OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is nothing, naturally speaking, that makes us lose heart quicker than decay—the decay of bodily beauty, of natural life, of friendship, of associations, all these things make a man lose heart; but Paul says when we are trusting in Jesus Christ these things do not find us discouraged, light comes through them.
OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.
OSWALD CHAMBERS
Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same.
OSWALD CHAMBERS
“I have chosen you” (John 15:16). Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you.
OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is in the middle that human choices are made; the beginning and the end remain with God. The decrees of God are birth and death, and in between those limits man makes his own distress or joy.
“It gives me hope,” writes Kathleen Norris, “that when God gazed on the sleeping Jacob, He looked right through the tough little schemer and saw something good, if only the capacity for awe, for recognizing God, and for worshipping. That Jacob will worship badly, trying to bargain with God, doesn’t seem to matter. God promises to be with him always.“
Norris, Kathleen, “Amazing Grace,
“Let not a repentant sinner imagine that he is remote from the estate of the righteous because of the sins and misdeeds he has done. This is not true, for he is beloved and precious to God as if he never sinned.” —Malmonides, Mishneh Torah, 1170 A.D.
You cannot have a moral holiday and remain moral, nor can you have a spiritual holiday and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and this means that you have to watch to keep yourself fit. It takes a tremendous amount of time. Some of us expect to “clear the numberless ascensions” in about two minutes.
Only an identity built on the rock of God can stabilize your life and fulfill His purposes through you.
Your identity matters! Are you building your identity on Jesus Christ? He’s the only one who make you secure, happy, and healthy mentally and emotionally!
Oh, this is so hard! When the Lord does or allows something that breaks our hearts, it’s a spiritual wrestling match to still declare, “God is good all the time!”. Yet, trusting Him and His goodness is imperative for the believer. Let’s struggle and yet believe!
OSWALD CHAMBERS
For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham.
A season of “human forgottenness” may be forging something in you of great worth spiritually.
Do you feel overlooked or hidden? Have you been waiting for a long time and wondering if this time is wasted? We can only wonder what God is doing in you through this season, but He has plan for His hidden gems, you. If you’re still hidden, then it’s not time yet. Hang on and trust Him to do what only He can do in just the perfect time!
I am an important member of God’s body, designed with a unique purpose to serve His Kingdom, and I seek to lift up and serve other members of the body.
Do you feel like you’re too imperfect to be chosen by God? Does it seem like you can’t possibly be made in His image considering your track record? Maybe you need to change where you get your identity. God Almighty calls you His!
teach us to embrace incremental growth and maturation
Are you in a hidden season? Does it feel like this period is pointless and can’t possibly contribute to God’s good plan? Think again! God is using this time to shape and hone you. He’s planting the seeds of a good future for you and those around you. You might not see the purpose now, and maybe not until you get to Heaven, but God is always good and so is His plan. Wait and see!
Everything God does is good. Believe this with your heart, and hold on to this truth for unfailing strength in times of sorrow.
Grief tends to drive us to ask God the hard questions “Why?” and “God, are You good?” It’s ok. God can handle your questions. Just don’t stay there! Trust the Lord through your grief. He’s with you and He loves you.
Freedom begins in a community of “me too” people, people committed to helping you carry your burden.
When you’re not doing-just-fine-thank-you, when your walls are high and your heart is hidden, remember there’s a flock of others, as well as our own King Jesus, who can say “me too.” The Me Too movement that has swept across the globe holds power because it’s a linking of arms with others who understand pain. We are better when we tear down walls, tell our story, and put a semicolon at the end of it. Not a period.
The original word “deliver” is roumai, defined as current. The root word, rew, means “to flow.“
Evil is like a current flowing through our lives, strangling us with bitterness. It’s like being tasered — jolted by a lie, burned by a lie, then wounded too much to let it go.
We have noted that humility is one of the relational realities that God wants to develop in our lives so we can live daily by the grace of God. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Here we see evidence of the godly humility that had developed in the Apostle Paul through the years. "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended." When these words were written, Paul had been walking with the Lord for 25 to 30 years. Yet, he admits that he had not "fully arrived." He confesses that he did not know the Lord so completely that his entire life was a demonstration of resurrection living. Consequently, he had one great goal that directed his life and service: "one thing I do." His all-consuming passion was to get to know the Lord more and more: "that I may know Him" (Philippians 3:10).
