Your feelings may be telling you that you are worthless, but in Christ you are redeemed (paid for at great cost)—you are valuable! Your feelings may tell you that you are dirty and guilty, but God's Word says in Ephesians 1:7 that you are forgiven, clean, and that all your sins have been wiped from God's sight.
Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established. - Proverbs 16:3
Works that can be submitted to God have plans that will succeed, even if the planners get it wrong.
There is nothing wrong with being reluctant; however, the question is: Who has your back, or rather who is directing you? Are you allowing others to use you for their own purposes or are you humbly positioned to serve the Lord and Him only?
Truly God is our great pursuer and protector. If you are tempted to run away from circumstances that are troubling you, read Psalm 139. Talk to God about everything that's difficult in your life, asking him to reveal his persistent, fatherly love.
Martin Luther's Most Noble Words
April 18, 1521
Since your majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I 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."
Bitterness is like drinking poison & expecting the other person to get sick or die. It only hurts the unforgiving bitter person who forgets how much he or she has been forgiven by JESUS if they are saved.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
- Michael Jordan
You may have what it takes to get in the door but do you have what it takes to stay in the room???
Keep company with the soundest Christians that have the
most experience of Christ.
~John Bunyan~
When we don't understand what God is doing, Understand who God is!
Don't ever judge God by what you would do if you where Him.....
You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not one act, but a habit.
“It is not in the pursuit of happiness that we find fulfillment, it is in the happiness of pursuit.”
— Denis Waitley
“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it.”
— William Feather
“Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.”
— Jim Rohn
“A good laugh is sunshine in the house.”
— William Makepeace Thackeray
“Happiness is an attitude of mind, born of the simple determination to be happy under all outward circumstances.”
— J. Donald Walters
Ask your self one question, does it make sens?
Sin is like seed—to cover it is to cultivate it.
Scripture tells us Christianity is not a movement to enforce obedience to government; and it's not a call to action in order to change laws or clean up the streets of our cities. Rather, it speaks of God's power. His never-ending love and plan for the salvation of mankind.
As believers, we have the ultimate hope that although we suffer and endure now, a time is coming when Jesus Christ will put a stop to all the hatred, all the evil, and all the suffering. And we who have put our faith in Him will be changed! Sure, we will suffer now, just as Christ suffered. Yes, we will be rejected and feel the pain of rejection. But thankfully it won't last forever (though sometimes it feels that way)!
Serving is our greatest honor as a believer. Jesus told Peter if he did not let Him wash his feet, he would have no part with him. When Peter recognized what the Lord was saying, Peter said not my feet only Lord. In other words Peter was saying Lord to have me in your life and you in mine, give me a bath. This display of serving the least is our example to follow.
To trust in matters of things unseen is not a matter of blind faith. It is not credulity. It is a reasonable faith.
~R. C. Sproul~
Our awareness of His presence may falter, but the reality of his presence never changes. What if our daily communion never ceased? Would it be possible to live—minute by minute—in the presence of God? Is such a goal realistic? Within reach? If we are to be just like Jesus, you and I will strive for constant fellowship with God!
From Just Like Jesus
The blood of Jesus is the life of all vital godliness. If you have truly come to Jesus, we know how you came--the Holy Spirit kindly brought you there.
The Quaker Thomas Kelly wrote in his Testament of Devotion, “There is a way of ordering our mental lives on more than one level at once. On one level we can be thinking, discussing, seeing, calculating, and meeting all the demands of external affairs. But deep within, behind the scenes, at a profounder level, we may also be in prayer and adoration, song and worship, and a gentle receptiveness to divine breathings.”
Jesus has chosen us to be his friends (John 15:13-15). If Jesus is our friend, then we can enjoy his company and speak with him openly even as he openly teaches us divine truths. If Jesus is our friend, we don’t have to be afraid of him or run from his presence. We can draw near to him with confidence, even boldness (Hebrews 4:16). To be sure, it’s a wonderful thing to know Jesus as our friend.
When you understand what is best, you will neither offend nor take offense but will be filled with the fruit of the Spirit. Abounding in love will prompt you to live a useful life with the holiest of conduct. You can stand blameless before Christ and give glory to God.
