I've recently heard some comments from some of my non-believing friends related to faith and commitment. These are smart and logical people who find it difficult to believe that one could have a relationship with God. In reviewing some quotes that I had written down from a previous reading of "Peace with God" by Billy Graham, a couple of them stood out to me in light of some of those comments:
"I have learned that when men and women of sound judgment reject Christ as their Lord and Master, they do it not because they find Christian doctrines intellectually distasteful, but because they seek to avoid the responsibilities and obligations that the Christian life demands. Their faint hearts rather than their brilliant minds stand between them and Christ. They are not willing to submit themselves and surrender everything to Christ."
"It is interesting to note that the two men most used of God in the Bible (one in the old testament and one in the new testament) were also the best educated: Moses and Paul."
"The Christian ideal certainly does not demand that a person renounce all interest in the affairs of this life; but rather that we seek God's guidance in performing our daily work to the best of our ability, and that we keep both our work and our ambitions in subordination to the Lord at all times."
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Holding on to a penny
A story from the book "Peace with God" by Billy Graham:
A little child playing one day with a very valuable vase put his hand into it and could not withdraw it. They were thinking of breaking the vase when the father said, "Now, my son, make one more try. Open your hand and hold your fingers out straight as you see me doing, and then pull."
To their astonishment the little fellow said, "O no, father, I couldn't put my fingers out like that, because if I did I would drop my penny."
Many of us are like that little boy, so busy holding on to the world's worthless penny that we cannot accept liberation. Let go, and let God have His way in your life.
A little child playing one day with a very valuable vase put his hand into it and could not withdraw it. They were thinking of breaking the vase when the father said, "Now, my son, make one more try. Open your hand and hold your fingers out straight as you see me doing, and then pull."
To their astonishment the little fellow said, "O no, father, I couldn't put my fingers out like that, because if I did I would drop my penny."
Many of us are like that little boy, so busy holding on to the world's worthless penny that we cannot accept liberation. Let go, and let God have His way in your life.
Monday, March 03, 2008
The Surrendered Life
There is a difference between a "good" life and a saved life; there is a difference between a saved life and a surrendered life.
Do you know the difference?
The good life is one that seeks to do "good" things because of self-glorification or what seems to be right. There is no ultimate mission other than to treat others well and there is no recognition of authority for that good.
The saved life recognizes the authority of God as the originator of good and does "good" things because God would want them to be done.
The surrendered life gives every thought and action to God for His use and purpose. There is no thought of self or glorification other than the glory that God receives.
I believe it was D.L. Moody that said "The world has yet to see what God can do with a person who has completely surrendered their life to God."
Do you know the difference?
The good life is one that seeks to do "good" things because of self-glorification or what seems to be right. There is no ultimate mission other than to treat others well and there is no recognition of authority for that good.
The saved life recognizes the authority of God as the originator of good and does "good" things because God would want them to be done.
The surrendered life gives every thought and action to God for His use and purpose. There is no thought of self or glorification other than the glory that God receives.
I believe it was D.L. Moody that said "The world has yet to see what God can do with a person who has completely surrendered their life to God."
Favorite Quotes
“The difficulties in your life are an opportunity for you to show that Christ is sufficient.”
Neal Jeffrey
"If you want to know who a person is ask them who their friends are. If you want to know about their character ask them who their heroes are."
Dr. Jack Graham
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Jim Elliot
“Don’t put yourself in a position to see how good your resistance is.”
Jim Elliot
“The primary purpose of a home is to reflect and to distribute the love of Christ.”
Ravi Zacharias
“I want to be like Jesus, because my son wants to be like me.”
Neal Jeffrey
“Grace cannot be earned, it can only be given. Why? So that the giver gets all of the credit.”
Tony Evans
“It is an honor to serve; therefore I will serve with honor.”
Neal Jeffrey
“Forgiveness is the utter surrender of the right to be right.”
Author unknown
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this not of yourself, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives but Christ wholives within me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live through faith in theSon of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galations 2:20
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freelyby the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:23-24
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21:22
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Proverbs 3:34
“My life’s goal is to live my life in such a way that God receives the greater glory.”
