I will do more than belong―I will participate.
“We all have the sneaking idea that we are the favorites of God—‘It’s alright for me to do this, God will understand.’ If I as a child of God commit sin, I will be as sternly dealt with as if I were not His child.” ―Oswald Chambers
“I did not think that I had done anything when I hear them [his congregation] applauding, but when I saw them weeping.” —Augustine
“God uses our struggles for His glory!” Read more from Max Lucado in his post A Season Of Suffering.
“Pain is terrible, but surely you need not have fear as well? Can you not see death as the friend and deliverer? It means stripping off that body which is tormenting you: like taking off a hair-shirt or getting out of a dungeon. What is there to be afraid of?” ―C.S. Lewis
“You can blame your unhappiness on poor health, being misunderstood, or having an uncaring mate, boss or friend. In fact, you can blame it on anything you choose. But the truth is that there is no excuse for a Christian to live as a slave to the devil.” Read more from David Wilkerson in his post The Lack Of Victory.
Pastor Dave Barringer shares 7 prayers you may be the answer for.
Great question, great post: What Keeps Us From Having Deeper Friendships?
O world of wonders (I can say no less),
Every once in awhile I come across a book that is hard to put down. Sidelined by Chuck Pagano, the head coach of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, is just such a book.
Before I lose anyone who says, “Football? Not interested,” let me assure you that this is not a football book. This is a great story of near-tragedy and triumph that happens to have a football coach as its main character. This is a book about family, and faith, and teamwork, and pulling together, and overcoming. It’s a love story with a happy ending. It’s a great book!
In a nutshell, Chuck Pagano is hired as the head coach of the Colts, the first time in his career he has gotten a shot at being a head coach. Just a couple of games into his very first season, he is diagnosed with leukemia and sees his coaching responsibilities immediately halted. He enters into a life-and-death struggle with cancer, and ultimately beats it. But the real triumph of the story is the way his diagnosis pulled together a whole city, and even other NFL cities, to raise awareness of this dreaded disease.
Sidelined doesn’t really have an ending, because Coach Pagano’s career is still ongoing, and so is the fight against leukemia. After reading this book, I’m not only cheering for Coach, but I’m also cheering on those in the fight of their lives against cancer as well as those searching for a cure for this disease.
I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.
The Bible tells us that satan is a formidable foe. He steals, he kills, he destroys. When he speaks, lies are all that come out of his mouth. He slanders, he deceives, he coaxes, he bullies; he does whatever he can to trip up as many people as he can.
Remember this: “The prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:11). He wants to take as many victims down with him as he can! Look what the Bible says about his powers—
But “…that satan might outwit us… we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). What are his schemes?
The way we overcome satan is the same way Jesus did it: Jesus quoted Scripture to refute each of satan’s temptations (see Luke 4:1-13). We are victorious in the exact same manner!
Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… (Revelation 12:10-11).
Don’t try to go toe-to-toe with the devil because he is too strong for you to handle on your own! But with God’s Word as your weapon and the Holy Spirit as your Counselor, you can hurl him down every time!
Parents want to give their children the best they can give. But that doesn’t come through education, or possessions, or even the loving attention of devoted parents.
King Abijah started out well. When King Jeroboam came from the north to attack him with an army double the size of Abijah’s army, Abijah delivered an impassioned speech to his men. He reminded them that the northern tribes of Israel were in rebellion against God, but that he and the southern tribes of Judah still had God’s favor.
In the middle of his speech, some men of Israel launched a surprise attack from behind, and the men of Judah cried out to God for help. With the Lord’s help, Judah routed the Israelite army. The Bible says, “The men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers” (see 2 Chronicles 13, emphasis added).
But something happened to Abijah. The scriptural account says that he became sinful and wasn’t fully devoted to God “as the heart of David his forefather had been” (1 Kings 15:3).
Did this happen because he thought his speech and his strategy won the day? Maybe his speech was just for show and he didn’t really believe what he was saying. Did his grandmother lead him astray by her idol worship? Perhaps Abijah’s 14 wives were his downfall.
