The new life that allows us to start out with God comes through a spiritual birth provided by the Holy Spirit. "Unless one is born of…the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Just as man must be physically born into the human family, so man must be spiritually born into God's family. There is no other option. That is why Jesus said, "You must be born again."
OSWALD CHAMBERS
We should always choose our books as God chooses our friends, just a bit beyond us, so that we have to do our level best to keep up with them.
As believers, we learn through the “school of Grace.” Jon Stott says, “Grace bases her teaching upon the great facts in which her first grand revelation of herself was made and finds all her reaching power in those mighty memories.”
Grace allows us to live soberly, righteously, and without condemnation. Grace gives us the strength to live in God’s will and to impart grace to others with love and humility.
Grace is the gift of a loving Father who desires to bless His children.
Open your hands and your heart receive this powerful gift and let grace teach you how to live.
It doesn’t happen overnight. It will take your entire life on this earth. In fact, it won’t be finished until you get to Heaven. But then you will see that you indeed are a perfect work of art, that you are God’s masterpiece.
We may look at ourselves right now and say, “I don’t get it. This doesn’t look like a work of beauty.”
This word, translated as “masterpiece” or “workmanship,” comes from the Greek word poiema, which is the basis for our English term poem or work of art. It’s a word that speaks of something that is perfect. It carries the idea of rhythm, orderliness, and beauty.
History tells us that the artist and sculptor Michelangelo, commenting on one of his works, said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
OSWALD CHAMBERS
We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.
Do you know the Lord’s voice? Do you hear Him regularly? If not, or if it’s been a while, recommit to spending time with Him. Just be in His presence, in worship, in silence, in wonder. He wants us to hear Him! ~
Maybe you’re facing a setback today. Maybe there’s a crisis going on in your life. Remember, you are a work in progress. You are under construction.
God has created you as His masterwork, His poem, His work of art, so that you can do the good things that He planned for you long ago. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. He has work for you to do. And He is going ahead of you, preparing the way. God is manipulating all the resources of the universe so that the work you do will fulfill the plan He has for you.
God has His plan for your life. He has a purpose for you to fulfill. Are you finding it? Are you moving in that direction, saying, “I have salvation, and because of that, Lord, what do You want me to do? What is Your plan for me?”
While it is true that we are saved by faith, it is also true that if we are really saved, then there will be good works.
Works don’t save a person, but they are good evidence that a person is saved.
A lot of people today claim to be Christians, yet there is absolutely no evidence in their lives to confirm it.
No one has ever achieved salvation through human effort. But if you really have found salvation, then people should be able to see visible results of that in your life.
The work of the Holy Spirit is required for people to start out with God through new birth and justification. The Holy Spirit must also be at work in believers if they are to go on with God in growth and sanctification.
God
Honor
Courage
Commitment
Code - eCos
It's hard to stay focused when there is a thorn in your flesh but Jesus proved it can be done. So I will give it my all.
Dates with our children are as important as any other....
The work of the Holy Spirit is required for people to start out with God through new birth and justification. The Holy Spirit must also be at work in believers if they are to go on with God in growth and sanctification.
The choice is yours to accept His love and grace in your life, or to reject it and live in agony and sorrow. Maybe your mom and dad have rejected you. Maybe you've been rejected by people you cared for and loved. But God's grace is on your life, no matter who's rejected you in the past. God will come close to you. And that which nobody has ever been able to do, God is able to do for you.
Why do you read Scripture? Is it out of habit or obligation? To gather new information? Reconsider your motivation. If we read and study Scripture to hear the voice of the Lord, that's when and how we will be transformed. Do you want a metamorphosis? Then meet the Lord face to face in His Word
“Don’t mistake movement for achievement. It’s easy to get faked out by being busy. The questions is: Busy doing what?” – Jim Rohn
There are three parts to desire: 1. Dreaming, 2. The Vision and 3. Focus. There are also three parts for dedication: 1. The Plan, 2. Beginning and 3. Perseverance.