Steve Smith
“Be a trophy of God’s Grace.”
Neal Jeffrey
“Proclaim the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”
Francis of Assisi
“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
“If you can’t see it before you see it, you will never see it.”
author unknown
“A Christian does not sing to find God; he sings because God has found him and he is full of joy and praise.”
Pastor Louie Konopka
“The raw material of our actions is what we take into our mind and allow to settle in our heart.”
Nelson Study Bible (Matthew 15:16-20)
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King Jr.
"It is not enough to be good if you have the ability to be better. It is not enough to be very good if you have the ability to be great."
Alberta Lee Cox
"Men of genius do not excel in a profession because they labor in it; they labor in it because they excel."
William Hazlitt
"A man's character is his fate"
Heraclitus
"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him."
Aldous Huxley
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
William Jennings Bryan
"It matters not where I am standing, but in which direction I am heading."
author unknown
"If you are too big for the little things then you're probably too small for the big things
Dr. Jack Graham
"Being busy doesn't make you important; it just keeps you from doing important things"
John Maxwell
"You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him discover it in himself."
Galileo
"A leader is not defined by the number of people that serve him, but by the number of people he is serving"
Dr. Jack Graham
Neal Jeffrey
"If you want to know who a person is ask them who their friends are. If you want to know about their character ask them who their heroes are."
Dr. Jack Graham
"The difference between wisdom and knowledge is choice"
Author unknown
“If one does not know one’s purpose, any destination will do.”
Ravi Zacharias
Ravi Zacharias
Jim Elliot
Jim Elliot
Ravi Zacharias
“I want to be like Jesus, because my son wants to be like me.”
Neal Jeffrey
“Grace cannot be earned, it can only be given. Why? So that the giver gets all of the credit.”
Tony Evans
“It is an honor to serve; therefore I will serve with honor.”
Neal Jeffrey
“Forgiveness is the utter surrender of the right to be right.”
Author unknown
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this not of yourself, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
Galations 2:20
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freelyby the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:23-24
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21:22
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Proverbs 3:34
“My life’s goal is to live my life in such a way that God receives the greater glory.”
Steve Smith
“Be a trophy of God’s Grace.”
Neal Jeffrey
“Proclaim the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”
Francis of Assisi
“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
“If you can’t see it before you see it, you will never see it.”
author unknown
“A Christian does not sing to find God; he sings because God has found him and he is full of joy and praise.”
Pastor Louie Konopka
“The raw material of our actions is what we take into our mind and allow to settle in our heart.”
Nelson Study Bible (Matthew 15:16-20)
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King Jr.
"It is not enough to be good if you have the ability to be better. It is not enough to be very good if you have the ability to be great."
Alberta Lee Cox
William Hazlitt
Heraclitus
"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him."
Aldous Huxley
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
William Jennings Bryan
"It matters not where I am standing, but in which direction I am heading."
author unknown
"If you are too big for the little things then you're probably too small for the big things
Dr. Jack Graham
"Being busy doesn't make you important; it just keeps you from doing important things"
John Maxwell
"You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him discover it in himself."
Galileo
"A leader is not defined by the number of people that serve him, but by the number of people he is serving"
Dr. Jack Graham
God's Laughter
I was reminded this morning of a comment I heard a while ago.
"Do you know how to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans."
"Do you know how to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans."
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Land of the Free
As you read the words of Andrew Peterson's song "The Land of the Free", consider how much time you spend worried about all of the pressure and stress of your earthly home. When you realize that God calls us to be ambassadors and not inhabitants (2 Cor 5:20, 1 Pet 2:11-12), when your focus shifts from the temporal to the eternal, we then are capable of fulfulling God's plan for our lives -- a life of true joy and sharing God's love with those that He has placed before us (1 John 3:11, 18).
The Land of the Free
Little Elba how’s the sun in South America?
does it shine upon the faces of the poor?
do they see in it the brilliance of the place that’s been prepared
and dwell upon the hope of what’s in store?
or are they just like me?
do they only see an opportunity to complain about the heat?
