Gospel of Grace

God offers nothing to people who are content with their own condition, except judgment. If you don't think you are headed for hell, don't think you need forgiveness, you put no value on the gospel of grace.

John MacArthur

Because of His Majesty and Omnipotence

Do little things as though they were great,
because of the majesty of Jesus Christ who does them in us,
and who lives our life:
and do the greatest things as though they were little and easy,
because of His omnipotence.

- Blaise Pascal -

C S Lewis on Christ

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. – Mere Christianity, pages 40-41.

1 John 2:15-17

1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 

1Jn 2:17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

1Tim 1:15-17

1Ti 1:15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

1Ti 1:16 And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 

1Ti 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

2 Peter 1

1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 1:6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 1:7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 1:10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,

Gal 6:9-10

Gal 6:9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

Gal 6:10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. 

Examining Your Debt to Christ

“How is it that many who profess and call themselves Christians, do so little for the Savior whose name they bear? How is it that many, whose faith and grace it would be uncharitable to deny, work so little, give to little, say so little, take so little pains to promote Christ’s cause and bring glory to Christ in the world?

“These questions admit of only one answer. It is a low sense of debt and obligation to Christ, which is the amount of the whole matter. Let us daily pray that we may see the sinfulness of sin, and the amazing grace of Christ, more clearly and distinctly.”

~ J.C. Ryle

Ephesians 4:29-32

Eph 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Eph 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 

Psalm 138:1-8

A Psalm of David. I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods.

I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth.

And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.

For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

God is Not Obsolete

Of course, many foes of morality and religion have attempted to argue that new scientific discoveries make belief in God obsolete, but what they actually demonstrate is the remarkable and unique nature of man and the universe. It is hard not to believe that these gifts were given by a divine Creator, who alone can unlock the secrets of existence. (Margaret Thatcher, 1994)

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..."

Providence of our times

I thank God for the Unseen Hand, sometime urging me onward, sometimes holding me back; sometimes with a caress of approval, sometimes with a stroke of reproof; sometimes correcting, sometimes comforting. My times are in his hand.

- Vince Havner -

On the Crushing of Grapes

"God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers he uses to crush us with. If God would only use his fingers to make me broken bread and poured out wine in a spiritual way! But when he uses someone whom we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, we object. We must never choose the scene of our own martyrdom. If ever we are going to be made wine to drink, we shall have to be crushed. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed. You can not drink grapes."

(Oswald Chambers)

Rom 9:33

just as it is written,

“Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble

and a rock that will make them fall,

yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

The Man in Charge of the Universe

"The teaching of the New Testament is that now, at this very moment, there is a Man in heaven appearing in the presence of God for us. He is as certainly a man as was Adam or Moses or Paul; he is a man glorified, but his glorification did not de-humanize him. Today he is a real man, of the race of mankind, bearing our lineaments and dimensions, a visible and audible man, whom any other man would recognize instantly as one of us.

"But more than this, he is the heir of all things, Lord of all lords, head of the church, firstborn of the new creation. He is the way to God, the life of the believer, the hope of Israel, and the high priest of every true worshiper. He holds the keys of death and hell, and stands as advocate and surety for everyone who believes on him in truth. Salvation comes not by accepting the finished work, or deciding for Christ; it comes by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole, living, victorious Lord who, as God and man, fought our fight and won it, accepted our debt as his own and paid it, took our sins and died under them, and rose again to set us free. This is the true Christ; nothing less will do." (A.W. Tozer) 

SATAN PREYS . . . JESUS PRAYS!

I thought I'd do something different for this post, so I'm linking this article from Lambert Dolphin's website....Click Here

Grant Me, O Lord

Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know,to love what I ought to love, to praise what delights Thee most, to value what is precious in Thy sight, to hate what is offensive to Thee. Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes, nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men; but to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual, and above all, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of Thy will.

-Thomas a Kempis-

Beauty in the Details

You know, brethren, it is the details in which lies the beauty. If I trust Jesus as my Savior I shall be saved, but the enjoyment of faith comes from knowing him in his person, in his offices, in his work, in his present, and past, and future. We perceive his true beauty, by studying him, and observing him carefully, and with holy watchfulness. So it is with the doctrines; the mere whole of the doctrine... is blessed, but it is when we come to take the doctrine to pieces that we gain the purest enjoyment.


Excerpt From a sermon entitled "Seeing And Not Seeing, Or Men As Trees Walking" delivered July 22, 1866.
Charles Spurgeon

1 Peter 1:6-9

1Pe 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 

1Pe 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

1Pe 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 

1Pe 1:9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 

JESUS COME

All the world's in travail
From the hills to the sea
Sin and death have their way
So it seems.

How we long for the day
When the Word shall prevail
When the Lord--- comes again!

(Chorus)
Jesus, come!
End the night
Fill the world With Your light
Be enthroned,
Come and reign with no end.

Let the nations rejoice
(Let the nations rejoice)
To Your praise lift a voice
(To Your praise lift a voice)
Lord we long for the day
You come again!

