The heart of the matter is relationship
The Ten Commandments divides all of life into two categories: our relationship with God and our relationship with people. The first four commandments represent the vertical plane; the next six, the horizontal plane.
“Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t matter.” Tim Kizziar
Part of the Sanctification processes is dieing to self and letting the Lord have full reign over our bodies. Paul said for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. The old saying is Let Go And Let God comes to mind but let us not forget that God has given us grace.
A blessing is not always easy, painless, simple, comfortable or expected. A blessing often comes, wrapped in the mystery of darkness. But I am learning this truth - anything that makes us cry out to God can be counted as a blessing. Why? Because when we are desperate and in pain, when we have no answers and the darkness is closing in, we cry out to God, just as the disciples did - and He comes! Not because we have earned His presence or His mercy, but because we cried out with a tiny seed of faith, as His children, knowing He is not only able, but willing to come.
Choose your relationships wisely
Being alone will never cause as much loneliness as the wrong relationship!
If God has fit you to be a missionary, I would not have you shrivel down to be a king.
-Charles Spurgeon
"Forget all the reasons why it won't work, and believe the one reason why it will"
"Life is short. There is no time to leave important words unsaid" ~ Paulo Coelho
His name is Shaddai, God All-sufficient. Our hearts have often had most delightful communion with Him; through Him our soul has found her glorious Husband, the Lord Jesus; and in Him this day we live and move and have our being. Let us, then, dwell in closest fellowship with Him. Glorious Lord, constrain us, that we may never leave You but dwell by the well of the living God.
If we are not willing to remember the past we will be condemned to repeat it....
The welfare of a nation is directly related to the worship of that nation.
Any man who spits into the wind, spits into his own face~ Benjamin Franklin
Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever.
Thomas Jefferson
God loves us just the way we are but He loves us to much to let us stay that way!
Love demands accountability, submission,and surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ...
Jesus did not call consumers He calls followers......
Fasting is the greatest channel of power and impact.
Prayer and Fasting is not an if but when? It should be Spiritually led and Spiritually directed because it is Spiritually expected.
Fasting is never to be an outward show but an upward reward!
J. B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians l:19-20, “How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God.” When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us.
I believe the spiritual side of our lives really does matter. To believe otherwise is to define persons as little more than animated protoplasm hopelessly going about our routines. If we do possess a soul capable of living beyond our lifetimes, then the seeds we plant in this life will yield fruit forever.
-- Mike Huckabee
Faithfulness to God is our first obligation in all that we are
called to do in the service of the Gospel.
~Iain H. Murray~
Jesus gives the invitation in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.”
To know God is to receive his invitation. Not just to hear it, not just to study it, not just to acknowledge it, but to receive it. It’s possible to learn much about God’s invitation and never respond to it personally.
If we are walking in the flesh and trials come upon us, they are going to cripple us. But if we are trusting in the Lord and walking closely with Him, even in the pain, there is a peace that passes all understanding that comes with the knowledge of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
“Make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you.” – Jim Rohn
"Respect talk works with your son because it meets the ingrained need for respect deep in his spirit. Yes, you love him, but the best way to communicate your love is show respect to the very spirit of your son, a spirit precious to God."
If a man says he is a Christian but has no love,
he is simply deluding himself.
~Geoffrey Thomas~
Let us learn to live in the presence of the living God; let us ask the Holy Spirit that this day, and every other day, we may sense, "God, You see me." May the Lord be as a well to us, delightful, comforting, unfailing, springing up unto eternal life. The bottle of the creature cracks and dries up, but the well of the Creator never fails; happy is he who dwells at the well and as a result has abundant and constant supplies at hand.
Advertising bombards us with the message that life is all about me, it is all about now. Such messages may sell products and services, but they will cause us to sell our souls if we follow this philosophy.
I believe the spiritual side of our lives really does matter. To believe otherwise is to define persons as little more than animated protoplasm hopelessly going about our routines. If we do possess a soul capable of living beyond our lifetimes, then the seeds we plant in this life will yield fruit forever.
Man lives in a world of darkness until God’s light shines into his heart to show him the truth and love found only in Christ Jesus (I Timothy 2:4-5). It is then that the Lord becomes your sun, the source of blessing. When you walk in faith, He is all you need. He is your provision and your protection.
In a world where we are constantly tossed about by one storm or threat after another, we need something to guard our minds’ destructive thoughts, and to keep our hearts at rest, and God’s Word promises us that His peace will do that.
