Relationships bring absolute joy, deep sorrow and everything in-between. We, in our fallen state, devote ourselves much more to self interest than to the one and only endeavor that will ever matter. (Matt 22:37-40)
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.” C. S. Lewis
Rather like a child who longs to be a “grown-up”, we can’t help feeling melancholy, at times, over the slow progress in attaining the full measure of the fruits of the Spirit.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Pride, in fact, is a greater sin than drunkenness or whoredom; and humility is as necessary as sobriety and chastity” Richard Baxter
Prayer is for our own benefit as God certainly does not need the information. There are four major functions of prayer that can be easily remembered by “ACTS”: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“People who are crucified with Christ have three distinct marks: they are facing only one direction; they can never turn back; and they no longer have plans of their own.” A.W. Tozer
When formulating our “individual” theologies, we must take extreme care not to strip God of his revealed attributes. All too often Almighty YHWH is compromised in favor of considerably less important doctrinal issues.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, “All right, then, have it your way.” C. S. Lewis
The “sermon on the mount” testifies to the huge chasm between us and an absolutely righteousness and uncompromising God. There is no reward for pride manifesting as legalism, it completely misses the point.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“The greater joy is everywhere preceded by the greater pain.” Augustine
We’re bound in the excesses of modernity where our complex life defies attempts to live in simple purity. Put all the junk in the bottom drawer and only open it when absolutely necessary.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do his work through me.” James Hudson Taylor
The assumed right to the democratic process has become a deep fundamental assumption in contemporary western thinking patterns. So much so that it has undermined our perception of the absolute sovereignty of God.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.” C. S. Lewis
Every denomination carries far too much baggage of human tradition and every belief system is corrupted in some way by carnal reasoning. The human mind pollutes every pure thought that enters into it.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Let your truth teach me. Let it guard me, and keep me safe to the end. Let it free me from all evil affection and badly ordered love, and I shall walk with You in great freedom of heart.” Thomas Kempis
We must strive after those further ahead, encourage those behind and become the brightest beacon possible for the lost. The more excess baggage you manage to shed the faster your progress will be.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“I did not mourn my ignorance, but rather was puffed up with knowledge.” Augustine
“Many puzzle themselves about the origin of evil. I’m content to observe that there is evil, and that there is a way to escape from it, and with this I begin and end”. (John Newton – Former slave ship captain and writer of “Amazing Grace)
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“ If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.” C. S. Lewis
The Roman Catholic Church emphasizes Peter and tends to promote absolute church authority. The Protestant church emphasizes Paul and stresses theology, while the Orthodox Church emphasizes John and focuses on love and humility.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Our religious activities should be ordered in such a way as to have plenty of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence.” A.W. Tozer
Many churches feed their congregations on a sweet diet of melodramatic topical musings. Ironically if someone simply opened a bible and preached the word it would be a totally new experience for most.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so” Karl Barth (this is the most profound revelation of Barth; the foremost 20th century theologian)
There are three main areas of Christian perspective when reconciling an omnipotent good God and the existence of evil. The “free will” defense, the “evil defines good” defense and the “greater good” defense.
A good sermon by C. Michael Patton: http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2008/08/the-problem-of-evil-suffering-and-pain
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“I asked what wickedness was, and I found that it was no substance, but a perversion of the will bent aside from thee, O God, the supreme substance” Augustine
The old covenant is like a room that is dimly lit by the embers of a fire and flashes of prophetic lighting. The lamp of the new covenant reveals what was always there.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” C. S. Lewis
Consider a garment, with a hole. The hole is the evil. What happens if the hole is somehow removed? The garment is improved. What happens if the good is removed? You have nothing. (ApologiaPhoenix)
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Falsehood is nothing except the existence in thought of what does not exist in fact.” Augustine
What an absolute honor and privilege it is to be a disciple of Christ! The many connotations now imbedded within the term “Christian” and over-familiarity have severely diluted its impact and meaning.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” C. S. Lewis
Whatever we cannot correct within ourselves we should bear patiently until God ordains otherwise. Perhaps it’s for our testing. Therefore, appeal to God for the grace to endure it with a good heart.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“To correct my wandering footsteps, thou did secretly employ their perversity and my own.” Augustine
Elaborate Roman Catholic rituals were formed from a perceived need to appeal to medieval societal expectations. The same process happened to evangelicalism within the modern context and will continue into the postmodern era.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Praise adds nothing to your holiness, nor does blame take anything from it.” Thomas Kempis
If we don’t have the capacity to mould ourselves as we wish, how can we expect others to be entirely to our liking? If all people were perfect how would we exercise grace?
“…bear with the failings of the weak…” (Rom 15:1)
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2)
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Nothing so mars and defiles the heart of man as impure attachment to created things.” Thomas Kempis
Weaknesses in others are obvious but for some reason we think our own weaknesses are somehow hidden. Covering our weaknesses appears prideful. Admitting and boldly confronting our weaknesses is edifying to all concerned.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“What we call Man’s power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument.” C. S. Lewis
The state of our emotional arousal has little correlation with the extent of the Holy Spirits activity within our heart. We can often be emotionally oblivious to the most powerful of spiritual breakthroughs.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“How little is it that the most learned know, in comparison of that which they are ignorant!” Richard Baxter
The patristic church fathers would never make the presumption that they could somehow ordain supreme authority into holy writ. They were merely given the grace to recognize the Christ that was already there.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“No one can ignore Jesus forever.” Anonymous
I love having a world full of siblings and the eternal companionship of Jesus Christ. A worldview that accounts for everything, knowing who I am, where I’ve been and where I am going.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Belief cannot argue with unbelief, it can only preach to it.” Karl Barth
Rather than craving after paranormal events and mystical visions that merely stimulate our thirst, seek supernatural clarity into common situations that quench and fulfill us and leave us overflowing with living water. (Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ -John 7:38)
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“We are not only to renounce evil, but to manifest the truth. We tell people the world is vain; let our lives manifest that it is so. We tell them that our home is above and that all these things are transitory. Does our dwelling look like it? O to live consistent lives!” James Hudson Taylor
Basic genetic material and the principalities of a fallen world can be easily analogized with computer code and a depraved mind. Both instances produce viruses that were not premeditated by their primary creators.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” C. S. Lewis
Many are quick to blame Eve for being deceived by the serpent, however, Adam was clearly present and did nothing to protect his wife. Failure of male leadership is consistently satan’s greatest asset.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Let assemblies be often gathered; enquire after all by name & despise not servant-men or maids” Ignatius
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