The enemy of men's souls wants to keep perishing people in spiritual blindness. "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4a). This counterfeit god is working on all unbelievers (even as he formerly did with us). "In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). His influence is so extensive. He works through every system (political, economic, educational, etc.) within the unbelieving world. "The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19). The primary purpose of Satan's blinding activities is to keep those in darkness from seeing God's light: "Lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."
OSWALD CHAMBERS
Crises reveal character. When we are put to the test the hidden resources of our character are revealed exactly.
In such a world Christians will increasingly face trials, discrimination, mocking, and persecution, as Jesus said we would (John 16:33). In such a world we are right to feel like aliens if we are truly holding to our faith. How much more important, then, that we hold to our faith in these times?
Do you believe that? Do you believe that no matter what is going on right now in your life that God’s plans are for your good and you can trust Him?
He who does not love sinners
cannot pray aright for them.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
Remember, God has called us to share the Gospel with the people of the world. He has called us to be salt and light, to represent Him.
Texting may not be my favorite way to communicate, but if it ministers to my children, I don't want to miss it.
Are you swinging the pendulum of your responses, or are they swinging you? We are accountable for our behavior. We are accountable for the way we respond to circumstances. Our responses reflect the core of who we are. They reflect our faith … good or bad.
The ways of the world are so different from God's ways. The world proclaims man's power as a great thing. Powerful in business. Powerful in government. Power. In control.
But as Christians, we need to recognize that we are powerless to live a victorious life. And admitting we are powerless is a good thing because then we will depend on God. And only then will we be open to receive his unlimited strength, his unconditional love, and his bountiful mercy.
If you look past the world, you put your head up into eternity.
~Thomas Goodwin~
If you go fishing for Bass and catch a sea monster be ready~
ARE YOU READY TO GET OUT THE BOAT~ STEP OUT IN FAITH!
When you step out in faith people watch you with a point of view but what matters is yours and what God is doing through you at the time. Don't be persuaded by men who are not like minded nor do not fall in to the trap when they talk about you. Keep doing what God has laid on your heart with joy and love and God will give you the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Live today walking on water, step out of your comfort zone.
A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for. ~
William Shedd
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
William Shakespeare
People are watchers and your there stage, do you want them to just be spectators or do you want them to participate? Break down the walls that divide.
Don't fall into routine, make it your own, and do it with love, joy, and peace.
I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.
Vince Lombardi
Leaders are anyone in ministry, whether up front or behind the scenes. Come ready to serve and die to self.
God sees you. He cares about you. He knows what you need and when. He acts, always right on time.
Don't let fear of rejection cripple you.
Let love for yourself cripple your fear.
The serene, silent beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world, next to the might of the spirit of God.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
There is an appropriate place to evaluate and hold accountable any
leader among God's people. Yet in the end, judgment belongs to
the Lord.
If we fail to recognize there are demonic forces at work in the world that have the “power of authority and the right to exercise power,” then we might be fighting the wrong battle.
Give? Pray? Serve? Encourage? Do not be timid or scared. Focus on the Father and His ability. It may be difficult to comprehend that He accomplishes great things through weak people, but He does.
There will always be an emotional pain when we surrender our pride, self-reliance, plans, gifts, and resources to God.
It is hard for us to give it up! But the truth is, God is always in control—He’s just waiting for us to realize it.
Ray Bently
“Whether we realize it or not, whether we believe it to be true or not, the triune God is using trials to mold and shape us into the image of the Lord Jesus.” — Mike Abendroth, Cancer is Not Your Shepherd, 14.
“We should not be indifferent to what Scripture says about the Lord’s return, yet two faithful believers can come to different conclusion about how to interpret various passages.” — Cost Hinn
“Many Christians think that faithfulness is what primarily defines them, but it is Jesus, received by faith, that is the sine quo non.” — Mike Abendroth, Cancer Is Not Your Shepherd, 17.
We need to hear the Gospel every day, because we forget it every day. Martin Luther
God's sovereignty "can neither be ignored nor rejected. It binds all creatures, as inexorable as physical laws bind the material universe." — Charles Hodge
“Any theology that does not lead to song is, at a fundamental level, a flawed theology.” - J.I. Packer
“There are many evidences that reveal your standing before God, but faith in the risen Jesus is the most important.” — Mike Abendroth, Cancer Is Not Your Shepherd, 17.