Pastor Ray Bently
We are fit for the work of God only when we have wept over it, prayed about it, and then we are enabled by Him to tackle the job that needs to be done.
~Alan Redpath~
Everyone on this planet faces hardships in life. Everyone faces difficulty. But Christians have the hope that no matter what, God will see us through. That is the great message resounding from the lions’ den. God will be with us in the midst of our adversity and difficulties.
Greg Laurie
"As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plan of life."—O.C
Christianity is a belief that goes beyond head knowledge and doctrinal study; it is a belief that when it is genuinely adhered to, it is active and engaged.
Gary Malkus Jr.
some believe the Devil is some made up
the personification of evil, and he no more real than the
tooth fairy.
On the other hand, there are some churchgoers who
are so fascinated with the devil and evil spirits it
consumes their lives.
I pray I never forget, on my best day, that I need GOD as desperately as I did on my worst day.
Nowhere in the bible does it encourage believers to wait or look for the antichrist, it encourages us to look for Christ, Christ only it says in the bible I've got. So we are waiting for the blessed hope and NOT for the antichrist!!!
"The blood of Jesus, in the virtue of it, in the merit of it, and in the power of it, is as fresh this day, as in the day it was shed on the cross." -Robert Traill.
The hour is daily drawing nearer when the reality of our Christianity will be tested, and it will be seen whether we have built on ‘the rock’ or on ‘the sand. -
JC Ryle
The Christian reflex to turn to the Bible is always right.
If you call yourself a Christian and you hate Israel then you read a different Bible! Blessed are they that bless you and cursed are they that curse you.
"God often gives us an inner conviction or prompting to confirm which way He wants us to go. This prompting comes from the Holy Spirit."
Billy Graham
Jesus doesn’t save you, then put you in charge. He is Savior AND Lord.
The best “apology” for the gospel is to let the gospel out. Never mind defending Deuteronomy or the whole of the Pentateuch. Preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will soon drive away all his adversaries.
Charles Spurgeon
Jesus asked the disciples, who do you say that I am? They began telling Him what everyone else thought and He asked them but who do you say that I am.
Never mind what everyone else thinks.
Who is Jesus to you?
This life, therefore, is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise.
Martin Luther
There are no men so prone to conceal their own wickedness, as those that are most forward to proclaim their own goodness.
—Puritan Thomas Brooks, Works 3:40
‘The wind of pride is the life and soul of error; it is the element in which it moves and breathes’.
– William Jenkyn
Recently I was speaking to a man about his relationship with Jesus. He said, "Jesus and I are really tight. I pray a lot." I asked, "What do you pray about?" He said, "About every decision I make." "Wow, that's great!" I then asked, "What decisions has He influenced the most for you?" He couldn't think of one. As I asked more questions I found out he rarely opened the Bible, and his prayers were more of a wish list than a genuine willingness to seek God's will (treating Jesus as if He were a genie in a bottle). As a result, there was a little reflection of Christ in his life and relationships. In other words, there was a lot of talk about Jesus, but no power. It didn't come as any surprise to me that he faced some serious problems -- most of which were self-inflicted. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:18-20
Some of you have become arrogant as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
Is Jesus just lip service in your life or power?
God's grace is not only His willingness to forgive us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but it is also His resource for shaping and using our lives as believers.
“Nobody in the Bible ever retired.”
Biblical Love is an act of our will, not our feelings!
Let the past sleep, but let it sleep with Christ.
Oswald Chambers
All Love and a little faith will bring you your soul to the Father but all Love and more faith will bring the father to you. a rendition of from D.L. Moody..
KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!
Help people experience transformation through biblical application by systematic teaching of biblical principles found in the bible. And if eradication is necessary do it to glorify God.
“If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” ~ DL Moody
Courage is better than compromise
1. It's always right to do right
2. It's never wrong to do right
3. It's never right to do wrong
PMS= POOR ME SYNDROM!
You may not feel like forgiving, but that is where you ask for God's strength. Ask Him daily for help until you are able to offer forgiveness freely to yourself and others.
Often when someone hurts us, we blame ourselves. If we had been a better person, done something differently, or spoken more assertively we could have avoided what happened. Right? Wrong! Pressing shame and blame upon ourselves is not conducive to freedom and healing.
