OSWALD CHAMBERS
The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission. It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances; we are developed because of them. It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them.
Get your praise on! Whether the wind is at your back and life is going smoothly or you are struggling, suffering, and filled with worry… praise Jesus! Praising God ushers in His presence, tells Him we trust Him, and reminds us that God is in control of everything. Let’s lift our hands and worship Him!
St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and John Bunyan, who read Romans while imprisoned in a Bedford jail and was inspired to write the classic Pilgrim’s Progress.
Letters leave a legacy.
“More than kisses, letters mingle souls.” ~John Donne
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus wasn’t simply a conversation between two historical figures. Rather, it was a conversation between God and humanity. If we were to elect someone to represent us before God, we could not choose a finer individual than Nicodemus.
The Bible tells us that many believed in Jesus, but He did not believe in them. Why? John gives us the answer: “But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart” (John 2:23-25 NLT).
To the person who is playing games or isn’t interested, the Lord will say nothing. But to the person who is genuinely searching and wants to know the answers to life, God will reveal the truth. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13 NLT).
Our lives are blessed whenever the Lord adds any of His blessings to our experience. Yet, there are times when we sense a need for God's blessings to be multiplied to us. Well, God desires to multiply His working toward us. "Grace and peace be multiplied to you." Drop after drop of refreshing water may encourage the thirsty soul. However, our hearts' true need may be for fountains of living water. God loves to pour forth His provisions of grace in abundance. "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). God's grace (His undeserved resource for living) is available in multiplied measures. God's peace (His heaven-sent spiritual tranquility) can be partaken of in magnified portions.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
Christians are like piñatas: they must be broken before the delights inside them can be enjoyed by other people.
The right manner of growth is to grow less in one’s own eyes.
~Thomas Watson~
I think we sometimes forget we have an enemy who uses self-doubt against us - who shouts from the sidelines:
The world will never see a greater act of mercy than that of Jesus Christ sacrificing His life on a cross for our sins.
Courage can't see around corners, but goes around them anyway.
Holiness is the distinguishing mark of the Christian.
~Michael Howell~
If we say we are followers of Christ and yet we willfully choose to walk in sin and not in righteousness, shame on us. We need to count the cost and live our lives according to God’s Word, not the ways of the world.
PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE....!
Worship is an attitude of the heart!
Psa 34:1 [A Psalm] of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise [shall] continually [be] in my mouth.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
People who don't change with time stay behind in the times, at least keep up with current events. This is most important if you have children in school because they get it first hand.
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.
The Cross is the cost of my forgiveness.
~Author Unknown~
A lot of people think God was first the Creator and then the Redeemer—as if Adam and Eve came along and messed up so badly that God said, "Oops! I didn't see that coming. I've got to do something now." Then He decided to send His Son to the earth.
The God who said, "Let Us make man in Our image" (Gen. 1:26) is the same God who knew His image would be marred in man. He knew their sin would require redemption—a redemption as eternal as His power.
True joy, fulfillment, and peace in your life come when you have a relationship with Him. Paul said, "For me to live is Christ but to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). This is a two-fold promise. Living every day with Christ is such a blessing. And knowing that when we die we will be with Him, face-to-face, for eternity is even better! So until we are with Him for eternity, we keep serving Him.
Jesus fulfilled everything in the law and everything in the prophets. And Jesus can surely fulfill everything in your life when you surrender it to Him.
She tied the scarlet cord in the window. Joshua 2:21
Rahab depended for her preservation upon the promise of the spies, whom she regarded as the representatives of the God of Israel. Her faith was simple and firm, but it was very obedient. To tie the scarlet cord in the window was a very trivial act in itself, but she dared not run the risk of omitting it.
Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,”
written by C.H. Spurgeon
Prayer is vital to life and marriage for so many reasons. Here are a few thoughts on prayer's importance. 1) Prayer is all about a relationship with God. 2) Prayer is a two-sided conversation. 3) Prayer is an attitude. May your prayer life be rich and full as you draw ever nearer to Jesus in life and marriage.
Pride is the ultimate issue of the human condition – not just one of the “deadly sins” but the mother of them all.