"The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your bring in total bondage."—Oswald Chambers
“Any good marriage is secret territory, a necessary white space on society’s map. What others don’t know about it is what makes it yours.”
― Stephen King
When we have “I don’t know why” situations in life, we have to make the hard choice to settle our mind with what we do know. Otherwise, the "I don’t know whys" will sweep us away into treacherous currents of doubt and disillusionment.
If we want to overcome these sins, we must give God room to change and work in our lives but allowing Him to teach us how to live with the love of Christ.
The man who loves and understands the will of God will not want anything outside of it.
~A.W. Tozer~
Great is the cost of devotion, but cheap is the price of betrayal.
Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion –it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.
~Billy Graham~
change comes through brutal honesty and vulnerability before God,” writes Dan Allender and Tremper Longman in The Cry of the Soul.
You don’t have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them. Whatever you love more than God is your idol.
~D. L. Moody~
Entranced by this concept, St. Augustine wrote, “The harmony between the single and the double...has been naturally so implanted in us (by whom indeed, if not by Him who created us?) that not even the illiterate can remain unaware of it.”
The purpose is not that you might get more of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit might get more of you. ~Chuck Smith~
When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we join God’s army, so to speak. We’re no longer civilians; we’re under the command of the captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ. Of course, we have given up certain privileges, but we have gained far more.
The opposite of integrity is duplicity. Duplicity is hypocrisy.
the day will come when creation is restored and renewed. On that day, we will experience work as God intended it to be. That is part of our future hope in Christ.
The new covenant of grace by which we relate to God is designed to bring us a growing, intimate knowledge of our Lord. However, this growing in knowing God requires that He reveals Himself to us. This is why Paul prayed for other believers to this end: " Making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."
God teaches us to fly. He allows resistance to make us strong as we learn to navigate life with His Son.
Throughout the Scriptures, hearing is instrumental to faith. Only when we hear the voice of God can our lives be transformed.
Do you want to be a friend of God and known by others as a friend of God? You can! Pursue God with your whole heart, renew your mind by the Word of God, and set time aside just for Him!
OSWALD CHAMBERS
We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.
George Washington said, “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”
We start using excuses very early in life. Maybe as a student, you discovered the well-worn classic that has been used by generations: “The dog ate my homework.” As the years go by, you start getting new excuses to rationalize your behavior, such as “Everybody was doing it.”
Then, as you get a little older, you discover other excuses like “The alarm didn’t go off,” “Traffic was really bad,” and “The check is in the mail.
It is not about whether there are contradictions in the Bible. Instead, these are excuses. They’re attempts to cover up the real reason, which is this: they love darkness and don’t want to change.
What is the worst sin a person can commit? According to the Bible, it is unbelief. Unbelief is a choice. It is hearing the facts of the gospel and saying, “I’m choosing not to believe that. I don’t want to believe that.”
people think they can continually put off coming to Christ. But they need to know something. There comes a point of no return in the human life. And if they continue in a pattern of rejecting Jesus Christ, they can go beyond that point.
We can’t change the fact that people love darkness. We can only pray that they will see their need for Jesus Christ.
Just as you need a plan for regular Bible reading or study, so you need a plan for applying the Word to your life. – Jerry Bridges
The more you let things "inform" your counseling the less biblical it will be.
Scripture is comprehensively sufficient to do ministry with people experiencing profound difficulties in their lives. - Heath Lambert
Some people are saying that Jared Moore is too much of a "fighter" to be SBC President. That is exactly why he should be elected president. He is not afraid to fight for biblical truth out of love for Christ and the church.
“I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.” - C.S. Lewis
“God's salvation is best understood as a covenant… a binding relationship between Himself and those He promises to free from sin and misery.” — Glorifying and Enjoying God
@RHB_Books
“Pastors…have to be on guard more than ever against this prideful spirit raising its ugly head in their ministries….They are all too ready to point to their own work rather than point to the work of others.” Fesko, nailed it.
“Sinners assume that God is ignorant of what we truly need, is cruel in keeping from us what would truly make us happy, or isn't real and has no say in what satisfies us. Sin looks at God's boundaries and rules them artificial.” — Glorifying and Enjoying God, 44.
