“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” - C.S. Lewis
“The gospel is not a hotel to pass through but a home to live in. Not jumper cables to get the Christian life started but an engine to keep the Christian life going.” Dane C. Ortlund, Deeper, 47.
On the believer's worst day this thought can keep him from utter despair: Jesus Christ is my righteousness. — Tom Ascol
“We grow in Christ as we go deeper into, rather than moving on from, the verdict of acquittal that got us into Christ in the first place.” — Dane C. Ortlund, Deeper, 47.
Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life. Louis Berkhof
"... he appears the deserter not only who positively refuses a mutual living together, but also who demands intolerable conditions from the faithful [spouse]..." ––Theodore Beza (1519-1605)
Preaching the point of the text includes the tone of the text. Two mistakes pastors make: 1. Taking the teeth out of warning passages. 2. Putting teeth into comforting passages. Pastors are tempted to err on one side or the other... or both.
The dynamite in my hands is the infallible Word of the Living God. -Leonard Ravenhill -
If we are prizers of Christ, then we prefer Him in our judgments before other things. -Thomas Watson -
The Christian sits loosely to this world and its affairs. Why? Because he belongs to another kingdom. – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Yes, give thanks for all things for, as it has been well said our disappointments are but His appointments. -A.W. Pink -
There is nothing new in theology but that which is false, only the old is true, for truth must be old, as old as God himself. -C.H. Spurgeon -
"Because God is the living God, he can hear. Because he is a loving God, he will hear." — Charles Spurgeon
The Lord longs for your love. He wants to be first and foremost in your life. May God help us that we will be able to respond, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You supremely.” Chuck Smith
All things I thought I knew; but now confess, the more I know I know, I know the less. John Owen
Do not let memory fail because of the present crushing sorrow. May the Holy Spirit help your infirmities and bring His lovingkindness from past years to your memory. Spurgeon
God’s grace can thus raise the stony iron heart which has sunk into the mud of this world, and raise up affections naturally earthly, to things above. Matthew Henry
Just as it is true in the natural realm that the soul of the sluggard is desirous, but has nothing, since his hands refuse to labor; so it is in the spiritual realm. —Wilhelmus à Brakel, Reasonable Service, 4:154
"You consider sin a mere trifle, scarcely worth thinking about; but God regards it as an evil and an accursed thing." — Charles Spurgeon
The grace of God frees us from the penalty of our sin without any payment on our part. Christ has paid the debt, and all we have to do is to believe on Him for our salvation. Moody
Love is the most potent emotion and power in all of creation. Love motivated creation, forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life for mankind. Abundant love, when accepted gratefully, gives us abundant lives, full of purpose, meaning, sacrifice, and ultimate love. Ray Bentley
"Christ's eyes never slumber, his hands never rest, and his shoulders are never weary of carrying his people's burdens." — Charles Spurgeon
Killing sin 101: Be especially vigilant against your besetting sin — that chief sin — by which you are most frequently tempted and into which you most frequently fall, which will trigger all other sins and turn everything upside down. —Wilhelmus à Brakel, CRS 4:157
“The gospel…is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consisteth. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.” -Martin Luther
"Are you afraid of the earthquake? No, I rejoice to know that I have a God that can shake the world." — Charles Spurgeon
We indeed desire to be in an elevated spiritual frame, and to grow as a palm tree, but we are not willing to exert any effort— and thus we also do not receive it. —Wilhelmus à Brakel, Reasonable Service, 4:154
He who is of the opinion that he only needed Christ at the outset of his spiritual life and that he is now beyond that and thus leaves Christ alone, only focusing on holiness… has gone astray and regresses more than he progresses. —Wilhelmus à Brakel, Reasonable Service, 4:146
"There are some brethren who in preaching are as timid as mice; but on a political platform they can roar like lions." — Charles Spurgeon Pastors, live for the gospel (not politics)
What I need first of all is not exhortation, but a gospel, not directions for saving myself but knowledge of how God has saved me. John Gresham Machen
"In life or death, where Jesus is, there will we, his servants, be." — Charles Spurgeon
Out of His fullness we receive, and grace for grace, – like wave upon wave. Horatius Bonar
"Whatever our trials, all is well with us if God is our delight." — Charles Spurgeon
"Calvary is the birthplace of heaven." — Charles Spurgeon
Christ tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah will have a cold hell in comparison of those who have had the offers of a Saviour in the gospel, and yet have rejected him. —Ebenezer Erskine, Whole Works in 2 Volumes, 1:288
“GOD DOESN'T NEED A LOT TO DO A LOT. ALL DAVID HAD WAS FIVE STONES. AND ALL DAVID USED WAS ONE.”
A BAD CHAPTER doesn't stop it from being a GOOD BOOK!"
As the wicked are hurt by the best things, so the godly are bettered by the worst. —William Jenkyn
Outwardly an unconverted person can perform whatever a godly person performs. The distinction is as great, however, as the difference between the artificial motion of a watch and the motion of a living being. —Wilhelmus à Brakel
The question will not be whether you are of this or that [denomination], but whether we are really sanctified, and do adorn the gospel, and walk worthy of the calling wherewith we are called, and do so know and love God in Christ as to live to him — Puritan Thomas Manton
The church is like a river. If it gets wider instead of deeper it will lose its power. —Puritan Thomas Manton
I believe one of the weaknesses of the body of Christ worldwide is that very few are really exhausted from eliminating the enemy from their lives, their families, and their churches. In fact, I doubt that many are truly still in pursuit, chasing the enemy down. Our spiritual senses have become dulled and we've given up the fight to be in the world but not of it.