Responsibility walks hand in hand with capacity and power.
~John G. Holland~
I want to encourage you to trust the Lord right where you're at, wherever you're planted, wherever you find yourself today, and not move too hastily or run away, but to ask, "What is God saying? How is He moving?" And even though we don't necessarily understand, I pray we would live believing that not only does God rule in the affairs of mankind, but He can even overrule when we make mistakes.
A godly man doth mourn for another’s sin as well as for his own, because he mourns for sin as sin.
~William Bridge~
If He gives converting grace, He will also give comforting grace. He will send "showers of blessing." Look up today, O parched plant, and open your leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering.
Alistair Begg
Leadership isn't about exercising your authority over people, nor is it influencing people to do what you want them to do. Look at what Jesus says here: Leading people is all about serving them!
Paul said in Galatians 5:13, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." You see, true, biblical leadership is about loving others and serving them in every need they have.
Not only did Jesus tell us to serve and minister to each other's needs; He also lived it out. He washed dirty feet. He touched lepers and the unclean of society. He had meals with the unloved in society. Truly we can say "amen" to Jesus' words, "For the Son of Man came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Not only should we be thankful for Jesus Christ, His life, and His ultimate sacrifice, but we should imitate Him in the things He's called us to do.
"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" (Ephesians 5:1-2).
"As men, it's so tempting to chase career goals before family goals. Society applauds financial success and positional prominence.
However, if those things come at the cost of loving your wife and kids well, something is terribly amiss.
As a man, your first calling is to love Christ. Your next calling is to love your bride, then your children. Finally, you're called to love others in Christ's name by perpetuating the message of the gospel through discipleship.
Somewhere below those callings, you're called to steward your resources (time, energy, talent, money) well as if unto God.
So many times, we men tend to flip those priorities around for all the wrong reasons. I'm urging you to not fall into that trap.
Wisdom has told us time and time again not to chase vain pursuits. Seek understanding, chase the Gospel.
Psalm 49:20 reads, "Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish." I believe this means that aside from understanding of God, His goodness, His purposes, and the Gospel, we are men in form but we exist as animals. We live, we survive, and we die.
Those are strong words, but for good reason! Life is short, don't waste it pursuing worthless things. I hope you're reminded of this just as I am, and you're urged to keep your priorities in line according to God's word.
Stay fierce, men. Lead and love well.
Our money, our jobs, our health, our bodies, all these things will fade away but the word of God will never fade away. It is where true life is found.
I have always struggled with the way I communicate. I often sound harsh and irritated. This is not how a godly man communicates with his bride or his family. Lord, thank you for your patience with me, but cut this dead flesh from my character. Amen!
"Here are some tips for communicating to your spouse in a healthy way.
1) What you say: use words that build up and wisdom that is aligned with God's word. Can't do either? Hold your tongue.
2) How you say it: communication is so much more than words you say. Body language, tone, and timing are critical to speaking in a way that is healthy.
3) How you listen: if you're just waiting for your turn to speak, you're missing an opportunity to understand your spouse's heart. Listen intently, process what your spouse is saying, and respond thoughtfully...even if it means you don't say whatever you immediately have on your mind.
Just like everything, quality communication takes plenty of practice and time to learn. Make your communication intentional, and always seek to understand more than to be understood.
If you both do this, you'll experience a quality of communication and emotional intimacy of the deepest kind.
Everyone wants a happy marriage, and happy marriages are indeed very good! However, happiness is not what makes marriage most beautiful.
What is the grand purpose of our union? Why commit and stick with one person for life, especially if (when) that person lets us down? Why should we fight with grit and honor to sustain our marriages?
We believe the answer to those questions is simple: the purpose of marriage is to glorify God, and to bring us closer to Christ by understanding the depths of his love. That purpose is the absolute foundation of why we're married, and why we continue to write to help other married couples.