Stand firm in His freedom that releases you from shame. Because of His sacrifice on the cross you are free! To move past your past you must walk through it to move beyond it.
forgiveness leads to freedom and is possible because Christ's death on the cross set us free.
Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing's shadow. When the sunlight of God's mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain. Or, to use another illustration, when God piles up a hill of mercies, He Himself shines behind them, and He casts on our spirits the shadow of prayer, so that we may rest confident, if we are much in prayer, that our pleadings are the shadows of mercy.
Prayer makes the darken'd cloud withdraw;
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
Gives exercise to faith and love;
Alistair Begg
Until the Second Coming of Christ, we are to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit and seek the empowering of the Holy Spirit, as we read and study the Word of God. At this time, we will only see in part, as God reveals His plan through the gifts of prophecy, the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge.
What amazing promises God gives us in His Word. I look forward to being in the presence of Christ and knowing fully His plans for me.
When Christ comes again, the remains of ignorance shall be
rolled away.
~J. C. Ryle~
His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of his presence may falter, but the reality of his presence never changes!
From Just Like Jesus~ Max Lucado
Write down the names of five people you want to stay in touch with most. Regularly connecting with your most significant people is healthy – and it will make you happy.
"If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then the world is yours and all that's in it." — Rudyard Kipling
Many people believe that events control their lives and that their circumstances have shaped who they are today. It's not true. It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but how we respond to those events, what we think they mean, and whether challenges trigger the "giving up" reflex in us or motivate us to hang tough and keep fighting.
USE THE PRODUCT, SHARE THE PRODUCT, AND TEACH OTHERS TO DO THE SAME THING IS DISCIPLESHIP.
God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.
Faith is destroyed when we let fear inside. Fear handicaps our mind and it cripples our actions. Fear robs our faith. But time and time again, God shows us through His Word that He desires for us not to live in fear.
When you start feeling the pressures of life, ask the Lord for His strength and the Holy Spirit's enabling to cast that fear aside.
“The amount you laugh in your relationships with others is the true measure of the health of your personality.”
— Brian TracY
After you frame a house, it's awfully hard to add a room. The same applies to creating a business. Do your due diligence before you start.
“He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.”
— Henry Ford
“Whatever you believe with emotion becomes reality. You always act in a manner consistent with your innermost beliefs and convictions.”
— Brian Tracy
“Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.”
— Henry David Thoreau
“Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret—curiosity, confidence, courage and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.”
— Walt Disney
Life's challenges are not meant to break you. Life's challenges are meant to mold you, refine you and make you into all you were intended to become. Keep the faith. Stay positive. The best is still ahead!
To be saved by grace is to be saved by Him—not by an idea, doctrine, or church membership, but by Jesus Himself
The blood of Christ is the seal of the testament.
~Henry Smith~
The more money you have, the easier it is to trust money -- not God. The more power you have, the easier it is to trust your own power -- not God's. But the more you grow to know and love Jesus, the easier it is to trust Him.
Mike Macintosh
If God is your partner, make your plans BIG!” D.L. Moody
It is the best and truest friend who honestly tells us the truth about ourselves even when he knows we shall not like it.
~R. C. H. Lenski~
The apostle Paul said, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify" (1 Corinthians 10:23). In other words, just because something is permissible for a Christian doesn't mean that you ought to do it. Maybe it could hurt you. Let's run as lightly as possible in the race of life.
Greg Laurie
Have you ever let Jesus pick you up? Are you too big and macho, too stubborn and strong-willed, or too independent for Jesus to reach down and care for you? Don't try to do life on your own, without His loving care. He wants to personally meet every need you have, and He wants to bless you.
No one on earth can encourage a husband quite like his wife. (And the same is true for wives and their husbands). We must remain mindful of that truth.
As a wife, you have access to your husbands heart unlike anyone else.
Holy Spirit you are welcome here come flood this place with your atmosphere.
When this is our prayer God will do what we least expect. When we are praying not my will thy will be done and mean it be ready for what He puts it front of you in your path.
In silent prayer, let go of the need to use words to approach God. Trust that you are fully seen and known by the One who is merciful, gracious, faithful, forgiving, and steadfast in love. (Richard Rohr)
Physical death can sometimes be a lot easier than denying ourselves the rights and privileges we think we deserve.
Marriage, friendship, work relationships, and yes, parenting — all require us to take a deep breath, swallow our pride, push our agendas aside, and yield to love and servanthood.
Ray Bently
Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue� a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.