We need to hear the Gospel every day, because we forget it every day. Martin Luther
“The Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.” - C.S. Lewis
“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
"Those who seek the treasures of this world miss out on inestimable treasures in God." — Charles Spurgeon
"Man deserves nothing but death, and life must be the free gift of God." — Charles Spurgeon
"Only omnipotence itself keeps off the fiery darts of Satan." — Charles Spurgeon
"Complaining is contagious and so is praise." — Charles Spurgeon
"Bring up your children that they shall have every opportunity to serve the living God." — Charles Spurgeon
"Jesus has something for the useless and for the worthless ones." — Charles Spurgeon
"God can make a spark set a world on fire." — Charles Spurgeon
"Do not say you are good for nothing; you shall sing up in heaven yet." — Charles Spurgeon
"Your strength is a lie. However much you boast, it will pass away." — Charles Spurgeon
"If you say to kids, ‘Be good boys and girls and God will love you,’ you are telling lies." — Charles Spurgeon
"It is upside down to say, 'I have too much to do; I cannot pray long.'" — Charles Spurgeon
"Lord, I am feeble, you are strong; Help me guard against the wrong." — Charles Spurgeon
"Your hope must not be based on anything you feel, but on the cross." — Charles Spurgeon
"The infinite God must take away the infinite filth of his people’s sin." — Charles Spurgeon
"The only joy worth having must be found in Christ Jesus." — Charles Spurgeon
"It pleased God to bring me in, to rescue me from all my sin." — Charles Spurgeon
"Unbelief is often the mother of needless worry." — Charles Spurgeon
"Christ is my refuge; all beside. When justice frowns, in him I hide." — Charles Spurgeon
"Do not read the Bible as a book for other people. Take it home to your heart." — Charles Spurgeon
"King Jesus will never lose the many crowns that are on his head." — Charles Spurgeon
"God will not reject you, though you are covered from head to foot with filthiness." — Charles Spurgeon
"O sweet the hour, O joyous day, When sins so deep were washed away." — Charles Spurgeon
"Pastors are servants. Our rule is not that of lordship, but of 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
"Wipe your tears away, for Jesus is not in the grave; he rose again." — Charles Spurgeon
"Do not stay in the grave of doubt when your Master has left the grave of death." — Charles Spurgeon
"The Christian’s comfort is on the cross. There hangs our hope." — Charles Spurgeon
"Wash my feet? Lord, will you take the worst part of me, and wash that?" — Charles Spurgeon
A precious secret of Christian life is to have Jesus dwelling within the heart and conquering things that we never could overcome. It is the only secret of power in your life and mine, beloved. AB Simpson
One thought of obedience leads to the release of God’s miraculous power in your life. Ray Bentley
Bitterness is evident & clear but often confused with hurt & pain. Just because the accusation of being bitter is often used against you, doesn’t mean you are. You could be responding to hurt that is deep. Not with bitterness but with pain. Trust the Lord with your pain.
The fact is, the man who is happy, the woman who succeeds in her walk with God is the one who is not working, but simply believing in the goodness and lovingkindness of the Father revealed through the Son on Calvary’s Cross. Jon Courson
The Lord’s return is close. At the end of each day, we can truthfully say we are one day closer to the return of Jesus Christ than we were yesterday. Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Oh, the blessed hope that Jesus Christ is coming soon. Chuck Smith
We need the energy, passion, and vision of the younger generations, and the wisdom of the older. But we also need to view and present what God has revealed to us through His Word with hope, victory, compassion, and joy. Ray Bentley
Loving Christ is only part of picture. We also need to love what he loves, which is the church. Disciples love the church because God loves the church. He doesn’t look down from heaven & see divisions of churches. He sees a bride preparing herself for marriage to his Son. Wimber
Quit trying to give God a reason to bless you. It’ll never work because God will be a debtor to no man. Just marvel at His goodness. Enjoy an intimate relationship with Him, and watch what He can pour out on you because you won’t be taking the credit. Jon Courson
Often, if not always, the greatest obstacle to the crusade of Christ is the selfishness of men. Barclays
Trials and hard places are needed to press us forward, even as the furnace fires in the hold of that mighty ship give force that moves the piston, drives the engine, and propels that great vessel across the sea in the face of the winds and waves. Streams In Desert
Christ tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah will have a cold hell in comparison of those who have had the offers of a Saviour in the gospel, and yet have rejected him. —Ebenezer Erskine, Whole Works in 2 Volumes, 1:288
“You must declare Jesus’ beauty and preciousness to others, to the end that they also would begin to love Jesus …” —Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 3:290
Remember that it is not written, “Whoever 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴…” but “Whoever 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 has eternal life.” We must understand that the faith of God’s children does not stop being true faith when they experience many doubts… —Jean Taffin (1529-1602), The Marks of God’s Children,
“So far as sin prevails in your hearts, could not you wish that God were not so holy, to hate those sins you love, and not so just, to be so severe against sin as he is, is not this in your hearts?” — Jeremiah Burroughs (1600-1646), ‘The Evil of Evils’
If the elect could perish, then Jesus Christ should be very unfaithful to His Father, because God the Father hath given this charge to Christ, that whomsoever He elected, Christ should preserve them safe, to bring them to heaven (John 6:39). —Christopher Love
We have hearts that love to wander. —Thomas Manton, Works 7:224
We lose much tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against sin, much of that lively diligence that we should otherwise show forth in carrying on the spiritual life, when we are at ease, and all things go well with us. —Puritan Thomas Manton, Works 7:224
The church is like a river. If it gets wider instead of deeper it will lose its power. —Puritan Thomas Manton
We read of preaching the word out of season, but we do not read of praying out of season, for that is never out of season; the throne of grace is always open, and humble supplicants are always welcome and cannot come unseasonably. —Matthew Henry, Works 1:200
New doctrines please those who have not … felt the efficacy of the old [doctrines] upon their hearts. —Thomas Boston, The Works of Thomas Boston, 3:7
If you want to be a celebrity, please don’t become a pastor.