"We know him also to be a deserter who does not refuse cohabitation, but obstinately demands impious conditions . . . To depart from someone and to drive the other away by threats or force are the same thing.” –– Theodore Beza
It is of no use for us to seek happiness except by the way of holiness.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The way to peace is the way of holiness.” — Charles Spurgeon
“If you meet with a system of theology which magnifies man, flee from it as far as you can.” — Charles Spurgeon
“A man who says, 'I was wrong,' really says, in effect, 'I am a little wiser today than I was yesterday.'” — Charles Spurgeon
“Of two evils, choose neither.” — Charles Spurgeon
“As long as you live, endeavor to bless others.” — Charles Spurgeon
“There is no doctrine of the Word of God which a child, if he be capable of salvation, is not capable of receiving.” — Charles Spurgeon
“When we deal seriously with our sin, God will deal gently with us.” — Charles Spurgeon
“The general religion of mankind is 'do,' but the religion of the Christian is 'done.'” — Charles Spurgeon
"Whatever God has revealed ought to be preached." — Charles Spurgeon
"Most men get as good a wife as they deserve and some get a great deal better." — Charles Spurgeon
“There will be three effects of nearness to Jesus: 1. humility 2. happiness 3. holiness.” — 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
The power of prayer can never be overrated." — Charles Spurgeon
"The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end." – Charles Spurgeon
“From every text in the Bible, there is a road to Jesus.” — Charles Spurgeon
Christ is an ever-flowing fountain--he is continually supplying his people, and the fountain is not spent. -Jonathan Edwards -
Bold preaching is the only preaching that is owned of God. -Horatius Bonar
The mouth is a window into the heart. What is down in the well comes up in the bucket. Steven Lawson
Your bank account is not an adequate substitute for your presence. Ultimately, when you look back, you will not regret spending more time with family instead of chasing the last dollar. Voddie Baucham
“Unless we watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the day into those sins which we were in the morning most resolved against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall; but they are kept by the power of God, and the prayer of Christ.” Matthew Henry
We are foolish sheep in the midst of subtle serpents & cruel wolves & do not know it. Oh how unfit are we to be left to ourselves! & how much do we stand in need of the wisdom the power, the condescension, patience, forgiveness & gentleness of our good Shepherd! Jonathan Edwards
"Many good sermons are lost for lack of much prayer in study." -Robert Traill.
Many a feeble Christian, in coming to the mercy seat with overwhelming fears, has risen from his knees with a heavenly calmness and composure! Isaac Watts
"When I pray, Your kingdom come, I am saying to God's Holy Spirit, Spirit of Christ within me, take control and do what You will for Your glory." John MacArthur
Ah, Lord Jesus! I never knew your love till I understood the meaning of your death. Charles Spurgeon
By His resurrection Christ won the victory over law, sin, flesh, world, devil, death, hell, and every evil. And this His victory He donated unto us. Martin Luther Commentary on Galatians
There are three stages of the human soul in connection with Christ: the first is without Christ, this is the state of nature; the next is in Christ, this is the state of grace; the third is with Christ, that is the state of glory. C.H. Spurgeon
Faith shows the soul that whatever its trials are - that they are all sent in love to my soul. - Thomas Watson
"Repentance is not a once-for-all event at the beginning of the Christian life. It is a lifelong attitude and activity." R.C. Sproul
“Unless we watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the day into those sins which we were in the morning most resolved against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall; but they are kept by the power of God, and the prayer of Christ.” Matthew Henry
We are foolish sheep in the midst of subtle serpents & cruel wolves & do not know it. Oh how unfit are we to be left to ourselves! & how much do we stand in need of the wisdom the power, the condescension, patience, forgiveness & gentleness of our good Shepherd! Jonathan Edwards
"Many good sermons are lost for lack of much prayer in study." -Robert Traill.
