Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

I have refined you, but not like silver. I have tested you in the furnace of suffering. (Isaiah 48:10 GW)

The furnace of affliction is for those who by faith are in Christ. What happens in the furnace of affliction? What is it that is dealt with in the fire? Is it you, and is it I, that are refined in the fire? Are you refined in the fire? Am I refined in the furnace of affliction? I say, No! emphatically NO!! If we say, "Yes!" well, let us look at the furnace of affliction, the fire with the metal in the crucible. What are you doing with that metal? Well, you say, you heat the fire intensely and all the uncleanness, the corruption, comes to the surface; this is skimmed off, and when that process has been carried through to its end, there is left pure gold! Then if you say that is you or that is me you will have to abandon your doctrine of total depravity, and you will have to come back to the place where you say there is good in us, after all! You will have to say there is good and bad in us, and the furnace of affliction is to get the badness out of us and leave the goodness! Is that true doctrine? No!

The furnace of affliction is not for the removal of the bad out of us so as to leave the good that is in us, and secure it! Then what is its purpose? Is it to refine Christ in us? We need not discuss that! Christ needs no refining! What is it for? It is to divide between what is us in fallen nature, and what is Christ, and to get rid of the one in order to give full place to the other! The furnace of affliction is the application of the Cross to the getting rid of you and me, in order to leave the whole place for Christ. It is the measure of Christ that God is after, not to cut in between the good and bad in us, but to cut in between what is Christ, and what is ourselves. That is what the Lord is doing. He is after increasing Christ, and in order to do that He has to displace self, the old creation. It is all the measure of Christ in this realm. The realm of God is not going to be refined self, reformed self, or any kind of patching up of self. It is going to be none of self, and all of Christ.

~T. Austin-Sparks~
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How a Single Passage of Scripture Changed Everything About My Life HEATHER HOLLEMAN

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus …” Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)

For most of my life, I fought to earn a seat at the “table” I thought would finally bring me happiness: the table with the beautiful people, the table with the wealthy and the table of professional success. As a result, I lived in a constant state of comparison and jealousy. Once, I even cried from envy in the church bathroom because another woman told me about her upcoming tropical vacation. She stood there with her well-dressed children in contrast to our thrift-store wardrobe and budget that would keep us home in snowy Pennsylvania.

Jealous questions paraded through my mind: Were we living the wrong life? Was a better life happening somewhere else? Why was I so unhappy? When would I have a seat at the table that would bring me all the life and joy I longed for?

On a summer day as I sat with my Bible and journal, a single passage of Scripture ushered in the most profound transformation of my life and healed the ache in my soul to belong at that table of beauty, wealth or success. In Ephesians 2:6, we read that “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” As a writing instructor and lover of vivid verbs, I couldn’t stop staring at the little word seated.

God says we’re already seated with Christ. In other words, we’re already at the table.

A lightning bolt of realization hit me that I did not live like someone who already had a seat at the table. We are seated women. How would a seated woman truly live?

And what about those other “tables” so many of us still long for in life (what I call the three A’s: appearance, affluence and achievement)?

Instead of obsessing over their appearance to gain a seat with the beautiful people, seated women adore Jesus and radiate the beauty of the Lord (found in Psalm 34:5). Instead of chasing affluence, seated women access the riches of God’s kingdom where God promises to meet all our needs (as seen in Philippians 4:19). And instead of exhausting themselves with achievement, seated women abide in Christ and complete the good works God has planned for their lives (which is explained in Ephesians 2:10).

Seated women adore, access and abide.

As I moved deeper into my seated life, I found a quote from a Hayden Planetarium museum guide. Because all the children race into the planetarium to find the best seats in an arena where there are no best seats, the guide must call out, “All seats provide equal viewing of the universe! No matter where you sit, you won’t miss any part of the show!”

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Trained to Discern

Hebrews 5:11-14

In today's world, impatience is all too common a trait. We want food, help, and information fast. Just waiting for the computer to boot up or the "next avail-able agent" to answer our call can cause frustration. But the Lord specializes in slow, steady work. He's more interested in a quality outcome than a speedy process.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of spiritual discernment. When we become Christians, we aren't instantly wise and knowledgeable. It takes a lifetime to grow to maturity. Some believers, however, don't seem to grow up at all. They get older, but their understanding of God's Word never goes very deep.