(Kyle Idleman, End of Me)
"The resurrection was something that actually happened. It was experienced by the earliest followers of Jesus as a real, historical event. To be precise, they did not witness the actual resurrection of Jesus, but rather the resurrected Jesus who, much to their surprise, had conquered death. His tomb was empty, not because his body had been stolen, but because death could not constrain the risen life of Jesus.."
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…
Ephesians 1:18-20
The salvation we have in the risen Christ includes the assurance of the fullness of life in God’s future. One day, we too will be raised with Jesus, thanks be to God.
But we begin to live in the reality of salvation today. “Now is the day of salvation,” Paul exclaims. Thus we mustn’t “receive God’s grace in vain” (6:1). Rather, we should allow the grace of God given in Christ to transform us, inspire us, and empower us so that we might live for God and others in God’s name.
Jesus Christ became incarnate for one purpose ––to make a way back to God that man might stand before Him as He was created to do, the friend and lover of God himself.
~Oswald Chambers~
When you received Christ, you became spiritually alive or free. You were reborn with the Holy Spirit living inside you. You are equipped for the new life, and when your body dies, you will live with Him forever in Heaven.
Thank God for eternal salvation.
Many people wonder why the church doesn't do more. A better question is what is God calling you to do, for you to get involved in? What need or concern has God placed upon your heart?
Our lives are blessed whenever the Lord adds any of His blessings to our experience. Yet, there are times when we sense a need for God's blessings to be multiplied to us. Well, God desires to multiply His working toward us. Drop after drop of refreshing water may encourage the thirsty soul. However, our hearts' true need may be for fountains of living water. God loves to pour forth His provisions of grace in abundance.
God calls us to become peacemakers, not warmongers. To use an approach different from the world's -- to be forgiving, not vindictive; exemplify God's grace, rather than self-righteously judging the morals of others.
The Father planned it,
The prophets foretold it,
The disciples doubted it,
The soldiers denied it,
The empty tomb proved it,
The angels proclaimed it,
JESUS HAS RISEN!
Dustin Benge
The certainty of Heaven’s ultimate Reunion makes the parting bearable. The longer the separation, the more glorious the reunion.
Randy Alcorn
Manger empty.
Cross empty.
Tomb empty.
Throne occupied for eternity!
Dustin Benge
The Psalmist said, “God, wherever I go, I can’t get away from Your presence. If I go to the heavens, You are there. If I go to the depths of the ocean, You’re still there.” There is no depth that God won’t stoop to to free you, to restore you.
The angel rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb, not to let the living Lord out but to let the unconvinced outsiders in.
~Donald Grey Barnhouse~
When He died so did your Sin and when He rose so did our hope.
Max Lucado
The belief of French philosopher Voltaire. The Bible and Christianity would pass within a hundred years. He died in 1778. The movement continues.
The pronouncement of Friedrich Nietzsche in 1882. “God is dead.” The dawn of science, he believed, would be the doom of faith. Science has dawned; the movement continues.
The way a Communist dictionary defined the Bible. “It is a collection of fantastic legends without any scientific support.” Communism is diminishing; the movement continues.
Jesus never wrote a book, never held an office. He never journeyed more than two hundred miles from His hometown. Friends left Him. One betrayed Him. Those He helped forgot Him. Prior to His death, they abandoned Him. But after His death, they couldn’t resist Him. What made the difference?
His death and resurrection.
The Christian's birthright is the power of the Holy Ghost.
~Lionel Fletcher~
Understand, the book of Acts does not have an “Amen” at the end. It continues on––working in the same way from generation to generation–– until the Lord Jesus Christ comes again for the second time. We are considered to be people of the book of Acts!