We settel for the shadow rather live in the light.
Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.
C. S. Lewis
Every temptation is an invitation to do what is right.
God’s presence surrounds you everywhere. Take opportunities each day to stop and praise Him for who He is.
Christian learning isn’t based on religious feelings or even on speculating about “what would Jesus do.” Rather, it is based on knowing about the human Jesus, who was God Incarnate, and knowing this same Jesus personally, who invites us into a relationship with Him.
Bible studies that ask what you think, drive me crazy.
The word says it so it's done...
“In a day when believers seem to be trying to please both the world and the Lord (which is an impossible thing), when people are far more concerned about offending their friends than offending God, there is only one answer…Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him!” —Keith Green
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ can never be reduced to merely producing Christian character in ourselves or loving one another, as important as those things are. Being a disciple of Jesus means making other disciples because that is what our Lord has commanded us to do.
God’s sovereign purpose in this world is to create a redeemed people to worship and enjoy Him eternally, but He has chosen to accomplish that purpose through human beings.
Here I am, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; ... send me from all that is called comfort on earth; send me even to death itself, if it is but in Thy service, and to promote Thy Kingdom.”
~David Brainerd~
“Redemption is the liberation of man through Christ and the Holy Spirit from forces and thralldoms that hold him bound, individually and collectively.”—
John Mackay
When your great players are team players, everybody else follows their lead. The best team doesn’t always win – it’s usually the team that gets along best.
~John Maxwell~
What is the will of God? Simply, the will of God is that we believe and fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ and become more like Him. His will is to be obedient to what He has written in His Word. That is the will of God. Listen to Jesus. He told the multitudes that doing His will constitutes relationship: “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).
Raul Ries
“There should be a parallel between our supplications and our thanksgivings. We ought not to leap in prayer, and limp in praise.”
~C. H. Spurgeon~
God desires that we become amply engaged in good works, to glorify His name in the edifying of His people and the reaching of the lost. Although we are not saved by good works ("not of works, lest anyone should boast"-Ephesians 2:9), we are saved unto good works ("created in Christ Jesus for good works").
It is not needful to be on your knees all the time, but the heart should be on its knees all the time.
R.A. Torrey
May this generation grow discontent with only hearing about the ways that God worked in the past I’m tired of hearing: -Back in my day… -When I was younger… -Years ago…
LISTEN
If God worked in the past, He can work today!
If He showed up in your day, He can show up in mine!
He did! He does! He will. Always and forever!
God has no problems, only plans.
-Corrie ten Boom
Your sin nature is so utterly relentless, so entirely unyielding that even when you’ve resisted a temptation it seeks to convince you that you missed out on something by obeying God.
Darrell B. Harrison
"The God of the past has blotted out your sin.
The God of the present makes all things work for your good.
The God of the future will never leave you nor forsake you."
Charles Spurgeon
What is today a matter of academic speculation begins tomorrow to move armies and pull down empires. John Gresham Machen
We have His assurance that, although we may not see Him, He is always present with us, and that in His good time He will show us that His ears have never been deaf to our prayers John Calvin
I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. Martin Luther
God created the world out of nothing, and so long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us. Martin Luther
From the beginning of my Reformation I have asked God to send me neither dreams, nor visions, nor angels, but to give me the right understanding of His Word, the Holy Scriptures; for as long as I have God's Word, I know that I am walking in His way Martin Luther
My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen. Martin Luther
Light may seem at times to be an impertinent intruder, but it is always beneficial in the end. John Gresham Machen
Faith is indeed intellectual; it involves an apprehension of certain things as facts; and vain is the modern effort to divorce faith from knowledge. But although faith is intellectual, it is not only intellectual. John Gresham Machen
We need to hear the Gospel every day, because we forget it every day. Martin Luther
We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished. Martin Luther
Peace if possible, truth at all costs. Martin Luther
We do not become righteous by doing righteous deed but, having been made righteous, we do righteous deeds. Martin Luther
A Christian is never in a state of completion but always in a process of becoming. Martin Luther
The love of Christ reign in your heart through God’s love! He shall love you beyond measure, if you would only BELIEVE the gospel of grace, how that Jesus died for your sins and was buried, rising again. Jesus makes all things new!
Step out in faith friend. The Lord is with you! Right now. And forever.
Lord, teach us to pray in the Spirit, to pray without ceasing and to lose nothing of Thy will. AB Simpson
Just be humbled by the Lord. Stop fighting.