This lack of godly wisdom is caused by ignorance of the Scriptures, apathy and complacency about spiritual things, and a failure to apply biblical truths. Discernment requires time and effort. You can't simply move through life, thoughtlessly reacting to situations yet never learning from them. Take time to reflect on your responses and observe the consequences of your actions and choices. If you feel convicted by what you notice, let that motivate you to begin a lifelong pursuit of the Lord and His ways. Start reading the Bible regularly. And as you do, ask the Lord to open your heart and mind to understand what He's saying.

But just reading God's Word isn't enough. Without applying what you've read, all you'll have is head knowledge. Obedience trains us to discern good and evil. Through practice, we learn wisdom and develop spiritual maturity. If you'll begin today and patiently persevere, in time discernment will come.

~Charles F. Stanley~

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We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him. (1 John 5:20 ESV)

It is of the greatest importance for the Lord's children to recognize fully that, above all other things, His object is that they should know Him. This is the all-governing end of all His dealings with us. This is the greatest of all our needs....

Our minds are so often occupied with service and work; we think that doing things for the Lord is the chief object of life. We are concerned about our lifework, our ministry. We think of equipment for it in terms of study and knowledge of things. Soul-winning, or teaching believers, or setting people to work, are so much in the foreground. Bible study and knowledge of the Scriptures, with efficiency in the matter of leading in Christian service as the end in view, are matters of pressing importance with all. All well and good, for these are important matters; but, back of everything the Lord is more concerned about our knowing Him than about anything else. It is very possible to have a wonderful grasp of the Scriptures, a comprehensive and intimate familiarity with doctrine; to stand for cardinal verities of the faith; to be an unceasing worker in Christian service; to have a great devotion to the salvation of men, and yet, alas, to have a very inadequate and limited personal knowledge of God within. So often the Lord has to take away our work that we may discover Him. The ultimate value of everything is not the information which we give, not the soundness of our doctrine, not the amount of work that we do, not the measure of truth that we possess, but just the fact that we know the Lord in a deep and mighty way.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 1

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 1

Song of Solomon 1:4

The upright love Thee

Believers love Jesus with a deeper affection then they dare to give to any other being. They would sooner lose father and mother then part with Christ. They hold all earthly comforts with a loose hand, but they carry Him fast locked in their bosoms. They voluntarily deny themselves for His sake, but they are not to be driven to deny Him. It is scant love which the fire of persecution can dry up; the true believer's love is a deeper stream than this. Men have laboured to divide the faithful from their Master, but their attempts have been fruitless in every age. Neither crowns of honour, now frowns of anger, have untied this more than Gordian knot. This is no every-day attachment which the world's power may at length dissolve. Neither man nor devil have found a key which opens this lock. Never has the craft of Satan been more at fault than when he has exercised it in seeking to rend in sunder this union of two divinely welded hearts. It is written, and nothing can blot out the sentence, "The upright love Thee." The intensity of the love of the upright, however, is not so much to be judged by what it appears as by what the upright long for. It is our daily lament that we cannot love enough. Would that our hearts were capable of holding more, and reaching further. Like Samuel Rutherford, we sigh and cry, "Oh, for as much love as would go round about the earth, and over heaven-yea, the heaven of heavens, and ten thousand worlds-that I might let all out upon fair, fair, only fair Christ." Alas! our longest reach is but a span of love, and our affection is but as a drop of a bucket compared with His deserts. Measure our love by our intentions, and it is high indeed; 'tis thus, we trust, our Lord doth judge of it. Oh, that we could give all the love in all hearts in one great mass, a gathering together of all loves to Him who is altogether lovely!

~Charles Spurgeon~

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The True Grace of God

Yesterday we read Jude 1:4 which states,
For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Before we move away from this verse, I want to point out a phrase that I believe is very dangerous ground for the Church in America today. It is the phrase, "Ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness."
Lewdness literally means unrestrained lust, wickedness, and immorality. These people believed that once you were saved, you could live however you wanted.
There are people in the Church today with this type of thinking. They believe that if you are saved by grace, and good works do not merit salvation, then you can do whatever you want.          
You can sleep around, commit adultery, get drunk, the sky's the limit. It's grace, baby! Your works don't have anything to do with it. You can live however you want!
One of the things that I have heard throughout the years is, "Hey, it doesn't matter. It's grace. God will forgive me, so I'm going to go ahead and do this anyway."
You do not want to live that way. Believe me, something begins to break down inside of you, and you will pay the piper eventually.
If you are turning the grace of God into lewdness through immorality, or any other sin, I challenge you to stop today. Confess your sin to God, turn from whatever it is that you have been doing, and ask God to help you live for Him. If you do, you will experience the true grace of God, which teaches us that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age (Titus 2:11-12).