Our marriage has helped us understand the Gospel–the true Gospel of Jesus. How? Here are a few ways.
1.) By grace alone.
We've realized that any understanding and acceptance of Jesus on our parts is only by God's grace. The same is true for having each other. God, in His good grace, has given us to each other as a gift...one neither of us deserved. When we live in light of God's generosity, we're grateful for each other and it compels us to love one another as we are loved in Jesus.
2.) Through faith alone.
There's nothing we can do to earn Christ's love. We can only believe and trust in the finality of his work on the cross. In marriage, we have little control over the behavior of our spouses. They're human, and they sin. But it's through faith that we trust God's work in their hearts (and our own), and we're given peace and hope to stay the course while God continues His good work.
3.) In Christ alone.
Christ alone sustains us, and Christ alone deserves all credit for any good we experience in marriage. This simultaneously removes the weight or pressure to make our marriages "right", and gives him all glory when things are good. When Jesus is at the center, we're both fixed on him which inevitably makes us want to love one another more purely.
These are just some quick thoughts on why Fierce Marriage exists, and why we continue to fight for each other in our own marriage daily. We hope you find the same richness in Christ and your marriage flourishes as a result.
It's only by understanding the weight of the gospel that we grasp the depths possible of love. This is why Christ must be the center of your marriage.
Love aside from Christ is elusive; it's definition is subjective, self-gratifying, and soft. Christ's example of love is pure and steady, it never changes and it never will change. "...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
WHILE we were sinners. Note that it doesn't say, "even though we once sinned." This passage is all about Jesus, his love, and his sacrifice.
When we're called to love each other like Christ, we're called to love each other "while" we're still sinners. This is true love. This means we choose love even when we're offended. It means we choose love even when we don't feel it.
May you and your spouse keep Christ at the absolute center of your marriage; and by doing so, may you experience the depths and joys that come from loving and being loved like Christ himself loves.
It really is that simple.
Yes, feelings of romantic affection are great. However, they shouldn't determine our decision to act in love.
Every couple will attest that there are times when frustration, circumstance, and sin cause emotional distance in their marriage.
But many of those same couples will also tell us that affection is deepened and strengthened through hard times.
Press through emotional ups and downs, the fruit of time-tested love is sweeter than you'll ever imagine.
If you're in a dry spell, the best advice we can give is to ask God for peace, direction, and hope. He is faithful to guide you and strengthen those who seek Him.
There is such freedom in knowing we have a loving Father who cares for us.
And we can have much joy in realizing that sometimes he withholds things we want in favor of giving us exactly what we need.
Never point a finger at people unless there's proof. The old saying is true three are pointing back at you.
God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. Don’t let Satan convince you otherwise. Satan will tell you that God has an IQ requirement or an entry fee… that he employs only specialists and experts, governments and high-powered personalities. The one thing the disciples had going for them was a willingness to take a step when Jesus said, “Follow me.
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.
We need to change our perceptions of what our lives are supposed to be, and of how we are supposed to fulfill God’s will. But sometimes we’re just too busy to recognize who we are. And sometimes we’re just too afraid to die to self.
We need to recognize what we already are: God’s beloved, the objects of His desire, the vessels of His love, the recipients of His greatest blessings and gifts.
“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
Living as one in marriage starts with well ordered priorities. Many understand what good priorities are (God first, then spouse, then kids, then everything else), but we can live contrary to that understanding. How we live reflects true priorities. This quote is as relevant today as the day it was written; let's walk through it.
1) "Prefer the person before money." How is your work/family balance? If you or your spouse is working so much that it takes away from family time, adjustment is needed. Take a look at your lifestyle, your expenses, and your buying habits. Are the extra hours necessary? Is the money worth it? Only you can answer these questions honestly and use wisdom to live in a way that keeps your marriage as a priority.
