The Lord does not inform us of His will merely for our curiosity. Knowing God's will is to lead to living God's will:
John 13:3-15
Imagine the disciples' surprise when the Son of God put Himself in the role of a lowly servant and knelt to wash their feet. The need for such a service was great, as they had been traveling for some time. But not one of them offered to do it.
Jesus did more than fill a need; He offered an object lesson. As He explained, "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" (John 13:15 nlt). Some churches have incorrectly interpreted this as a command to make foot washing an ordinance. But it's possible to clean someone else's skin without contemplating the significance of Christ's actions.
In fact, the act itself is not the main point; attitude is what counts. Jesus desires that we be willing to humble ourselves to serve others.
Jesus Christ is the final, completion, summative and total word. For 1,500 years, God’s Word came through the patriarchs and prophets. Thirty-nine Bible books resulted.
Our answer to life problems need to be the word...
If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to Him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ's desires and motives and plans of action, and you are likely to be favored with His company. Abide in him and He in you.
Where there’s no assurance of salvation, there’s no peace. No peace means no joy. No joy results in fear-based lives. Is this the life God creates? No. Grace creates a confident soul. His love isn’t contingent on your own. Do you find such a promise hard to believe?
The Son of God became a man, to enable men to become son’s of God. – C.S. Lewis
Success at all cost. Becoming a legend in one’s own time. Climbing the ladder. King of the mountain. Top of the heap. We call it blind ambition!
We make heroes out of people who are ambitious. We hold them up as models for our kids. And rightly so, for this world would be in bad shape without people who dream of touching the heavens. Ambition is a gift in the soul which creates disenchantment with the ordinary.
But left unchecked it becomes an insatiable addiction to power and prestige. The husband who feeds his career with twelve-hour days, the social-conscious mother who never misses a chance to serve on a committee. “It’s all for a good cause,” she fools herself.
Blind ambition. Distorted values. God won’t tolerate it. Blind ambition is a giant step away from God and a step closer to catastrophe!
From God Came Near
Satan, as in his first temptation, is on the losing side.
~William Gurnall~
God never intended for us to do this life alone. He gave us His Spirit and His Son. But He also gave us the church -- Christian brothers and sisters to support us in our times of weakness and distress. Who could you call upon today? Have you cultivated your own Aarons and Hurs? It takes an investment of time and energy. And it's not a one way street. We must also support our friends during their time of need as well.
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
— Benjamin Franklin
“Poor or fuzzy communications are major time-wasters. Take the time to be crystal-clear in your communications with others.”
— Brian Tracy
“There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it.”
— Dale Carnegie
"It's important to remember that most people spend more time in their business than they do with their children, or with their spouse. For most business owners, the business is just an extension of their identity. So when we can help people make a shift or a dramatic change in their own psychology, that spills over to impact their business and every other area of their life."
"Whatever Christ has done, He has accomplished for the whole body of His Church." -Spurgeon
O.K., Christmas is over, now we can all go back to the wars of life. Focus, focus, focus-never accept defeat -push hard for total victory!
How divinely supreme is our Lord above all others!
~D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones!
Time and time again, though, God shows us through His Word that He desires for us not to live in fear... but faith. As children and joint-heirs with Jesus, we can have the same peace He brought to the wind and the sea. You see, He came to give us peace with Him (Romans 5:1). No fiery dart from the enemy can keep that peace out of your life. Don't let fear inside your heart. When you start feeling the pressures of life, ask the Lord for His strength and the Holy Spirit's enabling to cast the fear aside. Jesus' words weren't directed to the wind and the waves; He was commanding the devil to stop! And when Jesus spoke those words, the winds and sea immediately obeyed. You see, the devil may be the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), but Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15)!
Today, let Jesus Christ fight the battles in your life. Jesus not only shows us here His power over the wind and the sea, but also His authority over the devil! Put your complete trust in His awesome power. And when you do, you will see a calmness come over you and over all the circumstances in your life.