~Bayless Conley~
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Today's Reading: Psalms 66; Romans 7

Today's Thoughts: Relationship Over Religion

Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. - Romans 7:18-19

Religion says that we must follow rules and laws. Relationship says something different. We are “to be” not “to do.”Jesus just wants us to be with Him. You ask, "How can I be with someone I cannot see or touch?" Have you ever talked with someone over the phone and felt as though you were right there with them? And even with emails or letters, we can express and share love and support without touching or seeing the person on the other side. Why? Because we have a relationship with that person. We know them. We love them. We know they love us. Whatever the case may be, we have a personal connection. A true friendship does not require rules and guidelines but requires time, attention, forgiveness, communication, openness, unselfishness, honesty and most of all, love. Jesus wants more than just a relationship with us; He wants our friendship. Why is this relationship so important? 
When Adam and Eve sinned, all of mankind was doomed to death. One sin brought down every human being who would ever be born. From that moment on, we would all be born of sin, and death would be our destination. One sin is all it took to separate us from God. When Jesus died for us, His one act of sacrifice on the cross was all it took to restore us back to God. Through one man, death entered; through one Man, life was restored. We had no choice in being born. And we had no choice in the condemnation of sin that is within each one of us. But we have a merciful God who by His grace has given us a choice today. We have a choice to believe in His Son. We have a choice to accept His free gift of eternal life. We have a choice for total and complete restoration back to our heavenly Father. We cannot change what happened through Adam, but Jesus changed the outcome that awaits each of us. And not only has Jesus given us life eternal, but also He has given us His peace. There is no need to work or to try to earn His favor. His grace promises us unmerited favor and mercies that are new each morning, not through religion but through a relationship with Him.
Spend some time today just being with Jesus. Talk to Him. Walk with Him. Sit at His feet. He will meet you no matter where you are. Stop working, stressing, trying, and striving. Think of Jesus as you would your best friend. He will help you get to know Him better. Pray to have the relationship with Jesus that He wants to have with you.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

The Power of Patience

Hebrews 6:9-15

Picture yourself waiting in a checkout line that hasn’t moved for ten minutes. Many of us would feel frustrated. We live in a generation that expects instant results.

Everyone struggles with some degree of impatience. We’re born with this trait--think about a three-month-old who wants milk in the middle of the night. The inborn reaction is to fuss at the first hint of discomfort and to keep at it until the need is met. Patterns from our old “flesh” nature make this a continual battle for most people, but one that is very worthwhile to fight.

Let’s consider the biblical definition of patience. It can mean both longsuffering and perseverance, or not giving up and yielding under pressure. In either case, it reveals itself when we are willing to wait without frustration while suffering or experiencing some strong desire. In other words, we accept difficult situations without giving God deadlines. What’s more, patience means accepting what the Lord gives, on Histimetable--or what He chooses not to give. This quality results in inner peace and lack of stress. Meanwhile, we should pray, obey, and persist as we seek God’s direction.

The danger of impatience is that we might miss the Lord’s perfect plan and His blessing. Only when we trust our Father’s will and timing can we rest peacefully.

What causes you stress? Carefully examine whether you are taking matters into your own hands or releasing the circumstance to almighty God. Listen to Psalm 37:7, which says, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Seek His way and His timing. Anything else can be destructive.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

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Reflection: The Blessing of Discernment

It feels good to have the final word in an argument, but that sense of satisfaction doesn’t last very long. Usually, everyone involved ends up feeling bad. In such situations, meekness is possible only with self-control and discernment.

Yet living with meekness doesn’t mean that we set aside boldness or action. Instead, it requires us to evaluate when to assert ourselves and when to trust. Jesus doesn’t call us to be silent in the face of injustice. But perhaps He is calling us to understand when we should hold back on our opinions in order to genuinely hear someone. If we want healthy relationships, it’s important to display meekness. This requires that we refrain from reacting too quickly and discern how to respond wisely. 

Think about it

• When you’re arguing, it takes a lot of energy to remain humble instead of saying something hurtful or aggressive. This week, ask God to reveal ways you might display meekness in such moments.

• James 1:19-21 offers practical wisdom about listening, taking action, and avoiding anger. How might this advice help you remain meek in difficult situations?

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

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The supplies of His grace and mercy are unexhausted and exhaustless!