Paul's goal in life was to grow in intimacy with the Lord: "That I may know Him." He wanted to know the Lord so well that his life would be transformed into "resurrected living" in this spiritually lifeless world. He humbly admitted that he had not yet reached such spiritual maturity. "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended." Thus, in light of his own need to grow, coupled with the excellence of the goal, he had a single focus in his life: "one thing I do." This one thing was his ongoing quest to know the Lord more and more.
We can easily underestimate the great value of getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Other matters from the world, or even within the church world, can gain our interest and allegiance. Paul saw clearly the precious treasure of knowing Christ.
This statement by the Lord Jesus begins in a very profound manner: "And this is eternal life." To complete such a statement requires comprehensive truth. If the statement had started with "this is included in eternal life," many non-comprehensive matters could be used to finish the statement. One could rightly state that forgiveness of sins is included in eternal life. One could properly say that escaping hell and securing heaven are included in eternal life. Likewise, one could say that meaning and purpose for living are included in eternal life. Additionally, one could state that spiritual gifts and spiritual fruit are also included. Furthermore, one could say that fellowship in the body of Christ and new understanding of the Scriptures are included. Nevertheless, none of these individually, nor all of these collectively, are sufficient to complete the statement: "And this is eternal life."
As we have seen, the new covenant of grace is essentially about developing a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our God desires to impart His grace into our lives through this acquaintanceship with His Son: "the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus." This phrase ("by Christ Jesus") points once again to the intimate relational aspect of living in Christ by grace. God's grace flows into our lives "by Christ Jesus." It might be helpful to restate this truth. God's grace comes into our experience by means of another person, the Lord Jesus. The limitless grace of our great God is available to us on the basis of who Jesus is and all that He has done for us. It is accessed whenever we humbly, dependently relate to Him.
When we take the truth of the gospel to others, that they might be born again, we often enter into spiritual birth pangs on their behalf. They are wrestling over issues and questions. We are agonizing with them, that they might embrace the truth they need to become a child of God by faith. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26)
In these sublime words, we are given profound insight concerning the grace of God at work through our intimate relationship with Christ. This majestic statement begins with our spiritual death, that another might live in and through our lives. Finally, we are told how we are to respond, so this divine arrangement can proceed as intended.
We overcome the devil by loving others more than we love ourselves. John says that the world will know that we are Christians by the way we love each other. Are you willing to lay down your life for others?
I talk to a sister who thinks there was a woman at the last supper. Her argument was she saw a pic of the Last Supper with a woman by Jesus's side. This is the way a lot of believers think and the word is clear. We can speculate but in doing so we need to be careful that we don't add to the word of God. Sometimes it is better to say I don't know.
One of the significant issues that keeps believers in Christ from knowing the Lord better is their past. Many Christians focus their attention on their past. Failures of the past plague them with condemnation. Wrongs done to them in the past tempt them to self-pity or bitterness. Past successes give false assurance that things must go well today. Past blessings distract them from seeking the Lord's fresh work in their lives now.
1 Peter 1:19
The precious blood of Christ.
Standing at the foot of the cross, we see hands, and feet, and side, all distilling crimson streams of precious blood. It is "precious" because of its redeeming and atoning efficacy. By it the sins of Christ's people are atoned for; they are redeemed from under the law; they are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Christ's blood is also "precious" in its cleansing power; it "cleanseth from all sin." "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Through Jesus' blood there is not a spot left upon any believer, no wrinkle nor any such thing remains.
C.H. Spurgen
The “upright”—those depending on Christ’s goodness as their own—will journey through dark passages, seasons of trial and tribulation. But they will discover that down in the jaws of deep, God will speak once more Let there be light.....
Regeneration has made our hearts a battle field.
~J. I. Packer~
LOOK FOR THE HELPERS
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world.
-- Fred Rogers
Our flesh will always rise up to be in control, so we must die daily, like Paul, in order to walk according to the Spirit of God—every one of us.
All life should be subject to the kingly rule of God.
~Martin Buber~
Any man who spits into the wind, spits in his own face...
Benjamin Franklin
by Denis Waitley
If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter if your alarm doesn't go off in the morning.
There is a gold mine, in your goal mind!
Your mind is the most marvelous bio-computer ever created. It does not deal with vague ideas; it is activated by specifics.
Purpose is the engine that powers our lives.
If you go to your place of business to see what happens, you’ll put out fires but make little progress toward your goals.
What you get is what you set!
Focus always precedes success.
Let a car go in front of you. It’s a nice thing to do, and you will probably get home just as fast.
“Be a role model not a critic. Don’t tell your children, your peers, or your subordinates what to do – show them. And when the lesson is over, keep showing them by demonstrating that your actions are part of your character, not part of their curriculum.”