Little Elba, how’s the rain in South America?
does it fall upon the rooftops of the sick?
do they thank the Lord for coming up with such a great idea
and dream about a place beyond all this?
or are they just like us?
do they gripe and fuss
about the rain and mud when they’ve had too much?
(Chorus):
‘cause I’m just a little jealous of the nothing that you have
unfettered by the wealth of a world that we pretend is gonna last
they say God blessed us with plenty,
I say you’re blessed with poverty
‘cause you never stop to wonder whether earth is just a little better than
the Land of the Free
well, I’m weary of the spoils of my ambition
and I’m shackled by the comfort of my couch
I wish I had the courage to deny these of myself
and start to store my treasure in the clouds
‘cause this is not my home,
I do not belong
where the antelope and the buffalo roam
(Chorus):
and I’m just a little jealous of the freedom that you have
unfettered by the wealth of a world that we pretend is gonna last
they say God blessed us with plenty,
I say you’re blessed with poverty
‘cause you never stop to wonder whether earth is just a little better than
the Land of the Free
so I hope you’re safe and dry in South America
‘cause I’m feeling pretty good in Tennessee
may you never be so happy you forget about your home...
your home in the Land of the Free
Words and music by Andrew Peterson
The Land of the Free
Little Elba how’s the sun in South America?
does it shine upon the faces of the poor?
do they see in it the brilliance of the place that’s been prepared
and dwell upon the hope of what’s in store?
or are they just like me?
do they only see an opportunity to complain about the heat?
Little Elba, how’s the rain in South America?
does it fall upon the rooftops of the sick?
do they thank the Lord for coming up with such a great idea
and dream about a place beyond all this?
or are they just like us?
do they gripe and fuss
about the rain and mud when they’ve had too much?
(Chorus):
‘cause I’m just a little jealous of the nothing that you have
unfettered by the wealth of a world that we pretend is gonna last
they say God blessed us with plenty,
I say you’re blessed with poverty
‘cause you never stop to wonder whether earth is just a little better than
the Land of the Free
well, I’m weary of the spoils of my ambition
and I’m shackled by the comfort of my couch
I wish I had the courage to deny these of myself
and start to store my treasure in the clouds
‘cause this is not my home,
I do not belong
where the antelope and the buffalo roam
(Chorus):
and I’m just a little jealous of the freedom that you have
unfettered by the wealth of a world that we pretend is gonna last
they say God blessed us with plenty,
I say you’re blessed with poverty
‘cause you never stop to wonder whether earth is just a little better than
the Land of the Free
so I hope you’re safe and dry in South America
‘cause I’m feeling pretty good in Tennessee
may you never be so happy you forget about your home...
your home in the Land of the Free
Words and music by Andrew Peterson
Friday, August 31, 2007
Under Construction
I was reading the latest edition of "Decision" magazine (from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) which is devoted to the life of Billy's wife, Ruth, who just passed away. It's an inspiring tribute to her life and her faith in the Lord. In one corner of one of the articles they had a section from one of her journals. In it she had written "I once saw a highway sign on a strip of highway that was under construction. I would like to have that sign copied onto my gravestone. It said, 'End of construction. Thank you for your patience.'" I smiled as I read it, but it was central to her life story. She always looked on everyone as a work in progress. She said she always found it irritating to be painting a picture in art class and have someone criticize the work before the painting was finished. Yet how many of us are guilty of criticizing God's unfinished paintings. It really hit me how much more I need to consider that when I look upon others, and especially when I look upon myself.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Thought for the day -- Success Guaranteed!
I saw this quote this morning and thought it was a great thought for the day.
"What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" __ Robert H. Schuller
Think about that for a moment. If you knew that success was guaranteed in whatever you decided to do, what would you do? What would that one thing be? In considering this question, I looked at Philemon 4:13, Romans 8:31, and Isaiah 40:31. What is it that keeps us from succeeding when success is guaranteed by God? Is it fear? Is it our own plans? Do you have confidence that God will enable you to succeed in what He has purposed in your life?
Be strong and of good cheer! Have a great day.
Heb. 13:20-21
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