(Thomas Guthrie)

"Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing." Psalm 34:9

Myriads of leaves clothe the forest,
myriads of flowers bespangle the meadow,
myriads of insects dance in the sunbeams,
myriads of birds sing in the woodlands,
myriads of fish swim in stream and ocean,
myriads of stars glitter in the nightly sky--
and every leaf is as perfect in form,
every flower is as beautiful in colors,
every living creature is fashioned with such skill, and
every burning star is guided through space with as much care--
as if it engrossed the entire attention of God, and there was not another but itself within the bounds of His universe!

The number of objects our hearts can hold, or our arms embrace, or our eyes watch--is limited; confined within a narrow range--they are small at the largest, and few at the most.

It is not so with Him who is mighty to save, abundant in goodness and truth. The supplies of His grace and mercy are unexhausted and exhaustless! Their type shines in that SUN which for six thousand years has shed its light . . .
  on seas and continents,
  on crowded cities and lonely solitudes,
  on burning deserts and fields of ice,
  on palaces and cottages,

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Standing on Your Convictions

2 Timothy 3:1-17

When we watch the news, whether domestic or international, we can sometimes detect initiatives to bring down the Christian faith. The church is constantly under attack by the enemy, who influences the world to fight against our beliefs. Therefore, we must be willing to stand for our biblical convictions.

Ideological threats are a very real part of the arsenal used against Christians. As believers, we are under the guidance of Jesus Christ, and the way we fight is not with physical weapons but with the Word of God. We are His representatives, and there isn’t room for compromise with a self-indulgent culture. Instead, we should live in obedience to God and His Word. Therefore, we must be careful not to get caught up in the widely accepted values of our culture and those around us.

We need to remain strong regarding God’s truth. Then we’ll know what’s true and what’s not and be willing to take a stand for Him, regardless of the consequences. Genuine convictions are unaffected by the times, the values of the culture, or the popularity of current ideas. Christian beliefs aren’t always popular, and defending them can be uncomfortable. But remember that the Lord promises to be with us.

  on ragged beggars and sceptered kings, on all countries and classes of men.

And with fires fed we know not how, the sun shines today as bright as ever--his eye not dim, nor his natural strength abated!

And as this is but an image, and a faint image, of God--then well may his servant assure us, that there shall be no lack to those who fear Him. None--neither for the body nor the soul; neither for time nor eternity!

"My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 4:19

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7-8

"In the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus!" Ephesians 2:7

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 1

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 1

REPENT: The Second Step in Effective Prayer

Yesterday we began to look at what makes for effective prayer by using the acronym P-R-A-Y.  The first step is praise.  Today, I want to focus on the second letter of our acronym, "R", which stands for repent.

By repentance in prayer, I mean taking the time before God to search your heart and repent of anything that has come between you and Him.  Psalm 19:12-13 expresses it well,

Who can understand his errors?  Cleanse me from secret faults.  Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.  Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

Verse 12 begins with the question, "Who can understand his errors?"  The psalmist is telling us, "You will not always know when you do something wrong.  You will not always know when you get into an area that is not right."

What David is pointing to are the secret faults and presumptuous sins which can still have dominion over you--even though you may not be aware that what you did was wrong.

For example, sometimes we can allow attitudes to get into our hearts that we don't realize are inconsistent with God's character.  Or sometimes we can do and say things that are detrimental, not only to us, but to others, and not really understand the damage we have done.

How do you deal with these sins?  You come before God and say, "God, put the spotlight on anything in my life that has raised a barrier between You and me, and I will repent of it." 

So when you pray, ask God to reveal any sin in your life you may be overlooking.  God will honor your heart of repentance.

~Bayless Conley~

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The Lord thy God bare thee. Deuteronomy 1:31

A safe carriage was that! In His love and in His pity God redeemed them, and bare them, and carried them all the days of old. When the little lad was tired and complained of his head, his father bade a servant carry him to his mother; but God does not hand over His children to His servants, He carries them Himself. When we realize that His everlasting arms are underneath, it is safer riding than any the ingenuity of man can devise; and here we need fear no ill.

"In all the way." - There are great varieties in the way - sometimes the sleepers are badly laid, and the carriage rocks and jolts; sometimes the gradient is steep, and the progress tedious; sometimes the pilgrim has to go afoot, climbing with difficulty from ridge to ridge; sometimes the route lies through a territory infested with enemies, and haunted by miasma; but we can each rejoice in the fact that the Lord "knoweth the way that I take," and that all the way, those gentle and unwearied arms bear us up and on.