2) "Virtue before beauty." We live in a very externally focused culture. Character is often sacrificed for external appearances, and sometimes we can let those appearances affect how we love our spouses. Beauty is good and should be appreciated! But real beauty is far deeper than what you see with your eyes. Beauty starts with your identity in Christ: who God says you are and who your spouse is. Let that "virtue" – your spouse's identity in Christ – be the focus of your affections for one another.
3) "Mind before body." Your spouse's mind – their personality, ideas, and ways of expressing them – will only grow better with time. Your deepest affections for each other will go far beyond your bodies (though we hope you grow in your physical attractions too!). Your deepest connections happen between your hearts and minds - your beliefs, intellect, and intuition. Prefer your spouse's mind; prefer their soul. When you do, you prefer the deepest parts of them.
We pray that you and your spouse grow deeper together as you learn to live as one. Most of all, we pray that you see each other as God sees you: lovely, cherished, and full of value in Christ.
God is unique in that He calls those who, in the eyes of others, may not be that special or who they may consider weak, but God values everyone and uses the weak and insignificant:
The most common question people ask of me is, "Why does God let these things happen to me?" My answer is always the same, "Because this is not heaven." As a result, every one of us will to run into "difficulties" from time to time. There are no exceptions.
The resources that we have all received from our earthly parents are of the flesh. These natural capabilities cannot develop us spiritually. The perfecting process (becoming increasingly like the Lord Jesus Christ) necessitates the Holy Spirit's working in us. Remember, the means God used to start us out with Him (to justify us) are the means He uses to grow us up in Him (to sanctify us).
“What is the greatest surprise you have found about life?” A University student asked me several years ago. “The brevity of it,” I replied without hesitation.… Time moves so quickly, and no matter who we are or what we have done, the time will come when our lives will be over.”
Billy Graham
“Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.” -Billy Graham
God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s provision.
~Hudson Taylor~
If we cheat in life, trying to skirt God’s laws and hoping to get away with it, the scales will tip against us. The weight of our sin eats away at the blessings God desires and plans for us. Sin brings consequences of tremendous sorrow and sadness. The land fails, friends fail, and even beloved ones cannot be trusted in a climate of sin.
In your life you can experience two pains. The pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The pain of regret is far worse. If God disciplines you, calling you back to Him, listen, respond, take your consequences with a grateful heart, then allow Him to heal and bless you.
No matter what your sin may be, or how far you have strayed—even if it’s just a little ways off—repentance not only brings God’s forgiveness but also puts the scales back into balance, causing you to overflow with God’s abundance and blessings!
All the promises of God are “Yea” and “Amen” in Christ Jesus, and as He is ours, every promise is ours if we will but lie down upon it in restful faith.
~C.H. Spurgeon~
The believer has three persistent enemies in this world: the devil, the wicked, and his own wicked nature. God has promised to deliver His people and trample their enemies. And so He shall! The devil's day is dawning-his time is soon come! The wicked shall be brought low and judged righteously for their lives of iniquity! And the Lord has already begun to tear the sin nature from the very being of His people!
“Through the western window a solemn light streams from Mt. Calvary. Through the eastern window shines the light of the sun rising, the herald of a brighter day. Thus the school of Grace is well lighted, but we cannot afford to do without the light from either the west or the east.” —
Canon Hay Aitken
God's plan is bigger than your mistakes.
“Sing in trouble, again because God loves to hear his people sing in the night. At no time does God love his children’s singing so well as when he has hidden his face from them, and they are all in darkness. …Sing then, Christian, for singing pleases God.” —
Charles H. Spurgeon
There is not a promise––not a word in the Bible––that is not ours. In the depths of tribulation, it will comfort. In the midst of waves of distress, it will cheer, when sorrows surround, it will be our helper.
~Charles Spurgeon~
God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s provision.
~Hudson Taylor~
“Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.”