We need never shout across the spaces 2 an absent #God. He is nearer than our own soul,closer than our most secret thoughts -A.W.Tozer -
Every #Christian that goes before us from this world is a ransomed spirit waiting to welcome us in #heaven. -Jonathan Edwards -
If Christians give most of our time to bemoaning and criticizing the world for acting like the world, our vision of God and His glorious future for His people will become smaller and smaller. John Piper
Jerry Bridges
Duty or guilt may motivate us for a while, but only a sense of Christ’s love for us will motivate us for a lifetime.
“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
Jesus is not “a” way to Heaven. He is “the only” way to Heaven.
We need to hear the Gospel every day, because we forget it every day. Martin Luther
#Christ is with us until the world's end. Let his little flock be bold therefore. -William Tyndale -
There is not a word in the #Bible that can be understood without reference to the #cross. -Martin Luther -
TALE OF TWO CHIEFS: Travis Kelce chugged a beer at Graduation encouraging the graduates to party and drink alcohol. Harrison Butker encouraged graduates to get married and start a family. Travis was praised by the media. Harrison was ridiculed. In a world of Travis Kelce's, be a Harrison Butker. - author unknown
We must renounce the present-day methodologies that lead people to trust in a sinner's prayer and bring them to a persevering "looking unto Christ, in faith." Paul Washer
"Scripture does what psychoanalysis can't do. It pierces the heart, penetrates deep into the soul and judges the motives. To see yourself in the light of Scripture, is to see yourself as you really are." John MacArthur
"Prayer is the greatest power God has put into our hands for service." -Mary Slessor.
To be saved by grace supposes that God has taken the salvation of our souls into his own hand; and to be sure it is safer in God’s hand than ours. John Bunyan
Without Christ there is no access to the Father, but futile rambling; no truth, but hypocrisy; no life, but eternal death. Martin Luther
“Much of my learning to follow Jesus is unlearning to follow myself.” Burk Parsons
"All my theology is reduced to this narrow compass: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners!" Archibald Alexander
The children of Cain will hate the children of Abel, as long as the earth continues. J.C. Ryle
This is what we should seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches in him offered. John Calvin
"Do you find it difficult to forgive one who has wronged you? Then you will find it difficult to get to heaven.” Charles Spurgeon
'Through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.' No tongue can express, no mind can reach, the heavenly placidness and soul-satisfying delight which are intimated in these words. - John Owen
The preaching of the Puritans contained the following: 1. The unique place of preaching is to convert, feed and sustain. 2. The life of the preacher must radiate the reality of what he preaches. 3. Prayer and solid Bible study are basic to effective preaching. —J.I. Packer
It is doubtful whether we can be #Christian in anything if we are not Christian in everything. -A.W. Tozer -
There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any moment, out of #hell, but the mere pleasure of #God. -Jonathan Edwards -
“Let the sun stop shining, and we will preach in darkness. Let the waves stop their ebb and flow, and still our voice shall preach the gospel.” - Charles H. Spurgeon
I recommend that the self-examination be made on our knees (in prayer), rising to obey God's commandments as they are revealed to us from the Word. There is nothing romantic or colorful about this plain, downright way of dealing with ourselves, but it gets the work done. -Tozer
"Christ came into the world to destroy the works of the devil & this was the very thing that did it, the blood and death of Christ. The cross was the devil’s own weapon; & with this weapon he was overthrown, as David cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword." -Jonathan Edwards
The Holy Spirit will never lead you to do something that contradicts the Holy Bible
"Tomorrow is Sunday: Pastors, when we preach, we are modeling for people how to study the Bible. So, handle the Word rightly." - Steve Lawson
You will never know the sweetness of Christ until you know the bitterness of trials. You cannot know His fullness until you see your emptiness. Spurgeon
"Do not seek lasting comfort in earthly things." — Charles Spurgeon
As new covenant servants, we proclaim "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4). While holding forth this magnificent message, we earnestly pray that God will prepare darkened hearts to embrace the redeeming light of His grace. Each person who responds will experience a miracle more distinct than when light first shined into the darkness of creation.
OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession.
The law brought death, but the Spirit brings life!
“The law brought death, but the Spirit brought life!” That remains true to this day! Life, real life, walking hand-in-Hand with Him is lived filled with the same Holy Spirit that filled the first followers of The Way in Acts 2, and being empowered and matured through Him.