"All the days." - Never a day without its cross, its lesson, its discipline, its peril; but never a day that God does not bear us up in His hands, as some mighty river bears up the boat of the missionary explorer. Through wilds, past villages of infuriated savages, over reefs and rocks, the patient river bears the voyager and his goods. Thus does God carry us. The Good Shepherd carries the lambs in His bosom. Why, then, should we dread the future, or quail before the faces of our foes? "The eternal God is thy refuge; and underneath are the everlasting arms." So strong: so tender! Let yourself go, and trust.

~F. B. Meyer~

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Deuteronomy 5:24

The Lord our God hath shewed us His glory.

God's great design in all His works is the manifestation of His own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man's eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why He bringeth His people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when He comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who "do business in great waters," these see His "wonders in the deep." Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God's greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you.

~Charles Spurgeon~

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Today’s Reading: Psalms 10; Acts 19:1-20

Today’s Thoughts: Our Teacher

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 1 John 2:27 
Jesus tells His disciples in John 16 that when He goes away He will send a Helper, His Holy Spirit. “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth...” (John 16:13). When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are immediately indwelled by His Holy Spirit. We believe, then, wereceive. One of the biggest attacks Christians face today comes from an enemy telling us that we have no real power, no victory, and no hope. In John 8:44, Jesus describes our enemy: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is perfect in every way. He cannot lie. He cannot deceive. He is holy and righteous beyond our understanding. His promises are true. His faithfulness reaches to the heavens. When He says that we have His Holy Spirit, then we must believe in faith that we have an abiding relationship filled with His love and power. He promises that no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor has entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Do you believe Him today? Do you want to know more about the things of the Lord? As a child of God, saved and sealed for the day of redemption, you have the anointing of the Holy Spirit who will teach you all things. Let today be the day that you start learning about these things. How to start? Read His Word and study it. Pray and ask for the things you want to learn about. Ask questions that you want answered. Get up every day with an attitude of faith and do not allow the enemy to tempt you with his lies. Maybe it is time for you to go back to school...and what a great Teacher you have! And the best part...He will only give you open book (the Bible) tests.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

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I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:12)

The certainty and the assurance that was right at the root of his Christian life and service came because of this one thing: he'd seen everything in Jesus. Everything... in Jesus. What liberation that brought to him! What emancipation! We have often said here that there was no power in this world that could have turned that rabid, fanatical Jew, Saul of Tarsus, into a Christian and a lover of Jesus of Nazareth. No power in this world that could have done that, but just seeing Jesus Himself in this way and that did it, that did it! He was emancipated, he was free! No wonder of all his writings the fiercest, the fieriest is his letter to the Galatians, the letter of our liberty in Christ and it begins with this "God revealed His Son in me and that set me free from all other things."

No use telling people that this and that, and the other thing are a limitation and that they should seek enlargement by getting out of it. That is an unfruitful, unprofitable, indeed that's a dangerous line to take with anybody. But again, if only we can bring Christ... with all His divine significance and meaning and comprehensiveness to them and the Holy Spirit can reveal Him in their hearts... oh, that will do it! That will do it; they will never again be content with anything that limits them to the grave clothes of religion. It delivered Paul from Judaism as nothing else would have done. The way of an escape, the way of enlargement, the way of endurance is to see Jesus. It is not by learning, that is, it is not by the schools. Paul had all of the schools, he did, of religion. He didn't get it through the schools and we'll never get it through the schools; along that line of the technical instruction of things Christian or religious. This is not a merely mental or academic or intellectual thing at all. It is a work of the Holy Spirit.

~T. Austin-Sparks~
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Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

Does it not strike you as significant, and very impressive, that when the veil was rent Israel was set aside? Israel had been called in to maintain a testimony in types. Christ had come and fulfilled all the types, and being the center of all the types, the veil, all that kept God shut off from man, was now dealt with, and the way was open. There was no need for types now. So the custodian of the types departs with the types. This is not the dispensation of the types: this is the dispensation of the reality, the dispensation of a heavenly union with a risen Lord, and of all that that means. Our danger is of bringing back types. The types have gone and that is the whole message of this letter to the Hebrews. Christ is everything. The outward order of the Old Testament is set aside, and now all that obtains is Christ Himself. He is the Priest; you no longer have priests on earth in the Old Testament sense. He is the Sacrifice; there is no need for any other sacrifices. He is the Tabernacle; He is the Temple; He is the Church.