(Verse 2)
All the world cries for peace
Yet the wars linger on
There's no hope for a change
So it seems.

Yet the promise remains
For a new age to dawn
When the Lord--- comes again!

(Repeat Chorus)
Jesus, come!
End the night
Fill the world With Your light
Be enthroned,
Come and reign with no end.

Let the nations rejoice
(Let the nations rejoice)
To Your praise lift a voice
(To Your praise lift a voice)
Lord we long for the day
You come again!

(Ending)
Bring Your love
Bring Your peace
Bring Your joy
Come again! 

God in the daily and the ordinary

The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find Him at all.

- Richard J. Foster -

Isa 46:9-13

Isa 46:9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; 

Isa 46:11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it

Isa 46:12 "Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who are far from righteousness. 

Isa 46:13 "I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel. 

Rom 12:9-14

Rom 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 

Rom 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 

Rom 12:11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 

Rom 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 

Rom 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 

Rom 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 

The Light of His Law

We are to order our lives by the light of His Law, not by our guesses about His plan.

- J. I. Packer -

I John 2:28-29

1Jn 2:28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 

1Jn 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. 

Luke 18:7-8

Luk 18:7-8 ....now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" 

An Infinite God

“An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.”

A W Tozer

Praising God

To praise God fully we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God, drowned in, dissolved by that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression. Our joy is no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds.

- (Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis -

Happy Resurrection Day!

People say the cross is a sign of how much man is worth. That’s not true. The cross is a sign of how depraved we really are, that it took the death of God’s own Son. The only thing that could save a people like us was the death of God’s own Son under the wrath of His own Father paying the price, rising again from the dead. Powerful to say, this is the Gospel of Jesus. — Paul Washer

John 10:27-29

Joh 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 

Joh 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 

Joh 10:29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 

My Father

 "Thou, O Lord, art our Father....” Isaiah 63:16

My Father is the King of Kings, the Lord of heaven and earth. Nothing is impossible for Him!

It astounds my finite mind to realize that this sovereign God of the universe is also my loving Father who watches and cares for me moment by moment. He is interested in every detail of my life, and not a word or action slips by Him unnoticed. Even my unspoken thoughts and motives lie bare to my holy Father. Yet He continues to love and lead me, cleanse and forgive me!

Nothing I do surprises my Father. He who made me knows me inside and out, recognizes all my weaknesses, and sees all my needs. He nurtures, guards and trains me as His precious child. Most earthly fathers do their best to make their children mature and happy, yet my heavenly Father does infinitely more. "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us - that we should be called children of God, and such we are!"

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Romans 8:12-17

My Father

Prayer for All People

1Ti 2:1 First of all, then, I urge you to offer petitions, prayers, intercessions, and expressions of thanks for all people, 

1Ti 2:2 for kings, and for everyone who has authority, so that we might lead a quiet and peaceful life with all godliness and dignity. 

1Ti 2:3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 

1Ti 2:4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a full knowledge of the truth. 

Let's keep praying for America

2Ch 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 

Psalm 27:1-4

 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? ...

Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident.

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life..."

Rev 1:7-8

Rev 1:7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. 

Rev 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." 

Dan 9:16-19

"O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. "So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. "O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

"God's glory must be the ultimate goal of every prayer request we make."

John MacArthur

John 6: 36-40

Joh 6:36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 

Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 

Joh 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 

Joh 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 

Joh 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." 

Col 1:15-18

Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 

Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. 

Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 

Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 

Grace and Peace

Php 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." 

Eph 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 

Eph 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 

Eph 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 

Eph 2:17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 

Eph 2:18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 

Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 

Heb 13:21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 

1Pe 5:14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ. 

1Th 3:12-13

1Th 3:12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 

1Th 3:13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. 

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Happy Valentines day, Alesia!

Isaiah 25:7-8

Isa 25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up 
 the shroud that is over all the peoples, 
 the woven covering that is over all the nations;

Isa 25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 
 The sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from every face,
 and remove his people's disgrace from all the earth.
 Indeed, the LORD has announced it!

Heb 10:12-25

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 

Heb 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 

Heb 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. 

Thanks to Alesia for the suggestion.

Hebrews 11:13-16

Heb 11:13 All these people died having faith. They did not receive the things that were promised, yet they saw them in the distant future and welcomed them, acknowledging that they were strangers and foreigners on earth. 

Heb 11:14 For people who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 

Heb 11:15 If they had been thinking about what they had left behind, they would have had an opportunity to go back. 

Heb 11:16 Instead, they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them. 

2Co 4:16-18

2Co 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 

2Co 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 

2Co 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

Grant Me, O Lord

Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know, to love what I ought to love, to praise what delights Thee most, to value what is precious in Thy sight, to hate what is offensive to Thee.

Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes,
but to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual, and above all, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of Thy will.

-Thomas a Kempis-

Col 2:6-8

Col 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 

Col 2:7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 

Rev 21:3-7

Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 

Rev 21:4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." 

Rev 21:5 And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." 

Rev 21:6 Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 

Rev 21:7 "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 

Philippians 1:27-28

Php 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 

Php 1:28 in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.