— Denis Waitley
A dying Christ is the last resort of the believer.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
Did you know these fascinating Bible facts?
In the Book of Psalms, the word "salvation" is found over 60 times, more than twice that of any other book of the Bible.
The Book of Hebrews uses 150 Greek words that are not used anywhere else in the Bible.
Malachi lists more questions per verses than any other book (27 questions in just 55 verses).
Never get tired of learning new things.
“Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between Him will and its accomplishments on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer.” –Elisabeth Elliot
To do what others do when, deep down one knows it is wrong is moral cowardice, which does not lessen guilt but increases it.
~J. I. Packer~
We should never let ourselves get so far away from the Lord that we forget how to love others and to treat them with the respect that they deserve. Yes, it's tough sometimes to see injustices, but God demands more of us as Christians. After all, look at what His Son experienced for us.
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
- C. S. Lewis
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
Chapter by chapter, verse by verse, we approach the Bible as God's Truth, to be studied, savored and lived out.
If you are looking for a men's study or woman's study
The word of God is breath to the Spirit as oxygen is breath to the soul<3
Whenever God is about to begin a work or is in the midst of a work, we are brought to a point in our lives in which our hearts are challenged.
Jack Hibbs
We so often find it easier to believe the word of men rather than the promises of God.
So much is at stake in marriage—probably much more than we realize. Consider the following.
1.) In many ways, how we live in marriage reflects how well we TRULY understand the gospel.
2.) Marriage is a tool God uses to make us more holy—to sanctify us and make us more like Christ.
3.) Marriage is the avenue God chose to bless generations and cause them to flourish.
May you be filled with hope, peace, and joy as God increases your affection for and trust in Him.
When we allow the Lord to work in our lives, we grow. But when we are challenged, tempted, and persecuted -- yet continue to seek the Lord, we experience the manifold blessings.
Many of us would like to encounter God in our work, but our actual work seems to get in the way. We’re not supervising crucifixions, but we are doing work that seems far removed from God.
God, who is present with us always, will open our eyes to see him if we are open to it– and sometimes even if we aren’t.
We remember Your love, O Jesus, as it was manifest to us in Your holy life, from the manger of Bethlehem to the Garden of Gethsemane.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
Several years ago, Christian author Tim LaHaye wrote, “Christ could come today, and no prophecy of the end times necessary for His coming would go unfulfilled.” In His discourse at the Mount of Olives, Jesus outlined many of the essentials that would precede His return – and He cautioned that the time would be soon. For over 2,000 years, believers have been asking, “How soon is soon?” and the answer the Lord gives today is the same as it was then: “Stay awake!”
The facts never need defending if you are living proof of it. Be the example, not just a mouthpiece. Walk the talk!
“To be a living sacrifice will involve all my time. God wants me to live every minute for Him in accordance with His will and purpose, sixty minutes of every hour, twenty-four hours of every day, being available to Him.
I cannot barter with God about how much time I can give to serve Him. Whatever I am doing, be it a routine salaried job, housework at home, be it holiday time and free, or after-work Christian youth activities, all should be undertaken for Him, to reveal His indwelling presence to those around me. The example of my life must be as telling as my preaching if He is to be honored.”
Good theology is always practical theology, for true faith in the Lord is not mere intellectual assent to the truths of the Bible but a living trust in Christ alone that bears fruit in service to God and neighbor.
Christ “gave himself for us, and we are to respond by giving ourselves to him…. We give ourselves to thank and serve him.”
On the cross, Christ suffered eternities of hell that we might enjoy eternities of heaven.
Dustin Benge
"His wounds, horrific as they were when inflicted on the innocent Son of God, are...rich in meaning and significance: wounds that have not vanished on his resurrected body."
Randy Alcorn
Humility is one of the relational realities that God wants to develop in our lives so we can live daily by the grace of God.
Jesus didn't die to make the Father love us; Jesus died because the Father loved us.
Dustin Benge
“God always has my best interests in mind even when His way for me is painful, unclear, frightening, seemingly unfair, emotionally difficult, or mentally challenging. I need to trust, to believe that God does all things well.” —
Nanci Alcorn
We can easily underestimate the great value of getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Other matters from the world, or even within the church world, can gain our interest and allegiance. Paul saw clearly the precious treasure of knowing Christ.
Christ is much more powerful to save than Adam was to destroy.
John Calvin
We don’t know what happens in the next chapter, but Christian, we do know what happens in the last chapter. Jesus comes…
Rev Kev DeYoung:
Jesus, after he had finished his work, slept in a costly grave; for now, his Father loved and honored him, since his work was done.