What is the Church? It is Christ in living union with His own, that wheresoever two or three are gathered together in His name there He is in the midst. That is the Church. You do not build special buildings and call them "the Church." You do not have special organisations, religious institutions, which you call "the Church." Believers in living union with the risen Lord constitute the Church. This is the reality, not the figure. That is to say, His flesh, human limitation, is done away. Now in union with Christ risen all human limitations are transcended. This is one of the wonders of Christ risen as a living reality. We are brought into a realm of capacities which are more than human capacities, where, because of Christ in us, we can do what we never could do naturally. Our relationships are new relationships; they are with heaven. Our resources are new resources: they are in heaven. That is why the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians and said that God hath chosen the weak things, the foolish things. The things which are despised, and the things which are not, that He by them might bring to naught the wise, the mighty, the things which are. Why did God appoint it so? Because it is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit; and to show that there are powers, energies, abilities for His own which transcend all the greatest powers and abilities of this world.

~T. Austin-Sparks~
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The Source of Discernment

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Spiritual discernment is a supernatural ability, which requires supernatural power. In our human strength, we can rely only on what we see, hear, feel, and know in order to make decisions and evaluate circumstances and relationships. But when the Holy Spirit comes to live within us, He opens up an entirely new dimension of understanding. He shows us things we could never figure out by ourselves.

The Bible is one source of spiritual discernment, but without the interpreting power of the Spirit, reading it would be strictly an academic endeavor. It is the Holy Spirit who takes the words of Scripture and brings them to life in the believer’s heart. He knows precisely how to apply God’s Word to our exact need at the right moment. You have probably found this to be true: A passage you’ve read many times hasn’t stood out before, but when you need a particular message, that familiar verse jumps off the page right into your heart and transforms your thoughts.

That’s the work of the Spirit—His job is to open our understanding to “the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). The Lord isn’t trying to hide His thoughts from us. Rather, He wants us to know how He thinks so we can proceed wisely.

Then what should we do if we’re struggling to understand Scripture? The Lord wants us to seek Him and ask for wisdom to comprehend. This requires time invested in Bible study and prayer. And remember, the more yielded we are to the Spirit, the more we’ll be able to hear His voice.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

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No one really desires to go to Hell
(Arthur Pink, "The Scriptures and GOOD WORKS")

"Enter through the narrow gate.
 For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

No one really desires to go to Hell, though there are few indeed who are willing to forsake that broad road which inevitably leads there.

All would like to go to Heaven, but only true Christians are really willing and determined to walk that narrow way which alone leads thereto.

"For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish!" Psalm 1:6

"The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue righteousness." Proverbs 15:9

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 1

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 1


He will not spoil His child by sparing His rod!

(Letters of John Berridge)

Dear Madam,

When our expectation is too much raised on account of any creature, the Lord Jesus in wisdom disappoints it--that we may seek our whole happiness in Him. He expects that our whole dependence should be placed on Him. He will have it, and is worthy of it. The human heart would gladly be roosting a little on some earthly thing, but Jesus will unroost it, and bring it fluttering to Himself like the dove to Noah's ark, where alone it can find rest.

If the heart happens to seek delight elsewhere, it is kindness in the Lord to deny us our desires.

During our earthly warfare, troubles will come by sixes and sevens--a gracious company, but not one too many. If we could live well without afflictions--we would not have them; but we cannot, and therefore Jesus in love sends them.

You are an afflicted family to be sure--but mercy, much mercy attends you. If you see no family so afflicted as yours, can you find any family so blessed? All of one heart and one mind seeking after Jesus. Surely the Lord delights in you, and bestows His best blessings on you, a healthy soul--while the world is satisfied with a healthy body.

Yet the best need correction, and will have it. Whom the Lord loves, He rebukes and chastens. Some foolishness is bound up in the hearts of all of His children, and He will not spoil His child by sparing His rod!
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Exodus 20:25

If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

God's altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and amendments of the Lord's own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar. It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the Saviour's work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it. The Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of man's chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine atonement, and rest in Him alone. Many professors may take warning from this morning's text as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the Lord.