And so the nearer we come to Christ the more we are willing to be lost sight of in our fruit, and let others be more prominent, while we are the glad and willing witnesses of our testimony and hold up their hands by the silent ministry of love and prayer. AB Simpson
Since we have found Him good, faithful, true, kind, and tender, let us not think badly of Him now that we have come into difficult straits. Spurgeon
When you cannot rejoice in feelings, circumstances and states, “rejoice in the Lord,” and “count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations.” AB Simpson
Parents: If you put the things of the Lord first in your life and family, your kids will put the things of the Lord first in their lives.
The enemy of our souls is a liar. God will NEVER condemn you. Ever.
One touch of Christ is worth a lifetime of struggling. AB Simpson
Yes, we should pray. Yes, we should make our requests and petitions known to our Father. Yes, we should persevere in prayer. But we must also let God be God. Jon Courson
If a man lives in the flesh and serves the flesh, he is a child of the devil. That is pretty strong language, but it is what Christ said. Moody
God’s power still sets men free. Chuck Smith
Oh, for men God-possessed and self-surrendered grasping God’s great idea and pressing forward “for the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” AB Simpson
Grace makes us strong to bear trials, but we still have to bear them. Spurgeon
I pray that others see Christ shining in you, and that they are drawn by your testimony. May they experience the love of Jesus through your words and your actions, as you walk in the dynamics of the Spirit. Chuck Smith
Even in heaven, Jesus will bear the marks of Calvary to remind us that He loves us so much that He gave everything to see us through, to bring us Home. Jon Courson
Most believers…believe. We accept the truth of God’s existence, and we cling to the hope of His love. But there are times when faith is hard to grasp, hard to feel, and difficult to see. We wrestle with our mixed emotions. Ray Bentley
“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
“Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.” - C.S. Lewis
"Hold everything earthly with a loose hand; but grasp eternal things with a deathlike grip." — Charles Spurgeon
"We never sing praise to ourselves, we do not glorify ourselves." — Charles Spurgeon
"Holiness and happiness go together; where the one is found, the other ought never to be far away." — Charles Spurgeon
"No man who merely skims the book of God can profit from it. We must dig and mine until we obtain hidden treasure." — Charles Spurgeon
"May the Lord cause his Word to prove its power in us by its making us fruitful unto every good work to do his will." — Charles Spurgeon
"We must have the Word of the Lord. With this Word alone we can withstand the devil." — Charles Spurgeon
"You must be schooled in humility. When you are half-an-inch above the ground, you are that half-inch too high." — Charles Spurgeon
"Unless your hearts be deeply ploughed with genuine repentance, you may have some cause to suspect the reality of your conversion." — Charles Spurgeon
"Oh! How sweet in God's ear is the prayer of his people!" — Charles Spurgeon
"They are always safe whose entire dependence is upon the dear Redeemer." — Charles Spurgeon
"We can never be happy, restful, or spiritually healthy until we become holy." — Charles Spurgeon
"Care more for a grain of faith than a ton of excitement." — Charles Spurgeon
"Say much of what the Lord has done for you, but say little of what you have done for the Lord." — Charles Spurgeon
"A man is respectable for his character, not for the money he has in his pocket." — Charles Spurgeon
"We can never be happy, restful, or spiritually healthy until we become holy." — Charles Spurgeon
"Care more for a grain of faith than a ton of excitement." — Charles Spurgeon
"Say much of what the Lord has done for you, but say little of what you have done for the Lord." — Charles Spurgeon
"A man is respectable for his character, not for the money he has in his pocket." — Charles Spurgeon
"To believe is to give up self-reliance and to rely upon the Lord Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon
"Do you believe in Jesus? Then dismiss your fears, you shall be saved." — Charles Spurgeon
"I feel myself to be a lump of unworthiness, a mass of corruption, and a heap of sin apart from his almighty love." — Charles Spurgeon
"From every text in the Bible, there is a road to Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon
"Faith alone can bring us to see Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon
"Empty-handed sinners, all that you can possibly need is in Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon
"Do not look to human strength, but look to the abounding mercy of God in Christ Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon
"Teach the little ones the whole truth and nothing but the truth." — Charles Spurgeon
"If you have lived to bring one sinner to Christ, you have not lived in vain." — Charles Spurgeon
"Trying to earn salvation is insufferable pride. What does Jesus need of us?" — Charles Spurgeon
"Sound doctrine will never save a man unless he puts his trust in the Lord Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon
"Many in these days give up the substance of the gospel. May they learn better very soon!" — Charles Spurgeon
"To live entirely for the Lord is to live indeed, all else is mere existing." — Charles Spurgeon
"He is with us in our solitude, but there is one place where he is not: the empty tomb." — Charles Spurgeon
"No scene in sacred history ever gladdens the soul like the scene on Calvary." — Charles Spurgeon
"The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end." – Charles Spurgeon
"Prayer is breathing in the very air of heaven; and praise is breathing it out again." — Charles Spurgeon
A Christian without a Bible is a solider without a weapon. —Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 1:76
After conversion there is no sin that the heart of a Christian is more seriously, more frequently, more resolutely, and more perfectly set against than that which was once his beloved lust. —Thomas Brooks
Sanctification follows justification always. Joel Beeke
"If we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we have the Word of Christ that God will supply our needs." -C.T.Studd.