~C.H. Spurgeon~
In the Cross, sin is cursed and canceled. In the Cross, grace is victorious and available.
~G. Campbell Morgan~
“Our blessed Lord had to endure at its worst the deceit and faithlessness of a favored disciple; let us not marvel when we are called to tread the road which is marked by his pierced feet.”
~C.H. Spurgeon~
“He meets with thy doubts, and answers all thine objections in a word: ‘For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’” — William Romaine
Scripture's honest assessment of our sinful condition is actually a sign of God's grace to us.” — Jonathan Landry Cruse, Glorifying and Enjoying God, 48.
“A man's assurance may be as good, as true, when he lies on the earth with a sense of sin, as when he is carried up to the third heaven with a sense of love and foretaste of glory.” — John Owen
“The gospel is the announcement that God ‘comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.’” — Glorifying and Enjoying God
“Live slowly enough to be able to think deeply about God.” — J. I. Packer
“We would not care for a God who did not hate sin.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The greatest moments in history are not battles of conquerors, but the preaching of the gospel.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The cross is the only place where it is safe for a sinner to attempt to meet his God.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The best of the church are not 'too good' for children's ministry.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Sin and grace can no more agree than fire and water.” — Charles Spurgeon
“God alone can give peace to a church, and he only gives it by sanctifying its members.” — Charles Spurgeon
“What could disturb the universe when the Lord God omnipotent shall reign forever?” — Charles Spurgeon
“Throughout all disagreements and disappointments, let brotherly love continue.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The sermon which does not lead to Christ will make the devils in hell laugh, but make the angels of God weep.” — Charles Spurgeon
“None shall see God in heaven who have not been purified by grace while here below.” — Charles Spurgeon
"Never carry worry to bed. Leave it at the place where you kneel in prayer." — Charles Spurgeon
“It is impossible for God to do that which is unkind.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Father, Jesus has done your will, help us to do it.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Sin brings forth strife, but holiness is the mother of peace.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The bleeding, dying, rising Savior is the only star of hope to a sinner.” — Charles Spurgeon
“Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.” - C.S. Lewis
Burk Parsons
Dear hurting believer, life so often hurts, but the Lord's mercies are new every morning, don't stop resting in his love and grace.
"The aim of the preacher is to capture the particular view of Christ and His work that the verse provides, and to impress it upon his hearers." - Douglas Somerset
Be not caryed hidder and thydder with divers and straunge learnynge. For it is a good thinge that the herte be stablisshed with grace, and not with meates, which have not proffeted them that have had their pastyme in them. - Hebrews 13 (William Tyndale translation, 1526)
Christ is coming soon. The early church never forgot this. Charles Spurgeon
A good conscience will save no man, wash away no sin, nor lift us one hair's breadth toward heaven. -J.C. Ryle -
Whatever 'call' a man may pretend to have, if he hasn't been called to holiness he certainly hasn't been called to ministry -C.H. Spurgeon -
Our biggest strongholds are not rooted in our actions but in unforgiveness, bitterness, and misunderstanding of who we are. Those negative emotions lead to mental, emotional, and physical stress. Ray Bentley
Sin is against an infinite God, and the offense being infinite, the punishment must be infinite also. —Christopher Love, A Treatise on Hell
The spiritual effects of abuse are profound. The resulting distorted image of God, coupled with a distorted image of self, creates many barriers to experiencing His love and grace. Diane Langberg
"How difficult it is to stand erect with all this great weight of knowledge!" -Martyn Lloyd-Jones, on intellectual pride.
The reason why our souls are so empty of joy, is because our mouths are empty of prayer. Both prayer and praise widens the heart for receiving more of Christ’s fullness. —Robert Traill, Works 1:33
God isn’t going to say “Well planned good and faithful servant.” He won’t say well thought, well said or well strategized either. There is one commendation: “WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. Today, DO What GOD Called You to DO, Stop Talking About It!
Christ hath made an infinite satisfaction in a finite time, by undergoing that fierce battle with the wrath of God, and getting the victory in a few hours, which is equivalent to the creatures bearing it and grappling with it everlastingly. —Thomas Brooks, Works 5:111
TOO MANY SEEK A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP, TOO FEW SERVE FROM A POSTURE OF SERVANTHOOD.
Look to your integrity, and the Lord will look to your prosperity. Charles Spurgeon
I either submit to the authority of Scripture or else I am in a morass where there is no standing. – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
We're not supposed to celebrate and affirm sin, we're supposed to repent and flee from it.
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