~Charles Spurgeon~

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The Pit of Pride

The fifth and the final reason your life may be in the pits is pride.  We always need to check our hearts for pride.
In Isaiah 14:13-15 we read,

For you have said in your heart:  "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.
This passage records God's rebuke of Satan when he was kicked out of heaven.  Satan was talking real big with pride oozing from every word that he said.
But God said, "That's what you think.  I'm going to throw you down to the pit."  And because of the pride in his heart, Satan will indeed be thrown down to a pit for all eternity (read Revelation 20!).
Pride is a dangerous thing.  In fact, so dangerous we are told in 1 Timothy 3:6 to not put a novice into a leadership role in the Church, lest being puffed up with pride, he or she falls into the same condemnation as the devil.
Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride is a weird thing.  It's like bad breath.  Everybody seems to know you have it before you do!  But pride will not only get you into a pit, it will destroy you.
I want to challenge you today.  If your life is in the pits, check to see if it is because of your pride.  If so, humble yourself, otherwise you are not going to get out!

~Bayless Conley~
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Today's Reading: Psalms 7; Acts 18

Today's Thoughts: Speak Without Fear

Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." Acts 18:9-10

I am encouraged when reading statements like these. Paul was known as a man with such boldness and never-ending endurance. He spoke before kings and started churches. He was persecuted and beaten but continued to sing praises. We read that his body had the brand marks of Jesus Christ and yet, this verse allows us to look into his heart. Paul was scared.

I would guess that not many people would know that Paul needed this kind of encouragement. Paul obviously knew that his fears stemmed from his speaking, which led to him being attacked and hurt. God knew what Paul needed to keep going. The Lord assured Paul to continue, to not quit, but to speak, and then calmed his fears by saying that no one would attack him to hurt him. God knows just what we need to hear. God knows just how much each of us can take. And God knows how to assure us, comfort us, encourage us and motivate us to continue.

Are there fears you are dealing with today? Are you struggling with thoughts of quitting or stopping? God knows your heart and He can minister to you at the deepest level. Allow His Holy Spirit to minister to you today. Open His Word and listen as He speaks to your heart. Then, go and speak as He leads you.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers # 2

The Source of Our Adversity

Isaiah 45:5-10

When we experience hardships, we usually wonder why God allows these painful situations to come our way. It just doesn't seem to fit with His role as our loving heavenly Father. We struggle to reconcile our suffering with His love for us and His power to prevent or stop it. In order to understand what's going on, we need to consider the possible sources of adversity.

A Fallen World: When sin entered the world, suffering came with it. God could have protected us from these harmful effects by making us like puppets who could not choose sin, but that would mean we'd also be unable to choose to love Him, because love must be voluntary.

Our Own Doing: Sometimes we get ourselves into trouble with our foolish or sinful choices. If the Lord stepped in and rescued us from every negative consequence, we'd never grow into mature believers.

Satanic Attack: The Devil is our enemy. To hinder anything the Lord wants to do in and through believers, Satan will never cease to harass us. His goal is to destroy our lives and our testimonies, thereby making us weak and useless for God's purposes.

God's Sovereignty: Ultimately, the Lord is in charge of all adversity that comes our way. To deny His involvement contradicts His power and sovereignty over creation.

For us to accept that God allows--or even sends--afflictions, we must see adversity from His perspective. Is your focus on the pain of your experience or on the Lord and His faithfulness? As believers, we're assured that no adversity comes our way unless He can use it to achieve His good purposes.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

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A cooler Hell!

(Thomas Brooks)

"God, I thank You that I'm not like other people--greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get." Luke 18:11-12

Many please and satisfy themselves with mere civility and common morality. They bless themselves that they are not swearers, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, nor adulterers, etc. Their behavior is civil, sincere, harmless and blameless.

But civility is not sanctity.

Civility rested in, is but a beautiful abomination--a smooth way to Hell and damnation!

Civility is very often . . .
  the nurse of impiety,
  the mother of flattery, and
  an enemy to real sanctity.
There are those who are so blinded with the fair shows of civility--that they can neither see the necessity nor beauty of sanctity. There are those who now bless themselves in their common morality, whom at last God will scorn and cast off for lack of real holiness and purity.

A moral man may be an utter stranger . . .
  to God,
  to Christ,
  to Scripture,
  to the filthiness of sin,
  to the depths and devices of Satan,
  to their own hearts,
  to the new birth,
  to the great concerns of eternity,
  to communion with Christ,
  to the secret and inward ways and workings of the Spirit.

Well, sirs, remember this: though the moral man is good for many things--yet he is not good enough to go to Heaven! He who rises to no higher pitch than civility and morality--shall never have communion with God in glory. The most moral man in the world, may be both Christless and graceless.