Many a feeble Christian, in coming to the mercy seat with overwhelming fears, has risen from his knees with a heavenly calmness and composure! Isaac Watts
"When I pray, Your kingdom come, I am saying to God's Holy Spirit, Spirit of Christ within me, take control and do what You will for Your glory." John MacArthur
Ah, Lord Jesus! I never knew your love till I understood the meaning of your death. Charles Spurgeon
By His resurrection Christ won the victory over law, sin, flesh, world, devil, death, hell, and every evil. And this His victory He donated unto us. Martin Luther Commentary on Galatians
There are three stages of the human soul in connection with Christ: the first is without Christ, this is the state of nature; the next is in Christ, this is the state of grace; the third is with Christ, that is the state of glory. C.H. Spurgeon
Faith shows the soul that whatever its trials are - that they are all sent in love to my soul. - Thomas Watson
"Repentance is not a once-for-all event at the beginning of the Christian life. It is a lifelong attitude and activity." R.C. Sproul
Oh, that every true Christian would remember that they are set as a lighthouse in the midst of a dark world and would labor so to live that every part of them may reflect light, and no side be dim! J.C. Ryle
If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means that no part of my life must be outside of His lordship. R.C. Sproul
A sight of His death if it is a true sight - is the death of all love of sin. Charles H. Spurgeon
There is no doctrine more excellent in itself, or more necessary to be preached, than Jesus Christ and him crucified. John Flavel
“If anything has been lost from our culture, it is the idea that human beings are privately, personally, individually, ultimately, inexorably accountable to God for their lives.” R.C. Sproul
“Everybody wants to enjoy heaven after they die, but they don’t want to be heavenly-minded while they live.” D.L. Moody
Serve God with integrity, and if you achieve no success, at least no sin will lie upon your conscience. C.H. Spurgeon
Christ, the Scripture, your own hearts and Satan’s devices, are the four prime things that should be first and most studied and searched. —Thomas Brooks, Works 1:1
“People should put their trust in nothing but Jesus Christ alone, not in their prayers, merits, or their own good deeds.” Martin Luther
“As long as you live, endeavor to bless others.” — Charles Spurgeon
"A Christian is nothing more than a sinner who has found out their sinfulness, and has learned the blessed secret of living by faith in Christ." J.C. Ryle
There are many who want to go to heaven; but they will not take the holy way, which alone leads there. Augustine
Let us labour, then, in ourselves to be full of goodness, that so we may be fitted to do good to all. As God is good, and does good to all, so must we strive to be as like Him as may be. Richard Sibbes
"As we minister to a fellowship or a group, whether it's a home Bible study or a church of ten thousand people, we need to make certain that one of our major themes is love. That love needs to be demonstrated in our own actions, attitudes and life." - Chuck Smith
God alone can give peace to a church, and he only gives it by sanctifying its members. Charles Spurgeon
“The Old Testament is the Gospel in the bud, the New Testament is the Gospel in full flower.” -J.C. Ryle
We must not forget that the issues of Eternity are settled in Time. -A.W. Pink -
The Holy Spirit is the beautifier of souls. -John Owen -
We must pursue after peace [with all men] as that we do not neglect holiness for peace sake. Better is holiness without peace, than peace without holiness. —Puritan Thomas Brooks, Works 4:36-37
"The church that ceases to be evangelistic will soon cease to be evangelical." -Alexander Duff.
Serving God means working w/ people; and they not only have problems, but they can be problems because of the way they deal w/ things. They can grow invisible protective quills to keep others at a distance; and unless you really love these people, you can never help them. Wiersbe
Pride loves to climb up, not as Zaccheus 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, but 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯. —William Gurnall, Golden Treasury, 223
I DON'T WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR HOW WELL I PREACHED THE GOSPEL. I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR HOW WELL I LIVED IT!
"TODAY I’M ON A MISSION TO BE BETTER THAN I WAS YESTERDAY...I’LL BE ON THE SAME MISSION TOMORROW."
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO RECEIVE THE 'NO' TO WHAT YOU WANT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE 'YES' TO WHAT YOU NEED!
GOD ALWAYS PRUNES WHAT HE INTENDS TO GROW! IT'S HURTFUL NOW, BUT IT WILL BE HELPFUL LATER!
“ALWAYS TRUST GOD'S TIMING. IT'S BETTER TO WAIT A WHILE AND HAVE THINGS FALL INTO PLACE, THAN TO RUSH AND HAVE THINGS FALL APART.”
Jesus was in a borrowed grave on Saturday, because He wouldn't need it on Sunday.
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