It’s easy to have a good attitude when our relationships are good, everything in our house is in working order, our health is good, our work is manageable, and our days are filled with blessings. The challenge comes when all of these things fall apart..........

A Positive Attitude is Made up of Many Choices Each Day
There’s nothing quite so exciting and fearful as when God puts us in a seemingly impossible situation and says, “I am going to deliver you in this particular instance.” Have you ever been in a specific situation as that?......

Be Ready For His Deliverance

Hab 2:3: For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
Don’t allow a change in plans to bring about disappointment; just keep hanging on to your faith with joyful expectation because your day is coming.

“Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and not delay” – ‘God’s tardiness is largely an illusion, for God does not regard or experience time as mere mortals do. He is above and outside time. {Ps 90:4} Moreover, the delay in the final judgement is due to his patience, and his wish that sinners should find salvation, 2Pe 3:3-10. ‘From our perspective, the time is running out…; But God is on course and on time.’

Mindy Smith: Highs and Lows (Video)

The existence of God is one of the great mysteries. Neither man nor angel can comprehend it. There must be heights and depths in the Infinite that can never be measured by the finite. As Job asked, “Canst thou by searching find God?…..the measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” There is nothing to suggest where “God” came from. He created. That is all that is reported. We think in terms of time…beginning and end. God is not limited by time. Time is sometimes our problem and sometimes our limitation……but God is not restrained by time.
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." ~ John 3:8

Free As The Wind
Pastors and Preachers of America.
In order to speak with conviction, you must have some convictions. Please don’t preach your doubts to us. We have enough doubts of our own. If you don’t believe the Bible is the Word of God, do the right thing and get out of the pulpit. If down deep you doubt that Jesus is the Son of God, do the right thing and get another job. If you don’t believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation, maybe you’d better join a liberal denomination. If you’re not sure that heaven is real and hell is real, if you are embarrassed by the blood of Jesus, if you think it’s wrong to say, “You must be born again,” then step down and let someone who actually believes the Bible take your place.
God, give us preachers with some backbone who won’t back down. God deliver us from politically correct sermons and preachers who preach everything but the Word of God.
"We declare on scriptural authority that the human will is so desperately set on mischief, so depraved, so inclined to everything that is evil, and so disinclined to everything that is good, that without the powerful, supernatural, irresistible influence of the Holy Spirit, no one will ever be constrained toward Christ."

~ C.H. Spurgeon
"People say, "Leave your problems in the past." Well, where is the past? Is it some nether world between time and eternity? No. The past is in us. The only way we can leave the pain or sin from our past is to face it with Christ. For the past cannot be forgotten, it can only be forgiven and redeemed."

~ Francis Frangipane
“ Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata—of creatures that worked like machines—would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free."                      --C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Gal 2:11-13: Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy
A church ceases to be Christian if it contains class distinctions. In the presence of God a man is neither Gentile of Jew, poor nor rich, he is a sinner for whom Christ died.
I have seen and heard the expression often in the context of a rebuttal, “Well, if they were a ‘True’ Christian, they would … (Fill in the blank)”

But, what does that mean?

What Is a True Christian?
Albert Mohler (President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) writes: “In our own context, one of the most seductive false gospels is moralism. This false gospel can take many forms and can emerge from any number of political and cultural impulses. Nevertheless, the basic structure of moralism comes down to this — the belief that the Gospel can be reduced to improvements in behavior.
The seduction of moralism is the essence of its power. We are so easily seduced into believing that we actually can gain all the approval we need by our behavior. Of course, in order to participate in this seduction, we must negotiate a moral code that defines acceptable behavior with innumerable loopholes. Most moralists would not claim to be without sin, but merely beyond scandal. That is considered sufficient.”
A second time (the Pharisees) summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man (Jesus) is a sinner." He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" ~ John 9:24-25

Blind to Miracles
Ex 14:15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on
God did not alter His original command. He never said go to the sea and wait. He said move on. The sea was not in God’s way.
No prayers are as passionate and as fervent as for those whom you love. Correct? No menial or grand service is begrudged toil if that service is done for those whom you love. Haven’t you experienced that?.....

Love-Fueled
Life makes me smile. Sometimes I even laugh out loud . Not ALWAYS so in the deep grip of trial but there are moments when you get the chance to look at your circumstances and smile full heartedly at what you've come through and where life has brought you to.......

Hardships, Hurdles and Hoorahs
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"  ~ Matthew 5:44

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Apr 2013

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Deut 4:9: “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy sons sons;”
Christianity is rooted in history. That separates the Judeo-Christian world view from almost all other religious thought. It is rooted in history.

Leonard Ravenhill: Agony (Video)
I have fought the good fight…. ~ 2 Timothy 4:7

C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity is a fighting religion.” Some do not want to believe this nor live like this. They want a passive, academic, topical-discussion Christianity that will not escape the inner life. They are essentially disinterested in Ephesians 6:10-18—the full-armor of God passage. They will sigh and resignedly say, in the tone of the fatalist, for every little and big thing that they see and experience, “It was God’s will.” ...

Fight The Good Fight
Dan 2:21: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.

Newsboys: God Is Not Dead (Video)

"There are two kinds of people in the world-- only two kinds. Not black or white, rich or poor, but those either dead in sin or dead to sin."
~ Leonard Ravenhill
Do not let the day to day life in a sinful world & the temptations of the master of conspiracy & lies rob you of your peace of mind......