Let us remember to pray for our children and never stop just because they know the Lord.
In a time when our world and many of its leaders seem to operate in the realm of delusion instead of reality, it is good that we have a source of wisdom that will keep us from falling prey to their delusions.
Through His word, God calls us to lives of continual prayerfulness. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus also calls us to this life of prayer, both by His teaching and His example. "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed" (Luke 18:1 and Mark 1:35).
We are to engage every issue of life every day in every way through Spirit-led prayer: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18). In addition to this extensive call to prayer, the word of God also gives us heavenly insight concerning the general content of our prayers.
Over and over and over again the prophecies about Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus’ life. No one could ever have accomplished that except the actual Messiah sent from God Himself! Because of that, we can know that He is the One and trust that because what was said about Him was true, what was said about the future is true, too! Hallelujah and amen!
He has come! We don’t need to weep over the lack of a new covenant, a new testament, or a new promise in the personhood of Jesus Christ! He came for you! Rejoice!
It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that they can be brought to a place of true conversion. The Spirit of God convicts them to bring about a lasting change. Sinners need to find room in their empty hearts for Jesus. May you find hope, peace, and salvation that can only be found in Christ.
Cling to the old-fashioned gospel and never turn away from it!
No one could see God, Jesus shows us the Father.
No one could approach God, Jesus tore the veil.
No one could touch God, Jesus touches us in our sins.
No one could reach God, Jesus bridges the gap.
Jesus came to take us to His Father.
As the light of the sun fills the world, so does God's goodness.
Jonathan Edwards
There’s no place for more comfort, hope, assurance, peace, and joy than in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Christ emptied Himself not by losing what He was, but by taking to Him what He was not.
Augustine
DR. Allen Redpath once said “you can be Born Again and have a wasted life”. I like that. God did not save you to be idle but he has called you out of the world to let your light shine in the world that many will see your good works and glorify our Lord Jesus. It does not take much but something as simple as a pat on the back to some one in the world can change the way they see. God is not asking everyone to go to far off lands to serve Him but we can serve Him right where we are. Our home, work, church, and anytime we get the opportunity to deny our self for another in Jesus Name.
We are not waiting for our credentials to be approved. No, by the blood of Jesus you are now a partaker of the inheritance. It's no wonder that Paul starts this statement by giving thanks.
Why not take some time today and let your Father know how thankful you are for His willingness to qualify you for Heaven?
If we are going to live by grace, we must relate rightly to the God of all grace: namely, by walking in humble dependence. Continual, Spirit-led prayer is the basic way to express humility and faith to the Lord. How fitting it is, then, to consider God's invitation to pray at the throne of grace.
As Christians, followers of Christ, we are called to do three things: pray, read the Word of God and come together in fellowship. All three of these things are important for spiritual maturity and growth. If we want to grow in our relationship with the Lord, we will not neglect any of these things and we will seek to come together for the better and not the worse.
Fellowship with Christians is for the sake of fellowship with
God.
~J. I. Packer~
As you celebrate the Christmas holiday, don’t allow anyone or anything divert your heart and mind from the eternal truth that no matter what you did or did not receive this year, no matter what you gave or were unable to give this year – God is your source. And that truth is not seasonal – it is eternal.
Jehovah Jireh: God is my Provider.
Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father's plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries—namely, each of us—were undeserving. God is holy and righteous, and He cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, He must separate Himself from those who are stained by wrongdoing. That includes all of humanity (Rom. 3:23).
Dr. Charles Stanley
When you let go of your past, God will open the door to your future.
We cannot expect the world to believe the Father sent the
Son, Jesus’ claims are true and Christianity is true, unless the
world sees some reality of the oneness of true Christians.
~Francis Schaeffer~
"The devil is in the details" and "elephants don't bite, but fleas do." There are no degrees of integrity. You have it or you don't. Being slightly dishonest may be a safe adventure for a time. But one day, inevitably, little details will be noticed and the piper will have to be paid. Your word is more valuable than a surety bond. What you are speaks so loudly, no one can really hear what you say. If what you do matches what you say, your life will speak forcefully indeed.