Morality is not sufficient to keep a man out of eternal misery. All morality can do, is to help a man to one of the best rooms and easiest beds which Hell affords! For, as the moral man's sins are not so great as others--so his punishments shall not be so great as others. This is all the comfort that can be given to a moral man--that he shall have a cooler Hell than others have. This is but cold comfort.
Morality without piety is as a body without a soul.
Will God ever accept of such a stinking sacrifice? Surely not!

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God." Luke 18:13-14

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I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death. (Philippians 3:10 NIV)

Do recognize that the Cross is the end of the risen life, and not only the beginning. If you forget everything else, remember that. The Cross is the end of the risen life, as well as the beginning: "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death." People have been to me with Philippians 3 and have asked: "Why did Paul put death at the end? Surely it ought to be right the other way round – 'That I may be conformed to His death, and know Him in the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.'" No, there is no mistake. The order is of the Holy Spirit. The power of His resurrection presupposes that there has been a death, but the very resurrection-life leads to the Cross. The Holy Spirit in the power of the risen life is always leading you back to the Cross, to conformity to His death. It is the very property of Life to rule out all that belongs to death. It is the very power of resurrection to bring us back to the place where death is constantly overcome.

That place is none other than the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ where the natural life is put aside. So Paul says: "...becoming conformed unto His death," which means: to have the ground of death continuously and progressively removed; and that, again, as we have said, is the fruit of living union with Him. It would be a poor look-out for you and for me were we to be conformed to His death in entirety apart from the power of resurrection in us, apart from our already knowing the Life of the Lord. Where would be our hope? What is it that is the power of our survival when the Cross is made more real in our experience? There would be no survival were it not that His risen Life is in us. So Paul prays: "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection..." and that means conformity to His death without utter destruction. The end of the risen life is the Cross. The Holy Spirit is always working in relation to the Cross, in order that the power of His resurrection may be increasingly manifested in us.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

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The biggest problem for those in Hell

(R.C. Sproul)

Many people hope for a second chance after death, yet nothing in Scripture gives the slightest hope of that. The Bible says that "it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

In recent years, there has been a revival within evangelical circles of the heretical doctrine called annihilationism, which holds that the wicked are merely annihilated. Their punishment is that they cease to exist. But the Bible is very clear that the punishment of Hell is conscious and unending--a place where the wicked "will go away into everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25:46).

Almost all the biblical teaching about Hell comes from the lips of Jesus. Modern Christians have pushed the limits of minimizing Hell, in an effort to sidestep or soften Jesus' own teaching.

Yet there is no biblical concept more grim or terror-invoking, than the idea of Hell.
The Bible describes Hell as . . .
  a place of outer darkness,
  a lake of fire,
  a place of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth,
  a place of eternal separation from the blessings of God,
  a prison,
  a place of torment where the worm never dies.

A breath of relief is usually heard when someone declares, "Hell is a symbol for separation from God." To be separated from God for eternity is no great threat to the impenitent person. The ungodly want nothing more than to be separated from God. "They say to God: Leave us alone! We have no desire to know Your ways!" Job 21:14

Yes, Hell is separation from the grace, care, and love of God, but not from God Himself. The biggest problem for those in Hell will not be separation from God--it will be the presence of God that will torment them. In Hell, God will be present in the fullness of His divine wrath, actively punishing the wicked. Hell is an eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God. He will be there to exercise His just punishment of the damned. They will know Him as an all-consuming fire.

When we are saved, we are saved from God Himself! We are saved from exposure to His fierce wrath and punishment!

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of Hell is its eternality. People can endure the greatest agony, if they know that it will ultimately stop. In Hell there is no such hope. The Bible clearly teaches that the punishment is eternal. Punishment implies pain. Mere annihilation, which some have lobbied for, involves no pain. Jonathan Edwards said, "Wicked men will hereafter earnestly wish to be turned to nothing and forever cease to be, that they may escape the wrath of God!" "They called to the mountains and the rocks: Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!" Revelation 6:16

Hell, then, is an eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God--a suffering torment from which there is no escape and no relief.

No matter how we analyze the concept of Hell, it often sounds to us as a place of cruel and unusual punishment. If, however, we can take any comfort in the concept of Hell--we can take it in the full assurance that there will be no cruelty there. It is impossible for God to be cruel. Cruelty involves inflicting a punishment that is more severe or harsh than the crime. Cruelty in this sense is unjust. God is incapable of inflicting an unjust punishment. The Judge of all the earth will surely do what is right. No innocent person will ever suffer at His hand. The last judgment will be administered by a perfectly just and righteous Judge, so there will be nothing arbitrary or unjust about it.