Saving grace makes a Christian as willing to leave his sin as a slave is willing to leave his galley, or a prisoner his dungeon, or a thief his bolts, or a beggar his rags. —Thomas Brooks
"Don't try to be profound and eloquent, seek to be clear and seek to be simple." -David Guzik
“I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.” - C.S. Lewis
Let all the “free-will” in the world do all it can with all its strength; it will never give rise to a single instance of ability to avoid being hardened if God does not give the Spirit, or of meriting mercy if it is left to its own strength. —Martin Luther
It is not possible to say too much about Christ. But it is quite possible to say too little about hell. -J.C. Ryle -
The church has many organizers, but few agonizers; many who pay, but few who pray -Leonard Ravenhill -
"The expositor's task is to preach the mind of God." —John MacArthur
A child of God may slip into a sin, as a sheep may slip into the mire, but he does not, nor cannot wallow in sin as the swine does in the mire. —Thomas Brooks
Now think of the joy of this fact. Our union with Christ is not only lasting, it is everlasting. - Charles Spurgeon
"The difference between the law and gospel does not at all consist in this, that the one requires perfect doing; the other, only sincere doing; but in this, that the one requires doing, the other, not doing, but believing for life and salvation." - Walter Marshall. GMS, 6
Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. Charles Spurgeon
The rainbow is a sign of God’s redeeming grace and mercy. The Hebrew word translated “rainbow” is properly translated “war bow.” Nick Batzig
..the voice of Jesus' blood pleads louder for you in heaven than all your sins can plead against you on earth. -Octavius Winslow -
...good works, which are the fruits of faith...cannot justify us...they follow after justification -George Whitefield -
Burk Parsons
You can't love Jesus and divorce yourself from his bride. If you truly love Jesus, you'll love his church and love to worship with the church.
Jesus is the Word that creates (cf. Ps. 33:6; John 1:1), the Word that propels God’s plan, and the Word that brings it to completion (Rev. 19:13). Abner Chou
Men are ready to anger, slow to mercy, quickly enflamed, and hardly appeased; but it is quite contrary with God. —Thomas Manton, Works 6:442
Sometimes backsliding is caused by laziness, manifesting itself either in the neglect or hasty performance of one’s morning, noon, and evening devotions. —Wilhelmus à Brakel, Reasonable Service, 4:163
Whoever does not meet with the congregation thereby demonstrates his or her arrogance. —Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians, 5:3
It is as natural for one that is born again to pray, as for the new-born babe to cry. —Thomas Boston
You are either saved or lost; there is no state between the two. -C.H. Spurgeon -
Man's thoughts ought to be governed by God's Word, and his ways regulated by God's revealed will. -A. W. Pink -
Holiness and conformity to God is the honour of our souls. - John Owen
We need more politicians like Dusty Deevers. Some of the legislation that he sponsored may not pass this time around, but it is refreshing to see him doing what he said he would. He is a man of integrity.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 but 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦, Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! —It is Well with my Soul (1873)
The biggest job in the world, is not running the White house, it's running God's house. -Leonard Ravenhill -
The strength of our faith can add nothing to it, nor can the weakness of our faith take anything from Him. -Horatius Bonar -
"For if one party drive away the other with great fierceness and cruelty, there is cause of desertion, and hee is to be reputed the deserter." –– William Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof, 1643, 109.
“…the commands of the Bible are the steering wheel, not the engine, to your growth. They are vitally instructive, but they do not themselves give you the power you need to obey the instruction.” — Dane C. Ortlund, Deeper, 50.