The Power of Habit
You may know me.
I'm your constant companion.
I'm your greatest helper; I'm your heaviest burden
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am at your command.
Half the tasks you do might as well be turned over to me. I'm able to do them quickly, and I'm able to do them the same every time,
if that's what you want.
I'm easily managed; all you've got to do is be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want it done; after a few lessons I'll do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great men and women; of course,
I'm the servant of all the failures as well.
I've made all the winners who have ever lived.
And, I've made all the losers too.
But I work with all the precision of a marvelous computer
with the intelligence of a human being.
You may run me for profit, or you may run me to ruin;
it makes no difference to me.
Take me. Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.
Be firm with me, and I'll put the world at your feet.
Who am I?
I'm Habit!
“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”
Norman Schwarzkopf
Here is the truth:
It doesn't matter what your intelligence is.
It doesn't matter what your current resources are.
It doesn't matter what you currently earn.
It doesn't matter what family you came from.
Nothing in your current circumstances matters in whether or not you can achieve your destiny! Nothing! Now, your current state may make it a longer or harder journey than someone else, but the possibility is always there no matter what your current circumstances are.
“Your incredible brain can take you from rags to riches, from loneliness to popularity and from depression to happiness and joy—if you use it properly.” – Brian Tracy
“A painter told me that nobody could draw a tree without in some sort becoming a tree; or draw a child by studying the outlines of its form merely... but by watching for a time his motions and plays, the painter enters into his nature and can then draw him.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Your mind is the greatest home entertainment center ever created. It requires contemplative silence to really discover who you truly are. You have immense talents, resources and abilities that are untapped.” – Mark Victor
“Each man had only one genuine vocation—to find the way to himself. His task was to discover his own destiny—not an arbitrary one—and live it out wholly and resolutely within himself. Everything else was only a would-be existence, an attempt at evasion, a flight back to the ideals of the masses, conformity, and fear of one’s own inwardness.” – Hermann Hesse
“There isn’t a ruler, a yardstick or a measuring tape in the entire world long enough to compute the STRENGTH and capabilities inside you.” – Paul Meyer
We must surrender ourselves to the authority of Holy
Scripture, for it can neither mislead nor be misled.
~Augustine~
f we are going to live by grace, we must relate rightly to the God of all grace: namely, by walking in humble dependence. Continual, Spirit-led prayer is the basic way to express humility and faith to the Lord. How fitting it is, then, to consider God's invitation to pray at the throne of grace.
what God began He will finish. I rest in His promise even when I struggle with my flesh from time to time. How are you doing today? Are you a little disappointed with yourself? Are you struggling? God has proven His faithfulness over and over.
Disobedience is the root of unbelief. Unbelief is the mother of further disobedience. Faith is voluntary submission within a person’s own power.
Alexander Maclaren
Robert Kiyosaki
A coach isn't your friend. A coach is there to push you beyond what you thought was possible or what you wouldn't do on your own.
The human perspective sees wealth as a blessing and poverty as a curse. God’s plan is much greater and uses both wealth and poverty to accomplish His will. We are to avoid the temptation to see wealth as God’s only blessing and instead be content in any and every circumstance, knowing that God’s blessings are not defined by our possessions in this world but are found in their fullness in a kingdom not of this world.
Don't put the cart before the horse.
"Be on time. Wasting other people's time due to poor planning and thoughtlessness will only leave a bad impression." - Think Like a Champion
Your "why," or purpose, behind a goal must be greater than money or material things.
"Sharing makes you bigger than you are. The more you pour out, the more life will be able to pour in." -- Jim Rohn
We have to go to where people are if we are going to reach them with the gospel message.
So often, it seems we are trying to "get away" from nonbelievers. We want to isolate when we ought to infiltrate. But that is your mission field:
The grumpy neighbor
That inquisitive coworker
Those unreceptive kids, and their mom and dad who don't yet know Jesus.
