Good Words for Today
"We live in an age of rage. The only thing that will break through is the power of God's love." James Robison
"God's blessings are found within God's boundaries. When we ignore the boundaries, the blessings become burdens." Jason Benham
"Our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). "Christians must constantly remember that we live here, but don't belong here." Don Carson
The more you encourage others, the more you are encouraged. Like the miracle of the loaves and fish, the more you give, the more you have. By giving encouragement to a fellow traveler, the spigot of God's blessings is opened to you. So far from running out, before long you are running over with God's blessings.
A cartoon from the Wall Street Journal shows a man walking up a set of stairs toward the gate of heaven. Above the gate is a sign with two words: “No Deals.” This time the Journal got it absolutely right. God makes no deals when it comes to heaven. You either enter by way of the cross of Christ or you don’t enter at all.
"The problem in America today is not the presence of darkness. It's the absence of light." Jason Benham
Love does not run away. Love doesn't take the easy way out. Love runs toward the battle, not away from it.
How precious are a mother’s tears! There is no substance on earth more valuable than the tears of a godly mother. There are mothers and grandmothers who have prayed their children and their grandchildren to Christ. There are mothers and grandmothers who have seen their children in the “far country” of sin and have prayed them step by step back to the Father’s House. When everyone else gave up, godly women laid hold of heaven and claimed their offspring in Jesus’ name. And God heard those prayers and answered them.
A friend told me about his struggles in yielding everything to God. He said that he envisions his life as a great ship with the Lord at the helm. But every so often he wants to tap God on the shoulder and say, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Rest easy, child of God. There’s a steady hand at the helm and he doesn’t need any help from you. But you’ll never know until you give him full control of your life.
"You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks." Winston Churchill
"He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:6). I'm responsible to sow the seeds of truth faithfully, lovingly, repeatedly. I'm not responsible for how fast the harvest comes in. The timing of the harvest is not in my hands, but if I do my part, God cannot fail to do his. Let's sow some seeds today and pray for a bountiful harvest!
Money is like manure. If you pile it up, it stinks. But if you spread it around, it can do a lot of good. What are you doing with the money God has given you?
"Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold" (Romans 12:2 Phillips) Living for Christ means going against the flow. We've got to swim upstream.
"What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms."
Pray for a church filled with messy people, which means pray for a church filled with people because we're all messed up but Jesus is a wonderful Savior.
We don't have to choose between grace and truth. Since Jesus was full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and if he is in us and we are in him, then we should be full of grace and truth too.
"Stop trying to fix people. Point them to Jesus." Caleb Kaltenbach
Miracles happen when we pray. Never doubt that. If God's people pray, he will heal our land. Do it, O Lord!
When the church is most like the world, it does the least good. The opposite is also true.
If God were to abandon us, then he would have to abandon his own Son because we are "in Christ." But he will never abandon his Son, and he will never abandon us. We are as safe in Christ as we could possibly be.
"It was said of an old Puritan that 'heaven was in him before he was in heaven.' This is necessary for all of us; we must have heaven in us before we get into heaven. If we do not get to heaven before we die, we shall never get there afterward." Charles Spurgeon
We need two things when we listen to a sermon: a soft heart and a good memory. A soft heart helps us receive the truth and a good memory reminds us of the truth we have heard. God of Grace, I pray for a soft heart and a good memory as I listen to your Word today. Amen.
"You must be born again" (John 3:7). Since ignorance is not the cause of sin, knowing more is not the cure. Our greatest need is not education but regeneration.
"If we would have mercy, it must be through Christ. Out of Christ, no mercy is to be had. Mercy swims to us through Christ's blood." Thomas Watson
"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." John Bunyan
He who upholds the universe holds me in the palm of his hand.
God routinely puts us in impossible situations so we will discover over all again that we can't but he can.
People ask, “Do you believe in divine healing?” That’s the only kind there is. It just comes in many different varieties.
"Put up with a few sins, and you will soon want a few more. Never play with fire. Never trifle with little sins." J. C. Ryle
While reading the obituary of a certain great man, I came across this sentence: "He had the gift of getting things done." That's a worthy goal for all of us. May God help us to do what needs to be done today so we can sleep well tonight.
"Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray" (James 5:13). Many times we view prayer as the last resort when it ought to be the first resort. Prayer sometimes seems futile because we think we need to “do something.” Praying is fine, but how about if we bake a cake? Well, that’s fine too. But don’t fall into the trap of separating life into the “spiritual” and the “practical,” as if baking a cake is “real help” while prayer is just something spiritual we do when we can’t do anything else. Very nearly the opposite is true. Through prayer we unleash the power of heaven for the problems we face on earth. We ought to pray more, not less in times of trouble.
"God will never bring you to the place where you no longer need him." I heard a preacher say that, and it sounds exactly right to me. Sometimes we secretly (or not so secretly) wish we could be in a position where we weren't so desperate. But if the choice is between self-sufficiency and desperation, it's better to be desperate and cry out to God than to think you no longer need him.
But if my faith never leads me to do things that make no sense to others, including my Christian friends, perhaps I’m playing it too safe.
Do you love Jesus? Good, then don’t be afraid to let the world know and don’t worry if others don’t understand.
Lord Jesus, thank you for opening the door of heaven to anyone who believes in you. Give me faith to keep praying for my friends who do not yet know you. Amen.
There's good news from the graveyard this morning. Good news that the tomb is empty. Good news that Jesus rose from the dead. Good news that the Devil couldn't hold him. Good news that death has lost its sting. Good news that the grave has lost its victory. Good news that we need not fear death any more. Let the people of God rejoice. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Keep the faith, brothers and sisters. Yesterday our Lord was crucified. Today his body lies in the tomb. Tomorrow he rises from the dead. Saturday can seem like a long day–and it is–but be of good cheer. The crucifixion is behind us, Saturday will not last forever. Keep believing, child of God. It's Saturday, but Sunday's coming!
When Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30), he meant that the price for sin had been fully paid. Nothing can be added to the value of what Jesus did when he died on the cross. The price has been paid; our Lord has taken our punishment upon himself. The heavy blows of judgment fell on the Lamb of God. It was finished then, it is finished now, and to the glory of God, after a million times a million years have passed, it will still be finished.
Be kind. Someone around you is having a hard time today.
Every betrayal begins in the heart. The first compromise is on the inside. Judas sold out his Master long before he received the thirty pieces of silver.