God's grace impacts humble, trusting hearts in such a manner, imparting all that is needed for effective service. "That you, always having all sufficiency in all things…." Whenever we place our dependence in the Lord, He supplies everything that is necessary ("all sufficiency") for everything He would have us to do ("in all things").
once you know it your held accountable to it.
You can't tell the enemy to get out, at the same time you're opening the door to let him back in.
There is not one person who's good enough to enter heaven on his or her own merit. Every one of us needs Jesus. The stain of sin is washed clean only by the sacrifice of God's holy and blameless Son. Those who believe in Christ are forgiven their wrongs and cloaked in His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
The promise of God is to heal us, whenever, however, wherever is according to His sovereign plan.
Jer 7:23 "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'
There use to be a moral obligation to feel shame. Now it has been replaced with not wanting to hurt ones self esteem and pass the buck.
The life of an honest man is an oath.
~Richard Sibbes~
"The lazy-bones of our
orthodox churches cry, 'God will do his own work'; and then they
look out the softest pillow they can find, and put it under their heads,
and say, 'The eternal purposes will be carried out: God will be
glorified.' That is all very fine talk, but it can be used with the most
mischievous design. You can make opium out of it, which will lull
you into a deep and dreadful slumber, and prevent your being of
any kind of use at all."
Charles Spurgeon
We must remember that no marriage is perfect. No relationship is without struggle. And we are not alone when we experience difficulty. If we assume we're alone, we isolate ourselves which will only compound the problem.
If we are pro-life we need to be pro-life with our OWN lives as well. If we have been diagnosed with a medical condition that requires us to do OUR part, we must value the gift of life and make life changes that demonstrate that we are PRO-LIFE!
God has given us the power now to make choices that rise above the natural desires of our flesh.
Today sit with someone, listen to someone, eat with someone, share Jesus with someone, cry with someone, celebrate with someone. Who knows, your invitation might just be the beginning of their transformation. If we say we love God we will love what God loves, and that is people.
May we be known not just for seeing people, but hearing people. There are so many amazing stories around us each Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Stories of Victories and Defeats. Stories of Brokenness and Wholeness. Stories that seem Small but are very Significant. Hearts are open when our ears are open.
It is hard to reach a heart if you are always in a hurry.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” —Corrie ten Boom
Sometimes we need to be careful with people whose theories contradict the simplicity of the Gospel message. In the case of "soul sleep", I will rely on what the Lord has said in His Word. And He didn't intend His description of the after-life to be any clearer. The real question is: Are you prepared to be at home with the Lord?
We need to be very careful with how much weight we give to any revelation that comes to us from outside the Bible. Why? Because it is inherently unreliable. Any out-of-body or near-death experience, like the Apostle Paul's, should be treated the same way as we do dreams -- they are unexplained phenomenon, but don't provide truth.
the only source of absolute truth is the Word of God. (John 17:17: Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.)
“The self-sufficient do not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No man is greater than his prayer life.” —Leonard Ravenhill
Social media can be used for good, but it can also suck away the energy and time that should be devoted to others – including your time with the Lord.
The darkness will not destroy you, it will only develop you.
In our darkest hour we can sing our loudest Hallelujahs.
God did not bring the children of Israel to the Red Sea to drown them, but to deliver them.
Do not exit out of your own exodus. Stand still. God fights for you!
Weddings are amazing celebrations of love and devotion in front of God and those you love most. Many couples, however, don't anticipate what's in store for them after the wedding...after the honeymoon...and after the first year they're married.
What does love cost? It costs pride, time, effort, selfishness, and so much more. But that's the beauty of real love: it's a choice you can make even when you feel like doing the opposite. You can always choose to give love.
Sin ushers in confusion. Mental and emotional torment can come from living lives that contradict how God designed us to live.
As Christians, we have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. There are weaker Christians who could be stumbled by the things we do, especially our children because they learn by example. We need to be blameless in our lives before them. If our children are stumbled, then whose fault is it? It is our fault because we did not listen to the Holy Spirit.
The most powerful witness you can give the world is your personal testimony and how you live it.
"Go, send, or disobey!" (John Piper
It’s a great day!
You are loved.
You are called.
You are chosen.
And God has a special plan for your life.
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country." I think this is an appropriate position for us to hold in prayer to our Father in heaven as well, "Lord, what do You want to do?" Then, "What would you have me do?"
Our duty is found in the revealed will of God in the Scriptures. Our trust must be in the sovereign will of God, as he works in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives for our good and for his glory.
~Jerry Bridges~
“We both believe and disbelieve a hundred times an hour, which keeps faith nimble.” —
Emily Dickinson
Sometimes our effort to be “good” backfires. Our sense of our own goodness can keep us from receiving God’s mercy and grace. The truth is, we’ll never be good enough for God.
When we acknowledge that we might also miss Jesus by a mile sometimes, this reminds us to be humble and to rely on God for spiritual guidance in all things.
Mark Roberts
Our culture values strength and invulnerability. However, Christ calls us to the practice of vulnerability and transparency.
Because God is with us, we can worship and engage with God in the midst of our daily work.
I know I do!
The world is getting darker by the hour. These "final days" won't turn into years. This could be your last call. You're either in Christ or you're out. There is no neutral place. Take that step of faith and come to Him - believing! He's waiting for YOU!
At some point, it won't matter what your opinion of Jesus is anymore. The Bible says that "every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord". We pray that you can believe and come to Him.
"The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end."
– Charles Spurgeon
No man grows to be a perfect Christian by lying on the bed of a sloth. GET UP!
Because Jesus Christ has loved us at our worst, we can love others at their worst.
The world cannot, and never could, satisfy a hungry soul. The Lord Jesus can.
D. L. Moody
Where there is no renewed love for the Scripture — preached, heard, applied, obeyed — there is no revival.
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance and, if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.” - C.S. Lewis
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