Quotes On The Burden Of Sin…

In weighing our sins let us not use a deceitful balance, weighing at our own discretion what we will, and how we will, calling this heavy and that light:  but let us use the divine balance of the holy Scriptures, as taken from the treasury of the Lord, and by it weigh every offence, nay, not weigh, but rather recognize what has been already weighed by the Lord.–Augustine of Hippo

Sin is not weakness, it is a disease; it is red-handed rebellion against God and the magnitude of that rebellion is expressed by Calvary’s cross.—Oswald Chambers

We have a strange illusion

 

Don’t Rust Out

Spiritual inactivity corrodes the soul.

1 Timothy 6:11-16

 

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness–1 Timothy 6:11

Spiritual inactivity corrodes the soul like moisture acting on metal.  Paul urged Timothy, his young protege, to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:11).  This command had no expiration date attached to it.  The spiritual disciplines require continued attention throughout our lives.  If rest becomes our goal, then rust is right behind.

Oswald Chambers said:

 

Foundation Of The Heart

When you open your heart to the Savior, He opens your mind to His Word.

Psalm 131

 

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother.—Ps. 131.2

 

Our heart is the place where God meets and relates to us personally.  It’s where He allows us to respond to His correction.  Spending time in His Word and in prayer opens the door for Him to interact with us at the deepest levels of our need and gives

 

Deity of Christ

by C.S. Lewis

“What are we to make of Christ?”  There is no question of what we can make of Him, it is entirely a question of what He intends to make of us.  You must accept or reject the story.

The things He says are very different from what any other teacher has said.  Others say, “This is the truth about

 

The Importance of Character and Integrity

August 12 BIBLE MEDITATION: “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: This world says if we could just arrange conditions where we never have any sorrow, pain, or hurts, then we could change men. If we can change conditions, we can change character. But the Bible teaches just the opposite. The world puts the emphasis on condition. God puts the emphasis on character. Someone has well said you can’t purify the water by painting the pump. And yet that’s what we try to do. We think that if we can change the exterior or make conditions such that we never have any hurts, then we’re going to be okay. But Jesus put the emphasis upon character — on what you are, not what you have. ACTION POINT: Is there someone in your life you admire? Someone who is a person of integrity? Praise God for His work in that person’s life and give him or her a word of encouragement. share devotional with a friend visit lwf.org

 

For Such A Time As This

Courage is not the absence of fear—it is the mastery of it.

Esther 4:10-17

I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!—Esther 4:16

The book of Esther tells [a] story of love, sacrifice, and God’s timing. Mordecai, a Jew in exile, refused to bow to Haman, second in command to King Ahasuerus. Haman became furious and plotted to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews. So Haman deceived the king and persuaded him to issue an edict condemning the Jews to deth. When Mordecai told his cousin Queen Esther about the edict, he urged her to intervene. “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” he said (v.14). Approaching the king uninvited was punishable by death. But Esther seized the moment to save her people!

 

Loving Our Grown-Up Children

A parent’s love never ends.

1 Corinthians 13

Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.–1 Cor. 13:13

Comedian Henny Youngman used to say, “I’ve got two wonderful children—and two out of five isn’t bad.”

When children reach adulthood, most parents have an opinion about how their offspring have “turned out.” Some are proud of everything their kids have done, while other parents express misgivings or disappointment about the choices their children have made. How can we continue a positive parenting role after the birds have left our nest?

 

Liberating Truth

Accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation frees us to accept ourselves.

Ephesians 1:3-10

He made us accepted in the Beloved.—Ephesians 1:6

By God’s design, each of us is an absolutely unique person, a Christ-redeemed human being who can never be replaced or duplicated.

Do you condemn yourself because you aren’t as spiritual as you think you ought to be? Do you see yourself as a second-rate disciple, lacking the gifts and graces possessed by fellow believers who seem to be models of prayer, witness, and service? We can rise above the mood of self-rejection and enjoy grateful self-acceptance when we put our lives into the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, [and] the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:7). We are accepted and chosen by Him (vv.4-6).

If the Lord has accepted us, surely we can accept ourselves! That’s the liberating truth.—Vernon Grounds

 

All praise to the Lamb, accepted I am,

Through faith in the Savior’s adorable name;

In Him I confide, His blood is applied;

For me He hath suffered, for me He hath died.—Wesley

 

Air Wars

Two cannot quarrel when one will not.

Prov. 17:14-19,27-28

A man of understanding is of a calm spirit.—Proverbs 17:27

Quarrels among believers in Jesus Christ bring dishonor to Him. They create wounds in our brothers and sisters, leaving scars. “It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel,” says Proverbs 20:3. And “He who has knowledge spares his words” (17:27).

How much better it is when we speak gentle words of peace, not angry words of strife!—Dave Egner

 

Like bullets flying through the air,

Our words can shatter peace;

The Spirit helps control the tongue,

And then the quarrels cease.—Egner