Go! Preach the Gospel
“When Christ died, he died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only person in the world.” - C.S. Lewis
“We can never be happy, restful, or spiritually healthy until we become holy.” — Charles Spurgeon
"The battle against sin would be lost unless he had come who is the overcomer of sin and the deliverer of his people." — Charles Spurgeon
"They are always safe whose entire dependence is upon the dear Redeemer." — Charles Spurgeon
"A man is respectable for his character, not for the money he has in his pocket." — 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
"As soon as children can learn evil, they are competent, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to learn good." — 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
"You must be schooled in humility. When you are half-an-inch above the ground, you are that half-inch too high." — Charles Spurgeon
“Care more for a grain of faith than a ton of excitement.” — Charles Spurgeon
"You must be plunged into that sea of sorrow; but it will not drown you, it will only wash and cleanse you." — Charles Spurgeon
“Believe in Jesus and trust him and you shall never be made ashamed of your confidence.” — Charles Spurgeon
"To us, true prayer is true power." — Charles Spurgeon
Be ready to die, sooner than give up a particle of God's revealed truth." — Charles Spurgeon
"I went to the Master, with nothing of my own, casting myself on his mercy; I believed that he died for me, and now, he will never cast me away." — Charles Spurgeon
"A father does not live for himself, but for that dear family gathered around him." — Charles Spurgeon
The gospel is all about Christ from beginning to end." – Charles Spurgeon
"And if Christ rejects you, tell us of it. If he refuses you, let us hear it. There was never such a case yet." — Charles Spurgeon
“Christ's obedience was vicarious in the bearing of the full judgment of God upon sin, and it was vicarious in the full discharge of the demands of righteousness. His obedience becomes the ground of the remission of sin and of actual justification.” — John Murray
“Our salvation is sure because of Christ’s covenantal obedience.” — Glorifying and Enjoying God
"This is a wonderful affirmation of assurance that although we are called to endure and be faithful, salvation does not rest ultimately on our faithfulness, but upon the perfect faithfulness of Christ (v. 19)." –– The Reformation Study Bible on 2 Timothy 2:13.
"the doctrine of grace is so far from being licentious, that, without an experimental acquaintance with it, we cannot live to God, nor perform any work that is truly good." - Abraham Booth. Death of Legal Hope, 138.
There is no death of sin without the death of Christ. - John Owen
We are saved by works- not by our works, but by the works of Christ. — R.C. Sproul
If you feel like God is ignoring you... Open your Bible. Read it. That's Him speaking to you.
“The central message of the Bible is not 'do more, try harder.' It is ‘Yet He, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity' (Psalm 78:38)" - Elyse Fitzpatrick
"GOD DELIGHTS IN ANSWERING OUR IMPOSSIBLE PRAYERS! PRAY OFTEN AND PRAY BIG!"
If you feel like God is ignoring you... Open your Bible.
Read it, That's Him speaking to you.
"YOU'RE NOT LIMITED BY WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU'RE LIMITED BY WHAT YOU DON'T USE."
"GOD NEVER ASKED FOR MY PERFECTION; HE ONLY ASKS FOR ME TO BE UNCOMPROMISED, AND OBEDIENT."
"WHEN GOD IS YOUR POTTER, YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT/WHO BROKE YOU! YOU'RE NEVER BEYOND HIS REPAIR!
IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD, WE CAN'T JUST ATTEND CHURCH WE MUST BE THE CHURCH. THE WORLD NEEDS TO SEE US IN ACTION.
SCRIPTURE DOESN'T TELL US TO TRY AND STRENGTHEN WHAT LEFT, BUT STRENGTHEN WHAT REMAINS! STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHO LEFT, AND WORK WITH WHO STAYED!
We’re just plain canning jars, boasting not of our exterior—but of whom we have within. If you don’t feel capable to share, witness, teach, or minister, you are an ideal candidate because God will get the glory, not you. Jon Courson
"To those who preach: The goal is not for people to be impressed with you, but for people to be impressed with Jesus." - Steven Lawson
"Without absolutes revealed from God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas." -John Owen.