-Billy Graham
7 reasons to praise God today:
1. He knows you (Is 43:1).
2. He sings over you (Zep 3:17).
3. He upholds you (Is 41:10).
4. He cares about you (1 Pt 5:7).
5. He watches over you (Gen 28:15).
6. He guides you (Lk 1:79).
7. He never leaves you (Mt 28:20)
"You must be schooled in humility. When you are half-an-inch above the ground, you are that half-inch too high."
— Charles Spurgeon
We do not serve each other or our children well by allowing or enabling them to live in sin. There comes a time when a person needs to be turned over to Satan in order to experience the full consequence of their sin.
“A changed world begins with us. A changed us begins with prayer.” –
Eugene Peterson
"[God] can see you when you only hope in his mercy, and he takes pleasure in you if you have only begun to fear him."
- Charles Spurgeon
Young people don't need leaders who are adults but act like teens or college students. They need leaders who act like adults but care about teenagers and college students.
Discernment is not just the capacity to tell the difference between truth and error, but more importantly, truth from half-truths.
Backsliding generally first begins with neglect of private prayer.
1. Bibles read without prayer;
2. Marriages contracted without prayer;
3. Journeys were undertaken without prayer;
4. Residences are chosen without prayer;
5. Friendships formed without prayer...
“Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving.” — Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?? pg. 188.
Be as speedy in your repentance as you would have God to be in his mercy. — Thomas Watson
“Time spent in prayer is never time lost.” - Mark Dever
Avoid the mistake of concentrating overmuch upon your feelings. Above all, avoid the terrible error of making them central. - D.M. Lloyd-Jones
Feelings come and feelings go And feelings are deceiving; My warrant is the Word of God, Naught else is worth believing. - Martin Luther
A preacher's life should be a commentary of his doctrine; his practice should be a counterpart of his sermons. Heavenly doctrines should always be adorned with a heavenly life. - Thomas Brooks
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He died for me; He made His righteousness mine and made my sin His own; and if He made my sin His own, then I do not have it, and I am free. — Martin Luther
“When pride characterizes a church body, every little disagreement stirs up a whirlwind.” — Alexander Strauch, If You Bite & Devour One Another, 40.
“The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church.” - David Wells
To be sure the thought of our Saviour's sufferings is so amazing, so astonishing, I am quite overwhelmed. - William Wilberforce
Preachers should never apologize for preaching the Bible. They should apologize when they don’t.
"Doubt not his grace because of your tribulation, but believe that he loves you as much in seasons of trouble as in times of happiness." — Charles Spurgeon
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"You are as much serving God in training your own children, as you would be if you lead an army to battle for the Lord." — Charles Spurgeon
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"The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end." – Charles Spurgeon
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"We should bring men to Christ, not to our own particular views of Christianity." — Charles Spurgeon
"God gives a sufficient right to receive Christ and His salvation, by the free gospel-offer and invitation; so that He leaves nothing for our faith to do, but to lay hold of Him as a free gift" - Walter Marshall. The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, 74.
“I sometimes wonder if all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.” - C.S. Lewis
"Pastors, we are back in our pulpits tomorrow. I hope we can hear the cry of God’s people as they say from the depth of their hearts, “Show us Christ.” After the arduous labors of sermon preparation, may the Holy Spirit help us to do just that!" - Conrad Mbewe
The term "walk" is used dozens of times in the New Testament to describe the manner of life a person is leading. Many of these occurrences depict the Christian life: "walk in love… walk as children of light… walk circumspectly" (Ephesians 5:2, 8, 15). In our passages, we are told to "walk in the Spirit."
OSWALD CHAMBERS
God created man to be master of the life in the earth and sea and sky, and the reason he is not is because he took the law into his own hands, and became master of himself, but of nothing else.
There is no missing out in Jesus. |
Is there something you feel you are lacking? What is it? Name it and place it before the Throne of God. Ask Him to speak to you about your desire and point your heart in the right direction. Ask Him to show you if it’s that old snake hissing in your ear again, pulling his old tricks. Remind your heart that you’re not missing out! ~
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