal. B. B. Warfield
“Unless the heart be transformed, the life will never be thoroughly reformed” — Matthew Henry
The realization that my daily relationship with God is based on the infinite merit of Christ instead of on my own performance is a very freeing and joyous experience. But it is not meant to be a one-time experience; the truth needs to be reaffirmed daily. - Jerry Bridges
“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” - Richard Sibbes
“We cannot afford to lose either the God in the man or the man in God; our hearts cry out for the complete God-man, whom the Scriptures offer us.” — B. B. Warfield
When thou openest the Bible to read, say ‘Lord, open mine eyes.’ —Thomas Manton, Works 6:170
“In your mercy and for the sake of your glory, we ask you to receive us into your grace by the forgiveness of our sins. Amen.” — John Oecolampadius
“… since the days of the early church, Christians have also observed a time in the church calendar for a more focused concentration on the second coming of Christ, known as Advent.” — Jonathan Gibson
“Because people are in a contrary state to Christ, to preach Christ we must first begin with the law, to show to people their state by nature… When people are convinced of this, they turn away from themselves and turn to Christ.” — Richard Sibbes
Long ago I ceased to count heads. Truth is usually in the minority in this evil world! Charles Spurgeon
We must never cease to pray for our children until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives. Charles Spurgeon
It is not your business to succeed, but to do right; when you have done so, the rest lies with God. C. S. Lewis
It was God’s Word that made us; is it any wonder that His Word should sustain us? Charles Spurgeon
Half our fears arise from neglect of the Bible. Charles Spurgeon
"God calls us to attentiveness. God calls us to spiritual-mindedness. God calls us to set our minds on things above. And to fear the Lord in this way is not to quake in our boots.” — Dr. Michael Allen
True and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of #God and of ourselves -John Calvin -
There are only two kinds of persons: those dead in #sin and those dead to sin. -Leonard Ravenhill -
#God writes the #Gospel not in the #Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars. -Martin Luther -
God has charged Himself with full responsibility 4 our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over management of our lives -Tozer -
#Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs. -Jonathan Edwards -
Christ is hated because sin is loved. Matthew Henry
“If God be not my portion, my soul can never enjoy communion with Him in this world; if God be not my portion, my soul can never be saved by Him in the other world.” - Thomas Brooks. An Ark for All God’s Noahs, Works 2:17.
"Forgive your enemies; good for evil is godlike." — Charles Spurgeon
The saints know that the least sin cost Christ’s precious blood; and therefore dare not think little of, or indulge themselves in any sin. Gospel purity leads a man to stand at a distance from sin. —Ralph Erskine, Works 1:356
"A Christian should be like Christ in his boldness. Never blush to own your religion." — Charles Spurgeon
Communion with God: to natural men it is a gloomy thing; but to believers this is the life of life, and that which is the joy of their hearts. —Puritan Thomas Manton, Works 6:161
"The church has been indebted to a prison for many excellent writings." -Matthew Henry.
"Care more for a grain of faith than a ton of excitement." — Charles Spurgeon
His love, flowing out of you, will provide blessings to others. No matter what your financial resources are, you will “do Christmas right.” May your deepest longings for the Lord be met this advent season. Ray Bentley
"Say much of what the Lord has done for you, but say little of what you have done for the Lord." — Charles Spurgeon
Guarded by omnipotence, the chosen of the Lord are always safe." — Charles Spurgeon
"If an anxious soul should find shelter and rest in the atonement of Christ, the prince of darkness will have lost it forever." — Charles Spurgeon
Oh, how necessary hope is! How we need it to sustain us. In a world that is falling apart, a world in which men’s hearts fail them for fear, how wonderful it is to have that hope in Jesus Christ. Chuck Smith
"If God has redeemed, he will save, depend upon it; the precious blood of Jesus shall never be shed in vain." — Charles Spurgeon
The great question is, How we are practically influenced by the word of God, as the ground of our hope, and as the governing rule of our tempers and conversation? - John Newton
“We cannot afford to lose either the God in the man or the man in God; our hearts cry out for the complete God-man, whom the Scriptures offer us.” — B. B. Warfield
"If you are asking for some kind of assuring word to soothe your fears, turn to the Bible, for there is in it the very word you need." — Charles Spurgeon
"The word of God should be so handled, that it may be adapted to Christians in different states and stages of the divine life." -Archibald Alexander.
"If your heart does not beat with love, your religion falls to the ground like a withered leaf in autumn." — Charles Spurgeon
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