Sanctification is the desire and pursuit of becoming like the One we love. Jason Helopoulos
We do not understand this (spiritual desertion) to be an entire or a final desertion. That is impossible, due to God's immutable decree and election, Christ's atonement, the sealing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and all the sure promises of God. —Wilhelmus à Brakel
If we think someone out there is too unlovely to be loved, we should remember ourselves—who we were apart from God’s grace. Dr. Steve Nichols
The glory of the gospel is that when the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. —Martyn Lloyd-Jones
It's not what you did, but what you could have done if you allowed the Lord to work His will in your life. -A.W. Tozer -
There are three things which men never ought to trifle with, a little poison, a little false doctrine, and a little sin. -J.C. Ryle -
On #preaching: "If we must shorten our sermons ... the place to do this is at the inane beginning and not at the practical and profitable end. Preaching is not fencing: the sword must not be unsheathed and brandished; it must be driven home." - David J. Burrell, The Sermon p. 268
What God says is best, though all the men in the world are against it. John Bunyan
God has set all the angels in heaven wondering at this love. Augustine says, 'The cross is a pulpit, and the lesson Christ preached on it is love.' Oh the living love of a dying Saviour! - Thomas Watson
Radically ordinary hospitality is this: using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God. Rosaria Butterfield
It is certain that all men are untamed till Christ subdues them by the gospel. John Calvin
"All true progress is building on foundations laid in the past. Only by appreciating the past can we have a truly valid attitude toward the present, & only so can we build soundly for the future." -J.G.Vos.
"... assurance is to be the normal experience of every Christian believer and not simply the preserve of a few special saints who have been given extraordinary insight into their status before God." –– Carl Trueman, Crisis of Confidence, 109.
Go to God simply and entirely through Christ, breathing no name but the name of Jesus... -Octavius Winslow -
Other men may preach the gospel better than I, but no man can preach a better gospel. -George Whitefield -
Sometimes we wonder why we aren’t happy, why we make sinful choices, why we feel distant from God. Often it’s because we have small thoughts about God and magnified thoughts of ourselves, our wants, our rights, our accomplishments. Nancy Guthrie
“The process of sanctification is, in large part, fed by constant returning, ever more deeply, to the event of justification.” — Dane C. Ortlund, Deeper, 47-48.
...the godly generally believe that they are regressing. Well, let that be as it may, for that is nevertheless a sign that they have grown. —Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635-1711), The Christian's Reasonable Service, 4:152
There is nothing that you have done that can't be forgiven, because of what Jesus has done.
Christian young adults and teenagers are not the 'future of the church'. If they've been bought by the blood of Jesus and have the Holy Spirit; they are the church right now! Disciple them, equip them, and empower them to be the church... now!
ALWAYS MAKE WHAT JESUS DID FOR YOU BIGGER THAN WHAT PEOPLE DID TO YOU.
"YOU KNOW YOU'VE GROWN WHEN YOU CAN RECEIVE CORRECTION WITH GRATITUDE AND NOT ATTITUDE." (HEBREWS 12:7 "YOU MUST SUBMIT TO AND ENDURE CORRECTION FOR DISCIPLINE..." (AMPC)
NOT EVERYTHING IS MEANT TO BE DISCLOSED TO EVERYBODY. A LITTLE DISCERNMENT AND DISCRETION WILL KEEP YOU FROM ALOT OF DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISCOURAGEMENT!
“WHEN YOU PREACH, MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD...NOT JUST AN ECHO OF OTHER PREACHERS.”
PRUNING IS ALWAYS PAINFUL. BUT THE GROWTH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PROCESS IS ABUNDANT, BEAUTIFUL, FRUITFUL, AND HEALTHY.
ALWAYS REMEMBER, IF GOD HAS ALLOWED IT, IT WAS NOT CUT FROM YOU, BUT CUT FOR YOU!
BEFORE YOU SAY THE CHURCH HAS LOST HER FIRE EXAM YOURSELF AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT THE ONE WHO'S TURNED LUKEWARM!
LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROFITS AND PROPHETS. FAR TOO MANY TODAY ARE EITHER CONFUSING OR COMBINING THE TWO.
The church is like a river. If it gets wider instead of deeper it will lose its power. —Puritan Thomas Manton
“Secrecy is a liability in the mortification of sin.” Dr. James Coates
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