It would do us well to remember it wasn't all that long ago that we too were separated from God. I am just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food—not better than anyone, only better off.
God’s Never Failing Love
God will not let you go. The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you! He tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, or flee his thoughts.
You need not win his love. You already have it. He sees the worst of you and loves you still.
If we are going to live by grace, we must relate rightly to the God of all grace: namely, by walking in humble dependence. Continual, Spirit-led prayer is the basic way to express humility and faith to the Lord.
You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.
Some unbelievers are confused by us. They think there is a time in a Christian's life -- perhaps after twenty, thirty or forty years of walking with the Lord -- when there is nothing more to learn, no more errant sinful thoughts to squash out, no longer any point to keep on going to church. But we know better. It is the wise woman or man who understands that sin is always waiting for a lack of vigilance on our part. (1 Peter 5:8: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.")
It is important to understand God’s heart towards mankind is for good. He desires for everyone to rejoice at this good news; not one person has been excluded from the opportunity to find His peace and salvation through Christ.
The promises of Scripture will cause all of our heaviness to be lifted and our eyes opened.
God is always looking for men and women He can use. What has the Lord called you to do this New Year?
Sometimes, God will allow different situations in your life to happen. These events may take you on a difficult journey. It is important to stay committed to the Lord and believe His Word. Through your submission to His plans, even in the most arduous times, your faith will grow stronger. God is not done yet, be willing.
Belief is not faith without evidence but commitment without reservation.
~Leighton Ford~
Give me 100 people who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God; such alone will shake the gates of hell. John Wesley
It's very comforting to know that although we may look alone we are not.
“God with us” is eternity’s sonnet, is Heaven’s hallelujah, is the shout of the glorified, is the song of the redeemed . . . .
~C. H. Spurgeon~
It is important to understand that God’s heart towards mankind is for good. He desires for everyone to rejoice at this good news; not one person has been excluded from the opportunity to find His peace and salvation through Christ.
Give Jesus the gift that He wants––your heart, your soul, and your life.
By being in the Word (reading the Bible) we become familiar with the Lord -- we come to know Him -- so when He speaks to us we recognize His voice. Unfortunately, too many of us don't hear Him clearly because we're not familiar with His voice and as a result, we regularly are led astray.
Isn’t it ironic that all the while people today are seeking signs of God’s existence and His movement in the world, God is looking for faith? He wants you to seek Him, not signs. It may seem strange only days beyond the celebration of the birth of Jesus to talk about His death and resurrection. Yet, both are miracles essential to your personal salvation and to your ongoing faith.
Ray Ortlund
“We aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man”
Death to the wicked is the King of terrors. Death to the saint is the end of terrors, the commencement of glory.
~Charles Spurgeon~
Manger empty.
Cross empty.
Tomb empty.
Throne occupied for eternity!
By his own descent to the earth he has prepared our ascent to heaven. —
John Calvin
The gift we didn’t deserve, the gift we didn’t earn, but the gift that was freely given to us, bringing us peace and salvation. Thank you, Jesus.
Luke Lezon
Live for God's glory in 2024.
1. Rejoice in God (1 Chron 16:10).
2. Submit to Christ (Phil 2:9-11).
3. Pray expectantly (Jn 14:13).
4. Confess sins (Josh 7:19).
5. Obey God (2 Cor 9:13).
6. Grow in faith (Rm 4:20–21).
7. Live with a purpose (1 Cor 10:31).
Without God, morality is simply the product of sociobiological evolution and basically a question of taste or personal preference. For instance, rape may become taboo in the course of human development because it’s not socially advantageous, but it’s also conceivable that rape could have evolved as something that’s beneficial for the survival of the species. In other words, without God, there is no absolute right or wrong that imposes itself on our conscience. But we know deep down that objective moral values do exist —
The simple shepherds heard the voice of an angel and found their Lamb....
~Fulton John Sheen~
You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.
~John R. Rice~
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