"The freest person in the world is one with an open heart, a broken spirit, and a new direction in which to travel."
Gordon MacDonald
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
ARE YOU A PHARISEE OR A SPIRITUAL PERSON?
"A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself."
A.W. Tower
A.W. Tower
MORAL PRINCIPLES
"The foundational moral principles are not only right for all, but at some level known to all"
J. Budziszewski
J. Budziszewski
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS
Lest we forget--as the song says--it's all about Jesus!
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus
I'm sorry Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus
I'm sorry Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus
FORGIVENESS
"The voice of sin is loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder."
D.L. Moody
"After grief for sin there should be joy for forgiveness."
A.W. Pink
"God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness."
Henry Ward Beecher
"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."
-Assorted Authors including Mark Twain
D.L. Moody
"After grief for sin there should be joy for forgiveness."
A.W. Pink
"God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness."
Henry Ward Beecher
"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."
-Assorted Authors including Mark Twain
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
THE SPIRIT OF GOD
Galatians 5:16
WALK by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Romans 8:14
For those who are LED by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Ephesians 6:18
And PRAY in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Jude 1
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and PRAYING in the Holy Spirit 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
WALK by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Romans 8:14
For those who are LED by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Ephesians 6:18
And PRAY in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Jude 1
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and PRAYING in the Holy Spirit 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Monday, June 27, 2016
GO FORWARD IN HIS NAME
Don't let your sins and failures deter you as you walk with the Lord. Look at all of Samson's shortcomings, yet his name is written in Hebrews 11.
Don't let your past life discourage you either. Paul waged war against the saints. The Word says that he made murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. However, the chief of sinners, as he called himself, became arguably the greatest Christian in the church's history.
Go forward in His name! There is victory in Jesus!
Philippians 3:13-14.
Don't let your past life discourage you either. Paul waged war against the saints. The Word says that he made murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. However, the chief of sinners, as he called himself, became arguably the greatest Christian in the church's history.
Go forward in His name! There is victory in Jesus!
Philippians 3:13-14.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Thursday, June 23, 2016
OUR GOD REIGNS
“Has it ever occurred to you that nothing occurs to God?”
– Adrian Rogers
Everything that is happening in the world today has not caught our God off guard. He is in control and He still sits on the throne and always will! He is the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega!
The Bible says that Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Hebrews 13:8
THE Lord of Lords and King of Kings!
One day, and it may be soon, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father! Philippians 2:10-11.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
THE HEART
THE HEART
Jeremiah 17:9,10 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
The heart that the prophet and Solomon spoke of is not, of course, the organ that pumps blood through our bodies.
The heart was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will. The seat of thought and affection.
From the beginning of time we see the it is the nature of people to rebel against a holy God.
Before the flood the Lord made this startling declaration in Genesis 6:5,6:
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.
How sad is verse 6! It touches our hearts as we try to imagine how the Lord felt.
In his book “Old Testament Bible History”, Alfred Edersheim writes,
“This means more than the total corruption of our nature...(it)refers to the universal prevalence of open, daring sin, and rebellion against God.”
And after the flood the Lord said, "...every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.” Genesis 8:21
The question then comes up did people change their ways and started obeying and following the Lord? No! For in just a few chapters after the flood we read about the tower of Babel.
Edersheim points out that the flood destroyed sinners, but not sin!
I recently saw a sign that read “Follow Your Heart”. I got to thinking about that and wondering if that was a good idea especially after reading what the Lord had said about the heart.
“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart (AND MIND, PHILLIPS), and these are the things that make you ritually unclean. For from your heart come the evil ideas which lead you to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things; to rob, lie, and slander others.” Matthew 15:18-19 TODAY'S ENGLISH BIBLE (GOOD NEWS BIBLE)
I don't believe that this list is exhaustive! And to add to our misery Jesus said “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” So much for following the leading of your heart. (Unless, of course, you're following the leading of the Holy Spirit).
The heart is indeed desperately wicked, however, the battle can be won as we rely on the Lord's Holy Spirit. With the Lord as our strength it behooves us then to heed the words of the psalmist.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
And consider the prayer of David as he confessed his sins of adultery and murder.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Jeremiah 17:9,10 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
The heart that the prophet and Solomon spoke of is not, of course, the organ that pumps blood through our bodies.
The heart was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will. The seat of thought and affection.
From the beginning of time we see the it is the nature of people to rebel against a holy God.
Before the flood the Lord made this startling declaration in Genesis 6:5,6:
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.
How sad is verse 6! It touches our hearts as we try to imagine how the Lord felt.
In his book “Old Testament Bible History”, Alfred Edersheim writes,
“This means more than the total corruption of our nature...(it)refers to the universal prevalence of open, daring sin, and rebellion against God.”
And after the flood the Lord said, "...every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.” Genesis 8:21
The question then comes up did people change their ways and started obeying and following the Lord? No! For in just a few chapters after the flood we read about the tower of Babel.
Edersheim points out that the flood destroyed sinners, but not sin!
I recently saw a sign that read “Follow Your Heart”. I got to thinking about that and wondering if that was a good idea especially after reading what the Lord had said about the heart.
“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart (AND MIND, PHILLIPS), and these are the things that make you ritually unclean. For from your heart come the evil ideas which lead you to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things; to rob, lie, and slander others.” Matthew 15:18-19 TODAY'S ENGLISH BIBLE (GOOD NEWS BIBLE)
I don't believe that this list is exhaustive! And to add to our misery Jesus said “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” So much for following the leading of your heart. (Unless, of course, you're following the leading of the Holy Spirit).
The heart is indeed desperately wicked, however, the battle can be won as we rely on the Lord's Holy Spirit. With the Lord as our strength it behooves us then to heed the words of the psalmist.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
And consider the prayer of David as he confessed his sins of adultery and murder.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
THE UNENDING BATTLE WITH THE FLESH
Romans 7:18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. New Living Translation (NLT)
The battle with the flesh, the old nature, the sinful nature, the “old man” can be very frustrating. All believers know that. It can make us feel tired, weak, and worn out both spiritually and physically. And when we lose a battle we are grieved because we failed our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:17 that, “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”
The battle is relentless. There are no cease fires. No time outs for breaks. The “flesh” never goes to sleep. Therefore, the child of God must always be spiritually alert and always on guard. Just when you think that you have the flesh defeated—look out—it rears its ugly head.
“Walk in the Spirit” is Paul's exhortation in order to get the victory over the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
Praise God for the work of Jesus on the cross who sets the captive free!
“It is an agonizing situation, and who on earth can set me free from the clutches of my sinful nature? I thank God there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25 J.B. Phillips New Testament
(PHILLIPS)
Hallelujah!
Romans 7:18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. New Living Translation (NLT)
The battle with the flesh, the old nature, the sinful nature, the “old man” can be very frustrating. All believers know that. It can make us feel tired, weak, and worn out both spiritually and physically. And when we lose a battle we are grieved because we failed our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:17 that, “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”
The battle is relentless. There are no cease fires. No time outs for breaks. The “flesh” never goes to sleep. Therefore, the child of God must always be spiritually alert and always on guard. Just when you think that you have the flesh defeated—look out—it rears its ugly head.
“Walk in the Spirit” is Paul's exhortation in order to get the victory over the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
Praise God for the work of Jesus on the cross who sets the captive free!
“It is an agonizing situation, and who on earth can set me free from the clutches of my sinful nature? I thank God there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25 J.B. Phillips New Testament
(PHILLIPS)
Hallelujah!
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