On predestination: “A doctrine hereof men should not adventure to teach till they have well learned and digested it.” —John Trapp, A Commentary on the Old and New Testament, 5:587
You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed. —John Bunyan, Prayer, Pg. 23
Whatever God has revealed ought to be preached. Charles Spurgeon
“Welcome the solitude, welcome the loneliness, welcome the sorrow, cheered and sweetened and sanctified by such a realization as this! “I am not alone, because my Father is with me.” Octavius Winslow
It may be safely asserted that there is no grace in the man who cares nothing about the salvation of his fellow men -J.C. Ryle -
Never be afraid of the world's censure--it's praise is much more to be dreaded. -C.H. Spurgeon -
We must not be disappointed if the tides are not always equally high. Even at low tide the ocean is just as full. AB Simpson
“At first coming He visited us in great humility, and the Godhead was veiled under a covering of flesh, but at His second coming, all flesh shall see that Jesus is God indeed!” William Romaine (1714-1795)
Doctrine divides, but doctrine also unites. It binds together the hearts of God's people who celebrate the truth of God. RC Sproul
Mercy is that adorable attribute of God by which He pities and relieves the wretched. Arthur W. Pink
“Love your Bible, because it testifies of Jesus, unfolds a great Savior and an almighty Redeemer, and reveals the glory of a sin-pardoning God in the person of Jesus Christ.” Octavius Winslow
"Even the very word of the Gospel is heard in vain, unless the Father Himself speaks to the heart and draws us to Christ." Martin Luther
"Christian soldiers fight on their knees!" H. B. Charles
“Jesus is coming to take back the planet. Your only hope is to flee to Christ!” Steven Lawson
“As a camel kneels before his master to have him remove his burden at the end of the day, so kneel each night and let the Master take your burden.” Corrie ten Boom
Take us at the worst, have not we more cause of joy than sorrow? Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Richard Sibbes
The Holy Spirit is the beautifier of souls. John Owen
Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. Arthur W. Pink
This Bible is Gods Bible & when I see it, I seem to hear a voice springing up from it saying, “I am the book of God: man, read me. I am Gods writing: open my leaf, for I was penned by God; read it, for he is my author, and you will see him visible and manifest everywhere Spurgeon
Thus saith the LORD "To observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Preach the gospel North, South, East, and West; but be sure that you preach the whole gospel as far as God has taught it to you, and preach nothing else. Charles Spurgeon
There is justice in hell, BUT SIN IS THE MOST UNJUST THING. It would rob God of his glory, Christ of his purchase, the soul of its happiness. Thomas Watson
“By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
“Death breaks the union between the body and the soul, but perfects the union between Christ and the soul.” Thomas Watson
"And when thine eye of faith is dim, still trust in Jesus, sink or swim, Thus, at his footstool, bow the knee, And Israel's God thy peace shall be." C.H. Spurgeon
The real glory of heaven is not streets of gold or gates of pearl, but the King upon his throne. Steven Lawson
The Resurrection of Christ is the Amen of all His promises. Jon Boys
The power of the cross is greater than the penalty of sin. The power of grace is greater than the curse of the law. The power of the resurrection is greater than the sting of death. Steven Lawson
Be of good cheer, Christian, the time is near when God and you shall be as near as you can desire. You shall dwell in His family! You shall then have joy without sorrow — and rest without weariness! Richard Baxter
To know that God knows everything about me and yet loves me is indeed my ultimate consolation. R.C. Sproul
The simple definition of the sovereignty of God is that; God rules over everything, absolutely everything, down to every molecule and every atom in the Universe. John MacArthur
The gospel does not offer you what you want, it offers you what God wants, which is far better. But that’s what keeps people from Christ: they want what they want, not what He wants. John MacArthur
O free grace! It fires my soul, and makes me long to do something more for Jesus. - George Whitefield
"First we practice sin, then defend it, then boast of it." - Thomas Watson
Good expository preaching does not remove the need for pastoral counseling.
Woman takes her being from man, man takes his well-being from woman. —Thomas Adams
If you make marriage primarily about your needs… you’ll be disappointed. If you make marriage primarily about sex… you’ll be disappointed. If you make marriage primarily about kids… you’ll be disappointed. If you make marriage primarily about Jesus… you’ll be obedient.
"We didn't choose to be born in this time. God has put us in this time. But we must remain faithful." -Jacob Reaume
Forgiveness makes not a Christian bold with sin, but fearful of sin, and careful to obey, as Christians find in their daily experience. —Thomas Brooks, Works 5:63
Never carry worry to bed. Leave it at the place where you kneel in prayer. Charles Spurgeon
Some religions teach that you must bleed for your god to be accepted. The Gospel teaches that God bled for you, so that you could be adopted.
Whatever different events may fall out in different seasons, yet the gospel is the same as ever it was from the beginning. - John Owen
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