In any case, Abijah sinned and God’s righteous judgment was going to fall on him and his people. Then the Bible says,
Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. (1 Kings 15:4, emphasis added).
Although Abijah sinned, God looked back to his great-grandfather in order to bless Jerusalem. Wow!
I pray that my life can be so devoted to God that His blessing can extend to my descendants. I know they have to choose for themselves that they will follow God, but I want my life to be a help and not a hindrance. So help me God!
I’m always saddened when I hear of Christians who stumble in sexual sin. Whether it’s a real relationship with someone not their spouse or a virtual relationship with pornography, the pain and consequences are heart-wrenching.
King Solomon offers some sage advice to help us have victory in this area, which is summed up in just two words: maintain discretion (Proverbs 5:2). These are among his opening words before he describes the sweeter-than-honey, smoother-than-oil allure of sexual temptation.
This phrase—maintain discretion—emphasizes a strategy that is designed and thought-out prior to the moment of temptation: “maintain” means to keep close at hand and ready to use. This is the complete opposite of deciding in the moment. “The Moment” is usually emotionally-charged, intellectually-lacking, and comes at the most inopportune time when you’re at your most vulnerable point.
Solomon says to have a plan in place ahead of time to “keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house” (v. 8).
An even better plan is to make the relationship with your spouse (or future spouse) something so exciting and fulfilling (vv. 15-19) that any momentary temptation appears puny, shallow, and even abhorrent by contrast.
Wisdom is helpful in “the moment,” but it’s even more effective in keeping you away from “the moment.” You don’t have to be a victim of sexual sin, you CAN maintain discretion.
These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting this weekend.
Victory! FCC Pulls The Plug On Its Unconstitutional Plans
John Maxwell talks about delegation: Overloaded & Underempowered
“Before I became a Christian I do not think I fully realized that one’s life, after conversion, would inevitably consist in doing most of the same things one had been doing before, one hopes, in a new spirit, but still the same things.” —C.S. Lewis
“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” —John E. Southard
“I’m a fool for Christ. Whose fool are you?” —John Wimber
“Holiness is not freedom from temptation, but power to overcome temptation.” —G. Morgan Campbell
Are environmentalists going too far? The War On Humans
[VIDEO] The more I hear Sen. Ted Cruz, the more I like him. “I don′t work for the party bosses.”
Eric Metaxas on a baby′s innate sense of morality: Babies & The Not-So-Blank Slate
“Forget others’ faults by remembering your own.” —John Bunyan
© kpmoorse.deviantart.com
When I was a kid in Sunday School, we used to have “sword drills.” Anyone remember those? We would hold our Bibles up in the air until the teacher gave us a reference to look up. The first one to find it, and stand up and read it, won that drill. For that, we received a sticker to put inside the front cover of our Bibles. I loved sword drills, and it showed: the front cover of my Bible was filled with stickers!
Oh, that we were as quick to pull out the Sword God has given us today! I wish we were as quick to flip open our Bibles as we seem to be to turn to something else. We call friends, consult a pastor or a counselor, pray about it, talk about, plan how to overcome it; but we are slow on pulling out our Swords.
I love the story John Knox (1514-1572) told about defeating satan’s temptations by the Sword of the Word—
“All my life I have been tested and assaulted of satan. But my present test has assailed me most fearfully. He has set to devour me, and make an end of me. Before, he often would place all my sins before my eyes. He tried to ensnare me with the allurements of this world. But the Spirit broke those attacks. Now he has attacked me another way. This cunning devil has labored to persuade me that I have earned heaven by my faithfulness to my ministry! … Blessed be God who has enabled me to beat down and quench this fiery dart by passages from the Scripture. By the grace of God, I am what I am, not I, but the grace of God in me. Through Jesus Christ I have gained the victory.” (emphasis added)
What do you think? Is it time to brush up on our Sword-handling skills? Get some Sword drills in today, and see how God’s Word will help you!
Craig T. Owens 