The sheer power of emotional response to situations when the mind is put out of gear can lead a life on a reckless uncontrolled journey to disaster.
It is right and proper that Christian men should rejoice in whatever manner they feel is compatible with their experience of Christ and the wishes of the Christian community to which they belong.
Grace is God’s stance of giving, loving, blessing. The Greek word for grace (claris) means favor and gift and blessing.
Love is never passive. It is the very nature of love to give the best and not hold back. And the gift is unique, the only begotten. The greater the object of love, the more costly the gift. Any old thing is not good enough. That would not be love.
God can be trusted to give us what we need when we need it. He does not guarantee to meet our wants. He meets our needs! He does not promise a stocked fridge—just today’s food. Daily we learn to trust and we discover contentment. Sadly, if, like the Israelites, we don’t listen, our manna may turn to maggots (16:20).
The enemies of our soul are real and not to be underestimated, they are to be engaged and not avoided, and they are to be countered using the five smooth stones of Scripture, prayer, fellowship, worship, and discipline. Like David, we must develop our skills in handling our own smooth stones in the power of the Lord. The results will be stunning.
Christianity stands or falls on this tenet of the faith. If Christ is risen, he is all he said he was—the Messiah, the Son of God, the eternal king. If he isn’t risen, he’s dead—and irrelevant. Either way, we don’t need more signs. We need to choose to believe what the evidence clearly shows.
There is unspeakable joy... for the person who knows release from guilt and the relief of forgiveness.
Slightly lower than the angels is a whole lot better than slightly higher than the apes. Let's get the order straight. God, angelic beings, man, animals, and vegetables.
Children can withstand a lot of pressure and trial from the outside if the home inside is held steady by parents whose character is steady.
Faith is only as valid as its object. You could have tremendous faith in very thin ice and drown... You could have very little faith in very thick ice and be perfectly secure.
People have a natural tendency to flee to the mountains when things get tough.
The spirit of Christmas needs to be superseded by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world.
Slightly lower than the angels" is a whole lot better than slightly higher than the apes. Let's get the order straight. God, angelic beings, man, animals, and vegetables.
Qualifications of a pastor: the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of a rhinoceros.
To believe in God starts with a conclusion about Him, develops into confidence in Him, and then matures into a conversation with Him.