Comfort & Control

"Obedience seems such a simple thing. God says it, so do it, right? But in reality, we all struggle with obeying what the Lord has commanded. Obedience doesn't come naturally for any of us. As parents, we have to teach our children to obey, by setting rules, boundaries and consequences because we love them. God does the same with us. Sometimes He allows difficulties in our lives to teach us obedience because He loves us. God isn't some meanie sitting on His throne waiting to throw suffering in our path every time we mess up, but sometimes He will allow a trial or problem to teach us to walk more closely in step with Him. Human nature wants an easy road but

if the road was always easy, how would we learn to trust and obey Him? Hebrews 5:8 says even Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. If the Holy One, "the author of eternal salvation," our Example, had to suffer, why should we be any different? It is through suffering that we learn obedience, faith and devotion. Although I don't like to walk a difficult path any more than anyone else, I am grateful for God's love, grace and mercy in allowing things to come into my life at various times to cause me to seek His face and His ways. "

                  ~ Ann-Louise Gremminger

Charles H Spurgeon: The Blackness of Sin

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ~ 1 Corinthians 4:2

Trust and faith have the same DNA. Everyone has faith and trust, but not everyone has faith and trust in Christ......

Faith & Trust
Scripture is the road sign that directs one toward Christ, the Way to Life (John 3:16; 14:6)....

From the Way of Error to the Way of Terror

The saying goes that the two most volatile subjects too discuss are religion and politics. Yet this question combines what many consider religion and a political ideology......

Is Jesus Christ a Socialist?
"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are."
~ J. P. Morgan, Financier
The word "nation" in the Greek is the word "ethos," from which we get our English word "ethnic." Jesus was declaring that a prominent sign at the end of the  age would be ethnic conflict.  Ethnic conflict (racism) is one of the greatest issues now facing the world and the church today......

Racism Is For People Who Don't Think
"Obedience seems such a simple thing. God says it, so do it, right? But in reality, we all struggle with obeying what the Lord has commanded. Obedience doesn't come naturally for any of us. As parents, we have to teach our children to obey, by setting rules, boundaries and consequences because we love them. God does the same with us. Sometimes He allows difficulties in our lives to teach us obedience because He loves us. God isn't some meanie sitting on His throne waiting to throw suffering in our path every time we mess up, but sometimes He will allow a trial or problem to teach us to walk more closely in step with Him. Human nature wants an easy road but if the road was always easy, how would we learn to trust and obey Him? Hebrews 5:8 says even Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. If the Holy One, "the author of eternal salvation," our Example, had to suffer, why should we be any different? It is through suffering that we learn obedience, faith and devotion. Although I don't like to walk a difficult path any more than anyone else, I am grateful for God's love, grace and mercy in allowing things to come into my life at various times to cause me to seek His face and His ways. "
~ Ann-Louise Gremminger
All things were not only created by God in Christ, but also for Him (see Romans 11:36; I Corinthians 15:28; Ephesians 1:10). We cannot comprehend all this now, but even the evil that God has allowed will somehow eventually redound to His glory (Romans 9:21-23).
The quality that should mark the Christian church is not goodness, but grace, not merit, but mercy, not moralism, but forgiveness, not the enshrinement of success, but the acceptance of failure. Lacking the nerve of failure, we have suffered a failure of the nerve--to dare to dream dreams, venture visions, and risk getting splinters that come from cutting against the grain. .....

In Defense of Failure
Amos 5:15: “Hate evil, love good;”
Hate, in proper context, can actually be an excellent family value. Murder, rape, kidnapping, and brutality are just four examples of many things that every family should hate and refuse to tolerate.

Video: Run!
While going through our local Wal-mart, watching the shoppers interact... some grumblin'...others cheerfully....this thought occurred to me.......

What's In Your Shopping Cart?
"Nothing reveals where you are spiritually like that of a trial! There is two purposes why God turns the heat up in our lives! (1) To surface to the top all of our imperfections in order that we might deal with them. (2) He squeezes us until He see what He has deposited in us comes pour out!" ~ Asher Jhon

Freedom comes from God.  God designed men to be free......

Space Invaders, Cops, Soldiers, and Jesus
A theology that looks like Jesus will start with Him. If I want it to look like me then all I need to do is start with me........

If You Paid a Dime for a Dozen Conspiracy Theories; Then You Paid Too Much.
You and I also can overcome Satan by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony…even unto our deaths......

The Word of Our Testimony
Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion. ~ Proverbs 30:8

The longer I live, the more I realize the ease with which we can slip into extremes. I see it all around me and sometimes, to my own embarrassment, I find it in myself. A major prayer of mine as I grow older is, "Lord, keep me balanced!"

We need a balance between work and play, between kindness and firmness, between waiting and praying, between saving and spending, between wanting too much and expecting too little, between warm
acceptance and keen discernment, between grace and truth.
For many folks, the struggle with imbalance is not an annual conflict---it's a daily grind. The adversary of our souls is the expert of extremes. He never run out of ways to push us to the limit . . . to get us to go so far out on one end we cast perspective to the winds.
The longer I live, the more I must fight the tendency to go to extremes. . . and the more I value balance.
                          
                          -Charles R. Swindoll
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