Claim It Today
Archive for August, 2015
Don’t always ask Jesus what He can do for you; ask Jesus what you can do for Him
Seek First His Kingdom – Helen Steiner Rice
You need nothing more than
God’s guidance and love
To ensure the things that you’re
most worthy of. . .
So trust in His wisdom
and follow His ways,
And be not concerned
with the world’s empty praise,
But seek first His kingdom,
and you will possess
The world’s greatest riches,
which is true happiness.
Helen Steiner Rice
Is It Possible To Be Too Hip To Be Holy?
“And when You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.'” Psalm 27:8 (NASB)
The New Living Translation says, “My heart has heard You say, “Came and talk with Me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” There is an old saying, “Deep calleth unto deep.” It suggests that something deep within us is ever hungering after, and always listening for that Voice that gives us life.
This aptly fits many of us today who remember the beginnings of our journey with Jesus. The move of the Spirit was strong and widespread, the preaching of the Word was without manipulation, and worship was innocent—unchained from the love of money.
But these days now are rather mediocre in comparison. The presses are filled with over-stated claims of how God is moving here and there, while people are running to and fro to jump in the river. Preaching has all but been stripped of prophetic power, opting instead for power-point presentations that give neat and tidy tips on how to improve just about anything in your life. And as for worship—send in the clowns! Is this the church, or a club reviewing the latest trends in bands and fashion? Is it possible to be too hip to be holy? Too relevant to be reverent? Too cool to be Christlike?
We long for a renewal; a return to the days of our first love; a fresh awakening in our fellowship with the Lord. If these longings are present in your heart, then be encouraged—for it is the Lord calling you back. – James Ryle –
The Local Church and Why It Matters
By: John MacArthur
From: Grace To You Blog
I love the church. It’s the center of my life and has been since childhood. My father was the pastor of a church when I was born, and I grew up in the church. It’s the place where I was led to the knowledge of God, where I learned about the Person and work of Christ, and where I gained the knowledge of saving and sanctifying truth. It’s where I learned how to pray, how to sing, how to worship, how to love, and how to serve. And it was in the church that I experienced the leading of the Spirit of God directing me to a life of ministry.
I met my wife in the church. We raised our children in the church, and now our grandchildren, too. It’s where I’ve made lifelong friends and partners in ministry. The church touches…
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Lest I Go Astray
Like sheep that sometimes wander from the flock
In tangled paths of life to lose their way,
I need my Shepherd’s hand and watchful eye
To keep me always, lest I go astray.
– Sanders –
God’s Love Is Extraordinary
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NASB)
There is nothing ordinary about God, and His love is most extraordinary. The marvel is that God should—or could—love the world, whose mind is enmity against Him and whose course is evil throughout. The world is selfish and self-pleasing, the heart of the world is desperately wicked, and the trend of the world is sin-ward, certainly not God-ward. The will of the world is perverse, and the god of the world is none other than the devil himself. Yet, in spite of it all, “God so loved the world.” Because of His love, “He gave His only begotten Son.”
To Believe Or Not To Believe – That Is The Question
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18 (NASB)
“He who does not believe has been judged already.” John 3:18 does not say those who “believe not” are going to be judged, or that they might be judged. It says they are judged already. All unbelievers are under the judgment of Almighty God this very moment. It matters not how morally good they may be, if they do not believe on Jesus they are judged right now. One heartbeat is the only thing standing between the unbeliever and hell.
In the last part of this verse we find the truth as to the why judgment rests upon all unbelievers. “Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” In Acts 4:12 we read, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Salvation is found only in Jesus. Man must believe on Him, or die in sin. If you are not a believer, the judgment of God rests upon you now—and the reason God’s judgment hangs heavy over your head is simply because you refuse to believe on the name on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fear fades when we trust our Father
Redbird's Roost 